How do you file a complaint against a host?

[Tammy37]

Had a confirmed booking, had already paid, then the host said he wanted $100 in cash on arrival as a surcharge.  We disagreed, but eventually cancelled, since we knew he would eventually cancel us out so he could gouge someone else.  

Because we cancelled, we have to eat the service charge.

Two questions:

1) how do we file a complaint against this host?

2) How can we petition to get the host to eat the service charge?

thanks,

Tammy

[Leanne50]

I had a host recently ask to charge per bed set up regardless of how many people. I didn't realize that if there were three people they would only set up two beds thinking that two people would occupy one bed. They then asked for additional fees per day if I needed another bed to be set up regardless if there was one existing in the apartment. So we had three people and needed three separate beds so they asked us to pay 15 euros a day for the two extra beds and then they said extra guests outside of one would be 20 euros a day per guest. Then they asked us to pay 15 euros via cash if we were to check in late. I made the payment through their request via paypal and after feeling very awkward about all of this and realizing that I could be spending half the amount I paid for with another apartment--all due to the extra charges--I decided to cancel. 

I have contacted the host multiple times about refunding my 420 euros that I paid to her via paypal and I have not heard any response. This isn't small money either! 😞

[Chris525]

Ask Paypal to step in they usually are very good. I think airbnb will crash and burn soon it has grown too big, for them to monitor the thousands of hosts, there are so many awful stories coming out now. I was lucky airbnb were amazing although it took many many hours on the phone and email, but they refunded me every peny plus hotel accomodation. I am afraid I will never use them again. Shame because the concept is really very good. Too big too soon.

[Neil104]

Hi Leanne - I am in the middle of a sticky problem with an unscrupulous host as well. Airbnb is naturally geared to favouring the host. It is completely unregulated. It won't take responsibility for host actions - even though guests actually contract with Aribnb. I work for a litigation funder - and am considering launching  class action against them by guests who have been financially disadvantaged by Airbnb's lack of accountability. Please email me with your contact details if you'd like to participate. It would be no cost to you. Please email me at [Email address hidden as per the community guidelines] - I can provide more details.

[Melanie245]

My family booked a last minute trip to Disney World for my six grandchildren.  To fit our families, we booked two Airbnb condos in the same building.  My daughters host was amazing.  My host Jair, gladly took my money, but never responded from day one of the booking.  I reached out a couple of times, but never using Airbnb for travel, I just figured I would at the very least hear from Jair the day of.  We had a 14 hour drive with three young children, I reached out by several methods email, text messaging, and phone calls throughout our day of driving - the day we were to check in.  Sadly, we reach Orlando, no response from Jair, so I called the help line for Airbnb.  Only to be on the phone with a few different people for an hour and Jair decides to cancel our reservation.  Here we were, four adults and three young children with no place to stay.  I was told to give them an hour and they would help me find a new place to stay.  Not wanting to wait another hour with a very tired crew, I was able to find a "very nice" replacement with Magic Village Resort.  Once I got settled in I began going back through "all" of Jair's reviews, many were nice, but then there have been several occasions where he has cancelled reservations a day or two before and the day of.  Please tell me - Why is this person still allowed to rent through Airbnb??  My husband and I own our own business and I would definitely not want our business to be assoicated with someone like this.  It does reflect on Airbnb.  I can honestly say, this was the first time that I have used your company and I will never take this chance again. 

[Neil104]

Hi Melanie - I am in the middle of a sticky problem with an unscrupulous host as well. Airbnb is naturally geared to favouring the host. It is completely unregulated. It won't take responsibility for host actions - even though guests actually contract with Aribnb. I work for a litigation funder - and am considering launching  class action against them by guests who have been financially disadvantaged by Airbnb's lack of accountability. Please email me with your contact details if you'd like to participate. It would be no cost to you. Please email me at [Email address hidden as per the community guidelines] - I can provide more details.

[Stephen310]

 I booked a house Down The Islands on Monos (Scott and Water) since late last year and got a price of £200 a night. I booked three nights over the Easter this year and I paid through air bnb and everything was completed. The host, Gilla Tang then contact me to ask for extra payment because she made a mistake and charged me for low season. I disagree so she backed down after many emails back and forth. I also asked to see the place before Easter and she agreed. To make the story short, it looked very attractive from outside but inside was not cleaned for a long, long time. Everything was in it's place but loaded with dirt and dust. I asked for it to be thoroughly cleaned up for our stay, but she cancelled on me through air bnb. I am disappointed mainly with air bnb because they never contacted me to hear my side of the story and to make sure that this host is good for other clients. Still waiting for them to contact me. So disappointed in this service all round. 

