Airbnb will not refund my money, just a coupon. 35 hours on the phone with them!!

[Graham335]

Hello all,

I have had a terrible experience with airbnb. My house was said to have 1.5 bathrooms.The host said that airbnb made her list it that way because it had a sauna. WHAT.. It had only 1 bathroom, no TV, no gas bbq,  the host took pictures from her neighbors view of the lake. I looked at 3 trees. I complained to the host and got a negative feedback comment!! .  I have honestly been on the phone with 13 sales managers, 35 hours of my time. I did this because they gave me 2 partial refunds. One was a coupon, one was cash. Makes no sense. So I demanded that my coupon was also put back to my CC. 7 days later when it was too late to book on a real site like expedia. My vacation is over. They still would not do it. 

 There sales reps have no clue. Half of them actually said it was ok to record them. I am forwarding all to their central office. 

I HAE NEVER DEALT WITH A MORE INCOMPETANT COMPANY!!

[Huma0]

I think @Graham335 has been quite clear now, having explained in more detail. He does not expect a full refund, but a partial one (about one quarter), which he has been granted. The problem is that the refund was split into two payments, one an actual refund to his payment method and the other a coupon for future travel on Airbnb. He does not want the coupon, because he does not want to use Airbnb again after this experience. So, he would like that amount refunded to his card rather than the coupon he will never use.

Whether a 25% refund is reasonable in these circumstances is debatable of course. I wouldn't see the lack of half a bathroom as a major issue because I'd prefer the additional sauna, and I would not see the photos and assume there was a lake view (although if the host specified this in the listing, which I have not translated, then that is another matter). Lack of TV wouldn't bother me either. However, it doesn't really matter what I think is important. I don't have kids, so maybe the TV would matter to me if I did. It would matter if I was planning to have BBQs and then couldn't. I can see that, for a family, having only one toilet would be an issue.

Although @Graham335 did raise his concerns with Airbnb within 24 hours, he did not want to leave the property because it was difficult with the kids. He did not want to make a fuss with the host and create an uncomfortable situation, but sounds like he did bring up the issue of the dysfunctional TV and got a less than satisfactory response.

Sorry if I have summed this up incorrectly. The place looks nice and I would not have an issue with the stuff that @Graham335  was unhappy about but, like I said, that's not the point, because I am not @Graham335 and his family.

The host should accurately describe their listing and keep this up to date. When they are alerted to an issue, such as a faulty TV, they should do something about it. I think that the complaints, whilst maybe not deal breakers individually, add up to cause for a partial refund, but others may disagree.

The problem here is more with Airbnb issuing coupons instead of a 'real refund', thereby holding on to the cash. Only the guest and host loses money but Airbnb gets to keep a share.

[Graham335]

Thank you very much for summing everything up just about perfectly. 

-Air BNBs 2nd refund rule, part 2, says that if a property is misrepresented by the number of rooms than their is a partial refund after 24 hours. I thought about 25% was fair as you say it looks nice but that picture is from my front door. Not like her pictures. After this she has listed it as a 1 bathroom, and took away her lake view pictures that she took from her neighbors house. And prices for a lakefront place is about 4 times the price of something not on a lake. So it is very costly to be on a lake with a view. I work hard all year. I expect what I see. 

 Thank you for understanding me!!!

[Graham335]

I figured it out. The 1st 132 refund was their service fee. And the 138 coupon is their 15% commision.!! They didnt lose a red cent! I wondered how they came up with these random figures!

[Huma0]

@Graham335 

I believe the service fee and the commission are the same thing. Maybe one of these was the cleaning fee, perhaps?

[Graham335]

Nope. 2 different things. The service fee is listed. The 15% has already been calculated into the nights fee!

[Helen350]

@Graham335 Maybe part of the problem with your unfulfilled expectations is that you don't understand Airbnb, & the difference between an Airbnb & other types of rental? - Airbnb are private HOMES! Warts & all! Maybe this was the host's own holiday home, where she spends HER holidays? So she has it how SHE wants.. That outdoor table looked fine to me... Not everyone likes new stuff, some prefer the rustic charm of battered old stuff. 

Regarging the 'gas grill', there could be problems in translation... To me, as a Brit, a 'grill' is something INSIDE the cooker in the kitchen! If someone asked me if I had a grill, I'd say 'Yes!' - But I don't have any outside cooking facility, we call such a thing a barbeque (BBQ), so maybe that's how the misunderstanding occurred?

[Graham335]

So I hope the next plac e that you go and pay many more times for a lakevew and doesnt have it. I also hope that you have a teenage daughter. Without the 2nd bathroom my vacation is hell lol... Now the host has it relisted as a bedroom. GO FIGURE!! And she took down many pics from her neighbors lol.....

[Graham335]

I meant a bathroom and not 2...

[Mika8]

isn't that black thing on the left side a barbecue? (under the black cover)

.. .and probably are some seatings provided for the swing? (but of course due to weather reason, they are somewhere in the house) .. ok, it's rusty, but this is quite normal for things standing outside