AIBU to ask for a partial Airbnb refund?

[brightonroc]

Staying for the weekend. The one bedroom place advertised with an extra sofa bed and newly renovated is not newly renovated and the sofa bed is broken so I am on a shitty blow up mattress on the floor whilst other two are in the bedroom.

The ceiling in the bathroom is cracked and black with mould. There are several other dirty parts of the place.

I’m definitely going to be asking for money back - but how much should I ask for? It was £280 for 2 nights...

Should also add I told the owner yesterday who promised he would sort something today about the bed. He hasn’t been in contact at all.

We stayed in a place in August that said it was clean and newly renovated with three beds, and had one bed and was nowhere near newly renovated... and had bed bugs. Fiancé got eaten alive... air bnb weren’t thrilled about any type of refund and gave us basically nothing.

Good luck getting something back!

I have heard Airbnb can be quite difficult with refunds, did you perhaps pay with PayPal or credit card because they might be better at getting cash back?

@AnchorDownDeepBreath

Sounds like this place!

I’ve had an Airbnb refund before so not massively worried about getting one - more so about how much to ask for.

I’m thinking 2/3 had a decent nights sleep so knock off 1/3 plus a bit more for the crap state of the place and going for half as a refund.

Sound reasonable??

Is it in London?
www.wired.co.uk/article/airbnb-scam-london

I stayed in somewhere in London that was filthy (had to spend my first night cleaning it) and didn't have a working toilet for over 24 hours. Still didn't get a penny refunded when I complained to Airbnb, not even of the cleaning fee which was £30 or £40 pounds I think. Had a few other problems with Airbnb since then and also have concerns about the ethical issues of using them, so haven't used them since.

They also failed to do anything when I made them aware of a listing that was falsely described and kept being delisted and then relisted under different host names (so that it came up as a new listing and all the bad reviews disappeared), but with exactly the same photos (one of which was not even of the place) and false description. Similar issues to the places in the article in the link, but I guess as I am not a journalist they just decided to ignore me...

This is why I won't use them. Too many rogue hosts and allowed to get away with it.

Wow £280 for two nights in a rubbish place. Better try a travelodge next time!

For a refund, half sounds reasonable. I'd be tempted to ask for a full refund, but don't expect to get it.

Take loads of pictures and try for as much back as you dare. From what you describe it’s pretty much uninhabitable!

My first thought was that article @buttermilkwaffles

I got a full refund after I stayed in a room of someone's house. The room was basically their junk room and it didn't have a door - just a curtain! The cereal bowls were filthy and every room was cluttered, including mattresses randomly against walls. The bathroom, however, was amazing.

Anyway, your situation sounds much worse so Air BnB should refund you.

I'm so surprised people have had issues with air BnB refunding them. I've had 2 bad experiences with air BnB and the most recent one, they fell over themselves to help and gave a partial refund without me asking. Always take pictures/videos and communicate through the app/their portal only. It makes it so much easier to discuss it with them.

For lying on the ad, I'd go for at least 1/2 personally. A blow up bed isn't the end of the world but the newly renovated lie is.

@buttermilkwaffles

Blimey! That article is crazy! And yes it is London, just off Oxford Street

@puddingpudding
If there was a decent hotel
With 2 rooms for less than 300 quid round here I’d have booked it! But we are just off Oxford street

I got a half refund last May because the advertised AC wasn’t working (Italy, heatwave). I didn’t specify how much refund I wanted, just raised a Not As Advertised complaint.

I hate blow up bed. I’d ask for 2/3’s

I would ask for 1/3rd off and the cleaning fee.

There are decent enough places in your budget near Oxford St. Off the top of my head, nearby hotels I have seen inside (if not stayed):

www.griffinhousehotel.co.uk/our-rooms/

Or there is the EasyHotel chain:

www.easyhotel.com/hotels/united-kingdom/london/paddington

Lots of places near Paddington (walking distance to Oxford St). This one is on Booking.com for £104:

www.norfolktowershotel.com/

Ironically, the reason I know cheap hotels in the area is from helping stranded tourists who have fallen victim to Air BnB scammers.