Airbnb
reviews and complaints

Welcome to Fiori Vacation Homes, where every stay feels like a dream come true. Nestled in the heart of nature, our homes offer a serene escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Guests have raved about the breathtaking views, cozy interiors, and top-notch amenities that make their stay truly unforgettable. Whether you're seeking a romantic getaway or a family adventure, Fiori Vacation Homes promises a relaxing and rejuvenating experience. Book your stay today and immerse yourself in the beauty of nature!

Ouu Family stayed at Shelleys Beach House at 5Woonum Rd Alexandra Headlands on the Sunshine Coast QLD Australia. There was 10 of us in this wonderful place. We had 6 Adults 1 child (Family from the UK) plus 2 Adults (my husband & myself) 2 Adults (our sons from Brisbane) We also had a visit from our Daughter from Melbourne & her boyfriend. We were all happy with the amount of Bedrooms, the Kitchen was well appointed with all we needed for cooking. The Lounge Room had enough comfortable seating for everyone. Dining Area & Outdoor Area with Seating & Coffee Table. The Pool was wonderful (with glass security screen) we all spent a fair bit of our time in this area. Shelley also had a large glass vessel filled with Cold Lemon Water for us on our arrival. We loved our area downstairs with the wonderful bedroom & large glass screened shower in our bedroom. We all thoroughly enjoyed our holiday & didnt want to leave. We also had visits from friends there we havent seen for years & they were also happy with the facilities. WELL DONE SHELLEY. You were so welcoming & happy to see that we were all happy. We thoroughly recommend staying in this wonderful relaxing place.

We recently rented a room in the in the SOMA neighborhood of San Francisco, and were excited about the "Spacious bedroom w private bath". Unfortunately, when we arrived the situation was not as advertised.

The kitchen was an untidy mess, with fast food containers and dishes laying about. We ended up leaving instead of cooking the planned meal.

The bed had clearly been slept in, there was no top sheet, and when we turned the bottom sheet inside out discovered that the bed had blood stains. Needless to say, gross! The bed was also rock hard.

The floor, windowsill and desk were all dust-covered and strewn about with items. There were no towels in the bathroom. The room mate's SO provided a couple of threadbare towels.

We contacted the host, who was not present at the time, and essentially received a "this is not a hotel, it's how I live, so deal with it".

We then reached out to Airbnb, were assigned a case manager (Tiago), and after providing documenting pictures then were granted a refund of the base price of the rental. We've stayed with Airbnb hosts myriad times and this was our first negative experience. Airbnb smoothly turned things around for us. They also reached out to the host for a discussion regarding rental standards and communication.

Thumbs up from us, despite the incredibly negative experience with the host.

Update: Just stayed at another awesome five star AirBnB. This stay was a week in the Netherlands. Amazing hosts, gorgeous big light airy loft with a kitchenette, dining space, balcony with cafe table, and a view from heaven! $90 a night. These were gold metal, top rated hosts, and they totally deserved their rating. I repeat: look for the raves reviews and ONLY book those hosts. ONLY
I spent two wonderful five day stays in Europe using AirBnB. Perfect places, awesome landlords, great experiences! After reading all these negative Nancy reviews I just had to put in my two cents worth here.
Simply put, this is all on you renters. You have the INTERNET. Awesome tool this thing. Use it and do your research. When you find a listing that interests you, for cripes sake read ALL the reviews. Judiciously. Bad reviews? Don't book. No reviews? Don't book! Google map the place. You can look at the street view and area. Safe? Dicey? Easy access to where you want to be? Consider those pictures on the web site. Gorgeous view? Old building? No lift?. Ok, you are looking at a 5 floor walk up with luggage. Know that. Does everyone rave about the landlord being helpful and available? Good sign. All five stars? Good sign. I've had nothing but wonderful experiences with AirBnB, but it isn't idiot proof, and of course nothing is perfect. Use your head and it can open the doors to some amazing adventures. I LOVED my experience, and my hosts. They all had numerous five star reviews. I gave them two more!

How many times can you afford spending 2-3 hundred dollars a night when you go on a vacation? That 2-3 Hundred dollars a night can be used for entertainment purposes, which helps the city businesses. Let me explain more. My wife & I now can afford to take vacations. If it wasn't for Airbnb. We would not have the money for a plane ticket to go anywhere. We would not have money to go out during the vacation to the local restaurants, or concerts or clubs, or shop at the mall because all our savings would be going towards the Hotel fees. So before we learned about airbnb, we decided not to take any more vacations. It's a waste of money and we did not have any fun. Now that we use airbnb, we take vacations so we can visit the world. We go out during our vacations and have fun. Spend money for good food, shop at the malls and just enjoy having a great time with the money we saved. Not only Airbnb has helped us take vacations. We are also host, which airbnb helps us to pay our bills each month. Living off two jobs that don't pay that much is really hard in a economy where the city charges so much on taxes. Who can afford to live these days? Who can afford to buy homes or a new car these days? Who can afford it? Now we are hosting, we can afford our home. We can pay our bills. We can live in a better life style without worrying if our bills will be paid next month. Thank you Airbnb for making our lives better. Thank you airbnb for making the city and the citizens lives better. Thank you airbnb for showing us that you do care. Thank you airbnb for allowing a better way to live. I am a proud host and traveler who says join Airbnb, you gotta love it & you will love it.

I have been hosting now for about 9 months on airbnb with nothing but positive experiences; I have so far received just under $20,000 in income from a single apartment on airbnb alone. Some of the complaints here are fickle and/or knee jerk reactions to experiences that airbnb.com may not have been able to control. The verification system is actually quite reassuring, and it is up to the host/guest to make a judgment on a case-by-case basis. We have accepted some guests with no verifications whatsoever and we have still had no bad experiences or instances of fraud. There will always be fraudsters, especially on the internet, it is up to you to be vigilant in any of your interactions and transactions when doing business with anyone. There is a reason why airbnb urges you not to communicate outside of the website, and it is not just so they can secure their commission - it is for security. If someone asks to communicate outside the site I immediately flag them. I also read a review about receiving funds on weekends... if you have paypal you will receive the money about 24hours after check-in; if you are set up to receive your payments via bank account, then this is dependent on your bank being open on weekends, again something out of airbnb's control. Again, I have been nothing but pleased with this listing service... it's definitely the best I've encountered on the internet. HouseTrip also seems like a nice site, but it's not bringing in any $$ for us yet.

UPDATE (Year 3 - October): $80k earnings on year 2, $100k and counting on year 3. More than 90% of bookings made on airbnb. I have had no major problems. One guest damaged something by accident and agreed to pay damages from the deposit. Don't know what I'd do without this service, and I'm still confused by the overwhelmingly negative reviews on this site. I recently used the website to stay at an apartment for the first time as well, and I was very happy with our host and the quality of her accommodations. She could have dusted more, but I also understand that I was staying in someone's apartment and not at a hotel. The price could also not be beat for staying in downtown Chicago.

Hi

I'm an Airbnb host, and came across this site looking for a solution to a minor technical glitch with my listing. I simply don't understand the reviews i found on here at all... when you book somewhere through airbnb you are booking with a host, not to stay with the actual company itself. I take immense pride in providing a clean, high standard room-in-someone's-house accommodation and go well out of my way to be really helpful to guests... mine arrived late tonight, i made them supper - i don't see anyone writing a good experience on this site, but i sure as anything know alot of people get good experiences using the airbnb service - it's a service, they don't own the accommodations, like the reviews on this site seem to imply. Sure, tonight's guests said their last experience was not a friendly one, but i generally don't hear any bad stories, only good, and plenty of them. Basically it's like a homestay, so why are people comparing it to hotels? Read descriptions, and ask about locations because obviously airbnb aren't going to allow you to see a precise location of a property - you might turn up unannounced pretending you have a reservation. And burgle the place or squat in it. In short, I love airbnb, and will continue to travel the world by having the world come stay with me rather me go anywhere.

P.S. Since reading the other reviews on here, i notice an awful of people claiming to have been scammed... and grumbling about airbnb not sorting it out for them, all these people appear to have not actually booked through airbnb but willingly circumvented the actual airbnb booking process and tried to book direct with a host... and then complain that they are just referred to airbnb's t&cs. Surely if you want the support and backup of Airbnb you must realise you need to book through them, not circumvent them... i'm amazed people would actually think they would still be protected when they complete their booking outside of the company. Airbnb is about connecting with hosts who have a unique place to offer, not some cheap long term rent that you book outside the company, and logically, finding these unique places to stay, is through the company and yes they take a commission and you get a service, and security to a point in return. Of course, the 99.9999% of excellent experiences aren't reported here, they just left a good review on airbnb's actual website and got on with planning their next trip, or some other positive aspect of their life.

[EDITED:]
I would like to reply to this thread. It was issue with specific person dealing with my case at that time. My issue was resolved by another manager assigned to my case, who dealt with it very diligently and helped me through resolving all issues. He reassured my trust back in AirBnB. Thank you very much

ISSUE Before:

I booked an apartment in London and found various issues with cleaning. So i decided to call AirBnB and give them feedback and ask for suggestions, this is how they handled my situation:

1) I was told at the starting of the call that cooker is being used by me as she can see in pictures that it is hot - She wasnt even looking at right pictures. She was looking at "Siemens touch stove" rather than cooker - which she didnt want to agree to me and was telling me that if its not clean then its because i have used it. Then without listening, she said lets move to next point.

2) Mentioning for more "general amenities" for 10 days is not to be called as an issue - on which i explained that i have clearly mentioned that in my original email -"Doesnt really matter but SERIOUSLY?"

3) She said she can get the cleaner and that's all she can help with.

4) I asked if she is ok with my family staying in apartment where flush doesn't work for next 10 days- This didnt sound an real issue to her. I would like to know ANY person who would have paid 1700 for 10 days and you let people aged 60 live in apartment where flush doest work for more than 24 hours, to answer how good they feel about this?! - But as per tone of agent at AirBnB this wasnt something to be concerned about. - At the end of that "argument" - she mentioned she will let host look into it.

5) She kept mentioning, i cant get refund and stuff. To which i replied i dint ask for refund at first place when i called first time about issues to AirBnB. I was told if issues that i mentioned are there, that means i am not happy and i should look for another apartment in same range and can get refund. - So, i clarified that i was told by AirBnB and it wasn't me asking for refund.

6) On point of kitchen shelve being broken, i was told, this doesnt seem to be an issue - I WOULD like to let you know, my family is stayin in that apartment that i booked through AirBnB for 10 days, i dont think i would like them to stay in apartment that has broken shelves where glasses can be crushed because of upper shelve falling off because off no hook.

