Stay clear of this place!
We were locked out of the property for more than two hours since the lockbox did not work and we were unable to retrieve the house keys. The helpline number provided was unable to assess the situation and kept taking us around in circles. It was a cold and wet evening and finally kind passerby and a nearby pub took us in and provided us with WiFi to start a continuous dialog with Mark’s team to send a duplicate set of keys by cab. They did so most reluctantly and after much persuasion. The pub also helped us stay warm and protected till the keys reached. We dread to think what would have happened without the support of the local samaritans as we were clueless as to where to look for alternate accommodation in a new city late in the evening.
The same thing repeated itself during check out. In spite of asking them well in advance as to where to keep the keys while leaving the apartment, they insisted that the lockbox worked and telephonically wasted more than half an hour going through the lock opening process with us with different passcodes. Nothing worked and finally they accepted that the keys could be left behind in the flat itself. At this point I would like to mention that the mechanism of keeping the keys in a lockbox on the pavement at the end of the street exposed to weather conditions was a rather weird mechanism.
There was also no way to contact the owner directly during this emergency. The number provided was that of a helpline which was manned. by different people at different times and each one had to be explained the situation from the start and then they would take us in a loop the way helplines usually do. We missed out on a dinner we had pre booked on the first day and a walking tour we had planned on the last day because of this round about way of communication.
It was a failure on the part of both Mark and Airbnb to ensure that tourists don’t spend time and energy due to their own systemic failures. Needless to say that the thought of compensating a tourist for loss of time resulting in incomplete sightseeing and planned experiences did not even cross their minds.