"Plus" host refused to provide cleaning materials & expect me to wait 8 hours for a repair

[Netta5]

I'm using Airbnb nonstop and I love it. Recently I encounter an uncomfortable experience and I would like to hear your opinion please. Just to note, it's Airbnb plus and I assumed it should be better, but I was wrong. Unfortunately, I booked this place for one month so I can't leave 😞

I arrived at the Airbnb, there were some dysfunctions, I took pictures of them but I thought that I can handle with them, just for the worst-case scenario, and told the host about some of them.

On the first night, I planned to use the dishwasher after I cooked and I noticed that the door cannot be closed because there's an accumulation of calcium beneath (I guess because of the time of the quarantine there were no guests here). In the morning after I send a message to the host, he responded after 6 hours that he'll invite a repairman for the day after that will come between 10:00-14:00. 

I was uncomfortable with that because the host itself told me he didn't come to welcome me because of the COVID-9 issues, and anyway all the time he sent his friend to check things because he's not in the city (So he lied apparently).

On the day after I ruined my plans for the morning and I was waiting. At 13:00 while I was waiting he wrote to me that the repairman canceled so he wants to invite him for the day after in the afternoon (also with a time-frame of 4 hours). He told me that I don't have to be in the apartment but I told him that I don't feel comfortable with that because I want to make sure that his friend and the repairman are using masks and also there's no place here to lock my stuff so I'm a bit concern. 

Anyway, the host wasn't nice at all, he all the time repeated that it's not his fault and when he sent me the message at 13:00 he wrote me "at least you were waiting only 3 hours, and not 4" like he has no respect to my time at all. All the time I tried to contact Airbnb and they replayed after 2 days and were not responsive and feel like they don't care at all. But I wanted to have a dishwasher so I wanted to give it another chance maybe, but then I realized that there is not even one cleaning material in the apartment and thought that of course there's a chance that the repairman or his friend would like to use the toilet and it won't be humane not to let them. So I asked the "Plus" host and he told me that "honestly" he gave me a monthly discount so he doesn't think he should provide me any cleaning materials. I tried to explain to him that it's also for his good to maintain the apartment but he refused. Besides, he sent me a message and wrote that he thinks that it was a "mystery" what happened to the dishwasher because the cleaning team told him they cleaned it but luckily I had a pic I took 1.5 hours after I arrived showed clearly that the door of the dishwasher is open and that there's an accumulation of salt beneath. 

In all my last Airbnbs there were cleaning materials even if it was not written in the amenities. I was surprised that he refused to provide me and more surprised that Airbnb told me that he shouldn't provide me because it wasn't written in the amenities. I saw articles of Airbnb where they wrote clearly that the host should provide cleaning materials because of the COVID-9 situation.

In the meanwhile, I wash the dishes by hand and count my days until check out 😞

I'm doing all I can to be a polite & clean guest, the only reason I want cleaning materials is that I care for the place I stay in and I want to keep it nice & clean.

I'm very disappointed with Airbnb that they don't try to help to find another place. The behavior of the host makes me feel uncomfortable staying here. I understand that people can have financial problems but I don't think that I ask something that isn't basic. I really want to leave 😞

Thanks,

Netta

[Ann72]

@Helen350  What a tool.

[Ann72]

@Helen350 @Anonymous  You are right, but please note that I was speaking about the number, not the number of stars.  #readingcomprehension lol

@Debra300  Yes, absolutely, but I think almost everyone these days is an educated consumer and can quickly compare two similar items, one with three reviews that results in 5 stars, one with 167 reviews that gives it 4.8 stars, and conclude that the data on the more-reviewed item is more reliable.

[Helen350]

@Ann72  - "Reading comprehension"??? Did I just do a Donald?! Lol!

[Ann72]

@Helen350  NEVER!  🤣

[Debra300]

@Ann72,

For most first world locations, I'd agree with you that there are a lot of educated consumers.  However, I also live in a developing small island country where online purchasing is very limited, and as a result have not yet honed their skills or and are not very savvy in deciphering legitimate consumer reviews vs. false critiques or inflammatory marketing.