I tried explaining agent at AirBnB that what she is in video is after i have put a hook in the hole to let shelve take support of hook myself, otherwise when my parents opened the cupboard, it was diagonally aligned on glass cups - but again, she was reluctant to accept that this is even an issue.

--- In my defense -
A. If I would have been paying small amount, i will expect these things but not when i am paying way more. I COULD have easily booked AMAZING HOTEL rather than booking apartment through AirBnB and would have costed me less.

B. I would consider this also as a fact that i have seen this on first day and shelves are in this shape, i dont want to wait until something falls apart and injure my parents.

7) On point of utensils not being clean and stained - after resending pictures of what i was talking about ( Point number 1 mentioned) - I was told, well, base of utensil is clean but may be not top part so its ok. Not a big deal. I would like AirBnB agents to be more careful and sensitive to what they are saying and talking to customers. Agent basically asked me to go ahead and cooked in half dirty stained utensil because according to her its fine. Seriously?

Overall, i am very unahppy with booking, host and top of it, AIRBnB. I have been staying in apartments my friends book through AirBnB from last 1.5 years, across the world. After this experience, this is last time i have booked through AirBnB and wont book through AirBnB again.

We have been hosts with Airbnb for more than 2.5 years. We rely on guests' "verifications" by more than just a phone number ( 1 verification) because we live here and don't want to find ourselves greeting more guests than we agreed to host, or people intending to engage in criminal conduct from the guest room of our home. And we submitted to the, "whole boat" of verification so our guests know they haven't reserved space in the Bates Motel where mummified mom will be in the basement. We didn't have to take a video of ourselves, but the questions were pretty intrusive and they were obviously being validated while we were answering them.
Our reviews are consistently good because we only rent our guest house or our guest rooms with freshly cleaned bed linens and towels, vacuumed carpeting and fully equipped kitchens and bathrooms with clean plumbing fixtures. Again, we live here. So we're not attractive to people whose hunger for privacy is for doing things they're ashamed of or fearful of being arrested for.
I agree that Airbnb seems to be trying to replace formerly one-to-one phone calls to customer support with FAQs and emails ( the endless effort to increase profits, evidently). It's also clear that 'hackers' have tried ( and maybe succeeded) to invade the email communications between hosts and prospective renters. A couple of times there have been really odd inquiries from travelers requiring inappropriate lodgings ( an inconveniently long drive from the locale of their planned activity) or asking coyly if we're "really secluded" ( or asking to negotiate lower rent - although our rates are much lower than all the local hotels and licensed, commercial bed and breakfasts.) Or asking about availability for a long period of time in which they don't state their planned travel time. (query would this be somebody looking to book our space and rent it to 3rd parties at higher prices?) So, we "deny" those requests, we don't make a reservation and then cancel it when somebody more attractive wants those dates. The former is prudent, the latter is greedy.
All that information demanded by Airbnb from hosts about their accommodations and neighborhood and rates needs to be read. People used to choosing which "they-all-look-alike" motels don't want to really compare what's on offer - just the prices.
It's so hard for some people to grasp the major differences between dealing with individual homeowners and booking a bargain-priced "special" room rate at one of the big chain hotels that look like they're always clean, because the in-house cleaners are expert at making it look like the fixtures have been cleaned and the bed linens have been changed whether or not that's actually true.
I'd like it if Airbnb would create another category for the "multi-unit" property managers in the bigger municipalities. If people are having bad experiences with them I prefer that their dubious business practices through Airbnb not be the reason that the Airbnb guests we want to accommodate are not being discouraged. The rest of us scrub our sinks and bathtubs and launder the sheets and expect to be treated respectfully by travelers as we strive to accommodate them.
I'm annoyed by the young couple who reserve one of our two guest rooms, "text message" that they can't check in before the performance they have tickets for and will not arrive until after 11:00 p.m., and then texts at 11:30p.m. That "something has come up" and they'll not arrive after all but will return to their big city home that night. Wait for it... then they want a refund because they cancelled long after the announced deadline to cancel.
That's one reason hotels cost so much more. They have to refund the last minute cancellation. Airbnb rates are lower because, in part, last minute cancellations don't get refunded.
We love Airbnb, but I hope they improve "support" access and response, and read these complaints to mean that verification procedures need simplified and improved "how-to" helps.
And in this marketplace, there is no perfect option: certainly not HomeAway and subsidiaries.
In almost five years, the Home Away group has raised their prices to homeowners and pressured us forcefully to give them access to the money collected to hold reservations and to our banking information. They "punish" owners for holding on to the process of making reservations and holding advance payments and security deposits rather than giving that whole financial aspect to Home Away. And this year they're charging a percentage of the rents to renting travelers.
So, our experience as hosts has been, we're fair and square with our guests and with Airbnb and we've been fortunate to have no problems with Airbnb guests. And very few problems with guests from word-of-mouth referral or the VRBO/HomeAway group.

Airbnb is a company that has left us feeling disappointed and frustrated. Their customer support is terrible, and it seems like they only care about making money from hosts, not guests. We've had some okay experiences in the past, but our most recent one was a complete nightmare.

The customer support team failed to communicate expectations and refused to refund us even after agreeing to do so. We spent hours trying to resolve the issue, and when we asked to speak to a supervisor, they promised to call us back but never did. The support person even filed a false internal report against us because she knew she had messed up and would get fired.

We strongly advise you to avoid Airbnb. It's no longer a good deal like it used to be, and the support team won't care about you at all. They'll forget to call you back, make promises they can't keep, and be completely incompetent. Spend a little extra money on a hotel instead, and you'll thank us later.

To make matters worse, Airbnb manipulates and buries negative reviews, so you can't trust their system. It's not a real "community" at all, so be careful.

We recently had a terrible experience with a listing on Airbnb, and we want to warn others to avoid it. The host falsely advertised the property, lied to us in written messages, and was extremely rude and unprofessional. They even tried to scam us out of more money after we checked out.

The apartment was much smaller than advertised, and it was listed as a one-bedroom when it was really a studio. The photos were misleading, and we were shocked when we arrived. When we told the host about the issue, they refused to refund us and instead tried to bill us for an extra night.

The apartment was also incredibly noisy, with constant construction, kids, and dogs running around. We couldn't sleep at all, and when we politely told the host, they were rude and unhelpful. They even lied about their grandchildren coming over and filed a false report against us.

After we checked out, the host tried to scam us out of more money by claiming we had damaged the apartment. We had to spend a lot of time putting together evidence to get a full refund. It was a terrible experience, and we don't want anyone else to go through it.

In conclusion, we strongly advise you to avoid this listing and these hosts. It's not worth the money, and you'll regret it if you stay here.

AirBnB is a popular platform for travelers to find unique and affordable accommodations all over the world. However, our experience at the Beautiful Garden Unit Close to the Water Host Jacinta in San Francisco was far from pleasant. We rented this unit for a month and were disappointed with the lack of cleanliness, safety, and basic amenities.

Upon arrival, the owner gave us a key and led us through a dark garage to the unit. The place had a bad odor and did not look clean despite the owner being paid for cleaning between visitors. There was no welcome card or information about the area, and we had to figure out basic things like garbage pickup on our own.

The regular entry to the apartment was down a dark, dusty hall that looked abandoned. The bedding was used and the mattress squeaked with every turn. We found stains and rips in the mattress protector, which was a concern for those allergic to dust mites. We had to buy our own bedding from Ikea.

The apartment lacked basic cleaning supplies like a mop or broom, and we had to buy our own. It took days to clean the place, and we found layers of dirt on everything from tables to cushions. The couch smelled bad, and the outdoor patio furniture was covered in dirt and mold. The chaise had old, moldy cushions, and the kitchen utensils were a mixed bag of leftovers from previous visitors.

The safety of the place was also a concern. The address was confusing, and the entrance to the unit was not clearly marked. The owner took our packages and opened them without permission, and we had two large packages stolen from the owner's door. We also had an intruder trying to enter the unit through the door from the owner's garage.

We left the unit 10 days early and were glad to go. However, our bad experience did not end there. When we tried to post a review on AirBnB, they removed it for violating their policy. We had only listed the street numbers, but they claimed we had listed the address. When we tried to make a tiny correction, they said the time limit was up, and the review did not appear.

We contacted AirBnB multiple times, but they did not listen to our concerns. The host also threatened us not to post a bad review, which is against AirBnB's policy. We felt helpless and frustrated with the whole experience.

In conclusion, we do not recommend staying at the Beautiful Garden Unit Close to the Water Host Jacinta in San Francisco. Our experience was unpleasant, and we regretted renting the place for a month. We hope that AirBnB takes our feedback seriously and improves their policies to protect guests from bad experiences like ours.

I've been in the real estate game for 40 years, and I've been an Airbnb host for 6 of those years. I remember when Airbnb was just a few guys in San Francisco renting out their couches. They found me on Craigslist and asked if they could list my rentals on their new website. I agreed, and I've been a loyal Airbnb host ever since.

I've taken in total strangers from all over the world into my private Los Angeles estate guest houses, our Las Vegas vacation rental, and my famous W. Hlwd. Jim Morrison bldg. I've accepted first-time guests from all over the world who had no host reviews, and I've even taken in their pets. I did this because Airbnb offered me a false sense of security, by holding guests' security deposits and offering a host guarantee insurance policy which is currently $1,000,000.00. Yes, a million dollars!

But let's talk about the "bad" guests. They ranged from irresponsible nuisances to shrewd con artists. There were the ones who broke or stole a few minor items, the ones who violated our common sense/common courtesy rules, or the ones who required "special services" but didn't want to pay for them after. The worst guests included necessary police intervention or major theft caught on CCTV cameras. There was the group of "squatters." They were wolves in sheep's clothing who came to me as short-term vacation rental guests. They came off sweet as pie, but they were actually trying to con me out of $13,500 in relocation fees and to be able to extend their stay for one more year under the city's rent control laws!

As if this wasn't bad enough, I also got sued by the city who extorted me for nearly $16,000 in perceived TOT fees, which ended up costing me nearly $5000 in attys fees before I ended up having to pay the city nearly $10,000 in fines. THIS IS WHAT BEING AN AIRBNB HOST COST ME. And what support did I get from Airbnb?

Now let's talk about Airbnb. They come off syrupy sweet, calling you an "awesome Superhost." They act like Airbnb is all about "sharing space" and "making friends." If I were looking for friendship, I'd join a social club. Let's get one thing straight. It's renting out space. Real estate. Real estate is a business. Bottom line, you are in business to make money.

Airbnb is in business to make money. They take it from both ends- their hosts and their guests. They block out parts of hosts and guests email correspondence if they suspect it includes sharing contact information. Don't let them kid you. They expect hosts and guests to trust them with total stranger connections, lodging, and finances, but they do not trust their own hosts or guests to be able to communicate with one another in fear they will get cut out of the deal.

