Are we walking into a bed bug ambush?

[Kevin623]

Made a booking last week for about 7 nights in cosy-looking apartment in Kyoto for our trip next month. Then tonight, as I was doing some planning on what to bring for our trip, I revisited the listing to check on their amenities and saw a very alarming review from a guest who stayed there this month (the review was not there when I made my booking). which I have copy+pasted at the bottom of this post.

I have just sent the host (which appears to be a management company rather than the actual owner) a message to ask what's going on and am waiting on a reply. But in the meantime, what do you guys think I should do? The listing has a 'Strict' cancellation policy so with our booking still being several weeks out, if I cancel right now I would only get 50% back (minus the service fee too).

Thanks in advance.

"STEER CLEAR. PESTS. The place is located in an old apartment building with poor lighting and tiny elevator. A family of 4 with 3 luggages needed to take two trips. The listing is dusty and smaller than it appears in the airbnb photos. It is also noisy at night. Still, we would have stayed the full duration since we paid almost $2K USD for four nights. After the first night, my son who slept in the futon in the living room woke up with multiple insect bites on the exposed area of his skin: face, arms and neck. My husband sat briefly on that futon and also suffered insect bites. We contacted the host (ran by middle man company) and asked for an alternate accommodation. They said there were none. They gave us anti-itch cream and offered to spray the bed with insecticides. We cannot suffer this for another three night so we checked into a hotel. We visited the host's agency who work across the street from the listing and the manager apologized for out inconvenience and promised a refund. Upon our return to the US, airbnb informed us that the host will not refund as we cannot prove the insect bites are from the listing. I guess you better find the bugs and take a picture if you ever have this problem. I even offered to accept a 50% refund and host will not even entertain a partial refund. Airbnb tried to mediate the situation and offered a $170 refund. This is less than 10% of our 4 night stay. This is my first bad experience with airbnb and I will take much more care in choosing a listing from airbnb. I sincerely hope that no one else suffer our fate when vacationing"

[Kevin623]

Well, the host just replied with the following. Honestly I don't know what to think now.

"Hi Kevin,

The previous guest complained us about bed bag, however we did room cleaning properly and we didn't find any bed bug in the room after they left the room.
And we have never heard about this problem from all previous guests and of course the guests who stayed in this room after Christy. But just in case, we sprayed a bug killer in the room! So please do not worry about this so much. We are sorry for making you worry."

Since he mentioned prior guests never complaining about the same issue, I checked their other reviews. The vast majority of the host's 176 other reviews are positive, but upon doing a keyword ('bug') search, I did find ONE similar review, granted, from back in Oct 2016 --

"Vico

October 2016

The location is perfect. It is just near the Kyoto station and easy to find with (Hidden by Airbnb) map or guide provided by the host. The room is cozy and comfortable. We have eough space to put our luggage. I just wondering if there is any bugs as seems I was bitten while sleeping on the sofa bed.

Response from Home In Kyoto:

Thank you Vico! Your feedback is really helpful. We appreciate it. And we are sorry for the bugs... We will try to get rid of bugs form the room. Please come back to Kyoto in the future!

October 2016"

The fact that subsequent guests after "Christy" didn't have the same complaint does give me some comfort, I suppose.

Do I even have any options at this point, beyond cancelling and eating 50% of the rental fee?

[Karla128]

I lived in japan for 8 years, 

japanese futon is designed different. Never heard of bed bugs. 

But sofa is different. So, maybe sofa does have bed bugs. 

I also had my experience that one guest booked two weeks, and left with no complain before he checked out. Then... bang....he claim that he caught a bed bug and request for 70% refunds. 

I checked the bed, not finding any bed bugs as he said. 

Luckily... I had new guest stay right after he checked out, at the same day. And continually for a year... never had any complain about bed bugs. All guest was satisfied in the same bed. No issues. 

So I could proved it to AIRBNB that was just a lie. None refundable to that guest after all. 

I am not saying any one is lie here. But hopefully, you will not have that issues. 

My believe that, most Japanese are honest., take camera to photo your skin on the same day, send email to yourself on the day you checking in. Before you go to bed. 

When you wake up next day. Take photos again , if you really got bit by any bed bugs. So you have the prove on your skin. To provide it to AIRBNB. If not, please let me know who that guests are. I will never let them book here.  

As what I read from 2016 and last month review, there is not hard to notice: the 2016 reviews mentioned the room is large and comfortable. The last review said it is small... I think that has nothing to do with photos. It is maybe diffferent expectation. Nothing to do with fact. 

My experience is this, there are people going around to try Many ways to get their money back. If they don’t susssed, they will make it looks worse to hurt the host... to make them lose money. 

It happens to me many times already. 

Usually they are very well spoken and great writer too....lol...

[Kevin623]

Thanks Karla. You may be right about "Christy" just trying to get a refund after getting buyer's remorse when she saw the property wasn't what she expected. But I guess there's really no way to tell for sure until we stay in the property ourselves.

For us, I'm less worried about the process of dealing with ABB and the host later to try and get a refund...I just don't want to have to deal with getting bitten as we are staying there for our first 7 nights in Japan and it would definitely ruin our trip+holiday! 😃

[Karla128]

Just researched the bed bugs on line: 

Jul 21, 2016 · Bed bug bites are often very itchy. You may experience a burning sensation on the skin several days after you've been bitten. You won't feel the bugs bite you because they excrete a tiny amount of anesthesia into your body before they bite.

