Hi All,
I didn't see this anywhere and it seems distinct from the Airbnb master review thread.
First off I want to say Airbnb can be amazing as you can find great unique deals all over the world. I've used Airbnb a decent amount and have had very positive experiences.
But it can go bad, and when it does it can put a damper on or royally ruin a vacation.
First off there seems to be a myriad of scams out there:
https://www.vice.com/en/article/43k7z3/nationwide-fake-host-scam-on-airbnbhttps://lifehacker.com/these-are-the-most-common-airbnb-scams-1841428802Although those above cases are probably more rare, issues can come up all the time. There's even a dedicated website someone created for all the issues:
https://www.airbnbhell.com/I know people who have had the bait and switch issue as well as people who have said beds were missing etc.
Personally, I had an instance where I booked a villa for family (which included a baby) with a crib and heated pool. The host and home had great reviews. Got to the villa at 10pm after a long day and the keypad code they gave us didn't work while the hosts "24/7 emergency helpline" went straight to voicemail. Once we finally got in (via a back and forth email exchange 20 minutes later). There was no crib/pack and play to be found in the entire home. The pool heater was also broken. Long story short we left after one night after contacting Airbnb, but the entire thing was a huge hassle and practically spent a day trying to deal with it and find a new home to boot.
After dealing with this, I have a few personal recommendations when booking Airbnb's:
1) General booking advice: A) Check reviews, especially if there are any negative reviews. Generally speaking, people avoid confrontation. If someone had enough of a true negative experience to give a negative review to the host that should be a red flag. Additionally, guests only get to write 1 review and then the host can offer a rebuttal. The guest cannot respond to the host's rebuttal. The host can smear the guest and lie through their teeth, to cover up any grievances and at that point, the review is over. (I understand this isn't always true but I firmly believe people should take negative reviews more seriously than positive review in this space)
B) There are two types of hosts on Airbnb: Owners & Agencies/Property Managers. One can argue this both ways but I'd say agencies care less and are less aware of what's going on in the house in terms of condition and functionality.
2) Have a contigency/backup plan. If theres something wrong or fishy, it's important to not back yourself into a corner and end up staying in the home because you have nowhere else to go.
3) If something is off (wrong description, missing important items, horrible conditions) do not stay there. Pack up and leave. It is significantly harder to get a refund once you remain in the property and utilize any amenities. Especially if you stay the night; it will be almost impossible to get a full refund on that night.
4) Contact Airbnb immediately and not the host for your refund. If it's a small hiccup that the host can resolve the issue then by all means contact him/her. However, if you're not staying, it will be more direct to deal with Airbnb. You booked through them and they can provide the refund on the booking. The quicker they know and the quicker you show you didn't stay the more likely you'll be able to secure a refund.
Looking forward to others thoughts and input on this.