As Airbnb & their # of hosts grew during the past few years (as did their negative reviews which began popping up all over on various websites) due to their mass marketing campaign, they appeared to care less and less about their hosts and guests. The 1st big scandal I read about was the host in California whose home was totally trashed by Airbnb guests. That's when Airbnb came up with their "$50,000.00 host guarantee policy" to provide panicked hosts a false sense of security. Most recently was the home in Canada that was totally trashed by Airbnb guests. Airbnb upped the ante to $1,000,000.00. To be eligible for that type of host coverage, I suspect the entire family would need to be brutally murdered.

I am a professional, honest, trustworthy, "to the book" type host. I never once went behind Airbnb's back to try to cut them out of their original booking commission because I believe in karma and I believe everyone is entitled to their fair share of what they contributed. Also, never once did one of my guests ever make a theft claim while staying in our rental units. That speaks volumes for my honesty and integrity.

Many guests don't realize that when they book through Airbnb, all payment is handled directly by Airbnb. They never allow the host to be in possession of the security deposit. So when a guest commits damage, theft, violations of rules or requires special services, I exercised my host rights and filed a claim with Airbnb under the guest's security deposit. To avoid having to process claims, Airbnb will attempt to discourage hosts by running you through the hoops. Think boot camp! 1st you have to go through the "Resolution request" (asking your guest to pay you.) This link is nearly impossible to find on their site. Once you have found it, filled out the form, and sent it to your guest, the guest will usually deny the damage/theft, etc., get angry that you "accused them," refuse to pay, then leave you a false negative retaliatory review.

If you don't hear back from the guest or they deny the claim, you have to mark your calendar to remember to contact Airbnb to "get involved." (if you forget, you are out of luck on the claim as the deadline has expired.) In order to involve Airbnb, they will require photos, witnesses, original receipts, and/or comps. As a real estate investor with multiple fully furnished properties in 3 locations in 3 states, I would have to hire someone to pull dead files out of storage and spend days going through thousands of receipts through the years to find one for a towel, mug, pillow or whatever for the damaged or missing item(s) in question! Once you have completed the form & provided the "evidence" (they do not trust their hosts word, despite the fact the host trusted them to have these strangers in their home who broke/stole their personal property items!) you wait to hear back from Airbnb. None of my claims were what I would consider "substantial" amounts of money. Some claims were processed, but as time went on they were either denied, reduced, or ignored. When a guest flooded my unit, I filed a claim for $2,500.00 for my out of pocket costs. This was my and only claim that came under the $1,000,000.00 Host guarantee policy. After I went through Airbnb's claim "boot camp" process, they said they were only willing to pay $500 firm (20% of my claim,) Final decision, no appeal.

Shortly thereafter, with no warning they deleted all of my listings and cancelled all of my bookings for the rest of the year. They told my future guests that it was I who had cancelled their bookings, so I had angry guests contacting me not realizing the truth, that Airbnb had lied to them and that I was as much an Airbnb victim as they were!

I still have approximately half a dozen minimal claims Airbnb ignored and never paid over the past year, along with the one and only claim I filed in 6 years. Under the $1,000,000.00 Host guarantee claim for $2,500.00 that I was never compensated for.

If you are an Airbnb host who incurred damage, theft, or unpaid claims and you would like to be paid, please contact me. Responsible guests are always welcome! See my websites below.

Me and my friend decided to book a villa in Marseille through Airbnb. The pictures online looked amazing, but in reality, it was a completely different story. When we arrived, all the doors were open, and we saw a man standing in the kitchen with his back to us. We said hello, but he didn't turn around and just grunted. We assumed he was a guest, so we wandered around the ground floor. The laundry was strewn over the balcony with stones on top, and there was a huge pile of sheets on the sofa in the living room. When we entered the dining room, we were greeted by several huge paint-splattered speakers that were not in the photos. The man scuttled hurriedly upstairs, and we were left in the cluttered kitchen where he had left the remnants of his bread and hummus.

We decided to venture upstairs to find our room and the man we had just seen. However, when we were one flight up, the man reappeared and blocked our path. He said nothing, and I asked if he was the host. He replied aggressively, "Are you so and so? And you just come upstairs by yourself?" I told him that we had walked right past him, and he said that he thought we were friends of his other guests who were English. He never gave us his number, and he was not forthcoming with any information prior to our arrival. We didn't know how to get into the villa until we arrived at 6 pm. This is a villa quite high up, not at ground level, so it wasn't so obvious. We found the gate and his name, pressed the buzzer twice, so I don't understand how he did not know who we were. We presumed he had buzzed us in, but we learned later that the gate was always open.

He showed us to our room, which was presentable enough at first glance. He left to fetch towels and keys and offered to show us the kitchen, but I replied that I had already seen it. The atmosphere inside the villa was eerie, and there was no sign of any other guests despite his earlier excuse for ignoring us. My friend went downstairs with him to be shown the washing machine, and I checked out the bathroom. The closet/wardrobe had been freshly painted, so it couldn't be used due to the smell. Behind the toilet were exposed wires where someone had done a very poor DIY light above the bathroom mirror job. The taps on the sink and in the shower were not clean, and the shower had a pebble bottom, and several of these were missing, showing age and wear. This led me to look under the bed, and sure enough, it was full of dust and a tissue. The bed seemed okay, and I pulled back the duvet to reveal a crumpled bottom sheet. I did the smell test, and they smelt neither clean nor dirty.

My friend returned and informed me that the host had left, leaving the glass of wine he was drinking balancing on the garden wall. On further inspection of the towels he had handed us, we realized they were wet. We now also noticed the painting above the bed of a female wearing a white basque, which was revealing her pubic hair. Also, above the bed at head level was a metal lever sticking out of the wall, for gas, water, god knows? Definitely a hazard. We hadn't eaten all day, so we left to get a pizza nearby, unsure of what we were going to do. This is when we noticed the opaque glass panel in the bedroom door, which had two more see-through circle sections and a further two scratched-out spots that viewed the bed - our bed. Immediately to our left, we saw a cupboard with a pair of scissors for a handle. As if all that wasn't enough, there was no lock on the inside of the room. My friend told me that on her previous visit downstairs, she had noticed a room with an open door, which couldn't be a guest room. She described an absolute tip with clothes and objects shin-deep all over the floor. This door was closed now. In the entranceway, we noticed a vase that had been smashed to bits and glued back together. All the plants from the photos were now covering the kitchen table dead. The host had left a cupboard open and plates balancing on the sink side. The fridge was completely full, no room for us. On arrival, we had noticed an animal hutch in front of the main door again not photographed not mentioned. So on our way out, we noticed the two fluffy baby bunny rabbits? It did not reassure us. We also saw a plastic container containing dirty drinking glasses, many glasses just a step up from the front door, so the entrance area. It had been there a while by the looks of it.

We got our pizza and returned, but we ate outside as we did not feel comfortable inside. Turned out we were not comfortable outside either, and we were completely on edge. We went to put the unfinished pizza in the bin, which is when we saw the man's jumper and empty cleaning fluid bottle in the bin, and that was all that was in the bin. We immediately entered what is known as fight or flight mode. We didn't know where he was, and he could have returned when we were at the pizza place. I volunteered to go back upstairs and gather our belongings, and my friend stood guard at the front door. We locked the kitchen door he had left open, returned the keys to the room, and shut the self-locking front door behind us and made our way down the creepy stone steps to our escape. With no phone, no access to the internet, we were forced to return to the city (30 min bus ride) and find a hotel. Luckily, my friend had funds on her card to do this. With help from several members of the public and their phones, we finally found our way to an Ibis hotel for salvation. We were quite shaken up by the time we got to the hotel after 9 pm. The staff were amazing. They gave us a discount because of our ordeal, talked to us, listened to us, and the restaurant served us apple pie with cream and ice cream, just what we needed after our ordeal. We contacted Airbnb as soon as possible, and for me, that was before I had even returned home. We actually wrote a four-page report, sent photos that I even in my nervous state had the foresight to take. We sent the hotel receipt. Two weeks of the email game reliving that night over and over again to be told NO. The host won't refund, and you didn't follow the procedure. I mean, it's not real, right? You're emailing some minimum wage person whose first language is not English, who is trained to say no. There are no supervisors or managers. My friend emailed the CEO's top dogs, but nothing. I don't believe they exist. For all we know, it could literally be a 15-year-old in their bedroom. This is not a real company at all. It's a sham. Appalling not just for us, but this guy so-called host is allowed to carry on. What about when two females not of our age and maturity book in there? It is not safe. You can't get anywhere with Airbnb directly. It's just not designed that way. They have to be publicly outed and shamed, and I would call for them to be shut down or boycotted so they just dissolve. This was my first and only experience with this cowboy outfit, thank goodness we had only used it for two nights of our six-night break. We stayed with Ibis Hotels for the other nights, and they were fantastic in every way. My friend has already contacted TV in the UK. They have to be brought to justice.

I tried two times to add photos here, but the page locks, and I have to start again. Also, I had problems on Airbnbhell.com; it just didn't work. When emailing Airbnb, I lost my account for two days after trying to open an email from them. It said it couldn't connect to Google, yet my other Google accounts were fine.

I had a terrible experience with Airbnb and I feel like I need to share my story to prevent others from going through the same thing. I booked a stay at a vacation property managed by Christian in Las Vegas for a small group of family and friends. We were set to check in on April 7th and had booked the reservation nearly a month prior. The day before we were set to check in, I messaged Christian about who in our party would actually check in the following day. He responded quickly and nicely and even said that the company would not charge us to do a name change for the person checking in. His last message the day before we were set to check in was at 6:32PM EST saying 'You're most welcome, Colton!' after I thanked him for changing the name of the person checking in.

On the day of travel to Vegas, everyone in our party was excited and ready to go. We were all flying or driving in from 3 different states and hadn't seen each other for nearly a year. Everyone was happy and ready to go. It was going to be a party. We were excited to be staying right next to the strip in this great Airbnb that had been booked for nearly a month.

As I was preparing to get in the car to go to the airport, I got a phone call from a strange number in Michigan at 12:31 PM EST. I didn't answer the first call because I didn't know the number. The number called right back, so I answered it. The phone line was echoey and quiet, so I couldn't hear well, and a lady immediately starts talking about how they're so sorry that the reservation is cancelled. Cancelled? I try to get her to confirm what she's saying. She tries to get off the phone as quickly as possible, but I ask her to stop. I ask her to please repeat what is going on. She sounded really nervous and insisted that there was nobody else available for me to speak with (I asked several times). She insists that the reservation has to be cancelled. I beg her not to. I remind her that this trip has been scheduled for a month and that our party is literally on the way to the property. We were set to check in at 4:00pm MST THAT DAY. She goes on about an error in the system, all of their properties booked, they're just a management company, etc. I remind her that it has been booked for a month and they're cancelling hours before the reservation. She again says 'sorry' and the call ends.

