Terrible customer service, cancelled reservation

[Tunde27]

I’ve had a terrible experience with Airbnb and want to know if there is an independent governing body I can complain to. 

I booked a lovely flat with stunning river views in the centre of Greenwich. It had great links for my work and my sons school. It even had a hot tub which was a great selling point for us. This was a treat to ourselves before we move into a new flat. 

I woke up to my host knocking on my door, frantic because the booking had been cancelled. When I checked my phone there were 7 messages sent between around 3am and 7am letting me know my booking had been cancelled and suggesting alternative properties miles away from my existing reservation. There was no explanation about why this had happened and no effort made to find something suitable for me and my son. I was left homeless with a young child and nobody made any effort to help. It was all up to me to find somewhere and when I couldn’t nobody had any other suggestions. My request to be put up in a hotel was declined and was only accepted once I had called back and requested it twice more. 

They refused to contact a host on my behalf but agreed to give me £50 per night for a new property. There’s nothing suitable for this price in London. I had booked a fantastic break and have ended up in budget accommodation, forced to share with a man I don’t know, whose only verification is a phone number that doesn’t even work, because the alternative is to be on the streets. I cannot express to you how disgusted I am at the treatment I have received. It’s disgraceful that they accept no responsibility for putting us in this situation or helping us out of it. Surely they need to be held accountable for this? Does anybody know who I can contact and how to escalate this complaint? 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Tunde27 I don't think there is anything you can do. It is possible that Airbnb had a safety issue with your host (or safety/payment with yourself) but it is equally likely they just ballsed up.

What a dreadful situation. You could try Citizens Advice but I can't see what you can sue Airbnb for I am afraid.

What did the host say the problem was?

[Julie3531]

What a rotten experience to be evicted without any explanation at all.

Was it cancelled by the host or Air Bnb

I would be furious.

As you hadn't cancelled I would say you were entitled to a full refund.

If you do get the opportunity leave the host a 1 star review.

Surely there must be some accountability from Air Bnb/

Really hope someone can help you

[Mark116]

@Julie3531 why should she leave the host a 1 star review when she doesn't even know who or why the booking was canceled ?

[Julie3531]

Ok fair enough. 

[Sarah977]

@Julie3531  @Tunde27 This has nothing to do with the host and she most certainly doesn't deserve a 1* review for it. It is not at all her fault

This was an Airbnb generated cancellation and they do this both to guests and to hosts. There is either something wrong with the guest's account that Airbnb has identified, like their payment fell through or they have been reported for unacceptable behavior or scamming. 

If it goes the other way, it could be the host who has been reported for a violation.

Or Airbnb has done a background check and found something disturbing.

In either case, the booking is cancelled by Airbnb who says the guest must leave immediately. Airbnb will never disclose the basis for the cancellation to either host or guest.

It's also possible that it is simply one of Airbnb's many tech glitches, in which case, both the host and guest suffer unnecessarily.

[Julie3531]

Ok fair enough, didn’t quite understand the scenario

[Tunde27]

It was Airbnb who cancelled. Due to a host violation but they would tell neither of us what it was. I felt sorry for the host as it was her first listing and she probably didn’t even know what she did wrong. It’s shameful of Airbnb not to give her the opportunity to put it right and to leave me stranded with a child. I really hope there’s some kind of regulatory body I can contact. They’ve not even been in touch to check I’m alive. It’s always me calling them to ask for help. It’s not been offered. Every time they just close my case. I’m fuming! 

[Sarah977]

@Tunde27  Airbnb has knee jerk reactions to any accusations from guests of safety or other violations. 

There are a shocking number of scammers out there booking Airbnbs. They are very savvy about getting a free stay by calling Airbnb and lying about things like bedbugs, cameras, discrimination, etc.  The way Airbnb deals with this is to consider the host guilty until proven innocent, suspend the host's listing, and cancel all the reservations, pending an  "investigation". Sometimes the investigation only requires customer service to spend 3 minutes looking at a host's listing to see that yes, the host has an exterior camera, and discloses that in the listing info, so the guest complaint was pointless. Yet instead of doing  that, the host's business has been shut down for sometimes weeks, and all their innocent guests are left with cancelled bookings.

I'm so sorry this happened to you and the host. 

But if you have no reason to distrust this host, you could make a private arrangement with her if she is interested. I would hope you still have her phone number. Sign a rental agreement, pay in cash. Could be a win-win for you and the host. Airbnb doesn't own the relationship between a host and guest once the booking has come to an end or been cancelled. Just don't let them catch wind of it.

[Debra300]

@Tunde27,

If you still felt comfortable with the host and space after the reservation was cancelled you could have asked the host would she be willing to take the booking directly or on another platform.  Neither of you would have been breaking any Airbnb terms of service rules at that point.

[Sarah977]

@Debra300  Ha, we posted the same idea at the same time.

[Brian2036]

 @Sarah977 @Mike-And-Jane0 

Apparently, after repeatedly demanding an explanation, some people have been told that the cancellation was due to “possible association with certain groups or persons.”

WHAT? How about publishing the names of groups or persons on their $hit list so we can check for ourselves? Obviously Airbnb can’t be depended upon to do it in a timely manner.

Why not require both guests and hosts to answer the ever-popular question on US Government security clearance questionnaires: “Are you now, or have you ever been, a member or associate of — etc etc?”

I suppose Airbnb is trying to avoid liability for discriminating against Al Quaida, the KKK, the Aryan Brotherhood, the Hell’s Angels, or certain factions within the US Republican Party.

 I doubt that is a legitimate concern. These people don’t sue you. They just kill you.

What they should be worrying about is liability for failure to act on information they had, or should have had, before people entered a dangerous situation where someone is seriously injured or killed by a known fanatic.

[Tom4345]

You all make it very difficult to share listings with friends.  Great job!!!!