We have all heard of terrible AirBnb experiences; but, mine has some nuanced uniqueness to it and highlights how guests are hurt with AirBnb offering no guest protection.
Four of us rented an AirBnb in December in WA, US. The place got flooded (literally) with us waking up to our rooms filled with water, and we escaped the property knee deep in freezing cold flood. Our vehicle, parked in the AirBnb parking, was damaged and eventually got written off. However, before the insurance deciding to write it off as a flood-damaged vehicle, we had to spend $1880 out of pocket for the damages.
We contacted AirBnb and a “Liability Claims Representative” sent us a “settlement agreement and release of claim document” offering $500x2 ($1000) for the inconvenience. Signed and returned the docs, yet, the representative stopped responding. A few months passed, contacted AirBnb customer service again and they did not acknowledge the signed agreements, offering only $500 for the inconvenience, not even offering to refund the ruined/interrupted trip.
In the process, the customer service told a lie which I paste here “…we would like to inform you that we will be able to process only $500 as a reimbursement because there was no other Guest added in the particular reservation. - Norah”
However, when the customer service was presented with the correspondences with the Liability Claim Representative which clearly identified the name and identities of the guests, they customer service did not acknowledge.
Throughout the story, there are quite a few faults on the AirBnb side:
1. Offering settlement agreements, collecting signatures, and then, failing to follow through.
2. Ghosting the guests not replying to their follow-up emails once the agreements were signed.
3. Lying that because “because there was no other Guest added in the particular reservation” they cannot offer beyond $500.
4. Failing to acknowledge their fault on item 3 after being presented with evidence.
5. Not refunding an interrupted trip.
6. (And most important of all) Having no guest protection for damages to the guest during their stay at the AirBnb property.
To put things into perspective, if we had woken up in a hotel flooded with water I’m quite confident the hotel would have done everything they could to accommodate the guests whose trip was ruined.
I personally would not consider AirBnb again as long as any other choice is available.
