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

[Sarah977]

@Emelyn11  Yes you would be wasting your time to write the CEOs, they don't get involved with individual cases.

When you arrived to find the place unacceptable, did you first contact the host? Because that is the Airbnb protocol- to give the host an opportunity to correct the issues. Then if they are unwilling, or unable to do so, you contact Airbnb right away to cancel and should get a full refund as long as the situation was as you claimed, backed up by your photos, etc.

Threatening to go to the media has worked for some users who've been dealt with badly and contacting Airbnb CS through their twitter acct. is said to get the best responses.

[Emelyn11]

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 :

1. Contact us: If you can’t reach your host, or they don’t respond, you can ask Airbnb for help. Make sure to document your issue by taking a photograph or a video recording (or both), as this will help us understand more about the situation.

It was almost 9:00 pm by the time they finally arrived at the apartment after being given the run around, they were exhausted after a long day of driving, so I ask this, how could  cleaning be fixed at that hour?  The sheets were soiled from the prior customers, as well as sticky countertops, spider webs and dust everywhere, dirty windows, holes in the wall, the list goes on.  Airbnb assured us they would contact her immediately and process a refund they did not instruct us to contact the host. Who is lying here?  Does Airbnb not back their hosts and the hosts not have to follow protocol ?  We have contacted the host since many times, even sent the photos and documentation but she refuses to deal with us, in fact she tried to tell Airbnb there was an incident and have us removed from the community?!  There definitely was not! We are exhausted by all our attempts with people from countries that do not speak English and that seems to be all we can get.  I will try twitter, I do not have an account but am sure I can sign up.  Thanks for the input 🙂

[Nathalie-Et-Gilles0]

@Emelyn11 

Did you ever use Airbnb? 
there is no review on your profile created in 2019.

If there is a problem when you arrive, the traveller must contact the host and ask him to fix it.

If the host cannot fix the problem or does not reply then you can cancel and ask for a refund.

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/248/what-should-i-do-if-somethings-missing-or-not-as-expected-wh...

« If you notice that something is missing, not working, or otherwise not what you expected when you check in, you can take the following steps:

1. Contact your host: We recommend that you send a message to your host via Airbnb and not another platform. If you give your host the chance to fix an issue, this is the fastest way to make sure you get what you need. You can then continue with your reservation as planned. Find out how you can contact your host »

Generally, cleanliness can be quickly fixed.

It is not like a water heater that suddenly breaks down.

Did you contact the host before canceling  and what did he do/say?

The customer service wanted to help you as they proposed to refund which would be not fair if you did not contact the host before cancelling.

If you did not contact the host to give him a chance to fix the problem, you should agree on what the customer service offer as you were obliged to contact the host first.

If you did contact the host and he refused to help, in this case it is different.

Airbnb emails and photos are recorded so it is easy to know what happened with the host when you arrived.

[Emelyn11]

Yes we have used Airbnb before and have never had a problem, I have never left a review, however have written very positive reviews in host guest books before departing.  Believe me I have been through all your questions before.  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. Also it says the following on the link you sent: 

1. Contact us: If you can’t reach your host, or they don’t respond, you can ask Airbnb for help. Make sure to document your issue by taking a photograph or a video recording (or both), as this will help us understand more about the situation.

It was almost 9:00 pm by the time they finally arrived at the apartment after being given the run around, they were exhausted after a long day of driving, so I ask this, how could  cleaning be fixed at that hour?  The sheets were soiled from the prior customers, as well as sticky countertops, spider webs and dust everywhere, dirty windows, holes in the wall, the list goes on.  Airbnb assured us they would contact her immediately and process a refund they did not instruct us to contact the host. Who is lying here?  Does Airbnb not back their hosts and the hosts not have to follow protocol ?  We have contacted the host since many times, even sent the photos and documentation but she refuses to deal with us, in fact she tried to tell Airbnb there was an incident ?!  There definitely was not! 

[Sarah977]

@Emelyn11 The point in bringing the issues to the host's attention first is not only to give the host an opportunity to correct the problem, but in a case like yours, to have it documented that you tried and the host was unresponsive. If you had done that, and the host either ignored the message or gave you some dismissive response, Airbnb could have seen that and it would work in your favor.

