Tag Archives: airbnb lost items

Expensive Earrings Lost at Airbnb Overnight

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I stayed overnight at this particular Airbnb. I placed my diamond stud earrings on the bedside table connecting them together using the ‘earring back’ parts before I went to sleep that night. We left in a hurry the next morning; I forgot to take my earrings, they were left in the host’s flat (small flat, tiled floor).

The day after leaving the host’s flat, I touched my ears and realized my earrings were not in; I had forgotten them at the host’s house. I immediately texted, called and Airbnb messaged the host that day (Sunday), then again on Tuesday – still no response.

Finally, I heard back from her on Wednesday after three days. She told me her phone was broken. She then called and told me (as she was standing in the flat) that she could not see the earrings anywhere, and that she was the only person that had been in the flat. I told her I was coming down to collect them as that’ where I left them.

I headed down the next day (Thursday), and searched the whole place. I found nothing. I asked her about the earrings and she was adamant no one had been in the room. I left. A while later after thinking about it (after the first time I had searched the flat) I came back and asked to search the vacuum cleaner, broom, dust pan and washing machine bed sheets (she checked the vacuum and washing machine when I was not present). She then mentioned that she did in fact have guests stay the night after us, and that she had already called them. When asked if they found earrings, they said “no”.

I am so baffled as I left them there, to me there could be two options: someone has clearly taken them, or they would still be there in the room on the table or on the floor next to that table; or the guests that stayed the next night took them. Why did she not contact me ASAP? Surely upon cleaning such a small space she would have picked them up.

Was she the only person that cleaned the room that morning after we left? I’m not sure whether or not I can factor any of this into the review. What do others think? I guess I’m just upset they haven’t been returned to me…and wonder where the hell they are?

Clothes Stolen by Host, Airbnb Does Nothing

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I have been using Airbnb since 2011 and generally have had good experiences. However, my most horrific experience happened in May in Kiev. I arrived from the airport late, went to the apartment close to the centre, took the keys from below the door mat, and entered the apartment. Five minutes later, the host entered the apartment with knocking saying that he still wanted to clean. Even when I insisted that this was not needed, he said he wanted to do so and also needed to get some stuff. I gave him permission but had to leave the apartment right after to buy some groceries.

The next morning, I had a bad surprise as I could not find half the clothes that I had left in a plastic bag. I called the host, who sounded shocked, saying “Oh man, I did not know these were your clothes!” He told me that he had put my clothes some place in the apartment but did not know where exactly; I should call him in the evening. I waited until the evening, when I received a message from him saying: “The bag of clothes that you left in the apartment – I did not touch it, so try to remember where you left it!”

I got really upset, because it became clear what was happening: he had taken the clothes and was now denying responsibility. I called him and he finally admitted that he had taken the clothes because they were in a plastic bag; he thought that they were from an old guest and thus thrown them away. He had thrown away my clothes, including a jacket, a blazer, shirts, sweater, and a 150-euro anti-radiation underwear. We tried to recover them but they were gone.

I asked for compensation, to the amount of the value of the cloths, that I listed. Not the value of buying them new, but the value taking into account that at least the jacket was over a year old. The total value would have been over 500 euro but I asked for 237 euro, the minimum amount. The host agreed to this compensation. I asked him to pay via PayPal. Airbnb wrote me within minutes saying that I could not ask my host to pay me via PayPal, only the internal payment method. I tried internal payment but that only gave me 70 USD, which was the price of my stay.

I asked Airbnb customer support agents and in fact have talked to five case managers. They still have not answered my question how I can get compensation for the stolen goods. Before leaving the apartment, I wanted to get compensation from the host, but he did not respond. I remained at the apartment, but called Airbnb and was told that I had to leave the apartment right away. I said, “Once I am gone, the host might never compensate me.”

They responded: “Do not worry; we’ll take care of it! You just have to leave the apartment now”.

I left, but when I asked for compensation, neither my host nor Airbnb wanted to pay. I got a new case manager who told me I needed to upload pictures of my clothes, so that they could compensate me. I did that but then the case manager disappeared and I got yet another case manager. That case manager talked to the host and reported he did not want to pay anything in compensation: “I am sorry! There is nothing else I can do.”

In short, my clothes were taken by the host and neither the host nor Airbnb wants to compensate me. I had five case manager changing every few days, none willing to help. I was promised that Airbnb would take care of it, and they did nothing, only assigned it to a new case manager. I was told I could not use PayPal but was never offered a way to get compensation. I was told to leave the apartment and that they would fix it, but they did not do anything. The only thing they did is ask the host if he wanted to compensate me, and if host says no they say, “Sorry, we cannot help you.”