I recently had an unfortunate experience with an Airbnb host who was dishonest and uncooperative when I needed to cancel a reservation. Within 15 minutes of booking, I realized I needed to cancel due to unforeseen personal reasons. I reached out to the host immediately, hoping they would understand and be flexible. However, the host’s response was not only unhelpful but also misleading.
The host during our exchange claimed that the booking if canceled would be “locked” for 24 hours which would cause the host to lose potential reservations and that nothing could be done to refund or cancel it. This, as I later discovered, was a complete lie. In reality, Airbnb has the ability to lift such a booking restriction immediately(I confirmed this calling airbnb). Rather than offering to help or be accommodating, they suggested I go through my credit card company to resolve the issue. This suggestion felt like a ploy to keep my payment while forcing a third party to reimburse me—an unethical and fraudulent approach to handling cancellations.
Good customer service means being transparent and understanding, especially when the request is reasonable and timely. Instead, this host chose to mislead me, causing unnecessary frustration and stress. The host also was extremely argumentative which did not help what so ever.
For those considering booking on Airbnb, please be cautious and aware that not all hosts will be honest or flexible.
Always review the host’s cancellation policy carefully, and consider reaching out to them before booking if you have any concerns. It’s unfortunate that some hosts prioritize keeping your money over being fair or honest.
I hope this serves as a warning to others. Be vigilant and don’t hesitate to report dishonest practices to Airbnb.
