Horrific customer service

[Laurie591]

UNCONSCIONABLE customer service. Had a month long stay cancelled only a few weeks before we were set to arrive. 

Air cover claims are fraudulent. Did NOT help us find a comparable place (sent studio options 2 towns away when we’d rented a 3 bedroom home) and a negligible amount of money nowhere near what is necessary to rebook on such short notice. 

Have been trying to contact a supervisor for THREE DAYS and keep getting passed from agent to agent and no callbacks. 

This is fraud and violates consumer protection laws Airbnb will be hearing from us.

[Emiel1]

@Laurie591 

Aircover for guests mentions:

Booking Protection Guarantee

"In the unlikely event a Host needs to cancel your booking within 30 days of check-in, we’ll find you a similar or better home, or we’ll refund you."

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/3218

Did you received full refund ?

[Sudsrung0]

@Laurie591 

Hi, who cancelled the booking? the host,

If that was the case you should have received a full refund, did they give you that option.

Hope you get it sorted,

[Jenny]

Hi @Laurie591 

Sorry to hear about this.

As mentioned by @Sudsrung0 and @Emiel1 - did the host cancel your booking and did you get a full refund as there wasn't a comparable listing in the area?

Thanks,

Jenny

[Laurie591]

There are comparable listings in the area, they just cost double or triple the price. Air cover says they will cover the difference but no one will call us back. 

The owner cancelled so yes we were refunded. A refund is the bare minimum expectation. Why wouldn’t we be refunded the full amount if we aren’t staying at a place?  The two are not mutually exclusive. 

If you click into the air cover detail page you’ll see the promise is a refund (again, bare minimum) AND Airbnb will “help you find an equivalent or better place”. 

Day four and still no support. Absolutely the worst customer experience I’ve ever had.

[Emiel1]

@Laurie591 

If a host cancels a reservation before check-in, then the guest is refunded.

But when it comes to assistance for rebooking: it depends on the situation and what is available, but Airbnb can refuse to pay the extra money in case of a more expensive booking:

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2868 says:

"As part of providing rebooking assistance we may, but are not obligated to, pay for or contribute to the cost of new accommodations. We may also provide guests with the option of applying the value of a canceled reservation to new accommodations, or of receiving travel credit, in lieu of getting a cash refund."

But of course Customer Service should do a better job here, the least what they can do is keep you informed about their progress on your case.

[Debra300]

@Laurie591,

I am sorry this has happened to you, and know you are extremely frustrated and disappointed about what's occurred, but I don't see how Airbnb is being fraudulent and not following it's published guidelines for Air Cover.  These types of plans are marketed to entice customers to make purchases by offering a sense of security, but we consumers are responsible to review the exceptions and limitations for warranties and coverage plans, because there is always a caveat.

Even if you have travel insurance that covers the non-availability or inhabitability of a vacation rental, it would only provide a reimbursement of non-refundable costs and not pay anything towards additional costs for a replacement rental.