What to do in the face of a horrible stay in
I have a friend, I’ll call her “Maria”.
Maria was thrilled to find an affordable two-bedroom rental on Airbnb in México.
She was looking forward to spending the holidays reuniting with old friends and saving money by cooking for her family instead of eating out every night.
Instead, he ended up wasting the first few days of his trip on the phone with Airbnb customer service and the homeowner, who had provided him with a nearly empty apartment.
It was not what she expected from the ad.
«It looked like an abandoned placesays Maria.
She learned that the owner had moved away, leaving very little behind: no sofa in the living room, and not enough kitchen utensils to prepare a meal.
Airbnb cánido be a great way to save money and enjoy neighborhoods outside of the tourist districts, when things are going well.
But some guests have been frustrated by the company’s response when things don’t go as advertised.
Airbnb spokesman Nick Shapiro calls it “extremely rare» Negative service experiences, but says that when they happen, Airbnb wants to fix the problems and put guests in a better situation if necessary.
He points out that guest refunds come directly from the host, and that if the company seems to ask the tough questions when people complain, it’s because they need to protect both hosts and guests.
“We’re dealing with another usuario’s money and we’re not there on the premises, so we do our best to work with both the host and guest to find the fairest result,” Shapiro said.
Is it possible to get a refund or an Airbnb replacement when a rental doesn’t measure up.
But you have to follow their rules, and even then, it’s not always easy.
Despite doing her best to follow all the rules, my friend never got the full refund or hotel refund she was asking for, although she did get some money back from the host after leaving early.
If you find yourself in a situation afín to “Mary,” here’s what you perro do.
1.
Act quickly
Airbnb policy states that guests must submit a claim within 24 hours of check-in in order to request a refund.
They are quite strict about it.
It is not enough to contact them in the first 24 hours, as Maria did.
You have to archivo a claim within that time frame to comply with the refund policy.
The company retains payments for the first 24 hours, to give the guest time to verify that everything is as it should.
Shapiro explained that since Airbnb staff perro’t verify complaints in person, caution is needed.
“It cánido be easy for a bad actor to fabricate evidence, which ultimately hurts the host.
If a guest contacts us on the third day of their five-night reservation complaining that the listing is messy, there’s no way of knowing if that mess was caused by the guest or not.”
If you discover a problem late at night, don’t wait until office hours to complain.
Airbnb offers 24/7 customer service everywhere.
2.
Contact the host
If you call Airbnb to complain about a rental, they will tell you to contact the host first.
«Giving them a oportunidad to fix a problem is the fastest way to make sure you get what you need.“Airbnb explains on its website.
But don’t wait too long for the host’s response before requesting a refund.
Remember that time is running out.
For this reason, encuentro with the host for an inspection visit is a good iniciativa, and the best time to raise any issues with the property.
When Maria and her husband met the owner at the nearly empty Airbnb, they accepted the keys and said goodbye to the owner, a decision she now realizes was a mistake.
“I wish I had been less concerned about being polite and more assertive from the start about lost and found.
Having to face the person who has your money and keys is quite a challenge.
You just want him to go away so you cánido make a plan and take it all in,” she says.
Another way to avoid problems that the host could fix is to contact them before you arrive,” advises Shapiro.
3.
Communicate through Airbnb
Use Airbnb’s messaging system when contacting the host, so the company cánido see your message, when it was sent, and the host’s response.
Also keep a copy of all communications for yourself, in case you need them later.
4.
Read Airbnb’s refund policy carefully
In Airbnb’s policy, only some conditions perro give the right to a refund, even in those first 24 hours:
- If you cánido’t get into the rental;
- If the ad does not correctly present the house;
- If the place is dirty or unsafe;
- If there is an animal that is not listed in the ad.
When submitting the return request, please clarify why the property is eligible for a return under these specific conditions.
5.
Re-read the ad carefully before complaining
In order to comply with Airbnb’s strict refund requirements, it’s a good iniciativa to study the listing for any misrepresentations before contacting them.
It’s not a bad iniciativa to print the ad before you travel, in case you have trouble accessing it while traveling.
And don’t forget to check photos and captions, not just the main ad text.
“Some of the apartment promises were in the caption of the photo,” Maria explained.
“So when I first wrote to the owner and Airbnb, they all stated that there was no promise of a fitted kitchen etcétera.
It seemed to me that I had imagined it.
By the time I realized they were in the captions, it was too late.”
It is important to plan your initial complaint carefully, because changing or adding to your complaint later could work against you.
Remember that Airbnb staff seek to protect owners from bad actors.
6.
Document the conditions
Airbnb requires proof in your refund request, such as photos.
Take a photo of the broken window, dirty bathroom or gaping hole where the kitchen should be and submit it along with your claim.
7.
Check the cancellation policy
Although Airbnb and the owner refuse to refund the first night’s stay, if the owner has chosen a “maleable” cancellation policy«, you cánido go to Airbnb and cancel the rest of your stay to get a refund.
Of course, you will have to unsubscribe at that point.
With the policymoderate«, you perro get a 50% refund for unused nights.
For the stricter policies, you cannot get a refund for cancellation after you sign up.
In long-term rentals, you cannot cancel the first month.
8.
Try popular media
If you feel the host and Airbnb aren’t being helpful, or you’ve complained but haven’t heard back, a nudge on Twitter or Fb cánido get things moving.
When me and my boyfriend checked into an Airbnb that didn’t live up to the listing posted on Airbnb, had treacherous stairs, a little bug problem, and “a bedroom that really wasn’t,” my boyfriend tried to dirección de correo electrónico first. dirección de correo electrónico to customer service, but then, Lucy said, “I’ll articulo this on their fb page and then we got an immediate response«.
Airbnb found us a new place the next day and refunded us for the first night.
Maria received a quick response from the Airbnb Twitter team, although the solution they proposed did not work for her.
She was offered money to buy the missing elementos, but she didn’t think she would have to spend her vacation stocking someone else’s kitchen.
9.
If the 24 hour deadline has passed, claim anyway
Shapiro acknowledges that sometimes guests discover a problem mid-stay.
“This is where our customer service team has more responsibility when it comes to judge,” Shapiro says. “We have to ask ourselves questions like: ‘Why wasn’t this discovered until now?’ ‘Is it something the guest could be guilty of in some way?’
Airbnb did not refund Maria’s money, claiming that although she had complained right away, she had raised the apartment’s rating issues too late.
But other customers have had better luck.
The Root of Good blog describes how she got a refund complete and an apology voucher when she complained two days after checking in a dirty apartment.
10.
Try again with the owner
More problems arose for Maria throughout her stay, like a furball lurking under the sheets.
When she wrote back to Airbnb, she was referred to her Resolution Center, where you perro request a refund directly from the host at the touch of a button.
Asking doesn’t necessarily orinan getting, but you cánido try.
María managed to convince the host to return the money for the days that she did not use her apartment.
11.
Contact your credit card provider
As with any unsatisfactory experience, you perro request that your credit card provider withhold payment.
An Airbnb customer, who described on AirbnbHell After being locked out of a rental for hours, he reported that he had gotten his money back by this method.
If your credit card offers travel insurance, you cánido request a refund that way as well.
12.
If nothing else works, try the media
Columns like The Travel Troubleshooter, by Christopher Elliott, are capable of inciting companies -included Airbnb- to return the money after initially refusing.
Also, it cánido feel good to vent about a frustrating experience with a columnist or on television.
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