question about the physical location of the booked house

[Svetlana142]

Hi 

I have booked a house for 2 months.  I got the exact address from the host after 48 hours. It showed up that the physical location of the house is approximately 2 kilometers away from where it is originally situated on the Airbnb map. It means that we will be 2 km more away from the beach, we were not planning to rent a car, so we will have to go by foot for 20 more minutes than what I was expecting. We have a little child so it is not so practical. I haven't contact the host yet because I would like to know what is the policy. What shall I do now when I am not so satisfied with the location? I can't cancel and get all money back because 48 hours has already passed. If I cancel now, I will have to pay for 30 days.

Please help

[Svetlana142]

@Helen427 

yes it make sense to me that the address could be wrong because of the map settings. And yes, it is too far away to walk with a child in the heat. This is 2 kilometers more than I was expecting. We have been to Mauritius before and know that walking in the sun with kids is no fun. 

I would ask of course if there is a car. Otherwise it looks like it is better to cancel and try to find something else. 

Thank you for your help

[Helen427]

@Svetlana142ask also if they have bikes as that may work if they have one suitable, and be a bit of fun for you all and you could stop along the way and explore nature.

How old is your child?

[Svetlana142]

@Helen427 we have 4 children. 3 kids at school age (they can manage to walk far) and one who is 1,5 year (the one which i am concerned about) Yes, bikes would be fun, but it is really not common there! The big roads are also dangerous because of cars and buses driving like crazy. 

[Helen427]

Thanks @Svetlana142 , that helps with understanding your requirements and your concerns.

A short walk to the beach when ever one chooses would be preferable - however the closer to the beach the prices go up.

Ask the Host, and any potential Host if there are buses that are within a short walking distance from where they are to the beach as they are an economical way to travel with a family.

Big roads & buses driving like crazy is worldwide challenge for us all.

Re bikes, perhaps that's a project your family could work on with locals whilst you are there!
Just not Lime and other scooters as they are a nightmare lying on footpaths.

Keep us posted how things progress.

Central To All Home & Location

Remuera, Auckland, New Zealand

[Alice595]

@Helen427  If the booking is for 2-3 nights, @Svetlana142  probably could discuss with host a solution. But it is 2 months booking. Definitely a cancellation by Airbnb based on three facts should be made if a closer location to the beach can be found.

(1) Map point of location is off

(2) Host did not provide an exact address in the listing when the guest received booking confirmation.

(3) Host did not provide the exact address upon the guest request within 48 hours.

@Svetlana142  Good luck to you for getting help from Airbnb. And let us know how it goes.

[Svetlana142]

@Alice595 yes i will let you know 

[Yadira22]

@Helen427 

good point, furthermore Airbnb has integrated google maps etc to their site and there are still certain regions which have not been logged into their system completely. This is what I imagine could have happened. 😕

@Svetlana142 despite whatever you decide to do- I hope you enjoy your holiday 🙂

[Helen427]

That's what I suspect to @Yadira22  & @Svetlana142 
Some of us have had challenges trying to get the pin located where it should be, and have tried to move it.

It also needs to be taken into consideration that some people within their lawful rights, including Personal Safety, may not have their exact location disclosed on the map provided for whatever reason.

[Elena87]

@Svetlana142 

I've noticed some listings here in Saint Petersburg where the map location advertised is bogus.

You can find listings allegedly located in the middle of parks for example and there is even one listing (link below) supposedly inside the Winter Palace. (New listing with zero reviews) Twenty five dollars for New Years Night in the Hermitage Museum - cherry on the cake stuff.

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/39408791

Anyway, it seems for new listings, potential for misleading map location.

For airbnb - lack of quality control check.

[Jonathan1005]

Hi guys, I am facing an issue right now and may not have a place to sleep for the next week and I don’t know what to do. Airbnb has not helped in anyway. Would be great if someone can give me some guidance.

I booked an airbnb that showed its location in center of chicago (by the willis tower). After booking, I started looking at checkin information the day before and found out the actual address was much further away and completely outside of where the pin was (35min walk away from original location). The host used “Chicago, Illonois” as the address for the map, but only reveal the address in the house manual. I had paid alot of money to attend an event in downtown and planned all my activities around this airbnb.  Now the plans are ruined. I refused to checkin for this reservation because the host turned out to be doing the same misleading trick with her other listings. Her pattern of behavior has been recognized by numerous reviews on her other listings. Yet Airbnb has not stopped the host from repeating this behavior and allowed more people to be victimized. In my case, this happened with the city having been completely booked for the next week because of a major international conference (with insane prices for remaining hotels/airbnbs).

I had so much trouble getting help on the online chat (with numerous forwarding of my complaint to a different agent). I called in and got an agent to help after another transfer. The agent after offering several unacceptable proposals (making me pay for half the cost of a hotel which now cost hundreds to thousands of dollars a night. This is much more than what I paid and could afford). Finally, the agent said they can find me an alternative location and I can choose up to five. But he sent me locations that were much further from my intended location than even the problematic airbnb location.  I requested more help and has not heard from the team at all. I am stuck at the airport in Chicago and has no idea what to do and where to sleep for the next week. 

What are my rights in this situation? What am I entitled to? Can anyone help?

[Alice595]

@Jonathan1005  In Airbnb site, it indicates that the pin is only an approximate location. Therefore, after the booking confirmation, a guest is advised to check the exact address. 

Now in the last minute on the check-in date, you checked the address. It probably is very hard to Airbnb to find an Airbnb walkable to your final destination. You may try to do search by yourself to see if you have any luck.

[Svetlana142]

@Jonathan1005 Sorry to hear that. I hope you will find a solution.  Are there any buses maybe? 

[Miloud0]

Salute @Svetlana142  

If it is possible for you, i think that you could inform your host about the problem, may she/he could give you some helpful information. 

Thanks, 

Miloud

[Svetlana142]

@Helen427 @Alice595 @Yadira22 

hi guys 

Finally we asked the host to cancel which she did and I got the full refund. Now we have booked something else. But we lost some time of course.. Thanks to you all for help. 

[Alice595]

@Svetlana142 Great to know that it is resolved and you got a happy ending:-)