Should I be asking for some money back?

[Inna22]

We just completed an Airbnb stay. Being a host myself I feel horrible even thinking about asking for a refund. But the experience was not what I expected. We arrived really late at night and one of the beds was not made at all. We could not find extra bedding anywhere, messaged the host and just crashed as is. My daughter just slept on the couch without a sheet or pillow. We did find a blanket. Towels had to be shared. The host did not reply till following afternoon. The following night there was a leak above my bed and wet drywall was falling into it. Right above my face. Messaged the host a few times about that and a few other items not working but did not hear back until end of the trip, right before check out. At that time the host hoped everything was great. I spilled all I though about my stay and did not get a reply. 

At the end, no one got hurt. We all had a place to put our heads down. The place was not too expensive but not a bargain either. If this were a hotel, I would have for sure expected a compensation. But it is not a hotel. Your thoughts?

[Inna22]

Interestingly, this is the host profile . 

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Inna22

I think you should ask for some refund, it has all elements of bad hosting: bad communication, not well maintained property and paid amanities not provided (sheets and towels)

I hope you took pictures.

Why you didn't contact Airbnb the same day when you checked in and realized all of this?

[Inna22]

@Branka-and-Silvia0Because I guess I did not want to be THAT guest. I took pictures. And then even started to delete them but stopped myself. Decided to see what my fellow hosts think

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Inna22

hm..this place had several issues and not all of them are possible to fix the same day.

If the problem was only missing bedding then I would contact host and give him a chance to bring the sheets and towels the same day. If he wouldn't then I would either stay and ask for some refund ....or I would find another place to stay and ask for a total refund.

But water leak and wet celing is not possible to fix the same day so i wouldn't want to stay there . I would find another accomodation and call Airbnb to cancel this one. And I would ask for total refund.

If I would not be able to find another accomodation same day then I would stay but would ask for some refund.

[Inna22]

@Branka-and-Silvia0 we were so jet legged and busy with our schedule that I did not want to spend time on calling and moving. The host was no where to be found. The coffee pods did not fit the coffee machine. I asked if there were another machine or a play to buy pods- nothing. So we went out and got coffee. Would have been nice to not waist time on that but we were ok. Couldn’t find dishwashing powder. Asked where to buy (we don’t speak local language) and did not want to waist time wondering so we just hand washed the dishes. Again, not our first choice of activities but not the end of the world. We were only there for a couple of nights.

With the leak- I agree, nothing they could do in the moment. However if this was a new issue, wouldn’t as a host you want to run over to check it out? And if it is a known issue, they should have moved some furniture around so it is not over a bed or cancelled us. 

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Inna22

lack of coffee pods and dishwasher detergent would not bother me, I have my instant coffee always with me 🙂 But missing bedding, bath towels and leaking celing is a problem 😞

I totally understand you didn't want to waist your time on relocating specially if it was very short stay , a day or two. But you should ask for some refund

[Cathie19]

So sorry @Inna22 that you had this experience. 

Do you think the host was away and maybe had a substitute co-host without the eye for detail? If they were away, this should have been stated upfront with an alternate person and contact details given, for any concerns or emergencies. The host should have also offered a discount or refund, after receiving your messages.... especially knowing the space “so well” and the difficulty the leak would have caused.

1.    I do agree with @Branka-and-Silvia0 regarding timelines to repair can’t be immediate, but acknowledgment of them is required, including a sense of urgency.... we will get this actioned ASAP.

 Food for thought:🧐

2.   The descriptor is inaccurate if they state the space is important to them > not evidenced in the lack of responses in a timely fashion or your group welcome / stay.

3.    lnna, we all make mistakes, but if they are regularly hosting, a lack of detail about the coffee pods is important; especially if advertised or featured as an amenity.

4. The bedding and linen - a lack of attention to detail with guest numbers. Did you have to pay extra for your daughter? Absolutely no reason they couldn’t have supplied a couple of extra spares in pillows and towels in the homestay space anyway, which would have at least covered your initial needs. Having to share the towels is appalling! 

 5.  Nothing mentioned about the host being away or a substitute person - contact details in the lovely folder/binder or in messages?

6.  You gave the host time to a right of reply, or to appear contrite and fix the bedding - but if your concerns were treated as not existing, you need to awaken this host to the shortcomings of themselves or a silent cohost.

[As hosts, we can all be out of range on the odd occasion. At the movies/theatre which may delay a response. I’ve even been interstate for a couple of days but left details of two other contact names and phone numbers, and continued to monitor the message board from afar after air travel. ]

Was the space big enough to have moved the bed away from the leak? If not,  consider the health concerns and anxiety over the wall and water leak and add another amount.

✅ At a minimum, if your daughter was in the booking, subtract an amount for her, be it a third of the overall cost, or the third person fee, plus allowances for lack of bedding, towels  and preparation.

🙂

Cathie

[Inna22]

@Cathie19 All great points!

[John1080]

When I travel and use Airbnb, unfortunately, almost every place I've stayed has not been up to the standards, especially for cleanliness that I apply to my own space. I often see dust under the bed, cobwebs, specks of crumbs and such. 

If the issue is severe enough, such as once, there was a strong smell of cat urine in one corner of the living room and another I saw a mouse, I usually mention it to the host and if I feel the host replies well and is genuinely unaware, I will not mention it in a review and have not asked for a refund.

But, this case, it sounds like there were quite a few issues, especially with the bedding and leaking as well as the fact that the host did not reply in a timely manner. I don't think it would be unreasonable to ask for a partial refund. 

[Inna22]

@John1080 thank you 

[Kelly149]

@Inna22 Thus far the host has failed to care about your issues. I don’t think they’ll become a better kind of host when you ask for $. If it were me, I’d call CS, lay out all the details and say “does it seem to you that I got what I paid for?”

and then see where they take it. 

A satisfactory bed is truly a bare minimum so they failed you twice on that count. 

[Inna22]

@Kelly149 As always eloquently put

[Sarah977]

@Inna22  Haha, now we can understand why all these Airbnb guests stay in a place that's unacceptable, don't cancel right away, and then ask for a refund 🙂

Seriously, though, this sounds like the kind of host who gives all Airbnb hosts a bad name. They're just collecting the $ without doing the job of hosting. The kind of "host who should be delisted IMO. So yes, I think you are justified in asking for some refund. 

[Inna22]

@Sarah977 You are so right! I did not think of it that way. I guess main difference is that I have attempted to contact the host many times though. I think if they at least pretended to care, I would’ve had a completely different view of the whole situation