I booked a house through airbnb.co.uk in November 2018 to stay in Spain with my family and friends for 4 nights (confirmation ref: HMSFRQK4HZ). The holiday was one in the lifetime opportunity to gather all of us together and stay in the house on the beach. We paid deposit of £600 straight away, and rest of money (about £811) was taken about 2-3 weeks before the stay. I followed the check in instruction to email host directly with names of guest staying about a month before arrival, got email reply with confirmation all is good. A few days before stay aibnb sent me email as reminder of my stay and saying "pack your bags for your holiday". When a day before arrival I sent a message to host through airbnb asking what time we can check in and how to get an entrance code. Got no reply, so next day(day of arrival), sent message through whats app to the host/owner of accommodation and got a response that he is waiting for us in the house and we can come any time. We arrived at 12 noon and host told us we can not stay at the house as Airbnb.co.uk cancelled the contract with him last year shortly after I made a booking, but Airbnb did not advised me about it and did not cancelled my booking with this host at no point. So 10 of us including 2 small children was standing in the rain with nowthere to go in different country. I called airbnb straight away, and they advised said they will send me some links with alternative accommodation. I asked if there is price difference will they cover it and they advised me maybe 10%, I said to them that its their fault, so they should cover it, Alex from their support team advised me he will check what else he can do. He mentioned about $25 coffee allowance to us for waiting till alternative accommodation sorted. The links alternative accommodation was not matching our requirements, they offered apartments and worst condition houses, so we had to look ourselves and we found something we agreed to book, but it was extra £300. I asked Alex from airbnb if I can book any accommodation and he said, yes. He refunded me original money paid to the card I did not had with me, so I had to make another booking for alternative accommodation myself on me credit card as I did not had extra £1711. Alternative accommodation did not match what we originally booked, as was in different town, far away from the beach, steep up the hill, did not had jacuzzi and games for kids, but was closest to what we wanted in comparison to what airbnb offered. We had 10 minutes to choose, as Alex was rushing us to book it asap and we was soaking wet at that point, so booked it in rush. Alternative accommodation advised us as its last minute booking, they can not let us in till 6pm at the earliest, so we had to spend some time in cafe for a few hours and outside in the street for another 3 hours with kids (3 and 4 year old). I thought at least what airbnb can do is to cover the cost of extra spending for us and expenses we had. To get to alternative accommodation cost us extra £300 and 40 euros for taxi, 10 euros to enter development, food cost in cafe of around £100. It ruined our holiday as it was not the same and I had to spend all day to deal with it, calls I made, stress I had. Extremely disappointed. I do host my accommodation through airbnb.co.uk as well, and I thought airbnb values their customers, but this experience proved that airbnb.co.uk does not think done any harm to us and only offered coupon for my next booking. Not even for alternative accommodation we had to book, but for next one in the future. The coupon was sent after we booked alternative accommodation and it has no use to us at all. It can only be used if we spend more than £1411, but my future holidays for the next 1 year are already planned and I can not use this voucher at all. Airbnb website saying: " If your new reservation costs more than the original, your credit will be applied automatically on the checkout page", it was NOT! I PAID FULL AMOUNT. This is ridiculous. I require Airbnb to cover cost I accrue and compensation for the harm it done to me and my family.
Regards,
Rita Busme
