Comments on: “Pseudo Hosts” using Airbnb as a Money Machine

By: Linda

Linda — Sun, 11 Feb 2018 16:36:15 +0000

I am not quite sure exactly what prompted Airbnb to respond to our complaint but I received a message and subsequent tel call that lasted 30 min. We followed some of the suggestions that are given on Airbnbhell’s website. We posted the above chronology and followed up by sending the same info to both of the suggested contacts. In our request to Airbnb’s CEO to intervene we told him that we had already posted on Airbnbhell and copied Airbnb’s “Minimum Quality Standards, Host Responsibilities and Reimbursement to Guest” which clearly spells out the responsibilities of the host in a situation such as ours. In none of our communications were we threatening or use derogatory language but we did put the onus on the host for not complying with those requirements and acting fraudulently in his presentation of the property he was offering. We did mention that our difficulty in communications here in Costa Rica contributed to our inability to respond. In closing we said that upon return to the US we intended to contact our congressman for help with filing a complaint to the FTC. We have no idea of which of the above did the trick, but we did not give up and kept pressure on Airbnb so perhaps the old adage of the squeaky wheel getting the oil that may have helped. We were completely satisfied the resolution.

By: Il Toro

Il Toro — Sun, 11 Feb 2018 05:52:07 +0000

As Airbnb told you, you failed to follow the correct procedure.
You have to contact (or try to contact) the Host – AND you MUST contact Airbnb within 24 hours after checking-in.
Of course you should also take photographs, and perhaps video, to prove there were problems.
Hosts are not paid out until 25 hours after check-in. So Airbnb can withhold their payment as long as they are informed of any problems in time. Once the Host is paid there is not much Airbnb can do to assist you, untess the Host agrees.

By: Valentine

Valentine — Sat, 10 Feb 2018 11:54:02 +0000

Well, these are seasoned travellers and Airbnb users. They deserve some leeway from Airbnb.

By: CoffeeQueenKT

CoffeeQueenKT — Fri, 09 Feb 2018 16:17:31 +0000

Airbnb is open 24 hours a day 7 days a week, if you ever find yourself in a situation where there is a problem, call them or get on social media immediately. Even if you end up staying the one night because it was so late, if you had said something within the first 24 hours, they would have been able to get you into a totally different place and or a refund, even though with a refund you would have been waiting a week + forthat because of your banks refund policies. The guest refund policy is very clear AND in the Terms of Service you agreed to when you made the reservation.

By: David Aaron

David Aaron — Fri, 09 Feb 2018 01:19:02 +0000

Unfortunately you didn’t follow the very clear cancelations procedure and paid the price.