Bad AirBnB experience - refund?

[imp4]

So we're traveling in Europe and staying at AirBnB's along the way. I've been using them for years and have never had a bad experience.

That all changed in a stay in Paris when we encountered a dirty apartment. Needless to say, I'm working the AirBnB system to try to get a refund.

Has anyone here been successful getting an Airbnb refund?

I'm also trying to decide whether to complain to my credit card company...

Recommendations?

 

[davebarnes]

I got a 100% refund from AirBnB.
Followed the process.

 

[savory]

Coincidentally, we also had among our worst Airbnb experience in Giverny France just about a week ago. Posted pictures were taken at angles that did not show the real condition of the property. Our toilet/sink bathroom was a work in progress and to get there we walked through an unfinished attic with their attic stuff all over. Our sleeping room was kind of finished. There were other problems. The good news it was $40 Euros. We simply left a honest but not positive review. We discussed alternatives such as a refund but decided not to.

 

[Silver]

We also received 100% refund from an Airbnb house on the ocean in St. Augustine, Fl about 2 years ago.

It rained the first night we were there, and the roof leaked....badly. The house was two stories with a solid wood staircase in the center of the house. I didn't realized the roof had leaked over the staircase until I fell down about 10 steps because they were so slick. It was frightening, but I wasn't hurt. We couldn't even use the second floor at all.

The owner was local, so we called him the next morning and he came right over. He was stunned, and said he had just had the roof replaced. We said we wanted a refund and he agreed. He said to call Airbnb, tell them the situation and that the owner had already agreed to a refund. He said they will call him to confirm, and that they will usually not refund unless the owner agrees.

It all went as he described, and we got the 100% refund.

 

[PawPrint53]

Yes. We had a bad one in Portland, OR, and got a refund.

 

[Lewis Clark]

We once got a full refund for the unused nights. This was our first AirB&B experience.

We made it clear before booking a multi-night stay that internet access was a requirement. We stayed for two nights with weak wifi, but the wifi signal did not improve and the owner did not install the promised signal booster, even though the router was about 130 feet from our unit.

The owner gave us a refund for all but one unused night. I forget why they insisted on keeping one night's worth of fees.

We complained to AirB&B, and they got us a refund for the last unused night.

 

[michelek]

We got a refund for a terrible place in Dallas. (Exposed wires, dishwasher leaked all over the kitchen floor, dirty sheets, old food in the fridge) If you take photos and also call Airbnb immediately upon arrival or upon discovery of the problem then Airbnb is more likely to help cancel and refund. What they will NOT do is help you find another place to stay or pay the difference if your new place costs more than the place you left. We found another hotel nearby- luckily bc we were there for a Bowl Game. It was a major pain to have to move the whole fam to the new place. (I just checked the Airbnb website and that place we hated is still an active Airbnb in Arlington- and getting decent reviews) If there is a lot of money on the line it is wise to buy your own travel insurance. And also have a back up plan in case the Airbnb sucks. Remember that each Airbnb is owned individually with no promise of quality or safety. Even a place with great reviews may not be up to your standards. There’s no consistency in Airbnb lodging. You’re at the mercy of the host which can be sketchy in the USA and even worse in a foreign country.

 

[mountainsoft]

We rented a cottage last year that had not been cleaned when we arrived. The owner was out of town and the cleaning crew had the wrong date. We left and found a room at an (expensive) resort hotel nearby for the night. I finally got through to the cottage owner who apologized and sent the cleaning crew out immediately. We stayed at the cottage the remaining two nights and the owner refunded the cost of our hotel rental (which was considerably more than the nightly cost of the cottage). He was more worried about losing his good AirBnB rating than refunding the cost of the hotel room.

We also had to cancel a vacation at the last minute a couple years ago when my mom had a stroke. The owner refunded their rental costs, and AirBnB refunded their fees once I explained the emergency situation.