Hello! My friends and I just took a one night trip to Philadelphia where we stayed in an AirBnB. Upon arrival the house was not properly cleaned, which should’ve been red flag #1. We looked past it since we weren’t spending much time there anyway.
Fast forward to Sunday, when I get home I find an email requesting $1500 for smoking in the apartment, burning a carpet, and leaving cigar fillings in the trash.
None of these things happened.
In fact, the host used fraudulent pictures in the claim. They posted a picture of a full trash can (we stayed one night and barely filled it halfway. And the trash can just so happened to have the cigar wrapper and cigar guts right on top.
They claimed we burned the carpet in the living room and posted a zoomed in photo of a burn mark in a carpet.
They’re lying about the entire thing and using fraudulent pictures to justify their claim.
Unfortunately we did not document the apartment prior to arrival or as we were leaving.
I denied their $1500 request and now AirBnB is reviewing the case and requesting more proof of damages from the host.
My question is, how worried should I be? What happens if airbnb sides with the host’s fraudulent claim?
I’m currently prepared to cancel the CC associated with the trip, but how likely is it that this host committing fraud has tricks up their sleeves to try and pin these lies and fake pictures on us?
Thanks for any and all help.
