Non responsive Host

[Deb58]

I recently booked a rental for one week, in Mexico. As a guest we pay in full, in advance, in good faith, expecting to get a clean and safe rental. I checked in to the rental and when it was time to go to bed, I found the bed to be disgusting, filthy! I could not sleep in it. No sofa, I had to attempt to sleep on a small love seat. I emailed the host first thing the next morning and told her the situation and that I would be leaving. No response. I emailed a second time, I sent texts, and tried calling, no response. To date, I have not received a single communication from the host, nor has she responded  to Airbnb's  email. Now Airbnb tells me I am not entitled to a refund as I did not let the host know immediately that there was a problem. Is there any other recourse for a guest to get a refund? 

[Linda108]

@Deb58  So sorry you had a bad experience with an Air BNB listing.  It appears since you did not contact Air BNB before you slept in the place and thus "used" it (even if uncomfortably) for a night, you are not due a refund.  You could have contacted Air BNB when you arrived and received assistance with cancelling and relocating to a suitable place.  If you are able to document your experience, including messaging the host via the Air BNB message system, you should flag the host profile.  Also, your review should reflect your experience.

Many hosts try to provide a wonderful experience for their guests and I hope you will have much better experiences in the future.  Of course both hosts and travelers count on good reviews to make decisions.  You may not be aware, but you can select "Super Host" as a criteria for viewing potential listings.  The criteria for being a Super Host are fairly strict and, while not all good hosts are Super Hosts, it could provide another layer of confidence when selecting a place.

[Deb58]

So I discover the state of the bed at 1AM, in Mexico, no working phone or internet...how am I supposed to contact anyone? How am I to know I am supposed to contact Airbnb at that moment? Seems to me this is not about the guests but strictly about the hosts. To date, I have received absolutely no response from her. So I am out $500?! What bs!

[Linda108]

 @Deb58  Are you still at the listing?  You said you contacted Air BNB, right?  While you may not get a full refund because you stayed there one night, you can make Air BNB relocate you to another listing.  Since you reached this forum, I am assuming you have internet connection now.  I hope you are able to reach them again.  

[Deb58]

No I am not. I found a new place myself and paid for it. Perhaps all of this info was in small print that I missed, I do not know. But I do know the "rules" do not work if you are not aware and if you are out of the country. Sadly, Airbnb is set up to help the hosts, not the guests.

Another thing I am not comfortable with and was not aware of until this happened, is that my communication prior to leaving and upon arrival was not with the owner but with a caretaker. I still do not know if the owner is aware of the situation...

[Helen3]

Hi @Deb58

I am so sorry this happened. Did this host have previous reviews? What did they say?

I would pursue this with Airbnb. You say you contacted the host via email and text, so you will have records of this. 

My understanding is that you need to contact Airbnb within 24 hours sounds like you did this too.

Try reaching out to them via Twitter.

Let us know how it goes.

[Deb58]

Thank you Helen. I broke my own rule on this one...at the time I booked the host had two reviews the newest was good, the older one, not so much. I have pursued it with Airbnb, the response last night was "the conditions were not up to Airbnb standards but because I did not contact them within 24 hours I am not entitled to a refund". This response even though the owner has not responded to my emails or to Airbnb's. As I said, the company apparently does not look out for the guests. So is there a way to get the owner's contact information or do I have any other recourse?

[Deb58]

Actually, I just double-checked her reviews, January 2017 review complained about the bed and bedding not being clean, my same complaint, it was filthy. Really not happy with Airbnb now!

[Helen3]

Hi @Deb58

Have you tried contacting them via Twitter?

[Deb58]

No, I don't use twitter. I finally reached customer service and someone is supposed to be calling me. Time will tell. But to be told I don't qualify for a refund when the owner still has not responded is utterly ridiculous! The likelihood is I will not be using Airbnb again and I will certainly never recommend it to anyone!

[Alice-and-Jeff0]

You can always use the Resolution Center to request a refund directly from the Host too.  They were paid for the reservation if you did not actually cancel it once you determined that the conditions were unacceptable.  It's unfortunate that you were not clear about your rights and responsibilities as a guest, that is indeed troublesome and upsetting.  Airbnb provides a lot of information on their website to help educate users, so hopefully you have had the opportunity to review some of their practices.  Here is a list of articles on all the ways to resolve a problem: 

https://www.airbnb.com/help/topic/260/resolving-a-problem

Here are the steps to cancel: https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/169/how-do-i-cancel-my-reservation

For future reference, here are all the cancellation policies for you to review: 

https://www.airbnb.com/home/cancellation_policies