[Neil104]

Hi Stephen - I am in the middle of a sticky problem with an unscrupulous host as well. Airbnb is naturally geared to favouring the host. It is completely unregulated. It won't take responsibility for host actions - even though guests actually contract with Aribnb. I work for a litigation funder - and am considering launching  class action against them by guests who have been financially disadvantaged by Airbnb's lack of accountability. Please email me with your contact details if you'd like to participate. It would be no cost to you. Please email me at[Email address hidden as per the community guidelines] - I can provide more details.

[Victoria145]

[Images removed due to safety reasons] 

[Neil104]

Hi Tammy - I am in the middle of a sticky problem with an unscrupulous host as well. Airbnb is naturally geared to favouring the host. It is completely unregulated. It won't take responsibility for host actions - even though guests actually contract with Aribnb. I work for a litigation funder - and am considering launching  class action against them by guests who have been financially disadvantaged by Airbnb's lack of accountability. Please email me with your contact details if you'd like to participate. It would be no cost to you. Please email me at [Email address hidden as per the community guidelines] - I can provide more details.

[Samuel156]

Hi. I can relate to what you said. I just posted my concerns too with Airbnb. I am open to working with you on the class cation against this company. you can contact me via messenger Samuel B. Diaco or samueldiaco at hotmail. 

[Samuel156]

Airbnb refused to refund what I paid for renting a condo unit that was not suitable for rent or even for staying in it for one free night. We paid near 150 USD for three nights and I got refunded only 40 USD. I had both legal and ethical reasons to cancel upon checking in and viewing the place: (1) The only aircon in the large condo was not working properly. The host representative who checked us in advised us to just restart the aircon every-time it "dies" and it did stop within 10 minutes after we checked in. The host expected us to get up throughout the night to restart the aircon when it "dies". The host later denied what her rep told us and claimed that the aricon was working fine, although two people witnessed what the rep said. (2) The exhaust fan in the only toilet in the condo is not working. The small toilet is inside the bedroom and the door is less than two feet away from the bed. The toilet has no window or any ventilation other than the exhaust fan and the air has no way out except through the bedroom to the small window on the other side of the room! The host expected two travelling adults and a child to defecate beside their bed in a small toilet without exhaust fan, and to pay near 50 USD per night for that! Even dogs get proper air ventilation in their kennels! (3) Nauseating foul odor in the condo coming from the dirty kitchen and laundry area that has no any sort of ventilation. (4) Large metal chains and locks on cabinets that made us feel very uncomfortable with the place. (5) No mosquito screens on windows to enable us, especially with a child, to just suck it up and stay there in that hot, humid county faced with Dengue concerns. Staying there was not an option, host apologized and agreed to approve full refund but later got greedy and refused to approve the refund, and Airbnb also refused to refund and blindly pointed at "cancellation policy." That place was not suitable for rent and we were cheated by host advertisement and robbed by Airbnb. Airbnb also refused to release my review and to let me share my experience that evening at their host's unit claiming that my review violates their policy. I have repeatedly tried to resolve this dispute with Airbnb at no avail. Now I am initiating legal action against Airbnb in California and meanwhile encouraging anyone who was cheated or unfairly treated by Airbnb and its host/guests to join me the drive against Aribnb, to spread public awareness about the dreadful risks of using its services, and to regain our basic rights. To those who consider using Airbnb, avoid it and their hosts and rather stay at officially registered places, deal with professional hosts, and remain safe. I did have very good experiences with some Airbnb hosts, but I also often encountered scary and greedy hosts who just wanted to make money renting their dirty and rundown places then good luck getting your money back without going through annoying and costly battles. Use professional services like agoda and booking.com and have peace of mind. After all, you are not saving any money by using Airbnb. To those who been hurt or affected by Airbnb, please feel free to contact me and share your experiences.

[Arisara1]

May I please ask for help? My Aibnb host was rude to me in a comment after I tried to write an honest review about my stay. The host gave me five stars and commented perfect guest. I didnt not want to report them, but after my review, the host claims that my classmate and I were trying to stay past the time they allowed us to stay by having another one of us book it and said that he would report it. My classmate accidentally booked from Sat to Wednesday and didn't realize that we were checking out Thursday. I helped book one more night. I did not realize that that was over their max stay. If they suspected we were trying to do that and told use to leave, we would have done so. I ask for guidance and help because I haven't been treated by a host this way before.

[Jordan178]

filing complaint to the host 

[Ashlea3]

How do you file a complaint against the host and airbnb itself?

Very first time using this service and the host told me that I don't get charged at all until I check in, which was a lie. Then I decided to cancel my reservation and explained that the host provided misleading information to me and the support person said they would refund everything minus a cleaning fee. So I agreed. Then after "processing" the refund, the support person was like oh, nevermind we only give you 50% of what you paid sorry we can't help you so I can have someone else call you. Never heard from anyone from customer service and lost 50% of what I paid with both the host providing incorrect information and the support person. I have sent many messages asking for help and have been ignored.

[Joshua200]

I'm currently waiting for a host to let me in. Been waiting for 5 hours. I have to wait another 3.