Recs for getting an Airbnb partial refund?
June 20, 2023 9:05 AM Subscribe
We arrived for a 10-day stay at an Airbnb in London, and one of the showers in our 2.5 bathroom flat is inoperable. How do I best approach getting a partial refund? I’ve vrbo/Airbnb’d many times before but never had an issue where one of the basic amenities isn’t available.
We booked a 2br, 2.5 bath flat in Camden, London for a 10-day stay. Arrival presented with a host of issues, most seriously a loud knocking/squealing sound from the 2nd bathroom whenever any water was run in the flat (including flushing the toilets). Also discovered no hot water, and the 1/2 bath was labeled “do not use”. We reported these issues to the host (as soon as we discovered them, within an hour or two), and a handyman came out the next day and restored the hot water and use of the 1/2 bath. He was able to stop the loud noise from the plumbing, but declared the 2nd bathroom shower inoperable without a more significant fix/replacement of some part of the shower fixture.
I’ve contacted the host and asked for an update on when the shower will be fixed but so far she hasn’t replied to me (1/2 day later). What’s my best next move? Realistically I don’t want to try and find another apartment or hotel, but I’m not keen on paying full price when a significant item in the flat isn’t usable. It’s pretty inconvenient to share 1 shower between 4 of us when we were expecting 2.
I checked the Airbnb site, which says issues should be reported within 72 hours, but I’m not clear whether my past communications with the host count for that or whether I have to initiate their resolution process? Also, what do you think is a fair remuneration to ask for? The flat cost around $500/night (all prepaid). How should I think about what’s fair? Any tips to maximize the chance of this getting resolved?
Thanks in advance for any thoughts on how we should approach this with either/both the host and Airbnb.
We booked a 2br, 2.5 bath flat in Camden, London for a 10-day stay. Arrival presented with a host of issues, most seriously a loud knocking/squealing sound from the 2nd bathroom whenever any water was run in the flat (including flushing the toilets). Also discovered no hot water, and the 1/2 bath was labeled “do not use”. We reported these issues to the host (as soon as we discovered them, within an hour or two), and a handyman came out the next day and restored the hot water and use of the 1/2 bath. He was able to stop the loud noise from the plumbing, but declared the 2nd bathroom shower inoperable without a more significant fix/replacement of some part of the shower fixture.
I’ve contacted the host and asked for an update on when the shower will be fixed but so far she hasn’t replied to me (1/2 day later). What’s my best next move? Realistically I don’t want to try and find another apartment or hotel, but I’m not keen on paying full price when a significant item in the flat isn’t usable. It’s pretty inconvenient to share 1 shower between 4 of us when we were expecting 2.
I checked the Airbnb site, which says issues should be reported within 72 hours, but I’m not clear whether my past communications with the host count for that or whether I have to initiate their resolution process? Also, what do you think is a fair remuneration to ask for? The flat cost around $500/night (all prepaid). How should I think about what’s fair? Any tips to maximize the chance of this getting resolved?
Thanks in advance for any thoughts on how we should approach this with either/both the host and Airbnb.
It's 72 hours to report the issue to Airbnb, so I would report to them as soon as possible through their resolution process. All Airbnb is going to do at first is pass messages along to the host, so there is no reason not to use Airbnbs process.
posted by ssg at 10:11 AM on June 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by ssg at 10:11 AM on June 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
I would suggest leaning on the host for a response (MAKE SURE THIS IS ALL HAPPENING VIA THE AIRBNB MESSAGING PLATFORM - they get dinged for slow response times, and you need the entire conversation documented where airbnb can access it if you have to escalate) once more before threatening airbnb support or actually opening a ticket. If you still get silence after another reminder, go ahead and file it as fresh.
