We had a pleasant stay at an apartment in Sydney, Australia. However, things have now gone sour.
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During the stay, we unplugged the host's air freshener in order to charge our phone. A couple days later, we noticed that the host's air fresher had leaked and caused a small spot on the tv stand. The host promptly demanded that we pay $1400 for a whole brand new piece of furniture from West Elm, an expensive brand. We find this claim unreasonable, because we are not responsible for the fact that the host's air fresher leaked. Further, this is a relatively minor problem that could easily be solved with a bit of paint. We find it exorbitant to be charged $1400 to solve this minor problem.
We have tried working with Airbnb to find a reasonable solution to this situation. They are just responding with pre-programmed messages upholding their position. Our credit card has been charged an initial $500 without our consent, and we will dispute this charge with the credit company. We have also filed a complaint against Airbnb with the Better Business Bureau. We will be sure to tell all our friends and family about this unreasonable situation and Airbnb's unsatisfactory handling of it. We have used Airbnb often for years, with no incidents. We will now do our best avoid it.
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