Ok. Slight panic mode. I call the Wyndham and they confirm that they are 100% booked and that there is no reservation under our name. Ok. Medium panic mode. I call the number for Christian listed in the booking. No answer. I message Christian and tell him I got a weird call. I'm still hopeful at that point that it was a mistake. Nope. Christian finally messages back 24 minutes later with the following message:

"We are sorry to inform you that we are a management company and our owner client has been non-responsive. Owners, pass away or sell their units sometimes without informing us. A refund will be processed for 100% of your cost. Please be aware that your credit card company may take 3-5 business days before the credit hits your account."

Hard panic mode. I message him back and tell him people are literally flying in right now. I had messaged him THE DAY BEFORE and he hadn't said anything about this at all. Now, hours before we check in, they're cancelling on our party of 8 people? This is his response:

"We understand that these are not the words that you want to hear from us today. We have done our best to accommodate your stay, however, there was an issue with the owner's account that stops us from finalizing your reservation. We will do our best to prevent this from happening again. We truly apologize for the bad experience."

They've done their best? In what way? The issue with the "owner's account" seems to be an issue with THEIR account because they approved the booking! This is quickly turning into an issue with MY account and has the potential to ruin our vacation. I message him this:

"Christian. I don't think you've done your best because it's literally canceling the reservation hours before we arrive. There must be a solution here."

Now his response:

"Cancelling a reservation is the last thing we want to do. We checked with other owners if theres (sic) something we can offer even with neighboring resort. However, there is no availability. We appreciate your patience and understanding. Thank you!"

Nightmare. To be clear, I was out of patience and understanding. Trying and FAILING to get another reservation doesn't win back any points here. At the same time I know that Christian is most likely a messenger, so I don't want to attack him personally, but the company that he represents has created a huge, huge problem for us. This is all taking place as I'm waiting for my flight at the airport. Everyone is counting on me, and I feel that I'm letting my party down. Not a good feeling.

Now our party is on the way to Vegas and we don't have a place to stay. It's spring break and hotel prices are outrageous. Other Airbnbs are charging very high fees (which his understandable, it's literally day-of booking, that's why you create a RESERVATION). Ok. I regroup and speak with my party. Another person in our party books another Airbnb nowhere near as convenient/nice as the one we had "booked" with Christian. We pay over DOUBLE the price for the place, but it's really our only option at that point.

I contact Airbnb. They actually were pretty accessible and I spoke with someone on the phone who said they would contact the owner and see what was going on. They get back to me and tell me that the owners are unresponsive. I refuse to believe that a host with 9,000+ "reviews" is not in constant contact with Airbnb.

Their solution? They offer me $163.00 rebooking coupon (10% of what we had paid Christian's company). You've got to be kidding. That's borderline offensive. Our vacation was derailed HOURS before check-in. This was after booking nearly a month before AND having contact with Christian the day before we were set to arrive. The $163 doesn't even cover the added transportation costs associated with booking the new Airbnb, let alone the cost of a last minute Airbnb house for our party during spring break in Las Vegas. Absolutely wild.

I'm still hopeful to get some resolution, but at this point it has been 6 days since my last contact with Christian. He has not responded to my last message where I asked him to please make this right. So far, Airbnb has again said that all they're willing to do is give us a $163 credit. To me that is unacceptable.

Not that it should matter, but to inform readers about my past history with Airbnb, I've spent over $10,000 (ten thousand) dollars on Airbnb stays the past year due to an employment relocation. I've used Airbnb for maybe 9 stays over the past few years and have only been given excellent reviews by hosts. I've never before had an issue. Christian's and Airbnb's actions have been supremely disappointing. If this is the treatment that I'm given, I have to believe that you can only expect the same or worse treatment if you have a similar issue.

Christian cancelled our booking HOURS BEFORE CHECKING IN. We had booked the reservation nearly a month before. We had communicated the day before and were given absolutely no warning. We were blind-sided. Christian has not at all provided solutions despite any supposed 'efforts' on his part. We were left without a place to stay the day that we arrived in Las Vegas. This type of experience can really ruin a vacation that has been in the works for months. I've found both Christian's actions and Airbnb's actions and responses to be inconsiderate, unethical, and unprofessional. PLEASE CONSIDER BOOKING WITH ANOTHER HOST AND/OR BOOKING SERVICE.

I recently had a less than satisfactory experience with Airbnb. While I always try to resolve issues directly with the company, this time I had to resort to public posts because the company ignored my calls and messages. Unfortunately, this seems to be the only way to get the attention of companies with poor customer service.

Airbnb's AirCover policy sounds reasonable, but unfortunately, there was no follow-through on Airbnb's end. On August 1, 2022, my partner and I arrived at Patrick and Nicole's house after a long day of driving. We settled in and started cooking around 8:30 pm when we noticed smoke billowing out of the oven. We quickly realized there was a fire in the oven drawer and were able to extinguish it with towels. We messaged Patrick and Nicole immediately, but they did not respond. We called Airbnb to report the fire and ask for a new rental, but we were put on hold for over 15 minutes. Finally, we were told to find a hotel and send Airbnb the receipt for reimbursement. We found a new rental on our own and messaged Airbnb, but received no response.

Over the next few days, we called and messaged Airbnb multiple times, but received no response. We were not reimbursed by the hosts and Airbnb did not help us find a new place to stay. We were disappointed by the lack of accountability and poor customer service.

Patrick and Nicole's place was not accurately listed as "newly remodeled and immaculate." The only positive aspect of the house was its location. We were surprised that only a few reviews reflected the true condition of the house. The carpets were dirty, and the room we stayed in had a broken vacuum handle. We were also concerned to find no smoke detectors and no fire extinguisher. When we brought these issues to Nicole's attention, she blamed previous renters and cleaning staff.

Overall, we were disappointed by our experience with Airbnb and Patrick and Nicole's rental. While we understand that accidents happen, we expect the owners to take responsibility and accountability and reimburse us for our full rental amount. We also expect Airbnb to help us mediate with the hosts since they are not reimbursing us. We hope that Airbnb will improve their customer service and hold up to their guarantee of finding an equivalent or better place if the place does not live up to their description.

I had a really bad experience with Airbnb recently and I think something needs to be done about it. The host I had was terrible and it made Airbnb look really bad. I cancelled my reservation because I was so disgusted and disappointed with the property. I had faith that Airbnb would make it right, but unfortunately, I was wrong.

I want to warn everyone to beware of this host because you will be robbed! My experience was horrible and I want to share it with you. The property was listed as a home, but it was not a private home. There were other guests on the property and I was looking for privacy. I booked the Airbnb only an hour before arrival and we did not stay or use the amenities. The property didn't even resemble the pictures and it was not well-maintained. It was unethical to charge me any amount for this.

I contacted Airbnb and they were very respectful and wanted to help, but they said they needed documentation of the issue. I didn't take any pictures or videos, but I had witnesses and the host had security cameras with footage. Airbnb said they couldn't help me without documentation, which I think is unfair. Not everyone has a smartphone or can take pictures and videos.

The host was not willing to provide a refund and said she didn't have the authority to do so. She lied to my face and it was really disappointing. I don't know if Airbnb should mention this to her, but I am going to leave a very bad review if she does not refund me. If she doesn't refund me, I will be contacting the bank to dispute the transaction. I am not going to let this go because she is basically robbing me of my hard-earned money!

I want to move on from this situation, but the host needs to be fair. A business will never be successful if it is unethical. Human kindness should always be the number one priority when running a business. I just hope the owners read these reviews because this host is bad for business.

Please do not make the same mistake I did and book with this host. Here is the listing: https://abnb.me/255a36PEDob

I recently tried out Airbnb for the first time, as my travel companion suggested it for our trip to San Jose in October. We were going to a game and thought it would be cheaper than staying at a hotel. However, it turned out to be a big mistake. The listing we saw was a complete lie, and the host, who was listed as a super host, did not do anything when we contacted her about the issues we had during our stay.

When we arrived, the place was filthy and nothing like the photos posted on the website. The beds were not freshly made, the room was dark, and the bathroom was dirty with no curtains or bathmats. After flying for over 6 hours, I wanted to take a hot shower before driving to SFO to pick up my travel companion. However, there was no shower curtain or bathmats, and the host did not seem to care. She even suggested that I shower without them, which was not safe.

The lights did not work, and the TV would not turn on. It took the host 10 minutes to figure out how to work her own TV. When I laid down on the bed, I felt something like sand, and when I looked, it was little black dirt/sand all over the bed. The pillowcases also had the odor of another person. When I asked the host if she changed the sheets, she lied straight to my face and said yes. I asked for new pillows, and she did bring one, but she did not address the dirt on the bed.

The host also parked in our space, even though the listing stated that parking on the property was included. When we bought food for our 3-day stay, the host did not make room for us in the kitchen, even though it was shared and we were supposed to be able to use it. The kitchen was also filthy, with grease and oil everywhere, dirty pots and pans, and a dirty, sticky table.

When we complained to Airbnb, they said they would work on getting us a new place, but they only refunded the cleaning fee and 30% of one day. We wanted a full refund and another place to stay, but they did not respond. The host also confronted us about our complaints, which was uncomfortable.

Overall, our stay was a nightmare, and we could not wait to leave. Airbnb did not care about our complaints and sided with the hosts every time. I paid $242.03 for the stay, but only received a refund of $37.49. I will never use Airbnb again and do not recommend staying at this place. The hosts, Sylvia and Mingjing, are lazy and filthy, and the listing is a complete lie.

My experience with Airbnb was not good at all. My family and I were in between homes and needed a place to stay for a while, so we decided to try out Airbnb. We found a host called "Good Vibe Getaways" hosted by Andie & Jeremy. The booking process was easy and the listing was detailed, so we decided to proceed with the reservation which was scheduled for 9 weeks. However, when we arrived, we noticed a few minor issues with cleanliness and broken items. We messaged the host to inform them about the issues, and they apologized and offered to send the cleaning service back. We declined as we had already cleaned ourselves. The handyman came to fix the sink and master bathroom cabinet door, but it took several hours and multiple trips to the store. Later on, we noticed bugs in the unit, and my daughter had bites on her body. We messaged the host again, and they declined any refund for unused time and did not provide any additional remedies to the issue. We had to find alternative accommodation and Airbnb refused to refund the service fee for the month they had cancelled. The host even changed the access code as retaliation and threatened us to vacate immediately. This experience was traumatizing and costly, and Airbnb displayed poor business practices. I will not recommend their services to anyone.

tated policies. However, I was not informed nor made aware that I would be charged an additional $50 for using towels to clean up the mess caused by the broken A/C unit. This is an unfair and unjust charge, and I am extremely disappointed in the host's lack of communication and transparency.

