Host not responding

[Pedro161]

I've tried to contact my host both in the airbnb messaging system and whatsapp . I've sent him 2 messages on both platforms and I can confirm that the host has seen my message on whatsapp.

He still hasn't replied.... I'm pretty sure he's ignoring me deliberately.

My flight is this Wednesday and I still have to receive a confirmation if the host is expecting me, if he'll host me , etc.

I'll be arriving at around 8pm so going into a strange city, during night time , look for an unknown apartment where the host doesn't have the decency to reply to my messages, is not very reassuring.

I've contacted airbnb this afternoon and got a quick reply from someone who told me they would forward my problem to a support team that had access to more info. I still haven't heard from them. It has been around 8 hours and while it's not a long time , since my flight is in around 35hours I'm getting concerned I'll have to book another place, spending even more money.

I'll probably have to pay a lot more since I won't be able to find a good deal one day before arrival. I'm even considering using booking.com and just go to a cheap hotel and be done with all this hassle.

When I posted my problem in the help center there was a phone number that I could call ( for urgent situations) but I can't find it anymore.

I'll wait until tomorrow and see if I get a reply from airbnb, but would still like to know which number I should call to reach airbnb's support.

Also, has anyone been in this situation before? This is my first time using airbnb and honestly , it's not a good experience so far.

How did airbnb solve your problem? Will I get a refund? Will they help me find a new place?

[John1909]

Unfortunately, the same thing happened to me last weekend. Although the reservation was confirmed the host never replied neither a week, nor the previous day to my arrival, but having good faith I arrived in Zurich only to find out that the host was nowhere to be found and their posted telephone number was inactive. So I did contact Airbnb who responded 7 hours later, were no help at all because it was "High season" and they had "increased workload" and finally offered alternative places for me to stay two days after I returned from my trip!

So there I was attending a seminar in one of the most expensive cities in Europe, trying to find a place to stay, althewhile getting a nasty phonebill. Eventually I ended up recruiting friends from back home who actually managed to make a last minute reservation, not through the Airbnb platform of course. When I asked to be reimbursed for the cost of the hostel and the phonebill Airbnb's mistake resulted in, I was told they would "seek approval" for the extra cost of the hostel but phone bill is not possible.

So my question is what am I and the host paying the Airbnb platform for?

Vetting of the host? Did not happen. The host's phone number was a fake or inactive

Getting help during such an occurence? Did not happen. They replied late and offered no solution until 2 days later.

My conclusion is that they are not worth their fees and the quality of service for a billion dollar enterprise is, to say the least, poor. And to all you superhosts out there who do a good job and are asked to provide quadruple verifications every week, know that there are people who can get away with not ever answering and not even providing a correct phone number.

[Sarah977]

@John1909   I'm so sorry this happened to you- how frustrating and angering.

I have just had a guest do this to me. She booked a month ago, I messaged her back saying that I would send her a map to my place, (which is hard to find the first time) via email, so to check her Inbox and Spam, which in fact I did 2 weeks before her check-in. I followed that up with an Airbnb message saying I had sent it and to please acknowledge that she had received it, also that I needed to know her approximate arrival time, and if she needed bus information. 

She did not respond. Nor did she respond to the 2 subsequent Airbnb messages I sent her. I then contacted Airbnb support to see if they could make contact with her (She is in a different hemisphere, otherwise I would have tried calling or texting her myself).  Airbnb tried phoning her numerous times, to which they only got voice mail, texting her, emailing her and sending Airbnb messages for several days, to no avail.

This morning, 2 days before her check-in, after I have now spent several hours in the last 2 weeks trying to contact her and dealing with Airbnb support, and after also starting to prepare the room for her, washing the bedding, etc, I received a notice that she had canceled. She also sent me a message apologizing for not being in contact. She claims there was a death in the family,and also claims she never received any messages, phone calls or texts from me or Airbnb. 

We all have extenuating circumstances from time to time in our lives, but if someone can't be bothered to check their Airbnb messages and respond, which takes all of 5 minutes, at any time during in a 2 week period, be they guest or host, I think they should be removed from the platform.

[Chris1392]

I don’t think the situation is comparable at all. In your case, you are protected by AirBnB - hosts still get at least part of the money when guests cancel. And hosts aren’t left without a place to stay in a strange city when  guests are no-show.

[Sarah977]

It depends on what a host's cancellation policy is as to whether they see any of the money from a guest-cancelled reservation. And if a guest fails to answer messages from a host re ETA, then expects to have someone waiting for them whenever they happen to arrive, to find they can't get in, Airbnb may sometimes refund the guest in full, even when it was the guest who was the uncommunicative one. 

Of course I agree it's a much different scenario for a guest to be left out on the street with nowhere to stay because of an unresponsive host. And as I mentioned, hosts like that should be suspended or delisted.

