I had a tarreble wake up call about Airbnb and their way to do business: they protect hosts and they don't care at all about the guests.
My Host cancelled my holidays after 2 months from the reservation. The excuse: the roof is damaged. And here is the initial red flags: 1. Using my profile I could not see the property lested anymore, but using other profiles I could see the property is still in Airbnb and can be reted (with the exception of the week I booked and was cancelled). Needless to say it is a bit difficult to believe that the roof is damaged and needs reparation only during the week of New Year's Eve.
But here the whole story with customer service starts: Customer service promptly send me a message with alternative places were to stay, all of them more than 1000€ more expensive and less nice than the one we chose 2 months before (all the good places are gone by now...). The wrote: "We can offer you 20% rebooking assistance of the cancelled reservation and add 64€ coupon". I said fine this is 425+64 € and cover a bit the damage.
So I proceed with the reservation. In the menatime, I receive a message that my downpayment was going to be refunded, that by the way was 20% of the reservation and equals to 425€.
SO I started to ask to tell me clearly what was compensation and what was refunding and give me the exact numbers.
So they wrote: "I was able to check the listing that you have chosen and it cost 3,283.85 Euro which is much more expensive than the previous reservation that was cancelled. We can offer you 20% rebooking assistance of the cancelled reservation. Which means the cancelled reservation cost 425 Euro and the 20% of that is 85 Euro, since you have received 64 Euro already, we will add the 64 Euro an amount of 16 Euro to complete the 85 Euro. After you applied the refund and the rebooking credit, you need to cover the rest of the amount to complete the reservation."
Are you guys kidding me?
Then when I reasked and showed the previous messages they wrote:
"I completely understand your concern, as 20% is calculated on nightly rates which were 256.29.
We also offered you additional 5% as goodwill.
So in total.
25% of €256.29= €64
The total refund would be €489.
That is 425+€64(compensation as coupon)= €489."
In the meantime they send a notification of refund of 425€ (hey... this is MY money) and NOTE well... the nightly rate of my accomodation was 324.94 (and needless to say I booked 7 nights.. not 1), so even the justification of a ridicolous compensation was incoherent.
Long story short.
I have not received any coupon. I don't know when I will see my 425€ and I have been charged 3348€ (of which 428€ of Airbnb fees).
Conclusion:
1) Airbnb is complacent with dishonest hosts (but most likely they charged a penanlty between 10% and 25% for they cancellation that they put into their pockets)
2) they play with words to lure guests to rebook with their ridiculous rebooking customer service that by the way is laughable
3) To offer 64€ or 85€ as compensation in such a case is in any case something embarassing .
I asked to be called and they called my at 2,50am... Then the day after I asked the case maanger to make my call by his manager. He just called, said nothing and did nothing.
I think it is not too far the day Airbnb will receive a class action. They way of doing business goes beyond and limit of the decency.