Overall, my experience with Airbnb was not a positive one. While I appreciate the concept of renting unique and affordable accommodations, my experience with this particular host was a nightmare. From the difficulty in finding the cabin, to the broken A/C unit, dirty hot tub, and unauthorized maintenance worker, my stay was anything but enjoyable. I would caution anyone considering booking with this host or through Airbnb in general to thoroughly research and read reviews before making a reservation. While there are certainly some great hosts and properties available on the platform, my experience highlights the importance of being cautious and informed before making a booking.

I booked a reservation: Honeymoon Cabin-4 Wheel Drive Needed During Winter for June 11,2021 through June 14,2021 in Roan Mountain, TN through Airbnb. When I arrived at the cabin, it was dark and extremely difficult finding the actual cabin assigned to me as there were absolutely no visible signs posted anywhere on the premises that indicated the appropriate cabin numbers. I drove for almost 30 minutes on a steep graveled hill to find my cabin. I did manage to find my CABIN #3 (my cabin); however, I ran into another issue as the cabin I booked and was assigned had been occupied by another guest. I then drove down the hill and found another cabin further back in the woods, which was CABIN #4. This was NOT the cabin that I booked online and was assigned upon renting this space. I reached out to the host and called, but I received no text back from her, nor a phone call. It was late and I was exhausted from an almost 3-hour drive, so I took a chance in entering the key code that was assigned to me on the reservation itinerary, which did unlock. I, then entered the unoccupied space and began to get settled in for the night. Upon entry, other than the dirty unswept floors and dirty glass and spoon in the sink, the space was relatively in good order. Upon tidying up, wiping down all touch surfaces, and unpacking, I decided to relax for the night on the couch and watch television. The temperature inside was a little above 80 degrees and I started to get hot and sweat, so I turned on the A/C unit in the common area underneath a 2-seater couch. I sat down on the couch to relax and enjoy the rest of my night. About 45 minutes into my relaxation time, I was unexpectedly flooded by a deluge of dirty black water that poured from the A/C onto my head, clothes, couch, and floor. Jolted by what happened, I began to investigate and assess the A/C unit. Water dripped from 2 different areas of the unit. I immediately powered off the unit and cleaned up the water from the couch and floor. It started to get hot again without the unit running and I would have opened the windows to catch the cool night air; however, I chose not to do so as there were no screens on the windows and I did not want to risk opening them at night to wake up with an animal or critter looking down at me ? it's the TN Mountains! I continued to relax without the A/C unit running; however, the later it got, the more intense the temperature became and I started to sweat uncomfortably. I decided to power back on the A/C unit and mitigate the dripping unit by using a large serving bowl and water pitcher that I found in the kitchen to catch the dripping water, along with towels, in ensuring there was no water damage to the floors and walls of the cabin. I did not bring towels, nor paper towels, so I had no choice but to use the host towels provided inside the cabin. In order to maintain a normal body temperature in the sweltering summer heat, I decided to keep the unit running for the duration of my stay with this makeshift water absorption workaround I had devised. However, this plan was short-lived when I woke up Saturday morning, upon noticing that water had spilled from the broken A/C unit onto the walls and floor of the space to the point where it became unmanageable and impossible to contain. I, then powered off the unit and kept the front door open until Sunday morning.

In addition to this, on Saturday afternoon, I wanted to use the hot tub outside, which was dirty and inoperable. Also, on the back porch of the cabin, the outside string lights did not work, which made it impossible to enjoy the ambiance of a quiet warm night. This was yet, another utter disappointment as a hot tub was a requirement that I initially had for booking this particular cabin, which I didn't get to use unfortunately. Next, Saturday night I attempted to bake cinnamon rolls in the oven, which also did not work, in which I had to use the toaster oven instead. Lastly, on Sunday morning, about 10AM EST, I heard the sound of a Go Kart's engine roaring from afar, which I didn't pay much attention to, as the guests in the neighboring cabins had been using them throughout their stay. Minutes later, while inside naked and without any blinds, curtains, or window coverings at all, I noticed a Go Kart parked in front of my car and a man creeping around the house. Jolted and dismayed from this unauthorized person outside of my cabin, I, without haste, got dressed and went outside. From what I could decipher, he was a worker of some sort, perhaps maintenance ? as he appeared to be fixing some cable wires or cords affixed to a boxed power source on the exterior of the premises. Upon exchanging pleasantries and engaging in short dialogue, he advised me that he was not made aware that anyone was occupying the premises that weekend and that he was the host's husband. He was super nice and continued to perform his job. He advised me that he was at the cabin to fix and clean the hot tub and to perform routine maintenance on other issues going on at the residence. After completing his task, as he was about to leave, I advised him that the A/C unit was broken and had been leaking water and the back porch lights were out. He advised me that he would notify the host of these issues to have someone come out and repair them. Although, I felt this was clearly a miscommunication issue between maintenance and the host, made unwittingly through no fault of his own, unfortunately I was inconvenienced because I was unable to relax comfortably and with serene tranquility in the space I reserved and paid almost $700 for. At this point, enough was enough. I did not feel comfortable and safe in such an environment, so I decided to cut my trip short. I cleaned up the space as per the host's policy guidelines, and vacated the premises that Sunday morning.

What started out as a bad trip, not being able to find my actual cabin that I had booked weeks ago, only got worse and this trip became more laborious and a headache from what I initially planned. After spending innumerable hours researching cost-effective places to travel to for a weekend, I came across this one. On Airbnb's site, the host is classified as a SUPERHOST with 4.5 stars out of a 5.0 star rating system. This was my very FIRST booking through Airbnb and upon seeing this, I had high expectations that this trip would be pleasant, I would be in a clean, comfortable, and safe environment with working amenities, and less reasonable human distractions. According to Airbnb.com, "Superhosts are experienced hosts who provide a shining example for other hosts, and extraordinary experiences for their guests." Unfortunately, my experience was anything but extraordinary. My abbreviated stay there was awful! This makes me question Airbnb's policy standards for allowing certain individuals such exclusive rights in attaining Superhost status. Other than the requirements listed on your site on How one becomes a Superhost, I cannot fathom how this host was able to "fly under the radar" in obtaining such a high-performance status level.

The situation got even worse, as on 6/15/21, I received an email from Hilda at Southerly Stays stating that my account will be charged an extra $50 due to the following: "As we stated on our house rules manual. (before and after booking) We do charge a $50 extra cleaning fee if there is any extra cleaning that its needed to be done after guests check out! We washed our towels and comforter and even so, stains won't come off! We cordially request to charge that $50 fee. Thanks By!" Included in the email, the Airbnb host uploaded 2 photos: 1.) the dirty towels I used to absorb the excess water from the floor from her broken leaky A/C unit, and 2.) a furry comforter, which I would like to add is unsubstantiated and false! The entire time I was in the cabin, I did not use the comforter at all! IT WAS HOT! The host claims: "We washed our towels and comforter and even so, stains won't come off!" Before booking this reservation, I made sure to read the house rules and guest guidelines, in which I was thoroughly informed and in agreement with the said terms as outlined in my contract. I lived up to my part! The host did not! If there are any stains on the comforter as the host claims, it was not done by me, but by another guest prior to my on-site check-in. This is absolute bunk and I duly reject such an exorbitant and unwarranted charge. This is extortion and I refuse to pay anything more. If anything, given the circumstances I endured: the level of difficulty in locating the property I initially booked to discover it had been reserved to another guest, the lack of communication on the part of the host in getting back with me when I expressed to her I was having issues, the unswept floors with used dirty dishes in the sink, inoperable back porch lights, a dirty and inoperable hot tub, an inoperable oven, the incessant, massive dripping of dirty black water pouring from a broken A/C unit, the labor I put in preventing water damage to the property, having to endure the remainder of my stay in an uncomfortable unit without proper A/C in the hottest month of early Summer thus far, and finally, the lack of safety and privacy due to the lack of communication between both the host of the property and maintenance, a full refund is in order as I did not receive goods and/or services as advertised by your site, in which payment was remitted. I have uploaded photos of the faulty A/C unit for Airbnb to review and investigate the host in addition to the list of aforementioned issues.

BELOW IS MY DIRECT COMMUNICATION WITH AIRBNB CUSTOMER RESOLUTION CENTER CONCERNING MY GRIEVANCES:

The host (H***), has made fraudulent claims against me concerning a dirty comforter and a broken leaky A/C unit stating that "she offered to fix the AC but you said it was fine". That conversation never transpired. Also, the host never returned my phone calls I made to her on late Friday night and early Saturday morning. Additionally, she forgot to address the other list of issues concerning my stay: dirty unswept floors, inoperable oven, inoperable outside back door lights, a used drinking glass and spoon in the sink, a dirty inoperable hot tub (which her husband came out to clean and fix that Saturday afternoon).

The host's communication to me states: "Starting with the fact that the cabin that you paid for was originally cabin 4 (honeymoon cabin) and that's clearly stating on your reservation. Not cabin 2 or 3!" However, my itinerary clearly states CABIN #3 (see attached). When I arrived on the property and went to Cabin #3, there was a family already occupying Cabin #3. I had to go to CABIN #4, which luckily opened. Clearly, this misinformation highlights the lack of order and structure of an effectively functional business operation.

Additionally, the host's communication to me states: "In the contrary, you sir, don't have any single review as guest since you have joined Airbnb in 2018. That right there says a lot of you as an Airbnb user/ guest." From what I extrapolate from this statement, the host is using her 5-star "Superhost" rating to weaponize against me for not having a single review and having not gone through the verification/authentication process, since joining Airbnb back in 2018. In addition to the false claims made against me for a "dirty comforter", which again I did not use, and her "offering to fix the A/C, but I said it was fine", she is using this known fact as leverage against me and my open claim against her through Airbnb, in order to further capitalize. This is not fair for any customer to have to endure. It is the responsibility of the host to ensure that all properties advertised online for rental are vacant, clean, well maintained, with operable and fully functional amenities as advertised on Airbnb's site. Meaning, if a host advertises that their property includes a hot tub, it is the responsibility of the host to ensure that said hot tub advertised is both clean and operable. If a host advertises that a cabin or unit includes A/C or heat, it is the responsibility of the host to ensure that said A/C and heating unit is also fully operable and without significant major issues, such as flooding. I feel that this host was unable to maintain order of her property and as a result, I had to endure. The fact that I do not have a review as a guest or gone through the verification/authentication process on Airbnb since 2018 is irrelevant. The fact of the matter is that I am a customer, who PAID money for goods and services NOT rendered and I PAID money for a cabin (CABIN #3), that was advertised on Airbnb's site, which I did not secure or use. I secured the next vacant cabin over, which was CABIN #4, which was nicely decorated, but was dirty and had major issues. Again, this was NOT the cabin I initially reserved and PAID for, which was listed on my itinerary.

