Ever wondered how to get your money back during your stay, at anytime, just because you have a change of plan, a change of heart, or because you don't fancy the place you are staying at ?
Well I know the magic trick, because some guests pulled it while there were staying at my apartment in Lisbon, and it worked :
It SPELLS SMELLS.
Right, smells.
Here what happened :
Pristine apartment, glowing ratings, no mention ever of any smells, good or bad.
Guests arrive, happy with the place as they wrote to me.
Then I got a message the next day, through the Airbnb thread, and they let me know that they have already left.
OK....
But there is a trick, there is a smell in the bathroom...
Oh, ok...
And they won't leave a bad review, because they are themselves Airbnb hosts etc...
Well you got their point already.
Anyway I didn't offer a refund, as they informed me of their departure and a possible issue only after they had left, not allowing me to solve it (admitting it had been real and not only a lousy excuse).
I did not pay any more attention to this claim, till I did.
Airbnb informed me that they had been reimbursed 100% for the nights not spent at my place.
No documentation : No problem !
Not following any guidelines regarding AirCover : No problem !
Here is the answer from Airbnb (Senior Manager) when I suggested they had made a wrong decision :
"We recognize that issues like odors can be tricky; they are often subjective and difficult to document with photos or physical evidence. It makes it challenging to address sometimes. However, at Airbnb, we must rely on the credible reports of our guests when a health or comfort issue significantly impacts their stay experience."
So REMEMBER, if you want your money back, but have no reason for that, it SPELLS SMELLS.
I have already spent time on this case with phone calls, emails etc, and decided I was not to accept this unfair decision that does not even follow Airbnb own guidelines.
I will keep you posted.
Charles
