Bed bugs and refunds

[Jill1169]

Hello,

I recently stayed in an AirBnb as a guest and discovered it had bed bugs by waking up covered in bites. I took photos as proof, immediately told the host and asked for the room to be cleaned. He was extremely reluctant to pay for fumigation and did not offer to help me stay in a hotel. Instead, he suggested I wear longer clothes while sleeping in the bed to avoid bites. He also did not provide a new mattress protector or new sheets - he expected me to clean the room myself and pay for these new amenities with my own money. I've spend hundreds of euros staying in a hotel and I've missed several days of work because I've had to deal with this issue.

I called Airbnb support and they advised me to immediately vacate the listing and go to a hotel, which I did. The representative I spoke to told me that I would be refunded 100% for the time I spent in the bed bug listing, and that he would help me find a new place to stay. I'm a student so my budget is very limited, but the rep said he would provide a coupon code to help lighten my financial burden. However, once I booked a new listing, the rep withdrew all his promises. He said he couldn't provide a coupon code anymore, that I would not be refunded for the bed bugs, and that my hotel costs don't count towards a refund. 

If anyone has any advice on how to deal with this situation, I would really appreciate your input. 

Thank you in advance,

Jill

[Jill1169]

@Gwen386 Yes this is a very good idea. Thank you for suggesting it!

[Anonymous]

@Jill1169  The listing number that you posted has been disabled. This is not surprising, because Airbnb's default action when bedbugs are reported is to suspend the listing and cancel the next upcoming bookings. 

But while you should absolutely be refunded for this stay, I think the rep you spoke to would have been way out of line to attempt to re-house you in another Airbnb. The reason being, if you stayed in a room infested with bedbugs, those creatures will hitch a ride in your clothes and bags to the next place you stay. If you did relocate to another Airbnb anyway, you must inform the host that you're coming from a place with bedbugs so that they can isolate your baggage and keep those little suckers out of the furniture. Hotels tend to be better prepared for this, as they have training for the situation.

If you've had to replace your luggage or clothes, or pay to see a doctor, you may initiate a claim on the liability insurance - https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/937/host-liability-insurance . But that's a long process that won't secure any funds for you right away.

[Jill1169]

@Anonymous Thank you for your response. Yes, I understand the concern with the transmission of the bugs. AirBnb instructed me to stay in a hotel for three days and to wash all of my belongings before I could even be allowed to make another booking. I've followed these instructions and have not gotten new bites since leaving the listing. I will additionally be stuck in a hotel for another week, because my next accommodation doesn't become available until then.

However, the rep assured me that I would be refunded for my hotel costs, but has since rescinded this offer saying that my "hotel costs don't count". I was pressured into booking again because I was scared of being stranded (it's tourist season in Rome so it's extremely difficult and expensive to book a hotel or B&b on short notice), and the rep said he could help me by giving me a discount. Again, he's since rescinded this offer and now says he can't help me.

I've requested to speak to a supervisor, but no one has called yet and there's no guarantee that they ever will. Do you have any insight on how I can get their attention?

[Jill1169]

@Anonymous additionally, it appears the liability insurance is only for the Hosts? Not the guests?

[Anonymous]

@Jill1169  The liability intake form is for hosts and guests, you just have to select "Guest" in the drop down menu. It's specifically for when you've been injured or suffered damage or loss to your personal property during the stay. It might not be relevant in your case.

It's really frustrating when you get contradictory messages from CS. The problem is that it's outsourced to third party contractors who don't report directly to Airbnb, don't have a "supervisor" as such, and might not always get the clearance to release funds. Airbnb's contractual obligations are limited to refunding the stay, so to recoup the hotel costs you might be better off consulting your travel insurance (if you have it). 

[Jill1169]

@Anonymous Thank you for your suggestions. I will have a look at the liability form. I have to keep trying to get the compensation that I am owed.

[Helen3]

Also post publicly on their social media. They should have paid for the hotel and given you a credit towards the new accommodation.

please leave an honest review of this host to warn future guests .

he can't claim against you if the bugs were in his accommodation.

[Jill1169]

@Helen3  Thank you for your response and suggestions. Hopefully posting publicly on social media will get their attention. 

The host is blaming me for bringing the bugs, even though they were clearly there before I arrived and he admitted to not cleaning the mattress either. I completely agree that future guests deserve to know an honest review, but I have to wait until I am safe and the host does not act on his threats.

[Diana2140]

Hey there! I dealt with a similar situation. I had an airbnb for 20 of us and the place was infested with bed bugs. The rep told us the same **bleep**, check out and stay at a hotel for at least 3 days. For 3 days, they will cover up to 30-50% of the hotel cost, refund the full amount, and also cover the cost of the laundry. Airbnb helped cover 30% of the hotel cost but every thing else, they didn't as they promised. 

[Quincy]

Hello @Jill1169, I am very sorry to hear about your experience during your stay. I have passed this on to the team immediately. 

[Jill1169]

@Quincy Thank you

[Zak287]

Quincy, I have a query that I wish to talk about. A property in nerja Spain has given my daughter an allergic reaction to bed bug bites that were in the property. We spoke with the host from day one about a bug infestation and they informed us to put aty powder down but that was for ants..(we also had an infestation of them). Fast forward a week we are covered in blisters and my daughter has returned home with infected blisters and 3 different courses of antibiotics, furthermore our luggage has been infected with bed bugs and we have had to remove things from our house at a cost to us. I forwarded on the effect this has had on my 9yr olds body and air BnB didn't want to know and neither did the host...there doesn't seem to be any complaints procedures hosted on the Airbnb sites! I want help please!

**[Sensitive image removed in line with the Community Center Guidelines]

 

[Bhumika]

Hi @Zak287, I am so so sorry to hear how difficult the stay has been and how it has affected your daughter's health. 

I wish I can help you more with this situation but as our Community Center is not a part of Customer Support, I cannot promise much here regarding an outcome. But I am reaching out to the Support team to have a further look into the situation.

I really hope for a faster recovery for your daughter!!

[Zak287]

Whilst a good will gesture looks good on a community forum for others to view, can you please forward on the complaints procedure as requested

Thanks.

[Mar125]

@Jill1169 

I’m sorry to hear what you have experienced. 
However, did you take photos when you have bites from bed bugs? 

It sounds to me that your claim isn’t substantiated by any documentation except your statement.

In a host perspective, host generally cleans the places he or she hosts quite well. all hosts know bed bugs would wipe out the entire payout. It makes no sense for a host to intentionally hiost infested places.  you need to have solid proofs to prove it’s indeed bed bugs from the airbnbs. 

I personally wouldn’t believe a super host would host a bed bugged place intentionally unless the bugs are brought in by the guest.