My experience: never did stay there just got screwed over instead
Please read so it doesn’t happen to you:
Yes. I first was looking for a place to book on 3/3/22. I’ve been displaced due to hurricane Ida and tired of living in the aftermath of the Ida hurricane. I had just purchased a one way ticket to LBG on southwest for $89.
Next was to find accommodations being a former Airbnb host I went in their first. I Started a list to collect listings and Andre was the most reasonable. I was traveling and booking accommodations for the very same day 3/3/22. I submitted a request then the dates 3 & 4 were marked off. Which I found strange but I just figured that another person must of taken the dates right before I did. So now instead of booking for 3/3/22 I was now allowed to book stating on 3/5/22.
Due to price & desperation . I was relieved to book my stay with Andre.
And immediately after Andre started to communicate with me and sending pieces of information one at a time.
That’s when I noticed that the last name on the mailbox was odd but must be coincidence. It is his last name. I then started reading reviews and there strange hints that alerted me just because I had a relation to some of the hints but it must be a coincidence.
I’m communicating with Andre and he’s awfully polite with made me feel somewhat secure in my $34 dollar private room booking. Even if it was just private when I closed the curtain. ( I wasn’t turned off by that )
But one of Andres very first messages was “ I’m out of the country” my best friend Frank will be staying with you and here’s his phone number you can communicate with him instead of with me!
I was then looking for a place to stay for the 2 nights before I booked Andres listings then boarded my flight.
Which is when I reviewed Andre more closely. And the cancellation policy : your charged the cleaning fee; if you paid one.
I didn’t understand it. But the cleaning fee is only $10.
Then I’m was contemplating reaching out to Andre and ask him about this cancellation but he had already ask me to communicate with Frank instead. Plus it takes Andre an hour to reply.
I’m on the messenger thinking to myself what should say to Andre; and I saw right on the messaging area. That Airbnb does not recommend communicating outside the server as per safety And since I was going to be communicating outside the Airbnb server ,
WELL, that was my deciding factor.! I don’t know this person , there putting me at risk. And the if I cancel I just pay the cleaning fee if I pay one. ( so I told myself )
So I canceled . And now I saw that I being charged $80.
I called up Airbnb and the first ambassador was communicating with me thru the server and would be asking a supervisor to contact me. & I needed to know what he would sending out to the supervisor. I wanted to be agreement with it. And that it stated what I was asking for.
$80! Refunded
Because at this point my $10 cleaning fee had now escalated to $80. Which is why I called to complain about $80.
Then the ambassador said I needed 3 days to cancel so I wouldn’t be charged a cancellation fee but I tried to explain it was 2 days till I arrived .
The ambassador guaranteed me that a supervisor would call me . By the end of the day. No missed call was ever received no voice message was ever left
and now I’ve only been refunded $11 dollars out of almost an $800 booking that I never even used.
Today is 3/6/22 and I’m checking into a homeless shelter, as well as have had belongings stole from me
And no one can help me!!!
I was harassed as well robbed and sure ridiculed. For now reading the fine print.
I’ve asked Airbnb to look into this more in detail and refund my money in full as well as investigate Andre listing guests , & reviews.
Also his photo. When you go to expand it is pixelated and as well there is no photo of Frank.
Who has communicated with me but claims he has no access to the app.
So he could not cancel my reservation on his end. And Andre stop communicating
Help me.