Tips if you want to start a Dispute

[Chi4280]

I have a horrible dispute with both the Host and Airbnb for a horrible stay in Manchester. The condition the host let the guest live in for 195eu/3nights are:

- Moldy bathroom - a health hazzard no less

- Saggy mattress where you slept directly on the steel spring

- Smoke alarm beeping every minute

- House covered in food smell the whole day

I requested partial refund after the trip with the videos and pictures recorded for the claim, and the reason Airbnb explained that I am not allowed for AirCover is that I did not complain to them during the stay- which is completely illogical to me. 

So tips for you if you stay with Airbnb and experience horrible conditions: 

- Complain, complain and complain as soon as possible! Don't be a nice person and complain only after because it will not help your dispute. 

- Record everything! Videos, pictures, etc. 

- Be mindful that the host can write false review about you and Airbnb will not do anything to take it down if it's not violation of the content policy - which only concerns the profanity, discrimination, commercial purpose - and not concerns about the validity of the review. 

Hope this will help you with your future dispute and protect yourself as a traveller. 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Chi4280 if a restaurant meal was poor you wouldn't eat it all and then ask for a refund at the end. Similarly if a hotel room was dirty you would ask to have it cleaned or move rather than wait until the end of the stay and request a refund.

So why wait until the trip was over to complain? You have to be fair and give the host the opportunity to correct issues or Airbnb to find you a different place.

[Chi4280]

Hi @Mike-And-Jane0 ,

Thank you for the reply and your perspectives on this - although it seems like we share the same idea. The guests should complain right away about everything.

Regarding my story, just so that you can understand the logic on my side a bit more: I arrived on Thursday afternoon, and I messaged the host about the alarm beeping right away, she said 'Ok thank you' and did nothing. There was a cleaning lady when I arrived and she was still cleaning the bathroom. She doesn't speak English, and after cleaning, the bathroom still has mold in it. The host is not living there as well. 

So my logic is that there's nothing to be done over the weekend to fix these issues. The mattress won't come in time. There are others people living in the other rooms so no way I can switch room. The mold needs serious work to get rid off. Therefore I only recorded the proofs and provide feedback as well as raise dispute after the stay, and when I actually have time to deal with this. I also did not know back then about AirCover and that Airbnb would find me a new place to stay if I complained back then.

Hence, the tips I provided: Complain right away, don't wait like me. It is also correct with what you mentioned. 

Also maybe it's a culture difference but I would do a bit differently if I encounter your food reference. If the restaurant food is poor, I would leave the food and not complain to the restaurant. If there is bug on my food, I would not pay for the food. Here I already paid for the place. So I cannot just leave without paying like in restaurants.