My friend and I booked this flat because of the good reviews. Some parts of these are correct: the flat is clean and the location is close to shops and cafes. But on arrival our first impressions were disappointing. The free tea and coffee offered did not include milk, the side light in the main bedroom didn’t work, the rubber plant in the lounge was dying, the tv didn’t work, there were several empty picture hooks on the walls, the furniture was not in good condition, the were no curtains or blinds in the lounge there was no welcome booklet with information, emergency numbers or instructions about how to work the tv or dvd, the light it the store cupboard was missing and there were no spare bulbs. It had also been difficult to get into the main door of the flat block.
But the worst incident happened later that evening. My friend found herself trapped in the single bedroom and unable to get out. It took us fifteen minutes, trying everything we could, before the door finally gave way. I rang the management agency and left two answer phone messages, one asking for a full refund. There was never any reply and we have never had an apology.
It’s hard to explain how frightening this experience was. Luckily there were two of us in the flat, but had it been someone on their own, or someone who suffered from panic attacks or claustrophobia, or had there been a fire, it could have been far more serious. Incidentally there are also no fire escape instructions on the backs of the doors and no fire extinguishers.
When I got home I emailed the management agency to ask again for a refund. They denied there was a problem with the door and said that as we had not checked out immediately we were not entitled to a refund. I then approached Air b and b themselves who said that as I had not asked them for a refund directly within 24 hours they could only offer a ‘resolution’ process. This involved me emailing the flat’s owner Ian, who did not reply, but ‘reviewed’ me. Air b and b then told me Ian had refused to give a refund and there was nothing they could do - despite the photos and videos I had sent including a video showing clearly that the door handle of the single bedroom was faulty.
From the start of the booking I had been given the impression I was emailing Ian, but this was completely misleading. It is impossible to contact Ian directly. Everything goes through a management agency.
The worst aspect of all of it is that Air b and b does not appear to care about the well being of its customers. Unless it changes its procedures who knows what safety issues it will indirectly be responsible for in the future?