[Mark116]

Isn't the bottom line, that the host can spend $5 or less  to put a bottle(s) of cleaner in the unit, rather than getting involved in a weird fight with a guest WHO WANTS TO CLEAN?  Having someone stay in your place for an entire month with no ability to clean anything seems crazy, to go one better and then refuse the reasonable request of some cleaner is just nuts. 

[Ann72]

@Mark116  Putting it succinctly and getting to the heart of the matter - well done!  👏👏👏

[Huma0]

@Mark116 

Exactly! Agree 100%

Come on now people (the ones who seem to think this is all on the guest). It doesn't matter if the cleaning products are listed as an amenity or not. The girl is there for a month and wants to keep the place clean. Give her a couple of cleaning products! That's going to REDUCE your costs/time when it comes to cleaning after she leaves. What is the big deal?

Most likely, as the host is away, he doesn't have anyone to deal with it (well, if you are an absent host - let alone a 'Plus' one, you better have someone to deal with stuff while you are away) and sees it as an annoyance. There's a simple solution. Tell her to buy the stuff and send her a small refund to cover it. Simple. The fact is, if she keeps the place sanitary, it will save you time/money on cleaning after she leaves.

As for the dishwasher, yep, I can see why that is a thorny issue and I fully understand that a four hour window is normal for a repair person and they often do not show up when scheduled. Not the host's fault. I can see myself in the exact same position as him, but I would have found a better way to communicate about it = 5 stars for communication, guest review: "There was a small problem with the dishwasher, but the host was so helpful in getting it sorted."

Don't tell a guest that because she is getting a monthly discount that she can get stuffed. She gets the monthly discount because she is staying a month, plain and simple. It shouldn't change anything else.

Also, saying that Plus no longer exists is also irrelevant. The listing was advertised as Plus, so that is what the guest bought. According to the description, appliances should be fully functional. It is not HER job to arrive and then clean/fix them. It doesn't matter if it's calcium or salt. Who cares? NOT her job. But, maybe she would have cleaned it if she had cleaning materials.

Sorry, but I would be pretty miffed booking a Plus listing and then be expected, when arriving, to go out to buy cleaning products and clean a dishwasher that won't function properly otherwise. 

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Netta5 

It was pointed out three days ago that cleaning materials did not form any part of Airbnb amenities, and yet this is still being questioned? Why?

Complaints are one thing, and whinging is another, maybe the host considered that being informed that the dishwasher had salt in was more of a whinge than a pressing problem since salt is a serviceable item in a dishwater, how can we tell? You seem keen not to provide your evidence of this dishwasher problem which is the root and cause of all this evil, and this despite even Airbnb not substantiating your complaint in this regard as a viable reason to move you. Are you now looking for an alternative way to get moved or refunded ?

Whinging on about the lack of cleaning products whilst you have been happily washing dishes by hand seems like a stark contradiction in stated facts in my opinion, and especially as you don't elaborate further.

Stating what products you do have there would invalidate your complaint to a degree don't you think?

[Huma0]

@Ian-And-Anne-Marie0 

The dishwasher is not the root and cause of all evil. There are a number of other things mentioned here. 

You are the one fixating on the dishwasher and the salt/calcium debate.

I don't disagree with you that maybe this dishwasher thing could be a small problem and that maybe the guest could have sorted it out herself, but it's not really her job to do so, is it?

The place is supposed to be presented fully functional and clean. Full stop. It's not the guest's job to arrive and start cleaning and fixing stuff.

[Debra300]

Just because I like to digress with small offshoots from the main topic.   Most dishwashers sold in the Americas typically do not have a water softener compartment, and as a result owners don't use salt.  In fact, I would say a majority of dishwasher users in the US have not even heard of dishwasher salt.  Instead, what's more prevalent is using a rinse agent (usually a blue liquid) to prevent spotting when the water dries.

It's off topic, but I'm just saying.....

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Debra300 

I did look, but I can't see mentioned where exactly @Netta5 is apart from 'a city' with 'European' type buildings and more than one level, and not in high heels without a lift.

In the UK and Europe, dishwasher salt is like sea salt flakes and our dishwasher takes about 1kg to fill. You cannot see when its almost full as the compartment is generally full of water being at the bottom of the dishwasher. Consequently, often you get spilled salt all around the bottom of the dishwasher if you bother to in fact maintain the salt.

