Hi all,
just found this thread and my partner and I are having a nightmare trying to get a refund from Airbnb and want to know what our options for escalation are. Can anyone help?
On the day we checked in we smelt gas coming from the kitchen, and we’re unable to get hold of the host. The smell got extremely strong throughout the evening and so we called the Airbnb safety team around 10:30pm as we were worried about going to sleep. We were told to evacuate the property immediately, which we did.
This left us stranded in the dark, as two young women, on the side of a very remote road in the French countryside. There were no transport options and Airbnbs suggestions for alternative accommodation were over an hour away from where we were staying. Fortunately, we were able to be picked up by an acquaintance that was in the area for the same wedding as us, and had to stay with others in another Airbnb, which we also had to pay for.
Airbnb have stated that after a thorough review of their policies they are only able to offer a partial refund. We are trying to dispute this as we cannot understand how we would not be entitled to a full refund given the extremely dangerous situation we were put in and the fact Airbnb advised us to leave the property on the first night. We are also seeking compensation for the additional cost of alternative accommodation and items left behind in the original property.
Is this something that is likely to be successful at small claims? It was quite a traumatic event and it appears Airbnb have no concern for their customers safety. Any advice would be appreciated!