Lastly, the host's final communication to me states: "So many more things to mention to you and your guest in regards your poor reservation with us but like I said ? please talk to Airbnb directly! Thank you and have a good night! Refund denied!" It is unsettling that this particular host is not taking responsibility for her many errors. Not once did she apologize for any of the inconveniences experienced. Instead, she gets "snippy" with me with aggressive and condescending verbiage, while still refusing to take accountability. This is not nice and not how you talk to your customers. As a 5-star rated "Superhost", I would expect much higher customer service standards from a host.

I made a reservation for a full 3-day trip to Roan Mountain, TN, but spent one full day in a "hot box" with no working A/C because I had to cut my trip short due to the numerous issues I experienced on the property, but yet and I am the one to suffer as a result of her negligence. This is highly unacceptable and I implore you to investigate the host, H and reevaluate her 5-star "Superhost" rating classification as well as S, LLC."

I have done absolutely EVERYTHING I can do to have this issue rectified and Airbnb refuses to take responsibility for their issues. I called Airbnb directly on multiple occasions in appropriately resolving the issue. I initially requested a full refund of all monies paid in the amount of $677.27, but between the Airbnb host and Airbnb customer service (both escalation points of contact), they have made this process both cumbersome and impossible for an appropriate resolve. When my initial request for a full refund was denied twice, I was advised my Airbnb Customer Service via telephone on 6/19/21 to go on Airbnb's Resolution site to submit a request directly through the Airbnb host, which I did to initiate a refund in the amount of $504.40. On 6/21/21, the Airbnb host denied my request. I then on 6/21/21, followed back up with Airbnb Customer Resolution Center about this issue and they advised me that I could dispute the charge directly through my bank, which I did; however, the Customer Service Representative advised me that Airbnb has a "very tight" process outlined, which can make it impossible for customers using their service to qualify for full refunds and the $677.27 chargeback from my bank would inevitably be reversed, which it was.

I went on to Airbnb's online Customer Feedback site to express my total disappointing experience; however, I received an email stating: "your review for reservation HMXSYETWKE about H T goes against our Review Policy, so we've removed it. The review didn't have enough relevant information to help the Airbnb community make informed booking decisions." This is complete bunk as I furnished Airbnb Resolution Center with the appropriate pictures and videos of the multiple problems of my stay WITHOUT including private and confidential information such as property address/location information, names, phone numbers, etc. I feel this was an attempt to silence me as a customer without having any negative reviews going against their host, which could adversely impact overall business operations for both Airbnb and their hosts. This does not constitute fair business operations and considered fraudulent swindling practices, which should vehemently be investigated.

Confirmation Code: HMF2ED3354

Bruno's online description of his place included locks on the bedroom doors and a keypad lock for the front door. There were no locks on the bedroom doors and Burno left the front and rear doors unlocked 24/7, even though there was a keypad lock box by the front door. This is not acceptable. For guest privacy and security, locks should be installed on all bedrooms, and the front and rear doors should be locked as well.

Airbnb should do a better job verifying the veracity of online descriptions. I surmise there could be a significant liability issue if anything were to happen to guests or their property as a result of not having locks.

Hi!

This is Chill Out Hostel Boracay. We are setting up our property on your site but when we about to publish the account we noticed hosted person under name Jack. We haven't entered any hosted names. We are hesitant to continue due to this encountered.

Help us please.

Thanks,

Letty Berdonar

Coporate Secretary

AIRBnB - TEAMS UP WITH MAFIA TO ROB CUSTOMERS

AirBnB is a dangerous organisation which appears to have teamed up with criminal organisations in popular resorts for the purpose of armed robberies on vulnerable customers.

A slew of AirBnB "secure locations" have been robbed, in popular resort areas in Mexico and Costa Rica.

All the robberies appear to have been well-planned before the customers arrived. So well-planned that this could only be achieved with the connivance and support of AirBnB.

Our advice - don't use Airbnb if you value your life and want a safe holiday. They are a criminal organisation. BEWARE!

I have been a customer of Airbnb for over 7 years with great reviews as a guest.I booked accommodation at Sala comacina Lake Como Italy, Unfortunatly i booked the wrong dates, i realized straight away. I tried to change to the correct date but it was not available, so i cancelled immediately, it was less than five minutes. The Host named (Italian) refused to refund and i am out of pocket $2,283.76 I have been in touch with customer support everyday and my case gets cancelled again and again. I now know my money is lost as has been my sleep.

Change your polices so this cannot happen to anyone else, it is extremely unjust and wrong that this could happen and i am sure such a simple mistake happens often.

Please protect your customers

I stayed at a listing in Belle River, Canada. The host gave no directions on how to lock the door so I ended up closing myself & my party out of the home. Once I enter Canada, my access to the Internet ceases. So in order to contact the host, I had to call AirBNB directly. We had to wait outside until the host husband came with a ring of keys because he didn't know which was the key to the door. I asked for an extra hour for checkout. I thought I had packed everything but in a haste to leave, I left behind a huge bottle of Tylenol and a cosmetic bag of medications. For 20 days, I went back & forth between the hosts and Airbnb customer service, in an attempt to retrieve my property. I had to return to Canada and contact the Ontario Provencial Police to have them intervene. In so doing, Airbnb deactivated my account and have not issued me a refund for the stolen property. I will never use Airbnb again because they care more about host funds than they do guests.

AirBNB cancelled a reservation after a guest had stayed and checked out. They said it fell in line with my cancellation policy Which it does not. I only allow cancellation 60 days BEFORE check in. And they said the dates would now be available. They are not available bc they are in the past.

The guest initially asked for a bigger or additional listing. I referred her to another company. However she arrived with 3 extra unregistered guests. Proceeded to leave a one star review after I confronted her about the additional guests. She reviewed the house being to small - that happens when you bring more guests than the listing provides for and one person is sleeping on the floor.

Additionally the guests broke a door and had the air set at 65 during a heat dome. Subsequently it did not work for the next guest. We were able to get it fixed for the following guest at an expense.

Airbnb is a company that has been around for a while now, and while the concept of renting out your home or apartment to travelers is a great one, the customer service is not. The customer service department is outsourced and scripted, which makes it difficult to get any real help when you need it. In fact, it seems that the first person to complain wins, as Airbnb punishes first and asks questions later.

Recently, I had a terrible experience with Airbnb customer service. Guests threw a large party at my home, and I was informed by Airbnb customer service to contact my local police. The police broke up the party and asked the guests to leave the property immediately. However, the guests then filed a complaint with Airbnb customer service about me, and my account was immediately suspended. The customer service agent named "Mary" informed me that there was a complaint filed by a guest of mine, but instead of asking what happened, the customer service agent suspended my account and said they were leaving work at exactly the moment they first contacted me and that they would not be back in to work until several days later (5 days).

I tried to contact another Airbnb customer service agent through the Superhost telephone line, but the agent was incredibly rude to me and said they were not allowed to speak to me as my account was suspended and only a "Safety" team member could assist me. Of course, the agent would not transfer me to the "Safety" team, and there is no email or telephone number for that team, so I am stuck with a suspended account (with my calendar blocked), until the initial agent decides that I have been punished enough, and they finally decide to contact me and reactivate my account.

To add insult to injury, Airbnb kept active all of the bookings that I already have, saying that Airbnb trusts me to host these guests but they do not trust me to host reservations that are not already booked. Airbnb did this, as they do not want to look bad, canceling bookings that are already booked, and do not wish to lose their revenue, but they will regret this as I will not send the check-in instructions to these bookings until my account is reactivated, which will not be until 12 bookings are left without a property.

I am referring all of these guests to my VRBO profile and offering a discount, and or telling the guest to contact Airbnb and having them ask for my account to be reinstated or having Airbnb rebook them (during the peak of the Consumer Electronics Show) where prices are greatly increased (way higher than what I was charging).

Airbnb customer service agents do not know how to use critical thinking, and cultural/language barriers cause many an issue and exacerbate many others. Airbnb is so cheap, they laid off a large majority of their underpaid customer service agents, and their customer service (host service/superhost service) has gone so far downhill that it is unfathomable as to just how bad the customer service agents are now.

I've switched to VRBO for the vast majority of my properties and have not experienced 1/100th of the issues in which I have experienced with Airbnb. Giving Airbnb as a company a single star is being generous, as I would give zero stars or even negative stars if I could.

Airbnb is not a real company. The concept was game-changing, but the leadership is so inept that Airbnb is not and will not be considered a real company until the leadership is changed. Airbnb is excellent at throwing money to hosts and guests to fix issues from prior stays, but is totally inept and unwilling/unable to prevent problems from occurring in the first place.

If you host using Airbnb, plan on your property being destroyed and plan on spending thousands of hours dealing with Airbnb's "customer service" to get reimbursed for damages. Airbnb will not prevent issues/damages even though stricter regulations/harsher punishments would easily do so, and Airbnb will not reimburse hosts for lost time in repairing damages, but they will throw a check at you (as a host) to replace damaged items, so do not feel bad for getting each and every damaged item reimbursed, as the only way to effect change is by hurting Airbnb in their wallet.

I get a $100 Airbnb credit to use for an annual stay each year from being a Superhost, but I refuse to use the credit, as I will not personally ever stay at an Airbnb because I know that if I ever have a problem, Airbnb as a company will not be there to assist me, and I do not trust Airbnb customer service to do the right thing after the fact (other than to reimburse the cost of the issue).

In summary, I hate hosting on Airbnb (I like hosting on VRBO), and this is primarily due to Airbnb's inept outsourced customer service department.

My experience with Airbnb was a complete nightmare. My wife and I were planning to run in the 2017 New York Marathon, and we invited several members of our family to join us for a family trip over the long marathon weekend. With a total of seven people in our group, we needed lodging that had five bedrooms, at least two (if not three) bathrooms, was conveniently located, and affordable by everyone in our party. We searched for more than two months prior to the marathon weekend, and finally booked a place through Airbnb. However, subsequent communications with the host were somewhat strange, as we heard from several different people on several different occasions, and in the days just before our scheduled arrival, we were given two different house numbers as the exact location, which we also found to be rather odd.

