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?

[Steve143]

Hello @Pedro161,

The article below can be found by typing "contact airbnb" in the "Search the community" box on this help forum's pages.

It contains a list of phone numbers for various countries.

Contact Airbnb: A Community Help Guide

Steve.

[Fulvio20]

Yesterday I booked a flat in Copenaghen from the 30th of Dec. to the 2nd of Jan. The flat showed as available so i booked it straight away (Instant Booking) and made the payment. Then i contacted the host to say thanks and to get a confirmation that everything was ok. The host replied saying she was sorry but the flat was actually not available in the requested dates. So i replied saying i would ask her to cancel my booking. So that's what i did.

I then found another flat, same story. The host didnt reply on the AirB&B page, so i contacted her on WhatsApp and she said she was very sorry but the flat was not actually available on the required dates. So i replied to her too saying i would ask her to cancel my booking, and that's what i did.

As of today both cancellation requests are still pending and the host are not replying anymore. I am very concernead with the money i paid for both flats, as my cancellation requests have not been accepted by the hosts despite their messages saying their flat was not available.

In the meanwhile i found another flat, so i will defintely have a place to stay. But i wouldnt want my trip to cost me any extra money due to these 2 reservations.

Any help please?

[Ange2]

@Fulvio20   Call Airbnb and explain what is happening. Possibly the host is not accepting your request to cancel because there are fines and penalties for the host for canceling a guest.  I would get on the phone now because if it is not cancelled you will be charged for it. Copy the Whats App message to prove the host denied availability .  For future always use the message board to contact the host, Airbnb has access to it and can see what is going on.

[Fulvio20]

Ange thanks for your support. One hosts had seen my message on WhatsApp but she's not replying. The other has a non - existing phone number 😕 ... What does airB&B suggest doing in this case? 

[Ange2]

@Fulvio20  I included a link in my last message with all the ways to contact Airbnb and I strongly suggest you do so asap, Airbnb is the only entity who can help you with this, it can call the host directly on your behalf. Good luck.

fyi: This is just a forum for hosts to help each other out if possible, Airbnb do not monitor it or provide feedback on questions.

[Fulvio20]

Ange, thanks a lot, just spoken to AirB&B and they have been of great help! feeling relieved now 🙂

[Alexander320]

Hello Fulvio!

What did AIRB&B say?

I am actually in (almost) the same situation as you were...

I booked an apartment straight away (paid) and the user haven't replied yet and I can't get in touch with this host.

So what help did you got from AIRB&B?

Cheers mate,

//Alexander

[Didem1]

 I am in the same situation as well and really regretting that I used AirBnB. This day and age there is no excuse for hosts not to respond. Very disappointing. 

[Christine1316]

Same problem here. My host isn't replying and my booking is already paid.

[Letti0]

@Christine1316  In the last few weeks there been some kind of issue where phone app messages are not going through for both hosts and guests alike. The fix is to reinstall the AirBnB app on your phone. It seems to affect iPhones the most. I would text, call the host or use the WhatsApp to try to contact the host.  

[Michele510]

I'm in the very same situation. I think Airbnb should give a strict deadline for the host to come back to whoever books a place, and then - if the host doesn't reply within a strict period of time - cancel the booking automatically and refund the money back to the traveller's credit card immediately. 

It's a waste of time for the traveller to wait for a response from Airbnb customer service and it's neither cost effective nor time effective for both parties. People - sooner or later - will stop using Airbnb with such uncertainty. You book a place, write a message to the host and sit and wait for ages before receiving a reply (if it ever happens), just because there are no penalties or rules for hosts if they don't reply. In the meantime, customers' credit cards get charged and many times administration fees are not even refunded.

It's a wrongdoing that should be seriously looked into very carefully. I've used Airbnb just because booking.com was overbooked, but I can see Airbnb service has not improved at all. I hope the host will come back to me, otherwise I'll not use this service anymore, it doesn't give you peace of mind at all.

[Helen3]

I am sure it is @Michele510

If you have messaged and called your host and they don't respond, call Airbnb, if they can't reach the host they will cancel the booking for you and give you a 10% credit in addition to a refund so you can find somewhere else.

[Sayeh1]

They don’t! It’s been 10 days that my host is not responding and the customer service won't cancel or refund me because my check in date is a month away from now!!  Their policy is a joke!!

[Mary-And-Kelly0]

Trust me it is just as frustrating from the other side of things. Guests that make enquiries, host sends a message to guests never to hear from them again. Guests that never respond to the question "what is your approximate arrival time for tomorrow? Guests that just don't respond to messages when they are already in your home. So this street is not a one way street!