[Mochi-San0]

I hadn't had an issue with an unresponsive host until recently. I've stayed with 3 airbnbs so far but this one I got through instant book too. It was super cheap and it had only just appeared so I figure he was still in the process of setting his price and he is pissed that I got the room for so cheap because after I booked, the price was about 5 times higher than what I had paid. He had edited a lot since I had booked and even the check-out time was different but in my favor. 

Even still, I really need the room and he isn't responding to texts or messages. I plan to try calling in the morning too. I had questions before my trip. I wanted to possibly add a person since that is an option but I wanted to know if I'd still be charged the original price for two people or the new price that he changed it to after I booked. 

Also I have never stayed with an airbnb that had cameras on the property and I'm a little weirded out by it. I understand why its necessary but it still weirds me out. I just wanted to get his direct words that surveillance is just in public areas. 

Lastly, the post says that its the entire apartment he was "renting" for the weekend but he says that there are animals on the property. I am wondering who would be taking care of them because I do not plan to do so. I will be on vacation and planning my next moves. 

He is a new host I understand but everything seems reallydisorganized and a little sketchy. I want to keep the room because it is literally the only room that was in the area and for a reasonable price. I just need him to contact me asap.

[Karen1414]

Not sure if this post is still active but I'm in the same situation,  paid for 5 nights in Cape town in April 19, I know we're a few months away still but I wanted to ask a couple of things about general proximity of the apartment to some amenities ... so that was 4 days ago and no reply, I tried the listed phone no and no reply, I've messaged Airbnb support yesterday... no reply.    This doesn't give me any confidence in how I'll be able to contact him when I want to find out about how to access the apartment/get the keys etc. when we arrive in April.

As an earlier post says, hotels are more expensive but this is stupidly unprofessional both on the part of the host and Airbnb customer service.   I've had mixed experiences with Airbnb in the past few years, within the UK (home country bookings) seems fine, but overseas is very hit and miss, I'll try the UK AirBNB customer services phone no tomorrow but I'm pretty sure I now want a full refund and I'll book a hotel instead, what started as a great idea is getting worse and worse.

[Samantha627]

I tried when i went to Korea, they replied and some are really fast. I booked for my family in Melbourne for a few times, previously it was fine, but not my current booking, totally no reply after the confirmation........i m wondering where my money has gone, their trip is next week......

[Sarah977]

@Samantha627  What do you mean "where my money has gone"? Did you book this through the official Airbnb site? They charged your credit card? Then your money is with Airbnb right now- hosts don't get paid anything until after a guest checks in. 

Get in touch with Airbnb customer service, tell them the host isn't responding at all, that you are wary that this is a scam, and see if they can reach the host for you, or if not, find you alternative accommodation.

One thing, though- you say you booked for your family and their trip is next week. 3rd party bookings are against Airbnb Terms of Service- the person who makes the booking has to be among the guests staying. Hosts have every right to turn anyone away at the door if they haven't booked under their own account.

[Samantha627]

I see! Thanks for your recommendation! As I haven’t experienced this before, previously those host usually replied fast. 

[Sarah977]

@Samantha627  Yes, it works the other way round, too. Most of my guests have been really good about answering my messages, conveying approximate arrival time, etc, but a few times I've had to ask Airbnb to contact the guest because they just weren't responding at all.

Some hosts even have guests show up and be all irate because there wasn't anyone there to let them in, but the guest hadn't even bothered to tell the host when they were arriving, and hadn't bothered to read the self-check-in instructions that were sent.

It's always frustrating and concerning when people don't communicate in a timely fashion.

[Samantha627]

Ikr.......

[Samantha627]

I will be staying too, and they confirm the stay but after that no news for how to collect keys, and i wanna change from four guest to 5 guest (included me), nothing replied. 

[Andres320]

Hello, I know this an old thread but I am having the same problem. Booked a room in La Habana at the beginning of this month. I have emailed my host 3 times , first ans an introduction , then with some questions and nothing. Airbnb told me hosts have up to 72 hours to asnwer before anything is done. I am kind of worry because the flat has great reviews but when I checked on the host reviews, the problem is permanent. The guy is like a broker that is the face of several apartments and you never meet the man. I hope we don't get there and find out he has double book or something. I have ample time before my trip but still is the first time this happens. The othe Cuban hosts are great in communicating.

[Pam288]

It seems to me it should be common courtesy to acknowledge a booking within a few days. I have just cancelled a reservation with a host that has not responded 7 days after booking. I would rather lose a few dollars in fees than have the hassle of not having a room when I need it or having to deal with a rude host.

[Lily229]

Same problem in bacelona today, host didnt response the phone, two chinese girl bacelona at 10PM, so terrible experience waiting to call the help tomorrow