The host did send an email to confirm the reservation on the day before our scheduled arrival. But while riding on a bus that was just a few miles away from entering Manhattan to begin our big family weekend, my wife received a phone call from someone (yet another different person) who claimed to represent the host of this lodging location. Shockingly, she was told that we could NOT check into the apartment as scheduled because there are guests in there now who refuse to leave. The man on the phone began to offer us some alternative locations that he claimed he had available, none of which were of a size, type, and location that was remotely similar to what we had reserved with them more than two months prior.

Since my bus was about to go into a tunnel to enter the city, I told the caller that I did not want to discuss this on the telephone, and asked that we meet in person. He said he'd call me back. Less than fifteen minutes later, the other members of my wife's family had arrived at the bus station shortly before we did, and we all met inside the terminal and broke the bad news to them. While doing so, my wife received a text message less than a half-hour before we were supposed to check into our reserved apartment informing her that our host had cancelled our reservation. Imagine: seven people standing in a bus station, all of whom had made plans months in advance and traveled from Washington D. C., Philadelphia, and Atlantic City, had arrived in New York City, only to learn that what they thought was a secured lodging arrangement no longer existed and we had no place to go.

This, on a weekend when many hundreds of thousands of people were arriving for a major sporting event, making available lodging a precious commodity. Naturally, having yet to receive a return phone call from the man who telephoned less than a half-hour before, we then called Airbnb. The agent was very nice, telling us that the host had to cancel our reservation because of a gas leak, an explanation quite different than the story we heard shortly before!

Sparing you the details of the multiple, long-duration phone calls with Airbnb, the agent was eventually able to acquire for us last-minute accommodations at a house that, while lovely, was in Brooklyn, fully twelve miles from our originally-reserved mid-town Manhattan location! Airbnb graciously offered to pay for our transportation to the Brooklyn house as a bit of compensation for what we were enduring.

Picture seven people, among whom was my 82-year-old father-in-law with bad legs and other medical issues, and his wife who is battling the effects of ovarian cancer treatment, now forced to take lengthy subway rides and long walks to do what they THOUGHT would have been done by easy strolls from a conveniently-located midtown Manhattan location! In addition, the added expenses in both transit times and money were significant.

Customer reviews of Airbnb lodging experiences are, for the most part, SUBJECTIVE evaluations provided by the guest traveler. However, in this particular case, my review is NOT subjective! It is OBJECTIVE and FACTUAL. Everything I have shared here is documented and can be verified by Airbnb and copies of emails, text messages, etc. Overall, the weekend began terribly and was followed by many difficult challenges that were not anticipated by everyone involved.

We suspect that the host had found guests who were willing to pay more for the lodging than we had committed, and simply cancelled our reservation in order to make more money from a different party. We can't be certain that was the case, but no other explanation seems plausible. I share this experience to warn potential Airbnb customers that this sort of situation can not be prevented, and if it does occur, you have absolutely no recourse. Airbnb may help you find other lodging, but they will not and can not compensate you for the loss of money and significant inconvenience.

Airbnb has certainly provided very good lodging experiences for millions of people, but be forewarned: there is nothing in place that can prevent an incident such as I've just shared from happening again to other people. Unfortunately, in instances such as this, no compensation can be had, and no review of the host can be posted because the reservation was cancelled by the host and the stay never occurred. The host reneged on their commitment, and there is no way of posting feedback so that other potential guests can be forewarned.

I recently had a terrible experience with Airbnb and I feel compelled to share it with others. My friends and I had booked a trip to Austin, Texas a few weeks ago, but unfortunately, there were constant bombings happening in the city during the following week and a half. We became very concerned about our safety and decided to cancel our trip. I reached out to the host, Lorrie, four days before our stay, hoping for some understanding given the state of the city. However, Lorrie was completely lacking in consideration and refused to honor a full refund, despite the fact that we were facing an emergency situation.

I then tried to exercise Airbnb's Guest Refund Policy, which is supposed to protect clients in these types of situations. However, I was passed from agent to agent and given mixed information. At one point, I was promised a full refund due to my "extraneous" circumstance, but later was denied this because the Austin Bombings did not qualify as an emergency situation. I was shocked and appalled by this response. How could this not be an emergency when people were dying and neighborhoods were being evacuated due to explosions?

After days of fighting tooth and nail, I finally received a half refund. However, the whole process was incredibly arduous and frustrating. I spoke to several different agents, and the only one who was helpful was Kai. The others, Alvita, Halston, Tiffany, and Aden, were unhelpful, uninformed, and dismissive.

Overall, I was extremely disappointed with Airbnb's lack of humanity and customer care. I will never recommend this company to anyone I care about. If you are considering doing business with Airbnb, please take my experience into great consideration.

I had a terrible experience with Airbnb. The person who advertised the apartment, Tony&Eli, completely misrepresented the place. The pictures my daughter received were not even close to what was advertised. I paid for a month's rent so my daughter could find a place of her own near her school. After driving all night from Georgia, my daughter arrived to find a filthy and moldy apartment. She took pictures and sent them to me and my mother. Unfortunately, my mother is allergic to pets, so my daughter couldn't stay with her for long. The next day, Tony&Eli offered to put her in another apartment, but I advised her not to trust him. Instead, I told her to see if our family could help her find something else. Tony&Eli refused to refund the money, so I had to take it up with my credit card. It seems like he has more than one place and is using the same pictures for all of them. Even though I tried to contact Tony&Eli, he did not reply. Instead, he kept trying to contact my daughter and convince her to move into a different apartment. I did not want him harassing her as she's only 18 and hasn't had to deal with this sort of thing before.

Airbnb was no help at all and is considering it a cancellation. Unfortunately, they also went through my daughter and did not contact me. Even though the Airbnb person is in California and can only see the pictures online, they think that just because the owner offers some other place, that should be okay with the renter. I don't see why a customer should have to continue to do business with someone that has bait and switch tactics and would pawn off such a place on some kid.

I will never use Airbnb again and I advise anyone who does to, if possible, check out the place in person and don't rely on Airbnb to help if something goes wrong. I would especially not send anyone that is inexperienced to possibly have to handle a situation such as this. They will be better off going to an Extended Stay America or Homewood Suites where the management is accountable.

Their response was not helpful at all. They suggested that the apartment could be cleaned and fixed, but it was not in a livable condition. It was not worth the money I paid for it. I made a complaint with BBB, and magically, after contacting them, they returned the money. However, they still sent a message to my daughter trying to say that it wasn't really their fault. One thing that was interesting was that the owner of the place is not allowed to substitute another place without the agreement of the renter, so he should have returned it immediately. Then they offered her a $75 gift certificate for another stay, which we will not be using. The Florida Attorney General's office did send a letter just last week, after the fact, that they would look into it, and they also suggested contacting the California Attorney General's office, but as it's taken care of, there is no need.

I recently had an experience with Airbnb that left me with a lot to say, but I'll try to keep it to the facts. I reserved a listing at 656 Atlantic Ave, Westerly RI on 2/15/2022 and paid a 50% deposit. I paid the remaining 50% due for rental on 6/16/2022, but didn't hear anything from the owner since 2/16/2022. I reached out using Airbnb's messaging system on 6/29/2022 and the owner responded the same day, asking to follow-up via a personal email address. Later that day, I received a message with a rental agreement containing new details that were not included in the Airbnb listing.

The new details stated that automobiles were not allowed to park on the street and that only two parking spaces were available for renters. Vehicles parked on the side of the road may be towed as these are No Parking zones. The property owner uses the parking space in between the cottages, so renters must park in the designated "Renter Parking" area only, under the front porch, against the rock foundation. The property owner also uses the lawn area for parking at all times, which is the space to the left of Tenant Parking, as well as, the Basement is restricted to the Owner's use only.

I had already paid for the rental in full upon receipt of the rental agreement, so I had to make a choice. I could either cancel my children's beach trip at the last minute and plead for my money back, or attempt to cope with new terms in an unexpected situation. I chose the latter.

The reality was that, with the exception of the two tenant parking spaces, the remainder of the property was an active parking lot for not just the owners, but dozens of their friends and family that came and went throughout the day and into the late evening hours. The "owner's only" basement was effectively used as a cabana for this large group. There were points in time where there were up to eleven vehicles on the property, only one of which was mine.

My three daughters, ages 10, 8, and 4, made the following statements while we were on-premise:

8 year old - "Daddy, I thought this was our house, why are there so many people here?"

10 year old - "Daddy, I can't sleep with all the noise and car lights shining through the window"

4 year old - "Daddy, when will it be safe for me to ride my bike?"

We paid for a week and left two days early. The next day I submitted a request through Airbnb for a partial refund, sharing the statements made by my children as the primary reasons. The owner responded with a message that didn't address my concerns.

Airbnb responded 12 days after reporting the incident and stated that they couldn't offer any further refunds outside of the host's cancellation policy. Overall, my experience with Airbnb was disappointing and I wouldn't recommend this particular listing to anyone.

On April 21, 2017, we booked Alex's apartment in Hollywood through Airbnb. The listing promised all amenities and a master bedroom with a private bathroom, closet, and balcony. It also claimed to sleep three people, with the third person having the option to sleep on the living room couch or air mattress. The apartment was advertised as having central air conditioning and heating, hardwood floors, brand new furniture, a dishwasher, microwave, full-size stove, laundry facilities, and a full kitchen. The listing also boasted extra comfortable mattresses, 600 thread count sheets, high-quality comforter sets, and a chic and modern design with stainless steel appliances.

However, we were disappointed with our stay and demand a refund for several reasons. Before booking, we asked for more pictures, but the woman claiming to be Alex said she didn't have any at the moment. When we arrived, we understood why she didn't provide pictures. While we did have our own room with a private bathroom, it was very sparsely furnished with just a bed and TV. There was no bedside table or lamp, no dresser, no chairs, and no sofa, contrary to what was shown in the picture. We had to ask for the air mattress, which was stored in a pile in the dirty living room. The room smelled like cheap perfume, as if someone was trying to hide a bad smell. The bath, sink, and mirror were dirty, and only five face cloths and a hand towel were provided. The blinds didn't work properly, and the balcony was cluttered with other people's belongings. The room could only be locked from the inside, and the front door was always unlocked. Alex only gave us the key to the building, not the apartment, claiming that someone was always there. Therefore, both the front door and our room were always unlocked, leaving us vulnerable to theft.

When we confronted Alex about these issues, he made excuses and only provided the air mattress, not extra linens. He also claimed that we had only rented a room, disregarding the fact that we were supposed to have access to the kitchen, which was in a horrible state. The rest of the apartment was also disappointing. There were four or five temporary lodgers or couch surfers in the living room and kitchen when we arrived. The kitchen and fridge were dirty and smelled bad, and there was no coffee maker or glasses. We only managed to find two cups. When we woke up, six people were sleeping in the messy living room.

