Please help-need emails for CEO and upper teams/management in USA /Airbnb & host are not refunding

[Emelyn11]

I have already contacted Brian Chesky, however we all know my email just got forwarded on.  I am tired of speaking to people from other countries, they do not understand and acknowledge my issue. The last email went to Mohamed who completely ignored the filthy part and the Covid rules.  All he addressed & agreed upon was the fact that the unit was not as shown in the photos, he did offer a partial refund which I am not accepting but he said he is processing it anyway.

We cancelled immediately (the night of check in) with Airbnb, they said they would diligently contact the host following our conversation.  Contact us: Message or call Airbnb within 24 hours of noticing the travel issue, and share your photos or videos. We even called again the next day and they said they were processing a refund.

We had to scramble to rent other hotels, my son and daughter in laws honeymoon was ruined, they could not find a continuous stay and constantly had luggage in their car, aside from the fact they were so disappointed in the rental.

Since then we have been calling, messaging and emailing and arguing with host and Airbnb for 6 months, I cant seem to get anyone that doesn't disrespectfully respond and tell me "you should have",  I am not sure what else I can do or should have done.  We have phone records, photos and hotel receipts proving we called, they left immediately because of the uncleanliness and stayed in other hotels for the same days as the Airbnb reservation.  We followed the policies which state " if the room is not safe or clean and a guest arrives at the agreed check in time and finds that the property has not been cleaned (i.e. dirty sheets, rubbish lying around) they have a right to request a refund, and During COVID 19 hosts are required to perform a 5 step enhanced cleaning process (my daughter in-law is immune compromised by the way). 

Am I wasting my time?  My next step will be to contact an attorney, small claims or Fairshake, news stations, press and social media, any advice please and if you can send emails for the upper team, CEO etc. that would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Emelyn

[John5097]

@Emelyn11 

"My daughter in-law booked on her platform but used my credit card, that is why I am so involved because I want my money back."

Your daughter booked this on the host's platform with your credit card and not ABB? 

[Sarah977]

@John5097  This was an Airbnb booking. The OP is mistakenly calling her daughter's account her "platform." 

Anyone can book something online using whatever credit card they want, as long as it's valid. I've booked airline flights in my daughter's name using my credit card.

[John5097]

@Sarah977 I'm not a mind reader so have to go by what is printed. In that case it would be her daughters account, not platform. 

It does sound like it could be a common scam host.. getting guest to book on another platform, sending them to a different place that doesn't look like the one listed. Also no reviews left. 

If that were the case than there would still be recourse and she could get better advice. Sometimes though its too mottled to understand what's going on so not going to waste time with reading tea leaves as it would be more accurate to OP to clairfy. 

[John5097]

"The reason they contacted Airbnb direct is because the host sent them to the wrong place initially, and seemed very scattered, my daughter in law went straight to her booking platform via phone, no internet either where they were in Yachats OR. This is from Airbnb :" 

This didn't make sense either. Again daughter went to her booking platform via phone, but no internet? Who's booking platform was accessed by phone but not by internet? How could you access any platform or phone access if not connected to the internet? 

[Sarah977]

@John5097  You don't need an internet connection to make a phone call.

[John5097]

@Sarah977 

"my daughter in law went straight to her booking platform via phone" 

Just tying to understand what happened. Not sure how you go "straight to her booking platfrom via phone" and not be on the internet. I was hoping the OP might be able to clarity so there isn't so much confusion. 

[Emelyn11]

.John@5097 Not sure where I wrote that, she called from the rental to cancel the evening of check in, they stayed only 10 minutes to find the place dirty and not as represented in the photos. She called from her phone using the booking information from HER platform she had booked on, using my credit card. My daughter in law had no internet there so that is why she called rather than going online, does that make sense?

My husband and I followed up the next day and used her case # & booking # and personal information and they said they were processing the refund.

She did talk to someone at one point with the existing case # and as bizarre as it sounds they gave her permission to make me the main point of contact which worked with the next rep we dealt with, but hasn't since, so she has been doing the communication since then. 

I am helping out the kids because otherwise I would expect the money back from them which they cannot afford.

Sorry so confusing!  I'll have her try twitter, what exactly should she say, I expect it should be brief?

[Emelyn11]

Sorry I am not sure of the proper terms/language, my daughter in law booked on her account through Airbnb. After the host had sent them astray she called Airbnb direct upon check in and cancelled.  They assured her they would call the host and cancel.  Airbnb is now telling her that they didn't cancel and should have called the host, which they didn't tell them that evening.  My husband and I used her booking # the following day and Airbnb confirmed the refund was in process.  

