Bedbugs and Airbnb’s terrible response

Armaja0
Level 1
Rolla, MO

Bedbugs and Airbnb’s terrible response

Hi! 

 

I just wanted to share share my experience with the internet. 

 

I stayed in a place for a week. The place was wonderful except one thing; bed bugs. Or at least what I believe were bed bugs.

Day 1 when I first noticed bitesDay 1 when I first noticed bites

 

The first set I noticedThe first set I noticed

 

Day 3 of some bitesDay 3 of some bites

 

Day 4 of a group of bitesDay 4 of a group of bites

 

 

It started with four bites on my elbow in a square. Each day more bumps appeared and my body got itchier. I googled it and everything came up to be bed bugs. I searched and couldn’t find any myself but the room was heavily decorated with extravagant older wood dressers, two night stands, and  heavy bedding so the suspects could have been anywhere and nowhere at the same time. 

 

Over 3 days, I had over 20 bites on my arm and 10 on my legs, butt, and 2 on my face. The woman was amazing host but I believe a previous guest gave her bed bugs. I informed her my second to last day and when I got home she had changed the sheets and said she hadn’t found anything either. I slept with the light on that night. 

 

Upon checkout she she asked if I had more bites I said I’m not sure. I texted her throughout the day as new spots became itchy and my coworker made a comment about how red my arms were. 

 

After contacting Airbnb they asked for pictures. I sent them and they deemed they were mosquito bites. I sent in over 12 pictures of different clusterings of bites over time. I understand the swelling looking like mosquito bites but that was the bites over time, which tends to be the trend of how the bites heal according to my sources. I am in college and am currently working as an engineering intern in a lab. Based off the grouping of two or more of the bites and the fact I haven’t been outside that much during the week I know these aren’t mosquito bites and the swelling is simply my reaction. As a self-supporting college student, I do not have health insurance to go investigate the bite type either so shelling out $100+ to prove otherwise would not be wise.

 

At at the very least, if it was mosquito bites, with the amount of bites I had and sent in to Airbnb, I believe Airbnb should make the owner get an inspection because there is something there and mosquitos aren’t acceptable either. Granted, they don’t know my daily routine and I could be outside but the amount of bites is ridiculous. I don’t want to ruin this woman’s livelihood and give a review of bed bugs, but Airbnb gives me no choice as they didn’t even try to investigate and this woman didn’t try either. I didn’t ask for money, I just wanted the lady to inspect her property as she is a great host. 

 

In in the future I will check for bed bugs myself.... at hotels. Because Airbnb has got to work on their customer service. 

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