Really Horrible Airbnb nightmare- how do you warn others?

[Lauren2655]

I rented a property a few miles outside of Taos for a month to work quietly and remotely in Covid times. I drove from Wisconsin and when I got to the property it was so off the beaten path, I was given coordinates by the owner (who lives in Tennessee) to find it. It was still light out and I was having a difficult time finding the property. There were some paved roads, but my GPS was also telling me to go through mud roads. It had recently snowed and thawed-the entire area was a mud pit. My prius got stuck in the mud and neighbors thankfully helped me out, as the sun was setting, I was all alone and tow companies were either closed or said they didn't have the capacity to help with mud tows (which I found surprising). After I got out, the neighbors took me to a road they thought was the right one. I got stuck again and now it was dark and was totally alone. Crying, I walked in the mud to a trailer and knocked on the door. The neighbors revealed they had covid but would try and get someone to help. Thankfully, they did and I was pushed again out of the road. I decided to get a motel room and demand from the owner someone accompany me to the property in the morning, which he complied to. The next day his very nice property manager drove me to another mud road that I had to turn down to get to the property-the owner said it was paved. The mud was so thick, my car would never have made it and even the property manager said his truck was having trouble.   All during a month it was going to snow and thaw-this means I would have been stuck there, literally. I was able to get a full refund but after spending 200 on motels, probably damaging my car and not being able to rent anything else in the area affordably-I had booked this place in the summer. I'm thankful to have gotten a refund but I'm not even allowed to leave a review or warning for others? I checked the listing again-even after this incident, he still "recommends" 4WD for " bumpy, dirt" roads. That's not what this was. My prius could have handled that. I have used Airbnb for many years with mostly no issues, except for horrible customer service. This feels really shady. Anyways-I had nowhere else to get it off my chest. I'm still shaken up and have to drive down to Albuquerque where I could find an affordable place with help from a family member. 

[Lawrene0]

You can leave a review, @Lauren2655 . The prompt for that should show up after the stay should have ended, so in a month? You can say that the road is very muddy, beyond just bumpy, and that the host is correct that a 4WD is recommended. Do the other reviews of the place mention the road?

It is good that you were refunded, and good that you got help from neighbours and the property manager. What a nightmare that trip in must have been, complete with knocking at the door of a COVID-quarantined trailer! No wonder you are shaken.

It sounds like you want even more money from the host, just because his place is the only one in the area that was affordable (probably because of that road!), but I hope I am reading that wrong. 

Hopefully all goes well in Albuquerque!

[Lauren2655]

No I don't want anything else. I probably won't leave a review-I think I just needed to vent somewhere. and I hope this doesn't happen to anyone else. 

[Debra300]

@Lauren2655,

It's unfortunate that you went through such an ordeal.  However, sharing you story has been a lesson learned: guests should do a Google Earth search of a location that is listed as remote, off the beaten path, or recommends a 4WD vehicle so they can see the conditions (paved or unpaved) of the roads leading to the listing.

The host probably didn't say anything to you about driving a Prius to the property, because the listing already recommends a 4WD vehicle.  In his mind that's your choice.  He did the correct thing in giving you a refund, because you would have gotten one anyway, because the place wouldn't have been clean upon your arrival since the cleaners couldn't make to the place.

[Lauren2655]

Also-another review did mention the road but it was before it snowed, so it was only dirt. And the place is relatively new. It was up in July when I booked it but no reviews were there until this month. So he didn't realize how bad it would be I assume because he may not have actually lived in Taos during the muddy season

[Anonymous]

@Lauren2655  Why are you not able to leave a review? 

[Mark116]

That sounds like a terrible time, but I would think if the listing recommends a 4 wheel drive and says the road is a dirt road, it would be obvious that a 'dirt' road is going to turn to mud if it rains.  Far from being shady, it seems like the listing is up front about the location.

[Lauren2655]

I hear you but even trucks can't get there? He said his cleaners couldn't get there that day because of the mud and they had a 4wd truck.  Also-for people coming in who don't know the area, it does need to be explained. This is not acceptable. I've traveled and airbnbed throughout India-monsoon season has to be explained and is on sites where it affects the property. Even the neighbors I met were incredulous that he was renting this space at this time of year. And he knew I drove across country in a Prius. He isn't a bad person. But he;s a 20 something wannabe airbnb property investor who lives outside of the area and isn't from there himself. Something I only found out when I got there. 

[Marit-Anne0]

@Lauren2655 the only way to warn others is to leave a review. Did you cancel the reservation through the site ? If so, you should be prompted to leave a review. If you just left and asked for a refund without cancelling, you may have to wait till the original booking has ended before you can leave a review.

[Helen350]

I have NO sympathy @Lauren2655 ! YOU chose an extreme wilderness location up a dirt road - which obviously turns to mud once summer is over & it rains! AND you say you'd been there before! So you should have known!

Please don't be vindictive & leave a bad review for the host. It's not the host's fault, it's 100% yours!

@Mark116 is right, if the owner is upfront about needing a 4WD, the info was there. I'm sure there ARE guests who would rise to the challenge, and be better equiped to tackle it, both mentally and equipment wise!

It's like back-country trekking/mountaineering/rock climbing/ white-water rafting or kayaking.. - you need to ask yourself if you have the necessary equipment, training, experience & mental attitude before embarking on something over-challenging! 

[Lisa723]

@Helen350 nope. First, the host is responsible to provide accurate arrival instructions, and second, if the property is accessible only with an off-road vehicle that should be clearly communicated up front in the listing, and in pre-arrival check-in instructions.

@Lauren2655 so sorry this happened to you. Sounds like this host is pretty green and you had the misfortune to be his learning experience. Please do leave a factual review to save other guests from repeating it.

[Helen350]

@Lisa723 What makes you think the host did NOT provide suitable instructions? The listing DID SAY IT WAS ONLY SUITABLE FOR 4WD!

**[Inappropriate comment removed in line with the Community Center Guidelines]

[Sarah977]

The OP said that even the cleaners couldn't make it in their 4WD truck, Helen. You're really off the mark here- while a Prius most definitely isn't a 4WD, it seems that the conditions were extreme and even a 4WD wouldn't have made it without problems.

This sounds like the host had never been to his property in the season when the dirt roads turn to mud, so was unaware of the near impossibility of getting to the property. 

@Helen350

[Mark116]

The OP said the listing said the roads were 'bumpy' and 'dirt' and recommended a 4 wheel drive vehicle.  What else do you think they should say?

[Lisa723]

@Mark116 

"I was given coordinates by the owner (who lives in Tennessee) to find it ... my GPS was also telling me to go through mud roads..."

Doesn 't this indicate to you that the host did not provide sufficient directions?

It is not the case that a dirt road necessarily becomes muddy and impassable when it rains. It depends completely on how the road is graded and packed, not to mention how much it rains. (New Mexico is not widely known for heavy rain.)  And if the cleaners' truck couldn't make it, this implies the need for an off-road vehicle (at minimum), beyond simple AWD. And "AWD recommended" is a far cry from "you will not make it to the property without an off-road vehicle."

Our property has an extremely steep driveway that is impassable to most "normal" vehicles when it snows, which fortunately is rare. We make absolutely sure our guests understand what they are getting into and if it does snow we are in constant communication to either get them rescheduled or make sure they have the vehicle and experience to handle it safely.

@Helen350 

I don't know why you so often call people names. It serves no purpose unless you somehow get some enjoyment from making people feel bad.