If I had to describe my experience with the USB Area/ St. Albans Airbnb in one word, it would be TRAUMATIC.
I booked this reservation for my parents (an elderly couple in their late 50s and 60s). I did not spend a night at the rental, even though the reservation was for three (3) people.
USB Area/ St. Albans Airbnb was selected because it offered amenities vital to my parents' comfort during their long overdue vacation. Kindly note that this was their first trip to the United States of America, so they approached it with grandeur expectations and childish gleefulness.
Upon our arrival, I contacted the Host about some cleanliness concerns I had noticed in conjunction with an unplugged cable issue. The Host indicated that she was out of State and attributed these noticeable discrepancies to the inattentiveness of the Cleaning Lady.
While exploring their temporary home away from home, we decided to venture into the backyard to explore the private backyard and outdoor furnishing, mentioned in the listing. Deplorable would not do what we saw as any justice. The gazebo was a tattered remnant of past grandeur, the chairs were dust crusted, and their cushions were soiled and haphazardly scattered. It was a very disappointing sight clearly that the Host needed a replacement for this inefficient Cleaning Lady.
The apartment has one window, and the dated air conditioning unit was insufficient for cooling the apartment, especially on the days we were experiencing heat waves.
On Day 3, my parent became impatience about the cable issue, so I contacted the Host for an update. The Host indicated that she would provide us with a refund for the first two nights for the inconveniences caused and visited on Day 4, to address the cable situation. We were not on the premise, however, in good faith, approval was granted for the Host to enter the rental to rectify the cable issue. After she left, the host mentioned that during her unaccompanied visit, she noticed that the refrigerator door was left ajar (keep this in mind).
At this point, my parents would have already made their grocery run: my father is diabetic, is on medication, and has dietary restrictions, which connotes that the refrigerator was stocked with perishable groceries necessary for the preparation of his meals. It is highly unlikely that my parents would willingly choose to jeopardize the integrity of the medication, or the fresh ingredients needed to prepare their meals (that’s what eventually transpired due to the rental being without a functional refrigerator for 4 days).
Day 5 is where everything went left. There was a problem with the refrigerator, due to the hassle encountered while reporting the cable issue, I delayed raising this new issue with the Host until I was sure that it was necessary, MAJOR LAPSE IN JUDGEMENT.
The Host came out on Day 9 and by Day 10 it was evident the refrigerator was damaged.
Subsequently, the Host kept repeating that she noticed the refrigeration was left ajar when she first visited.
Side note: I will never grant another Host permission to enter the rental during my absence. Naivety can no longer be an excuse.
At this stage, the Host became tumultuous. Threats of cancellation were being thrown around, it was close to mid-day and the Host was demanding that my parents leave by 3 pm. I panicked and started looking for alternative rentals. Of course, with such short notice, my efforts were futile, so my parents and I sat anxiously awaiting the dreaded message, from Airbnb, about the Host Cancelling our reservation. It never came, instead, we got another irate call from the Host enquiring about our decision to Cancel, I calmly indicated that we were not the ones who opt to cancel (at this stage, my mother was sobbing uncontrollably, and my father was trying his best to console her).
In my effort to defuse an already tense situation, I implored the Host to wait until a technician's visit before making a final decision.
After the technician's visit, the Host requested reimbursement for the damages incurred, and of course, I declined the request because I had a video recording of the visiting Technicians clearly stating that the damages to the refrigerator were due to “Wear & Tear” and could not have occurred over 3 months (my parents had only spent 10 days at this point).
Amazingly, during the Host submission for reimbursement, the Technician’s Report was presented, and strange enough the report stated that the refrigerator compression had gone bad and attributed the “door being left opened” as a possible cause (sounds familiar?). I explained to the Host that the Technician told me something completely different (at that point I decided to not mention that I had video evidence to support my claim) and indicated to her that I was willing to have a 3-way discussion with her and the Technical since it’s clear that something foul was afoot. The Host refused and proceeded to present the Claim to Airbnb Resolution Center.
By 9 pm that evening, after presenting the requisite evidence to the representatives at the Airbnb Resolution Center, I received a correspondence clearly stating that we were not liable for the damages.
On one hand, I was relieved but on the other, I was anxious because the Host’s action and unprofessionalism had already traumatized my parents.
The new refrigerator was delivered on day 14, which means that the rental was without a suitable amenity for 4 days (a mini refrigerator was left at the front door, by the Host, but since she didn’t have the professionalism to knock on the front door, present it, plug it in and ensure it was working, my traumatized parents took in into the house and gently put it away, they were afraid of being accused of being responsible for any other damages).
During the refrigerator replacement process, we saw a rodent in a mouse trap behind the damaged refrigerator, a 6-inch hole was also visible on the