Hello everyone!
I've decided to post this here as I have been getting little clarification from the original avenues that were sent to me to go through for this specific case, and I wanted to hear from the general community on how this is allowed.
In April, I stayed at a AirBnB in the inner city of a major city in Australia. When I arrived, the host told me to grab the key from a specific location that was outside the AirBnB premises in an alleyway behind the building connected to a metal tree guard. We did that and had a good stay left the AirBnB and put the key back to where the host said, which was in the same location as I picked it up. We grabbed an Uber and left, one week later, after we had left the AirBnB I get a message saying the cleaning team had arrived and the key wasn't in the lock box. I told the host I would check our belongings but was certain that we left the key in the lock box he provided.
Another week passed, and he messaged me again asking if I had found the key. When I said no, sadly, we don't have it, he told me that I had to reimburse him $250AUD for the key and NFC tag. I immediately refused the case and went to AirBnB support. When I explained my situation, I didn't worry much about the case because I found it ridiculous that I could even be remotely held accountable for his key when it was left unattended for a week. About a week ago, I lost the case, and I'm being asked to pay the $250. I contacted Airbnb support by phone and asked if I could personally see the itemized receipt for the cost of the key and fob replacement. The man on the phone said I'm also being charged for the lock box, which was not in the case that was sent to me. The only lost item is a key, which again, I'm extremely confident I returned.
I'm personally super disappointed in AirBnB and how they have come to this conclusion that I am responsible and have shown me NO evidence that makes me guilty of taking their key and how AirBnB are aware that he left his items unnatted for over a week in the street and somehow I am responsible for that time it was left unattended.
Is there anywhere I can go to fight this case more? I've called Airbnb support three times now, and they keep telling me they are going to get a specialised case worker to email within 24 hours, but I never get contacted.
