To complain about this

[WhitePhantom]

I booked an airbnb house for myself and DS (15) a while back, and one of the things I checked before booking was that we'd have the house to ourselves - i.e. not sharing with random strangers.

We were arriving yesterday, and I got a phone call from the lady who was meeting us to say that the owner had double booked it (she just meets the guests and checks them in) and wanted to know was it ok with us to share with this guy in his thirties, told me what a lovely guy he is, etc.

I said no, as I didn't want to share with a stranger and would have booked elsewhere if I'd known we would be. She said ok, that she'd arrange somewhere else for him to stay.

So I arrived at the house and he was still there - she told me that he'd leave at 7pm. I felt very uncomfortable, as I was the reason he was being "kicked out". He was in the sitting room on his laptop and watching TV. I didn't fancy trying to make small talk with him and would have felt rude sitting there ignoring him, so I stayed in my room for about half an hour, and then headed out for most of the rest of the day.

I arrived back about 6. He was in the shower so I went into the sitting room and made myself comfortable browsing on my phone. He came in a while later and did the same, and it was a perfectly comfortable silence. Then he struck up a bit of conversation and we chatted for 10 mins before he left. He seemed perfectly pleasant, but that's not the point.

So wibu to raise it with the owner, who I booked the house from, they I wasn't at all happy to have been put in that position? Or just leave it so?

[Amandahugandkisses]

Yes say something. It's not really v fair.

[bramblina]

YANBU you made a decision and it was not honoured.

[IMissGrannyW]

don't you get to leave a review on airbnb? Why not just leave one and state this? Don't understand why it's a thread tbh. Not a complaint as such, just a statement of the facts.

[baconandeggies]

YANBU but that's the risk with Airbnb... I was put off by the lack of regulation and heard that negative reviews are routinely removed from the system..

[BarInSpace]

Did you and the other customer both pay full price so the owner was getting double the income?

[WhitePhantom]

Thanks all. If rather deal directly with the owner and tell him I wasn't happy than put a bad review... not quite sure why.

I've used airbnb a few times and it's always worked out well. I'm happy to continue using it, and this was only am issue because of specifically checked that we'd have the house to ourselves.

A friend reckons we should look for some of our money back.

[user1471545174]

Your stay was compromised - I'd be asking for a partial refund.

[WhitePhantom]

I don't know that, Bar.

[PigletWasPoohsFriend]

Certainly do say something.

[JoJoSM2]

I'd be fuming. A private space is a private space - if you book a hotel room, you can't be put in a dorm sharing with others... Id be chasing it up.

[PopGoesTheWeaz]

does that mean it wasn't cleaned between visitors either? I'd contact the owner and say you weren't happy and ask for a refund (or whatever will make you feel she has addressed it) and then leave a review saying we had this problem but she addressed it this way.

[deathtoheadlice]

I would pursue this. Part of the appeal of airbnb is that they hold some of the risk, like not actually paying until you've entered the accommodation so that people can't do Craigslist scams and rent out places that don't exist. In this case you didn't get what you arranged through the site and they should deal with it appropriately. I'd expect it to be really bad publicity for them otherwise, so if you don't have any luck I'd try twitter, or the media even.

[MorticiaCropleysCookbook]

Do you mean sharing a room, or just each having a room in the house, like a normal b&b? I don't really understand the problem. Surely this is what happens in any guest house/hotel. You're always sharing the facilities with random strangers, aren't you?

[AmeliaJack]

I wouldn't have agreed to go into the apartment if a strange man was there quite frankly. Not even if my DH was with me.

We'd have cancelled and decamped to a hotel.

And yes, poor review.

[NickNacks]

Maybe he was the owner?

[RebootYourEngine]

Definitely complain.

There was a tv programme about air b'n'b on not too long ago, think channel 4. There are no regulations.

[KeyserSophie]

Surely this is what happens in any guest house/hotel. You're always sharing the facilities with random strangers, aren't you?

Totally different. You're not sharing a bathroom and you have a pretty solid lock on your bedroom door. Plus there are staff .

[Trifleorbust]

It doesn't matter what happens in hotels. The OP booked on the understanding that she wouldn't be sharing the house and the owner clearly reneged on that arrangement. Unacceptable. I would definitely be irritated that they tried it on, especially having been told clearly that you wanted private run of the house.

[ConvincingLiar]

I would want a partial refund as you didn't get the exclusive use you'd paid for. Complain before leaving a bad review.

[WhitePhantom]

Thanks all. I've contacted him and told him I wasn't happy and why, and that I wanted to give him a chance to address the issue before leaving my review.

Morticia you seem to be completely missing the point. Of course I'd be sharing a hotel / guest house with other people, but I would do so by choice and would know in advance that I had chosen to do that. (Suppose you had booked a hotel room and found that you were expected to share it with other people, would it help if we said "oh but in a hostel you'd do that, so what's the problem?") It's all about getting what you've booked, requested and agreed to.

[WhitePhantom]

Meant to say, the guy wasn't the owner. The owner lives abroad and the lady who met me looks after it for him, but he does all the bookings.

[MorticiaCropleysCookbook]

Suppose you had booked a hotel room and found that you were expected to share it with other people, would it help if we said "oh but in a hostel you'd do that, so what's the problem?"

I wasn't saying that. I genuinely don't know if there's a difference between airbnb and normal b&b. The only b&b's I've ever stayed in (I don't mean Travel Inns etc.) have been private rooms in a house, but often with shared bathroom and a communal dining room. That's why I was asking if you were being expected to share your room, which, of course would not be fine. Is it usual for airbnbs to be sole occupancy of the house? I have no idea. I suppose if I booked a b&b, I would not be expecting to be the only occupant.

[RebootYourEngine]

morticia Air b'n'b is a website for people to rent out their homes for travellers as holidays homes. It is nothing like a normal b'n'b. Hope that helps.

[WhitePhantom]

Airbnb can be a private room in a shared house, or a whole house/apartment. I booked a whole house. The bnb bit is misleading, as it's nothing like bnb in the usual sense.

Anyway, I emailed him and told him I wasn't happy and that I wanted to give him a chance to address it before putting up my review. He came back to say he'd refund Sat night, so I'm happy with that.

[ConvincingLiar]

Glad you got a satisfactory answer in the end.