7 ms·

Key detail: > He left at 3am, reported, host is suspended, colleague got refund. Airbnb can't check everything, but at least they respond in a good and timely

Key detail: > He left at 3am, reported, host is suspended, colleague got refund. Airbnb can't check everything, but at least they respond in a good and timely manner.

bryanlarsen 9y ago
And sometimes they don't: https://twitter.com/goodyerin/status/935442561283559424 https://twitter.com/goodyerin/status/935442561283559424
1024core 9y ago
I once ended up in an AirBnB that had large cockroaches that came out at night (and landed on the bed, freaking my wife out). Called AirBnB at 2AM, they asked for proof (sent them a video). Finally, at 5AM I told them that we were leaving. They just cancelled the reservation, giving us no chance to leave a review. AFAIK, that host is still renting out her cockroach-riddled place in Oahu.
- goodcanadian 9y ago
  I've lived in Hawaii. Unfortunately, there is not a lot you can do about the cockroaches. You can keep things as clean as possible, but there will always be a few. Especially, after it rains, they tend to come indoors where it is dry. I would just try to smash them, so they didn't start breeding in my house. EDIT: I did not witness your Airbnb, of course; it is entirely possible that the place was infested. I was just put in mind of a friend who freaked out when she saw one single cockroach and told us our place was infested.
  - 1024core 9y ago
    The place was at fault. There were crumbs in the edges of the floor in the kitchen and other nooks and crannies. If you don't want insects infesting your place, you should keep it clean and not feed them. I stayed in other AirBnBs too, and never saw cockroaches that size and in those numbers.
- mrgordon 9y ago
  I would have followed up with that concern.
yardie 9y ago
Sometimes their response is completely lacking, if they respond. I had an incident where the airbnb owner neglected to mention she had pets. The hair was everywhere including the bed, making it impossible to breathe. So I contacted airbnb who refunded me after a lot of back and forth. Thus began a long night of calling completely booked hotels. The other Airbnb hosts required 24h minimum notification. We ended up staying at a partially renovated hotel. Airbnb has been great for democratizing travel but some people have no business in hospitality.
- potatolicious 9y ago
  I had a similar issue with an Airbnb - the listing didn't mention pets, and the host ended up being an elderly person whose pet simply did its business on a patch of astroturf in the bathroom. The whole place stunk to high heaven. I ended up relocating to a hotel. My issue is that I feel that Airbnb reviews aren't trustworthy - this was a listing with a lot of reviews, not a single one mentioned the smell or the weird business with the dog, and all were absolutely glowing reviews. I find that a bit hard to believe. It's the same way I feel about Grubhub/Seamless - even the sketchy deli with the expired meat somehow has a 4 out of 5 star rating. I'm pretty sure getting shut down by the health department would only merit a drop to 3.5 stars. I no longer use Airbnb because I really just can't trust that the reviews are on the up and up.
  - dazc 9y ago
    'My issue is that I feel that Airbnb reviews aren't trustworthy...' The problem with Airbnb reviews is that you are being reviewed too - so, although you can technically leave a bad review there is a social pressure not to. I have also learned to be wary of places with a high number of reviews relative to others in the same area.
    - thijsvandien 9y ago
      Airbnb doesn't publish those reviews until either both parties have written one, or the deadline to do so has expired.

Key detail: > He left at 3am, reported, host is suspended, colleague got refund. Airbnb can't check everything, but at least they respond in a good and timely manner.

bryanlarsen 9y ago

And sometimes they don't: https://twitter.com/goodyerin/status/935442561283559424 https://twitter.com/goodyerin/status/935442561283559424

1024core 9y ago

I once ended up in an AirBnB that had large cockroaches that came out at night (and landed on the bed, freaking my wife out). Called AirBnB at 2AM, they asked for proof (sent them a video). Finally, at 5AM I told them that we were leaving. They just cancelled the reservation, giving us no chance to leave a review. AFAIK, that host is still renting out her cockroach-riddled place in Oahu.

goodcanadian 9y ago
I've lived in Hawaii. Unfortunately, there is not a lot you can do about the cockroaches. You can keep things as clean as possible, but there will always be a few. Especially, after it rains, they tend to come indoors where it is dry. I would just try to smash them, so they didn't start breeding in my house. EDIT: I did not witness your Airbnb, of course; it is entirely possible that the place was infested. I was just put in mind of a friend who freaked out when she saw one single cockroach and told us our place was infested.
- 1024core 9y ago
  The place was at fault. There were crumbs in the edges of the floor in the kitchen and other nooks and crannies. If you don't want insects infesting your place, you should keep it clean and not feed them. I stayed in other AirBnBs too, and never saw cockroaches that size and in those numbers.
mrgordon 9y ago
I would have followed up with that concern.

yardie 9y ago

Sometimes their response is completely lacking, if they respond. I had an incident where the airbnb owner neglected to mention she had pets. The hair was everywhere including the bed, making it impossible to breathe. So I contacted airbnb who refunded me after a lot of back and forth. Thus began a long night of calling completely booked hotels. The other Airbnb hosts required 24h minimum notification. We ended up staying at a partially renovated hotel. Airbnb has been great for democratizing travel but some people have no business in hospitality.

potatolicious 9y ago
I had a similar issue with an Airbnb - the listing didn't mention pets, and the host ended up being an elderly person whose pet simply did its business on a patch of astroturf in the bathroom. The whole place stunk to high heaven. I ended up relocating to a hotel. My issue is that I feel that Airbnb reviews aren't trustworthy - this was a listing with a lot of reviews, not a single one mentioned the smell or the weird business with the dog, and all were absolutely glowing reviews. I find that a bit hard to believe. It's the same way I feel about Grubhub/Seamless - even the sketchy deli with the expired meat somehow has a 4 out of 5 star rating. I'm pretty sure getting shut down by the health department would only merit a drop to 3.5 stars. I no longer use Airbnb because I really just can't trust that the reviews are on the up and up.
- dazc 9y ago
  'My issue is that I feel that Airbnb reviews aren't trustworthy...' The problem with Airbnb reviews is that you are being reviewed too - so, although you can technically leave a bad review there is a social pressure not to. I have also learned to be wary of places with a high number of reviews relative to others in the same area.
  - thijsvandien 9y ago
    Airbnb doesn't publish those reviews until either both parties have written one, or the deadline to do so has expired.