Totally different to the listing

[Emma2193]

 

 

Hello All, 

I’m at a loss at how to complain to Airbnb. We have just checked into a villa which is filthy, there’s faeces on the sheets, old food on the floor and counters, fly larvae in the hot tubs only one shower works (there’s 7 of us) there is hardly any garden furniture and no sun parasols  (I’ve attached the photo of the listing and reality) a lot of the things are broken- parasols, shower, hardly any utensils.. the list goes on. It’s certainly not the luxury property as advertised. 

we have spent the first two days cleaning the house through. The host sent someone round to fix the shower but still waiting. We’ve had to do the cleaning ourselves. She has offered a refund of £200 and basically said we should be happy with that! I spent £1800. I have lodged a case with air bnb but have had the initial ‘hello I am *** I am your case manager’ and that’s it. I have sent photos and explanation etc. But heard nothing. Has anyone any suggestions? 

[Rossana121]

Hi @Emma2193 , I understand that it may have been sort of instinctive, but I am very sorry to say that I believe your first mistake was to clean it up.

You should have taken pictures and contacted Airbnb right away, stating the place was not corresponding to what was advertised in the listing and providing proof (pictures) that it was not fit to be used as an accommodation for human beings. At that point you could have asked for a refund of your stay and relocation to another property.

At this point your chances at a satisfactory refund get slimmer unfortunately.

[Mark116]

@Emma2193   As best as I can tell, one of the few things that Airbnb does take seriously is amenities being listed and then not available for the guests, so assuming you documented everything that was missing/broken/dirty, you should eventually get some money back.  I wonder why though you didn't cancel the reservation and book another place, rather than spending your vacation cleaning and stuck in a dismal place?

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Emma2193 I suspect that @Rossana121 is right. If you didn't give the host the opportunity to immediately correct and/or then ask Airbnb to cancel the reservation and find somewhere else then you will be on the back foot with your claim.

Please do leave a very honest review and keep your fingers crossed that Airbnb will come through for you.

@Anonymous As the 'rules' guru on the community do you agree that photos of seating (as shown here) are counted as part of the listed amenities? If so then Emma has a strong case for a significant refund.

[Anonymous]

@Mike-And-Jane0  Without seeing the listing, I have no idea how the offering was presented to the guests. If there were cleanliness issues with the linens and surfaces, and malfunctioning showers, those issues should have been reported to the host immediately and then to Airbnb if no resolution had been agreed upon within 24 hours. A £200  refund seems appropriate for the shower malfunction, but the host should have also replaced the soiled linens and organized an additional cleaning.

But @Emma2193 , when requesting help with a problem (whether to the host, to Airbnb, or to the online community) it really helps to be upfront and clear about what your ultimate objective is. The Guest Refund Policy would most likely apply on the basis of the aforementioned problems, but only under the condition that you terminate the booking and leave. If you decide to clean the property yourself and remain onsite, there's no provision entitling you to any kind of refund. 

Communication is key here: these days, Airbnb's customer service operation seems to be skeleton crew, so it's imperative that hosts and guests work out their issues with each other directly as much as possible. Emma, just out of curiosity - how do the recent reviews describe the property? Airbnb isn't out there doing quality control on its listings, so usually the best indication you're going to get of whether a property is accurately described can be found in the reviews.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Anonymous I was thinking the photos shown above - The listing with lovely furniture, the reality with nothing.

[Anonymous]

@Mike-And-Jane0  I don't know that patio furniture would be considered a "key amenity" that "makes the purpose of the stay impossible" if it's missing. Its absence is certainly detrimental to the experience, but I would think that operational showers and clean linens are more important details to focus on. Those are essential features, whereas the appearance of certain items in photos does not automatically make them "listed amenities."

It would also be relevant whether the host was asked about patio furniture and given the opportunity to address that. Furthermore, I'm only assuming that the guest is visiting a country that doesn't require pools and spas to be closed as a Covid precaution.