host refusing guest--discrimination

[Jennifer94]

Dear Airbnb Community,

I was traveling... alone... in France.   I rented a car and was moving from place to place.   My phone didn't always work, and I don't speak French, so getting lost was a frequent occurrence!

I had booked "apt Avec une grande terrasse ensolillee" in ANTIBES, FRANCE with Christian and Mona for Sept 16 - 17, 2016.   

Typically I had contacted my host the day before or the morning of my arrival and this hadn't been an issue. 

The day of my arrival, I contacted Christian and Mona at 7:38 AM asking them "what time shall I aim to get to you?"

When I got no reply I sent them another text at 11:52 am asking them if they got my last message.

They contacted me at 7:20pm telling me they were going to a concert and wouldn't be back until 11:30 PM.   

I explained I had been lost a good chunk of the day and was tired and asked if they could make other arrangments for me to gain entry into their house.

Here's where it gets really interesting.

I drove around Antibes, but eventually found my way to that apt around 8:00pm and waited for them to get home.    Around 11:00 (apparently they were home afterall) they texted "are you coming?"   I didn't know the name on the buzzer so I texted them asking for that info and if I could park on the street.   Next thing I know they are standing above me on their balcony.   After a few minutes they came down together and here's is the short version of what happened:

After a few rounds of me explaining myself, Mona said "do you like us, because we don't like you?"   "Do you want to stay here?" she asked.   To which I responded "yes, I don't have any where else to go" and by now it's almost midnight.  

She then said to me that she told her husband ..."she must be a 20 year old BRATTY AMERICAN."  

Despite my pleas (while attempting to keep  my dignity in check) they turned around and walked back in their front door.   

"Where do you expect me to go", I called.   

"We don't care," was the response.

First, I was in shock.  How was this possible I had paid for my one night stay?

Then I went to my car and had a good cry.

Then I sent them a short text just saying how very "unkind" they were.     

No response.

Mona and Christian, however, knew what to do the next morning they called Airbnb and cancelled the reservation.   That way I couldn't write a review.

I'm afraid dealing with Airbnb has not been helpful at all which only added insult to injury.  

First, I heard from Airbnb to tell me my stay was cancelled.  When I asked what reason the hosts gave I received - NO RESPONSE.

I then contacted Airbnb again and was told the host can see me and all they have to say is they aren't "comfortable" and that becomes an acceptable reason to refuse a guest who has shown up on your door step.  If SEEING a person, and then saying you aren't comfortable isn't opening the door to discriminate, then what is?

Another round with Airbnb asking to speak with a supervisor about their anti-discrimination platform only to learn Airbnb can't share any resolution or outcome due to the hosts "privacy" and  basically "we'll handle it," but if you look at Mona and Christian listing it says NOTHING.   

My last email and phone call to supervior, Frank R, has not been responded to.

What should I do at this point?    I can't get Airbnb to respond, but it's not right that a host can "not like you" and shut the door on your face.   And it's not right that Airbnb can say we'll look into it and then not even respond to my emails/calls?   One of my phone calls I was told the host are charged $100.00 as a penatly so why isn't that money (if that's true) going to me instead of Airbnb?

The rest of my trip was fantastic.  

Thanks for your time.   Jennifer

[Marit-Anne0]

If your host cancelled the reservation, you will be refunded in full.  

[Scott80]

@Marit-Anne0 According to OP this happened in September. So the refund should have already happened. It is funny that OP did not mention it in the narrative. Seems like there may be some missing details...like what check in time the host gave the guest and I notice that the listing says two-night minimum. I wonder if it was two-night minimum back in September, and guest only wanted one night?

[Jennifer94]

HI Marit Anne,

It was not my intention to omit information I just didn't want to write a book...lol.   I did say that Mona and Christian contacted Airbnb the next morning and by canceling the reservation I received a refund (I thought that was clear).   When i followed up later I asked Airbnb what reason they gave for canceling and I got no reply.  

There was no check in time or two days required.   Perhaps they changed their requirements.   I find it funny that they can refuse to host me (even if I get my  money back) and publicly nothing happened on their listing just "cancelled."  There is a big difference between canceling because there's a family emergency and someone looking at their guest and deciding they don't "like" them.

I have been in touch with Airbnb multiple times and the reason this is three months later is because I basically get no reply from Airbnb and that has become part of my narrative, my disappointment in both how I was treated and then how Airbnb says we take discrimination very seriously, but we won't tell you anything about our "investigation."   I don't think we will solve discrimination that way.... reconciliation happens when their is some sort of acknowledgment and sometime "consequences."   Both the host and Airbnb have tried to sweep it under the rug.   The host dismissed me when they turned their back on me and Airbnb does it by not responding.   

Jennifer

[Scott80]

Sorry that happened. It would be troubling to wait all day and then end up not having a place to sleep. One thing that is missing from your narrative is what you did to find accommodation on the night you were refused.  Normally, you are supposed to contact AirBnB and let them attempt to mediate with the host or relocate you. 

If you did not contact them and were able to easily find alternative accommodation on your own, there is little AirBnB could do at this point. I would hope that AirBnB would track the number of times that a host says that they are uncomfortable with a guest and if the number becomes excessive they ban them. Likewise, if a guest is rated as making different hosts uncomfortable multiple times they should be banned.

I think the only way you could lessen the chances of something like this happening would be to stay at branded hotels, but some would say doing that eliminates the live like a local concept, so this might be a situation that you just have to chalk up as a travel adventure and move on.

No that I have had a chance to look at your profile...I would make the headshot the most prominent picture. By doing that you are humanizing your listing and also if someone does have discriminatory preferences, it may cause those tendencies sooner, so you'll just have requests denied rather than arriving at properties and being refused at the door.

[Jennifer94]

Hi Scott,

Thank you for your reply.  I appreciate it.   Maybe I didn't set the stage completely.   My phone didn't work all the time making it impossible to use it for directions and when this happened close to midnight my phone was totally dead, I didn't really know where I was, I didn't have internet to find another hotel/airbnb, didn't think Airbnb would answer their phone, beside Airbnb wasn't going to help me find a place to stay at midnight.   Eventually, I went into a bar the only place open and started to charge my phone.   If you have ever been to Antibes it's worse than driving in Boston.   I had been lost a good chunk of the day so I was afraid to start driving around trying to find a hotel.   Regardless I had no internet to find a hotel.  I ended up sleeping in my car.  

One thing you should understand is I'm not a college student.  I have children who are college students.  If this ever happened to them I would be HORRIFIED.    I am a grown up and I have to say how totally alone I felt in that moment and trying to befriend a guy, with internet on his phone, in a bar who had too much to drink only went so far.   The absolute worse moment was sitting in car.  

I just am WAY less naive now.   I understand Airbnb is a total crap shoot.   I had an absolutely sublime experience in Nice.   What has surprise me the most is how Airbnb talks about and stands for "inclusion" and "community," but the first time this family member had a problem... well, you're on your own and that is why I reached out to people to see what it's like to share.  It didn't actually dawn on me until later that I was discriminated against because I was an American.   Being discrimated against because of your sexual orienation, race, age, or nationality, etc is painful.   Maybe a conversation will help in some small way??