First off I just want to say Airbnb has been so empathetic to my situation and has handled it so fast and well.
Made it to California all the way from Canada. I get to my air bnb two hours early, no big deal I just wait outside. I had messaged the host (NOT Victoria, she made someone named Alina N her cohost but no one was responding). asking if I could check in earlier, but no response at all. I was getting a bit nervous as to why she didn’t respond but just kept waiting. As I’m waiting outside a girl walks onto the porch and asks who I am. I say I’m the air bnb guest staying at the loft and she gets really weird all of a sudden, confused you could say. She invited me to wait inside and I accepted. 5 minutes later, a guy named Brandon walks in claiming to own the house and has no idea I’m staying there.
Turns out, the girl who walked in earlier was his cousin who paid, I quote, “so much fucking money” to stay there for the month... He had the audacity to offer a “room at the back”. I refused. It also turns out, that the host wasn’t even responding to me on the app, but texting him non stop as he was freaking out. He started becoming hostile with me saying he can’t do anything but give me a dingy room at the back of the house, and when I still refused he says “well, you’re not even supposed to check in until 3. You’re on my property, I could have reacted very differently since you’re technically not supposed to be here.”
Obviously this was an indirect threat and I politely said I’ll wait outside, but he got “nice” again and said “no no it’s okay”. My gut was screaming to get out of there. He then goes “wow the host is asking me to speak in private”, super sketchy!! I asked him for the hosts number and called her from my own cell. She said there was nothing she could do, that I shouldn’t have an “attitude” and that it’s best if I just leave and cancel.
I refused and said if she couldn’t offer me the place I booked, SHE has to cancel. Her response was “the app is glitching for me” and “I’ve been on the phone for 50 min and no response from Airbnb”. Her app worked fine when she was taking my payment and confirming all dates, but sure. She then proceeded to send me countless rude messages saying how I’m not humble, how I should have understood that mistakes happen, I’m selfish blah blah. I mean, of COURSE I have an attitude.... you literally scammed me of a loft I PREPAID for. No logic. Her English was terrible too, and my reason for pointing that out is that if you can’t communicate effectively with the people you’re hosting, don’t host.
Anyways, her excuse was BS because I was able to get in touch with Airbnb in literally 5 min. FIVE MINUTES. They were supportive and refunded me within the hour. I’ve only ever had good experiences so this was definitely an abnormal situation. Glad I got out and it’s probably for the better how it ended up. I have a beautiful place in Santa Monica now for a few days and so happy.
Nevertheless, kind of a scary situation to be in and I can’t believe the audacity of some people. Brandon, how dare you threaten a paying guest by saying “I could have reacted very differently to you being in my house when I didn’t know”. These low life, flakey LA folk give the rest a bad name.