I obviously don't know what platform means or OP ?

Also can you suggest what her tweet should say on airbnb help?

[Sarah977]

@Emelyn11  Platform means the online site itself- Airbnb is a platform, VRBO is a platform.

OP means original poster, the person who started the thread.

I understand that the customer service rep gave your daughter incorrect info, but it is also a guest's responsibility to educate themselves as to how to cancel a reservation, how a guest should proceed if they arrive to find a listing unacceptable, etc.

All this is readily available for guests to read in the help section of the Airbnb site, and guests failing to do so isn't an excuse for not following procedure, anymore than drivers failing to note the speed limit is a valid excuse in defense of a speeding ticket.

In further communication with Airbnv, your daughter should keep it clear and concise, using bullet point or short sentence form in chronological order.

"We arrived at our booked listing on xx (date)

The door code we had been given didn't work, so we contacted the host.

The host refused to give us the door code, asking us to cancel instead.

Etc, etc.

The easier you make it to understand, the more likely it is to receive help.

[Emelyn11]

Thanks for the clarification, and the info of what she should say to Airbnb.

.@Sarah977 I understand the guest should educate, but without internet it was difficult, they do state however if the place is dirty: (and this is what she did)

What if I need to cancel because of a problem with the ... - Airbnb

www.airbnb.com › help › article › what-if-i-need-to-ca...

Submit your claim within 24 hours. Gather evidence: If possible, take photos or videos to document issues like dirty linens or incorrect access codes. Contact us: Message or call Airbnb within 24 hours of noticing the travel issue, and share your photos or videos.

Thanks, Emelyn

[Sarah977]

@Emelyn11  Well, I wasn't telling you what your daughter should say, but how. Many of the reps aren't that fluent in English, and Airbnb gets thousands of communications from guests and hosts every day, so the more concise and easy to read and understand, the more chance there is if getting an appropriate response.

And when I said guests should educate themselves, I meant before they actually book or stay somewhere, to know how Airbnb works and what the protocols are, not just look it up if you have an issue.

Sometimes hosts don't read up enough either before they start hosting. But just because they didn't realize that the 10% weekly discount they had put on their listing would be cumulative with the 20% new listing discount, resulting in a 30%discount, doesn't mean they can charge the guest more after the booking has been confirmed. 

But you are correct re the wording of that Help article. It talks in the beginning about what to do if there are issues during your stay, which advises talking to the host about it first. But in addressing what to do if you are given the wrong door code, or arrive to find it dirty, etc, your daughter did seem to follow what is advised.

Just be aware that dealing with Airbnb customer service is an exteremly frustrating exercise for almost everyone, hosts and guests alike, it's not specific to your case, and often ends up not being worth the time you spent on it.

[Nathalie-Et-Gilles0]

@Emelyn11 

Never mind you gave you CB number.

That’s a private agreement between you and your  daughter in law (and your bank strongly suggests to never give a CB code to nobody).

Your daughter in law is the tenant.

You did not see the place.

You did not call the host to fix the problem.

The real tenant did not call the host to fix the problem.

You have no right to do a claim.

Only the tenant can.

I doubt you can get anything from a court because you are not the tenant but you, if you like to sue, can try to get your money back from your daughter in law because the CB contract is between you and her.

More seriously, it is your daughter in law to do the job and if she did not contact the host, she cannot claim for a full refund.

Is there an Airbnb email proving she asked the host to clean the place?

There are travellers who send false photos to ask a full refund so it is normal that the guest and host meet to see what is the problem and to fix it.

There is an Airbnb email asking the host to come, sometimes photos. Then another email saying it was fixed or not or any other solution.

Things are clear.

Here you are not the tenant, you saw nothing, you never met the host, you just rely on daughter-in-law speech and true or false photos.

Her speech can be true or exaggerated or false, complete or partial.

Honestly, ask daughter in law to take her responsibilities.

You are not her mother.

[Emelyn11]

She has been the one contacting them all along, I am helping out because it is on my credit card and if you had read this communication trail, you would know that she did everything necessary and correctly to cancel. She had a long conversation with the host as well. She was told by Airbnb that a refund would be processed. Sorry if I was confusing and you don't understand what I've been trying to accomplish here. It appears that your are attempting to degrade and belittle me, I find you a quite rude and condescending!