Hi everyone,
I made a horrible airbnb experience about 4 months ago. I stayed at a place in Hoi An , Vietnam at an airbnb with no previous reviews. It is not the first time, since we spend about 1/3 of our time in airbnbs.
We booked the place for a week and one day before check-out someone with a key entered the apartment through a backdoor (that was always locked, and we didn't get a key for this door). We were sleeping next door in the bedroom, while someone took my Laptop and cash from the living room. Noone entered the bedroom, where my girlfriend had her laptop standing on the desk.
In the morning doors and windows were open my backpack thrown into the yard, but nothing else was taken beside cash and my laptop. We contacted the police and airbnb immediately.
The police first told us that this airbnb is illegal, and then asked us if we want to give them our bluetooth earphones as a present. When we declined they let me write a report on blank sheet and went away. Of course we didn't spend another night at the place and left immediately.
Something like that can happen, and so far we were lucky, but the really horrible experience was how left alone we were in this situation by airbnb support. We didn't receive any help with the communication with the police, who refused to give my any documentation of the case because the airbnb wasn't legal, so in their logic it was our fault to stay there (later my country's embassy helped me with that) . Although we reported that someone entered with a key and we were clearly scammed, they couldn't care less. I had to write the customer support three times the same details, since he never bothered to read the full message. Later he send us 20 USD because we didn't stay the last night and closed the case. I continued writing him, but he just told me airbnbs decisions are final, so I should stop writing.
We left a bad review for the host telling our story, and the next day the host simply deleted the listing and our comment with it.
At this point I didn't want to get any reimbursement anymore, but at least report the host and also report to airbnb the incredible unfriendly and rude customer support ( or what was supposed to be support) I received.
I contacted airbnb again, to file a complaint, and I was told to use the feedback function. No word since then.
I am really surprised how little they care if you got clearly scammed, and that there is also no effort in clearing up the situation, so others don't have the same experience.
Did anyone have similar experience, or any idea how to report such a case to airbnb without getting totally ignored?