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AIBU?

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Air BnB question

59 replies

ginislife · 17/05/2025 08:54

not sure if I’m being U or not so asking here before I go to them. Booked an Air BnB in London for Tuesday/Wednesday night this week as we were at an exhibition at the Excel. The apartment we booked looked beautiful - floor to ceiling windows with a view of the river, 2 bedrooms/2 bathrooms and walking distance to Excel. When we got to London and were looking up the directions I’d been sent a message to say there was no hot water where we’d booked (boiler issue that couldn’t be quickly fixed) so we’d been booked into one of their other properties. It was ground floor, no view, 1 bathroom - and as it turned out no hot water on the first morning as it hadn’t been turned on (involved switching off the main fuse board and back on again as it turned out, which wasn’t obvious as the fuseboard was hidden) and it was 5.5 miles from Excel. Oh and the TV didn’t work very well - we had to spend ages tuning it in.

Would you suck it up or ask for a partial refund ? Or give a 3 or 4 star review rather than 5 ? At the end of the day they didn’t leave us bedless but we were so disappointed we didn’t get our fancy apartment close to where we were going and it was a bit of a trek.

first world problem I know.

OP posts:
Youremylobster86 · 17/05/2025 09:02

Definitely ask for a refund! Don't let them get away with it.

faerietales · 17/05/2025 09:01

I’d suspect it was a bait and switch too.

I’d want all my money back.

MoreChocPls · 17/05/2025 09:01

Serious refund!!!

Padloque · 17/05/2025 09:00

Yes, I’d be seriously questioning whether that first apartment is even available, and if I did leave a review I’d outline what happened very clearly to warn others. If it’s unemotional but factual - ‘host had hot water issues but booked us into a different property which was much further away/didn’t have xyz facilities’ - then they can’t argue for it to be deleted.

MyCyanReader · 17/05/2025 08:59

I'd want a huge discount!

I'd have actually said no thanks and stayed in the original apartment with no hot water for a discount.

If they don't give a huge discount then I'd leave a poor review as the apartment you got was clearly much cheaper than the one you paid for.

ElfAndSafetyBored · 17/05/2025 08:59

I’d want a complete refund (no idea if that is possible).

MNOP · 17/05/2025 08:58

My first thought was a bait and switch too.

Can you find the second apartment on booking.com and see the price difference?

lostinthesunshine · 17/05/2025 08:56

I would check other reviews and see if other people have actually stayed in the right apartment.

It sounds to me like it was a “bait and switch” and I suspect the first apartment doesn’t really exist.

OatFlatWhiteForMe · 17/05/2025 08:55

I would be seeking a partial refund.