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Huma0 

I'm approaching the problem from the beginning, as the story was told, and not jumping in at the middle waving my cleaning products around.

The host might have been sent the photo and thought "What is this guest going on about?" Then, for us to be told there were no cleaning products whilst washing dishes... Does not correlate. (no answer to that question).

Clearly, we're being told different accounts of the same thing - salt? Calcium? and neither you nor I nor anybody knows the hosts story. Yet still you all want to believe a guests' one sided story, full of holes, and research how she might find fault in her booking by scouring PLUS pages for requirements! 

How fast did she post that cable photo !!! She's looking for any excuse she hasn't already tried yet after Airbnb have already told her that her previous 'complaint' was unfounded.

Not enough information, contradictory information and withheld information doesn't even get  one star from me. 

The place is supposed to be presented fully functional and clean. Full stop. It's not the guest's job to arrive and start cleaning and fixing stuff.

Now you're back to the dishwasher issue. It IS the issue. There was no complaint mentioned about the general cleanliness of the apartment, and the guest did WANT to start her own cleaning.. so less of the "It's not the guests job"  She wants to do it, and is making it the hosts fault because she can't. There was nothing stopping her from getting her own cleaning products for her to do that. Maybe there was if there was no mop or bucket or brush... (but no answer to that question).

And those products are NOT the responsibility of the host to provide, but do let's make that a moral issue and make the host wrong, even though he isn't.

All these points are an issue too if you read:

I arrived at the Airbnb, there were some dysfunctions, I took pictures of them but I thought that I can handle with them, just for the worst-case scenario, and told the host about some of them.

Some of them ! Already the host is thinking "Oh No !"

Im very disappointed with Airbnb that they don't try to help to find another place.

he sent me a message and wrote that he thinks that it was a "mystery" what happened to the dishwasher ( a photo might solve that one, what state was it in? ).  A few grains of salt in the hinge area causing it to grate and jar after the salt being filled perhaps? (Or was this after it was magically 'fixed' when the repairman pressed the 'close' button? Who knows?) 

RED FLAGS... ANYBODY AT ALL? Or should we just hang the host now?

I'm quite pleased I'm not on the list for a visit. If I was asking this guest questions and not receiving answers on her booking enquiry she'd be told to look at booking a hotel. If she did manage to get booked and it wasn't the free cleaning stuff we have available I'd be expecting serious complaints about the WiFi..

[Huma0]

@Ian-And-Anne-Marie0 

Of course, we don't know the full story because we are only hearing one side of it, but I find it interesting how, in most cases, when a host posts on here complaining about a guest, the majority of responses are supportive, even though we don't know the guest's side of the story, whereas a guest complaining about a host often gets attacked.

We don't know much about this host, but @Netta5 has a lot of reviews, all positive (and also mentioned how much she has enjoyed her stays at the other Airbnbs). The main thing that is mentioned over and over again is that she keeps the place super clean and tidy, but also that she had great communication and is polite and friendly and kind. More than one host also describes her as 'easy going'. So no, that doesn't sound to me like a guest who is constantly complaining and giving her hosts a hard time. 

RE the dishwasher, the fact that the guest wants to keep the place clean during her stay has absolutely no bearing on the matter. If the dishwasher needed cleaning out before she arrived, that was the host's responsibility. If the photo she sent him showed that it was just some salt that needed cleaning, why did he not simply send a cleaner for the job rather than a repair person? 

Whatever the problem was, the excuse for it was that the place had not been booked for a while and sitting empty. Well, that's not really a valid excuse. Sure, you probably wouldn't be repeatedly cleaning an unoccupied property, but you still get it ready properly for the next guest when you do get a booking. 

[Huma0]

And @Ian-And-Anne-Marie0 , as well as the 13 reviews (all positive) that @Netta5 received, I checked out the reviews she left for her hosts. All were positive, many absolutely glowing, with zero complaints, bar ONE. So, it seems that she will complain when she feels there's justification for it, but certainly doesn't seem like someone who is looking for problems. Quite the contrary.

You're making plenty of assumptions too given that you also don't know the full story.