Resolution Center

[Sumana7]

Welcome some guidance from the Airbnb community. On December 31st, we came back to our Paris Airbnb after lunch only to find the lock on the door had failed - key went in keyhole without issue, but didn’t unlock the door. We had to pay 1,590 EUR to a locksmith hired by the host to access the apartment and gather our belongings. The host had the opportunity to pay, but refused, saying it was too expensive. We provided Airbnb with proof (both written and video) from the locksmith that this was not our fault - mechanical failure with an old lock in an old building, it happens. All Airbnb is willing to do is provide us with a 50% reimbursement, stating there is not much else they can do given the host is unwilling to pay. We are still out ~$850 USD on an Airbnb where we spent one night. Meanwhile, the host walks away with a new lock funded by us and no financial responsibility whatsoever. The Resolutions Ambassador we have been working with refuses to escalate our case, stating it has been discussed by supervisors already. I tweeted AirbnbHelp, but they simply re-routed me to our open ticket with Resolutions. Disappointing on so many levels. Would love to get from advice from others who have been in this or a similar situation.

[Frances3408]

@Sumana7. I am a host and once when my long term tenants departed during COVID leaving the place totally unlocked (abandoned) I paid to get locks changed, then they were billed and eventually paid (forced by our state rental laws). No such dramas with my STRs but it definitely sounds like overcharging and a stitch up (even factoring in NYE rates) . In this case I would have made it clear to the locksmith that I was paying to gain emergency access to the rental only, not replacing the lock, which as host property is their responsibility. Yes, if you were found to have broken it, could then have been claimed by the host via Airbnb, as others here have mentioned.

Even if you were somehow forced to pay, I would have asked to be given the new lock then taken it back home with me after getting the locksmith to put the old one back on. Maybe you could then have gone to a few locksmiths and got comparable quotes to give to Airbnb in defense of your refund for overcharging claim. You could also try this with the credit card company. Did you get a written quote from locksmith?

Good luck .

[Sumana7]

The locksmith made it clear (both captured on video as well as written on the invoice) that this was not our fault. Shopping around would have been challenging as he needed to see the lock to assess the price, and by the time he made it to us due to traffic throughout Paris (it was NYE) it was 7:30 at night. I'm not sure we could have put the old lock back, there may have been some structural issues making that challenging, but it's a great idea and in hindsight we should have asked. Regardless after hours of triaging this situation with a contentious host we wanted to access our items and move on. We left her apartment clean and secure (and with a nice new lock!) and transitioned to a hotel.

[Ronan67]

I am concerned by how expensive this lock replacement is, even for France.  Most countries have scams for locksmiths.  The most expensive Fichet radial lock costs 700E, but can be repaired or replaced with a much cheaper lock.  Did anyone ask " Moin cher SVP?"   Is this more the core of the issue?

[Sumana7]

We did ask for a less expensive lock, but he said the prices of the lock were fixed. He showed us the pricing sheet, which we shared with the host, too. I think the bulk of the cost was labor on a weekend + holiday.

[Huma0]

@Sumana7 

This whole thing is very weird. If you were the ones to cause damage to the lock, and this has happened to me, then the host was well within their rights to expect you to pay for the replacement.

That being said, what kind of lock are we talking about here that costs 1,590 Euros to replace? When a guest broke my front door lock, the locksmith told me it was a top of the range lock and therefore not something he carried as standard. As I couldn't leave the house unsecured, I had to accept the best and most expensive option he had. The total cost, including extra keys, was just over £400. However, I did also look up the cost of a replacement for my former lock, and it was around that same price, without the locksmith's fees. So, unless it was some sort of special lock, I am surprised at the cost.

If the lock was not damaged to any fault of your own and the host accepted that, what on earth was their reasoning for expecting you to pay for the replacement? It sounds like, even though the host was away, they responded very quickly and sent someone out to solve the problem as soon as they could. But I still don't get why they would expect you to pay unless you had caused the problem...

I feel like either something is missing in this story. While Airbnb CS can be very hit and miss, and it doesn't surprise me that they were only willing to cover 50% as they generally only offer a proportion based on depreciation, i.e. depends somewhat on the age of the item in question, it seems bizarre to me that the guest would be charged for something faulty at the listing rather than something they themselves broke.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Huma0 I think it was New Years Eve in Paris. Hence the excessive price!

[Huma0]

@Mike-And-Jane0 

Ah, I see! Yes, getting a tradesperson out on New Year's Eve is no mean feat and I am surprised the host was able to do it so quickly. I still don't understand why the guest had to pay for it though, unless they had caused some damage...

[Sumana7]

Correct, the prices were higher because it was NYE (weekend and holiday).

As noted above we had nothing to do with the failure of the lock - old complex lock, old building, all confirmed by the locksmith the host hired. Unfortunate situation to say the least.

[Sumana7]

Hi! Thank you for your thoughtful post. I agree with you, it was definitely bizarre. The lock worked fine on day one. On day two, we put the key in the lock and it turned in a vacuum - kept turning and turning, but never 'caught'. The locksmith explained this was a mechanical failure and had nothing to do with us.

The host told us she would find a locksmith. We asked her to give her credit card over the phone to pay for the service (which the locksmith said he would accept) but she refused over and over, stating 'I don't know how this works, I'm not there, you'll have to pay." We debated this with her (even the locksmith chimed in on our behalf), but she kept saying no. She took advantage of our position, knowing we needed to access our things.

Totally unethical and poor form.

[Laurelle3]

@Sumana sorry this has happened to you. All I  can say this incident is what gives Airbnb and  hosts a bad name. Especially when hosts are not close by to address the problem. It is one of the reasons why we don't let our cottage with out us staying in the main residence. 

[Patricia3719]

I have been in a situation and finally Airbnb refunded $500. to us but we paid over $1,200 for a place we couldn't stay at. Second bedroom door was locked, refrigerator didn't work, very messy conditions/garbage outside. Some outlets that didn't work. And this wasn't cheap. It was in Miami and the host was in California. StaySoFlo. They gave different accounts as to what was happening. First saying the door was unlocked then a few minutes later saying a locksmith was on the way. Never mentioned anything about the refrigerator, however the handyman that came, when we complained, he came about 2 hours later and said they were checking to see if another unit was available, and couldn't give me a timeframe. Meanwhile it is dark out, we had to pick up our daughter at the airport and needed a place to stay. To make a long story short. StaySoFlo. is not refunding anything. So they are making over $700. for our aggrevation. We had to get another place to stay. I didn't put this in the reviews because I was trying to resolve it. Now it is 25 days later and I can't put in a review because it is over 14 days. I feel that is wrong.