No Keys to Enter, No Host to Call

I contracted a flat in London. I was not that thrilled that I had to get the keys at a nearby pub but I dealt with it. When I showed up at the pub – along with a friend who was not at all comfortable with renting from Airbnb in the first place – I was told: Guess what? The keys aren’t here! They usually are here all the time, but they are not here now! I then texted AND called the host. No response. We had plans arranged a few hours later, but that was a non-factor at this point. I went to the apartment building where the flat was located and began ringing each doorbell for each flat. One young man answered, and he was so kind – he managed to track down the host and the host’s girlfriend was able to get us into the flat. So just our first day was basically ruined, but what bothered me more was that there was never any contact from the host – no “sorry about that” or anything. Not surprisingly, I didn’t get a “request for review” for that visit so I didn’t give the host a bad review (since I wasn’t asked!). It’s all water under the bridge now – it happened in October 2015 – but I just had (if you can believe it) an even worse experience, so I now decided I should report this other terrible experience. My advice: ALWAYS bring a number where you can contact Airbnb with a problem. I had the host’s number only – and was later reprimanded for not contacting Airbnb itself (even though they make it as difficult as possible to find an actual phone number to reach them!)

Stranded by Airbnb after a Rock Festival

My daughter took her first trip out of the country and booked Airbnb for a rock festival… the host never showed up, never emailed her, and didn’t even have the decency to answer her phone! She, of course, phones home in a panic, after hours of phone calls to Airbnb, calling hotels in the area (of course nothing was available – it was a rock festival weekend!) thinking she and her friend will be on the street, crying and upset! Worst experience ever! Three hours later and still, nothing happened! Airbnb said they will refund her money but when someone needs a place to stay what help is that! My advice: STAY AWAY!

Airbnb host never showed up

I had a plan to stay in Delft, the Netherlands for ten days, starting on the 25th August 2015. I flew from the UK and kept an appointment at 3pm on that day. The host Shay Hwa did not turn up. I tried to call, sms and email via airbnb. I spent five hours in Delft, the weather deteriorated and I had to find a hotel room in Amsterdam at extra cost very quickly and pay for train travel there. When the host mailed me via airbnb that evening it transpired that he was in Malaysia and he had presumed somebody would open the front door and let me in. I knew nothing of this and there was nobody to let me in. I returned to the address several times during the few hours I was in Delft and there was nobody present in the house. Having to find a hotel at very short notice on a rainy night and then finding alternative accommodation via airbnb was very stressful and I wasted a lot of my vacation this way as I needed to make several bookings. Airbnb did reply to my e mail very quickly, they offered me a full refund or credit plus a £50 credit. Shay Hwa is an incompetent person who I think failed to even understand the problems he has caused me, even wishing me a good stay in the hotel I had to book in Amsterdam, against my will. The man is an idiot and should not be trusted with anything that affects other people.