Airbnb support has changed pretty dramatically since earlier in the pandemic and they are pretty much at "sucks to be you" levels at this point, so I wouldn't expect them to enforce any serious discounts. Your review is pretty much the only leverage you can hold over the host, so I'd say shoot your shot, aim high, and assume they're going to come back with a much more modest offer but probably not zero - but if they didn't offer you one after the first complaint you might brace yourself. They already know they've probably lost your 5 stars.
posted by Lyn Never at 10:23 AM on June 20, 2023 [5 favorites]
Airbnb support has changed pretty dramatically since earlier in the pandemic and they are pretty much at "sucks to be you" levels at this point, so I wouldn't expect them to enforce any serious discounts. Your review is pretty much the only leverage you can hold over the host, so I'd say shoot your shot, aim high, and assume they're going to come back with a much more modest offer but probably not zero - but if they didn't offer you one after the first complaint you might brace yourself. They already know they've probably lost your 5 stars.
posted by Lyn Never at 10:23 AM on June 20, 2023 [5 favorites]
I would continue to try to work it out with the host very politely - be VERY polite and only use the AirBnb messaging feature, not text or email or voice. You want a paper trail on the AirBnb platform showing what a nice and responsible guest you are, and that they're ignoring you - slow response time looks very bad on the host and will help your case. And since they already haven't replied to a message about an urgent issue, I would now say escalate to AirBnb support.
Take a few short videos or photos documenting the problem, then message the AirBnb help chat and immediately ask the chatbox to escalate to a phone call (you always get better service anywhere when talking to a real person so don't waste time typing!).
Recently I booked a place where they advertised a pool and hot tub - but a few days before checkin, when I asked the host to confirm that the pool was open, they said the pool and hot tub actually weren't available at all since they was only open for the hottest months of the year... yet they had made a big deal of it in the ad! They also refused to refund my booking. I called AirBnB and they issued a full refund after we talked for about 5 minutes. The AirBnB customer service support is pretty great.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 10:34 AM on June 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
Take a few short videos or photos documenting the problem, then message the AirBnb help chat and immediately ask the chatbox to escalate to a phone call (you always get better service anywhere when talking to a real person so don't waste time typing!).
Recently I booked a place where they advertised a pool and hot tub - but a few days before checkin, when I asked the host to confirm that the pool was open, they said the pool and hot tub actually weren't available at all since they was only open for the hottest months of the year... yet they had made a big deal of it in the ad! They also refused to refund my booking. I called AirBnB and they issued a full refund after we talked for about 5 minutes. The AirBnB customer service support is pretty great.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 10:34 AM on June 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
You have to escalate while you are still in situ. Once you leave, Airbnb will be no help. Recent experience with recalcitrant host and Airbnb shrug.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 10:48 AM on June 20, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by TWinbrook8 at 10:48 AM on June 20, 2023 [3 favorites]
Document EVERYTHING with video and photos when you message AirBnB.
Even then, don’t expect much from their help line. I stayed in an AirBnB recently with a massive bed bug infestation. AirBnB immediately confirmed the bed bugs with the video I sent them and their response was basically IDK figure it out with the host. They also have a fun policy where if you are in rental with bed bugs they will just cancel any upcoming AirBnB reservations you have without telling you ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I’d suggest documenting all of the issues, messages, et cet and assuming you’ll just have to claw back a refund through your credit card company after the stay.
posted by forkisbetter at 1:01 AM on June 21, 2023
Even then, don’t expect much from their help line. I stayed in an AirBnB recently with a massive bed bug infestation. AirBnB immediately confirmed the bed bugs with the video I sent them and their response was basically IDK figure it out with the host. They also have a fun policy where if you are in rental with bed bugs they will just cancel any upcoming AirBnB reservations you have without telling you ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I’d suggest documenting all of the issues, messages, et cet and assuming you’ll just have to claw back a refund through your credit card company after the stay.
posted by forkisbetter at 1:01 AM on June 21, 2023
Absolutely document the problems with photos and video, and get screenshots of the listing showing the 2.5 baths. If you do not get a satisfactory resolution from the host or AirBnB support, I would definitely pursue it with your credit card company. You were not provided the amenities that you paid for, plain and simple.
posted by xedrik at 12:31 PM on June 21, 2023
posted by xedrik at 12:31 PM on June 21, 2023
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posted by leslies at 9:30 AM on June 20, 2023 [6 favorites]