On another note, leaving comments in a host's guest book is great, but it isn't a substitute for leaving a review on the Airbnb site. Hosts need reviews on their profiles for guests to be able to make a decision as to whether they want to book there, and guests need reviews on their profiles in order for hosts to make an informed decision as to whether to accept a guest's booking. And many hosts are sick of writing reviews for guests who don't reciprocate, which is likely why you have no reviews even though you've booked Airbnbs before.

Leaving reviews is just considered to be a community-minded thing to do and it would be good if you bothered to do so in the future.

How were the reviews for this horrible place you booked, anyway?

[Emelyn11]

Yes I understand that they like reviews, and I would in the future, but for now unless I get a full refund (close to 1,000.00) I will never use Airbnb again!  The reviews were ok up until our booking, after that there were some that said it was dirty, even trash left in cabinets.  I am not sure she even booked correctly because there were missing rugs, furniture, etc.  She has several apartments at the hotel which we didn't realize, and sent them to the wrong place so maybe she thought they were booked in another unit?  I have no idea but it was awful!  Doesn't Airbnb stand behind what they are basically selling?  Anyway thanks!

[Lisa723 · Accepted solution]

@Emelyn11 did you book for your son and daughter-in-law, but were not present yourself? FWIW that's a violation of Airbnb TOS and probably isn't helping your case.

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/427/can-i-book-on-behalf-of-a-friend-or-family-member

Your best bet is probably Twitter. I have personally had success with small claims, but as a host not a guest and a very different situation. Possibly worth a try.

You can also initiate arbitration, see section 23:

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2908/terms-of-service

[Emelyn11]

Hi Lisa thanks, yes my daughter in law booked on her platform and used my credit card.  Since she has made me the main point of contact but as I told Lawrence every time I speak with a rep we seem to take a step backwards.

I will try twitter, I don't have an account but will set one up this weekend.  Not very sure how it all works, do I just send Airbnb a tweet?

Thanks for your help!

[Helen3]

Then your daughter in law should take Airbnb to small claims court if she has something in writing from CS to say (quite rightly if the accommodation was as you described) that she will get a full refund. 

I'm not sure why you are getting involved ? @Emelyn11 

it's irrelevant that it was on your card. If your daughter in law is old enough to get married she needs to get her big girl pants on and try and sort this out.  I would she tries them on their social media first and if no joy she can take them to court. 

[Emelyn11]

Getting involved because it is my credit card and my money.  She is the one doing the communicating.  In the U.S most of us help our children even when they are "old enough".  

[Lawrene0]

@Emelyn11 , usually there would be no problem getting a full refund in a circumstance like this. Documentation, timeline, it's all there.  I'm wondering whether there is something getting in the way. Was this a third-party booking? I'm reading that you booked, but that it was for your son and daughter-in-law for their honeymoon. You mention, "They arrived..."

Is that the case? If so, it's muddying the waters, and may be the reason you're having trouble. Third-party bookings are not allowed, so that's a problem in itself. Have they mentioned that at all on the calls? 

All is not lost necessarily, but it would help in understanding what's going on. 

[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.  She has made me the main point of contact, however most of them are ignoring that when I call in.  I have been the one collecting all the documentation and sending it in, but each time I contact someone we take a step backwards.  I really need to reach someone in the U.S. main office if possible.

[Lawrene0]

Okay, that sounds like it then, @Emelyn11, the reason you are being ignored . The system isn't set up for one individual acting as another individual's main point of contact. Your daughter-in-law has to handle this herself. 

We know this as hosts, because guests sometimes ask us to intervene on their behalf, and we can't. Customer Service won't talk to someone who is not the account holder. 

I know! It's your money, and she maybe doesn't have time for it, but it has to be her. 

Tell her to try Twitter. Even if she doesn't have an account there, it's free to set up, and it is often more effective than a phone call, so worth the time. The account to which she wants to send a message is AirbnbHelp. Tell her to be brief but clear. 

Hope you get your refund!

[Emelyn11]

Thanks Lisa, we are communicating through my daughter in law, I am usually the one writing it because of her limited time but she is the one sending everything.  I'll have her try twitter, thanks for all the help !