Another one: 

image: https://www.google.com/search?q=bit+by+bed+bugs&rlz=1C9BKJA_enUS697US698&hl=en-US&prmd=inv&source=ln...:

[Kevin623]

And their most recent response --

"Hi Kevin,

Sorry I missed that feedback....
However, that problem has solved now, so please do not worry about that.
We will try our best to clean the room for you before the arrival!

Best regards,
Natsuki"

[Karla128]

Yes, they already acknowledge it. So they are responsible to any bed bugs now if any. 

The next thing is this: if it is bed bugs, it would not be only appears at arms, neck, face. 

It would be on the back and full body. So, it sounds strange to me. Could it be something else? 

Any host have experience on this? 

[Kevin623]

Well to be clear, I think they acknowledged there were bugs in the 2016 case, but they are still denying there are any from this month.

As for the bed bug bites only appearing on the arms, neck, and face -- maybe it was the cushion or pillow/s on the futon rather than the actual futon itself?

[Karla128]

I read again, that they are mentioning insent bits. Never mentioned bed bug bit from the owner. 

personaly  , the insent bits me first before they bit any one else. So, I carry a small devices with me when I travel to keep the I sent away from me. You can buy it from amazon. It works. Love it... 

i don’t know what else to say. I only telling you my experience and my truth. It is up to you to make your own choice. Maybe other host has better suggestions?

[Kevin623]

Yeah I just assumed it was bed bugs because they seemed to associate getting the bites when they were sitting or lying on the futon/sofa.

[Karla128]

There is also language limitation. The Japanese will not know the words “ insent “ but calling it “bugs” only. However if it is bed bugs, they will say bed bugs. Because they know what word “ bed “ means without even know much about English .  And adding a word “bed” to “ bug” is easy to understand from there language. 

If you telling them “insent “ bit you. They will only say “ what is “insent means?” Then they will say” Ah... you mean “ bugs”...

so, if it is in USA. If you have bugs.... you will never Say... I will clean it for you. It will be admit I have bugs... or bed bugs... only way is to buy new bed...

if I have insent in my House, then I will say I will try my best to get rid of all insent....

so, no worry...they will put out more sprayer, or others etc. 

they talk such way is because they are always doing there best to host. And always apology, no matter they are right or wrong. I think there is some possibility on limited language skills.

If they truly had bed bugs, the guest will have easily photo prove from the bed bugs on skin. If it is just insent bits....so sorry, I can see that happens in any country... 

and, if it is American , will only reply you like this, if you can not live with nature, why do you book here in Kyoto? Are you saying you don’t have insent in your country? 

But the Japanese keep apologize to you before you even got there.  And telling you they will do very best to keep bugs ( insent) away...

do you think if you really have bed bugs, you will speak this way at all to any one?  I would just say, we changed new bed, no worry. 

With last guest paid $2000 it is enough to buy new futon too. I have the feeling it is language misunderstanding here. The more I think about it....

It is not easy to understand it, if you do not speak two languages. I get lots cases , misunderstood by English speakers with my limited English too... people even disrespect me from my limited language all the time...

enjoy kyoto... take insent devider with you. It is summer soon. Enjoy the kyoto people. They are not the same as Japanese at all. They are very very prode of who they are without attitude like French. Or new Yorker, or Beverly Hills....

[Kevin623]

I did try and be specific with the host just now when I first sent them a message asking about the (potential) bed bugs, using what I think is the Japanese term for them -- "tokojirami". Which is why the solution they responded with ("spraying") didn't 100% put me at ease (if only it was that easy to get rid of bed bugs!).

You might be right about the language barrier causing some miscommunication between "Christy" and the hosts though. Hard to say for sure.

[Karla128]

Kevin, 

try write this to the owner “ Any 床虱 in your house? 

and see what they answer? 

[Julia66]

@Kevin623  I stayed in a room (not Airbnb) and was bitten by bedbugs and saw them. The bites are pink, raised and flat-topped with a tiny blister in the middle and as @Karla128 says were on parts of the body inside the bed.  Being bitten on exposed parts sounds more like a flying insect such as mosquitoes. (Mosquito bites are pink and dome shaped.) And yes, I got a photo of a bedbug. You do need proof.  If you whip the sheets back fast enough, you should be able to get one.

 I left some luggage behind at that hostel, in a cardboard box.  I taped all the seams and flaps with parcel tape, and caught one little beggar creeping into a wrinkle in the tape!

However, both guests and hosts are right to be seriously concerned about bedbugs as they are so hard to get rid of, from a room or luggage.  When you first go in to your room, check the sheets and mattress for insects, blood spots and droppings; in budget accommodation there may even be blood spots on the walls where guests have whacked a bug.  Get photos and contact Airbnb on the number in your booking and they will find you somewhere else to stay.

[Kevin623]

I can't say I've ever gotten bed bug bites, but I have suffered sand fly bites, and those are horrendously itchy, and take a while to go away even with ointments/creams.

But Julia you bring up a good point about carrying+transmitting the (bed) bugs from one place to another. We certainly wouldn't want to do that either if this place ends up having them.