We have traveled extensively and have used Airbnb many times, so we know what to expect from a room costing $123 CAD (plus fees) in Hollywood. We didn't expect the Ritz, but we won't accept paying that much for a dirty apartment that felt like a bad youth hostel. We also had communication issues with Alex, who made us repeat information that was already in our Airbnb messages. We had to insist that he take our luggage on the morning of our arrival, as agreed, and he arranged to meet us across the street instead of in front of the apartment. He also gave us confusing information and asked us to claim that we were family if anyone asked.

While Alex tried to be courteous and briefly tidied up the kitchen, it didn't fix anything. We had to sleep there the first night because we arrived too late to find other accommodations at a reasonable price. We did find something for the next two nights, but it cost more than our Airbnb booking. At such short notice, barely anything was available in Hollywood.

We demand a complete refund for false advertising and the apartment's poor condition. We even contacted Alex's co-op board to find out if he had the right to rent out his apartment. Despite our efforts, Airbnb's case manager, Ashley C., refused to refund us and only used cleanliness and misclassification as arguments to disengage from further discussion. We believe we should be paid for the third night, given that we cancelled on the spot for the first night. Thank you for your attention and cooperation.

Dominique Bernier

Airbnb has had a tough time since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, with many cancellations and a drop in income. As a result, they have moved their support to East Asia and India, where the support staff often repeat scripted responses without actually helping customers.

Recently, I had a terrible experience with a Russian host in Europe. The property was filthy, violating city tourism license standards and Airbnb's cleanliness policies. My baby's hands and knees were black from dirt, and the sheets were covered in stains and bodily fluids. The host refused to fix broken amenities, and there were pests all over the place. Despite documenting everything and requesting to be moved to a different property, Airbnb did nothing to help me during my stay. Even worse, the host wrote a scathing review full of lies and slander, claiming that I didn't pay for my stay and that I used too much electricity. She even asked for more money outside of Airbnb and turned off the wifi when I refused to write her a good review. Airbnb eventually deleted her review, but then reposted it without notifying me or allowing me to respond.

This behavior is illegal and unacceptable. The host violated laws and Airbnb policies, and Airbnb employees ignored my requests for help and violated their own code of conduct. I am currently pursuing legal action and requesting a refund for the week I paid for but was accused of not paying for. I urge anyone reading this to report the listing and help get it removed from Airbnb. This type of behavior is not acceptable, and Airbnb needs to do better to protect its customers.

I'm here to share my experience with Airbnb. I decided to give it a try after hearing good things from friends who had used it to book rental homes in Italy. I wanted to make sure I had all the information I needed before making a booking, so I contacted several hosts to ask for more details about their properties. I was pleased to receive responses from all of them within 24-48 hours.

I eventually settled on a property that looked amazing in the photos and was priced well. However, when I contacted the host, he told me he was out of the country and that I should contact his listing agent/consultant for further details. He gave me an email address that ended in "@consultant-airbnb.com". I didn't think anything of it and contacted the person to ask for more information and to confirm my dates. I received a quick response from someone claiming to be from "team Airbnb". They confirmed my dates and told me to book the reservation on the site, provide my credit card information, and then they would send me a separate invoice with further details and instructions.

I followed their instructions and booked the property on Airbnb with my credit card. After the booking was complete, I received another email from Airbnb confirming the reservation and saying they would follow up with the host to confirm availability. I then received an email from "@airbnb" with further instructions and an invoice for the reservation. The email said that they had cancelled my reservation, but not to worry, the property was still reserved for me. However, since the owner didn't take credit cards, I needed to pay in cash by wiring the money to the agent representing the property. The agent would hold onto the money until 24 hours prior to our check-in. The invoice provided all the bank information, along with a UK phone number to contact for any questions on how to wire the money. I also had to pay an additional $500 deposit on top of my rental. The total cost of the property rental, including the deposit, was $2729 (US $).

I didn't wire the money right away since I was traveling on business. I received an update email from "Airbnb" stating that I needed to reserve the property within 24 hours, and if I didn't proceed with the wire, my reservation would be cancelled. Being unfamiliar with the site and the typical procedures, I got nervous and didn't want to lose the property, so I followed the instructions and even called the phone number provided to verify I was speaking with an Airbnb agent in the UK. He told me on the phone that he was an agent of Airbnb and worked out of the UK office, even providing me with their location in CA. He reassured me that all would be okay, and once they received my wire, they would further confirm the reservation, and I would also get the $500 deposit back once we checked out.

Once the wire transfer was complete, I continued to correspond with the "agent" and gave him confirmation of the transfer. He said it usually takes 3-4 days, but he did email me back and was happy to see that it took less time than that. Within a day of the completed wire funds, the listing "disappeared" from the Airbnb site, and I was no longer able to access the listing or the photos of the property. Also, all my communication emails were not on the Airbnb site with the host or his "agent". The only email that showed was the initial one that told me to contact another email address. Also, it did show the Airbnb reservation as being "cancelled".

This is where I started to get suspicious and emailed the agent again, asking why the reservation showed cancelled. They responded with "not to worry" and said they were having issues with their servers, and it would be fixed in the next few days, but for me to be assured that they had my info and my reservation was booked.

At this point, I started to get even more wary and researched further properties in Positano. I found the same exact photos of the property I booked on other sites. I got concerned, thinking that the home we rented was really not the home, and that the pics were being randomly copied and posted. I contacted the "agent" as well as the host/owner on Airbnb asking for the physical address of the property and asked them to email me pictures again. I received a response 2-3 days later with the property address, as well as additional photos of the property, again with their apologies for delay in replying as well as stating my reservation was still valid.

At this time, I started researching reviews online on Airbnb in general and came onto tons of scam alerts, as well as exactly the same situations and previous scams that I went through.

I did contact Airbnb in CA immediately once I realized what was happening. I spoke two different times to 2 different official Airbnb customer service agents, who were very nice, apologetic, and assured me that they would investigate further into the matter. Since this all transpired during a holiday weekend, it may take an extra day to get back to me. I filed a case/claim with Airbnb on Saturday as an urgent claim. I received an automated email response giving me their anti-trust/policies and scam alerts. This was not clearly stated on their site when I initially signed up for an account though.

In the meantime, I also contacted my US bank to do a wire recall to attempt to get my money back. I'm waiting now for further updates from my bank if they will be able to retrieve any of the funds from the UK banks. I'm also still waiting back from Airbnb on my claim.

I hope my long-winded review serves as a warning to all reading this, especially first-time users of Airbnb, to not wire any funds. The emails are very deceptive, and they look very legit! They all have some form of Airbnb in the emails, also copied all their logos, and really are professional. This to me looks like a sophisticated scam operation. I am extremely distraught that I fell for it.

If any one of you who is reading this got your money back and was able to pursue this in a legal matter, please contact me. I would love to hear any feedback or advice on this.

Airbnb is a website that has been getting a lot of attention lately, with their "sharing economy" message that sounds so good and noble. While I do know a couple of people who have had successful bookings with them, my own first experience with the site was not great. I would recommend using Airbnb with extreme caution and skepticism. Don't get caught up in their trendy PR message of "we're all one big, happy, caring-sharing family looking to break the monopoly of the evil hotel chains". The company is valued at 10 billion dollars and seems to have less integrity and accountability than many of the large hotel/letting giants.

My user experience on the site was pretty dire. We were looking for an apartment in Palma de Mallorca for a few days and encountered several issues. The first property we considered had incorrect information on the listing. The title stated and pictures showed that it was a large 5 bed villa in an out-of-town location, but the 'blurb' underneath then went on to say that it was a small apartment with only 2 bedrooms and was in the center of town. When I clicked on the 'Contact host' button, I received an automated reply saying "Declined". How can a booking be "declined" when it was never requested in the first place? If they meant that my request for information was "declined" that's even worse. It left a sour taste, with no personal response from the host explaining why their listing was wrong.

The second property we were interested in looked like a large villa in a beachside location. The response to the enquiry via the Airbnb message system requested us to contact the supposed host's "wife" via another email address (cunningly disguised to look like an official Airbnb email). This is a scam. Do not contact anyone from Airbnb if they suggest you communicate with them directly outside of the site. I got an automated email from Airbnb about 24 hrs later saying that they had detected a potential fraud and not to contact the host again. Which is good on the one hand that they spotted this (although I noticed 3 days later the fraudulent listing was STILL up on the site) but bad in that in only our second enquiry we had come up against a scam on their website, a property that clearly didn't exist for rent.

The one saving grace was an interaction with a host on our third enquiry who seemed genuine and was very polite and responsive. Thank you Richard of "Huge Old Town Modernist Apartment" listing, you were fabulous (and the only reason I've given 2 stars rather than 1 star overall).

However, the next couple of listings we looked at showed on the Airbnb map as being separate properties, a mile apart, and listed at different prices - both had exactly the same pictures! I didn't bother contacting the hosts as I was fed up and disillusioned by this point.

The upshot of all this is that you cannot completely trust the listings. And don't necessarily be lulled into a sense of security if the property you book has great reviews. Out of curiosity after our poor experience, I briefly trawled through 60 property listings in a search of "Palma de Mallorca" and found only ONE review out of more than 130 individual user reviews for different properties that was less than 4.5 stars out of 5. Are they somehow blocking negative reviews from the site to make it look good? I would not be at all surprised.

Just take huge care when using Airbnb. There are clearly lots of genuine hosts and happy customers, but the increasing popularity of the site has inevitably opened it up to large numbers of commercial agents looking to flog their inventory as well as outright scammers and charlatans. Certainly the majority of listings we looked at in Palma were handled by agents, not owners, as evidenced by their multiple listings. Which makes it no different to booking with any other villa/property rental website.

It sounds like this company has become a willing victim of its own success. What started out as a great idea has been overtaken by financial greed and an inability to keep pace with the dramatic growth in terms of security and customer service. It sounds like it's become a numbers game for them. Be aware that Airbnb does not vet the properties offered, or ask for any proof of ownership such as a utility bill or whatever, they take the host's descriptions/photos at face value. And pretty much anyone can register as a host, despite all the guff about "verification" etc. Also be aware that your booking is not guaranteed. The host has the ability to cancel at very short notice, leaving you stranded. Plus if you have a problem, the small print on the Airbnb website pretty much guarantees that you will have no comeback. Once you pay for your booking, they can effectively wash their hands of it and claim that it was up to you to check things out before you parted with your money.

You may get lucky and have a lovely time with Airbnb, but please at least consider the potential pitfalls, of which there are many, and go into it with your eyes very wide open.