Airbnb

I rarely leave negative reviews, but after almost a month of trying to resolve a disputed reimbursement charge with Airbnb, I feel I have little choice.

The original stay itself was already deeply problematic long before the reimbursement dispute even began.

From the outset, there were issues accessing the property properly, confusion around entry, and requests for additional payments outside the Airbnb platform in order to use parts of the house.

During the stay, I repeatedly cut my foot on broken glass left embedded in a rug in the kitchen area — on multiple occasions. This alone was upsetting enough, but unfortunately it was only one of a long list of problems with the property and amenities.

A number of features either did not function properly, were damaged, incomplete, or missing entirely. Examples included:

• projectors displaying warning messages that their bulbs had exceeded their operational lifespan,
• projector remotes missing entirely, making them extremely difficult to use,
• promises that replacements would be sent which never materialised,
• amenities advertised as luxury features but functioning poorly or not as expected,
• and a general level of maintenance which did not reflect the premium nature of the listing price.

Following the stay, I later discovered that if you search the property address independently online, there are also notably poor reviews associated with the address on other booking platforms, which suggests my experience may not have been isolated.

Despite all of this, the situation later escalated into me being pursued for a reimbursement claim relating to a chair which:

• I fundamentally dispute responsibility for,
• do not believe justified the amount being demanded,
• and which appears to have been valued at an amount wildly disproportionate to the actual item involved.

What has shocked me most has been Airbnb’s handling of the dispute afterwards.

For weeks, I have:

• submitted information and appeals through the Resolution Centre,
• requested meaningful escalation,
• repeatedly asked to speak with somebody senior,
• attempted to provide context and contradictory evidence,
• and tried consistently to resolve matters calmly and cooperatively.

Instead, I have found myself trapped in what feels like an endless administrative loop:

• being redirected back into the same appeal process repeatedly,
• receiving sympathetic but largely generic responses,
• being offered calls that either never materialised or occurred at impractical hours for UK time,
• and being told the matter was simultaneously “under review” while also effectively already decided.

Most concerningly, I still have not been provided with:

• a transparent explanation of how the reimbursement amount was calculated,
• clear evidence supporting the valuation being claimed,
• clarification as to why my evidence and wider context were disregarded,
• or confirmation that the appeal process involved any genuinely independent review.

I fully appreciate the importance of protecting hosts and processing legitimate claims fairly. However, fairness must also extend to guests — especially when serious concerns existed about the condition of the property itself.

At present, the experience has left me feeling extremely disappointed, unsupported, and exhausted by what has felt far more like a procedural system than a genuinely transparent dispute resolution process.

AirBNB is a con and does nothing to protect its customers. Book your accommodation, book your trip and then the host can just up and cancel because they realise they can make more money. No reason given, no explanation, just a refund email just like an out of stock internet order and a ruined trip. AirBNB is a cess pool for accommodation.

CAVEAT EMPOR!

What do you like best about Airbnb?

user friendly to host or book as a guest with lots of options and strong customer service

What do you dislike about Airbnb?

sometimes guests create issues knowing that airbnb will likely side with them

What problems is Airbnb solving and how is that benefiting you?

finding short term renters easily and offering affordable and at times, better options than hotels