I got Catfished and Airbnb customer service is unbelievably incompetent. I rented a gigantic luxury house on the water for a mom's weekend with our kids, but when we got there the place was disgusting. Rotting groceries, garbage bags taped to and blocking off the stairs, bedroom drawers full of food, stained pillows with no pillowcases, moldy towels, no sheets, stained and tattered blankets, and just trash trash trash everywhere. I am 9 months pregnant and spent hours taking out 6 bags of trash when we arrived. I called the host who apologized and said the previous guests had had a firework party with a DJ and destroyed her house. I said I was sorry that happened to her, but we had nowhere else to go and had tiny babies and toddlers who were trying to stay in an unsanitary environment (no space to put pumped breastmilk or kids food). Thankfully I documented all of this and took pictures, and have proof that the host was aware.
When we checked out, I asked the host for a partial refund (total was $5000, I asked for half). Instead, she accused *me* of having a fireworks party and trashing her house. I went to Airbnb for help and have called them twice a day for two weeks: I've asked (1) for a refund (2) to ensure that the host doesn't leave me a false review and (3) to ensure that this host can't catfish further guests. Instead, Airbnb has done nothing, and the host just posted a review saying that I not only had a party with fireworks, but that I stole things (!) from her house and trashed it. I'm outside the window to reply to her review or leave my own. Ten minutes ago, Airbnb customer service actually hung up on me. The lady said "I can't help you," I asked her to put me in touch with someone who could, and she said, "no" and hung up.
What should I do from here? The refund may be possible if I dispute with my credit card company ($5K is so much money!) but I also am actually MORE concerned with the host being a scam artist and lying about me on a public review.