Potential scam account and abuse by host but Airbnb are ignoring it. What can I do? Is there an ombudsman?

[Tamsine0]

Hello,

Does anyone know how to raise a complaint when it's been closed by Airbnb due to lies by the host? I think the account might be a scam set up so I want others to know so they don't have to go through what I went through. Airbnb don't seem to care though. 

I booked a self contained flat in London a couple of weeks ago and it felt strange from the start. I chose it because it had 5 star reviews so I thought it was odd when the communication was really blunt and they weren't  very forthcoming with directions. I found it even stranger that no-one was there to meet me and the door was left open with the key in it which is odd for London. I went out for the day and at about 9pm I looked at my phone to find a message from the host asking if a parcel had been dropped off. I said I was out but that I would check on my return. She also asked if he son's motorbike keys were there. I said I would check when I got in. That was it until I got in at around 11:30 and 15 minutes later heard a huge banging at the door and saw a figure through the frosted glass . As a woman on my own I felt very scared as I never open my door to strangers in London. I asked who it was and a man said it was the host's son come to get his keys. 

I opened the door reluctantly and said to the gentleman that this was untoward and his Mother should have told me he was coming. He threw into a rage and told me he ran the account and if I didn't like it I could leave. He then told me to collect my things and go and sleep in my car. I tried to calm him down but he seemed to get off on being in control and intimidating me. I was totally sober by the way, not that it should make any difference to how I was treated but this is what he has told airbnb to discredit me. He's since also added to the mix that I was racially abusing him which is also lies and now appears on my own account. I was very calm and literally kept to the facts that he shouldn't have come to a property without warning. Saying I was drunk and racist is the most obvious way to take the attention off his own actions I imagine.

The things I want to find out are:

1. Are hosts allowed to demand entry to a property without warning at nearly midnight with no warning, simply to collect keys?

2. Are hosts allowed to chuck you out without warning ?

3. Are hosts allowed to pretend they're a woman when they're a man ? The host page is a middle aged woman but the guy who came to the property told me it was his

4. Can 5 star reviews be faked? I'm confused between the reviews and the host I met

5. Are hosts allowed to slander with reviews which are untrue ?

6. How can I raise a complaint to Airbnb when it's been closed?

7. Is their an ombudsman?

This whole situation has been really traumatic and made worse by the fact that Airbnb are ignoring me. I don't feel I can trust it now unless I'm able to get some answers and resolution.

Many thanks

T

[Anonymous]

1. Are hosts allowed to demand entry to a property without warning at nearly midnight with no warning, simply to collect keys?

I think a distinction would be made between arriving at the property and asking to enter, and actually entering. The latter generally requires appropriate notice, whereas there's no specific policy concerning what happened to you. It's unprofessional to be sure, but not illegal. 

2. Are hosts allowed to chuck you out without warning ?

Yes, unless the guest has been living in the property long enough to acquire the right of tenancy, the host reserves the right to terminate the booking at any time. In this situation, Airbnb is supposed to refund the guest for the unused nights. 

3. Are hosts allowed to pretend they're a woman when they're a man ? The host page is a middle aged woman but the guy who came to the property told me it was his

It's unclear whether this was a falsified identity or simply multiple people being responsible for hosting. I don't think it would be possible to prove that someone is faking their gender identity, and it would only be relevant if the rental was a shared home with a single-gender policy, which doesn't apply here. 

4. Can 5 star reviews be faked? I'm confused between the reviews and the host I met

Sure, I guess you could use other accounts to make fake bookings and review yourself. But it's also possible that your experience was an anomaly. 

5. Are hosts allowed to slander with reviews which are untrue ?

It really depends on whether the word choice violates the Content Policy. If you feel a review misrepresented the stay, you can post a public response that will appear alongside it. 

6. How can I raise a complaint to Airbnb when it's been closed?

You can try bringing up the matter on their social media (Twitter etc) but I'm not aware of a formal appeals process for closed complaints. 

7. Is their an ombudsman?

No.