6: Beat the Cheats on AirBnB
IN THIS EPISODE…
Carson and Nicole use their recent experience with AirBnB to help you have a better experience, including signs that a listing might not be what it seems and what to do if you find yourself in your own horror house.
SHOW NOTES:
Here are the links to the three blog posts about our Otranto AirBnB:
November 5, 2022: What You See Is Not What You Get in Otranto
November 13, 2022: Home is Where the... Water Leaks?
December 14, 2022: And At Last We See the Light
And here is AirBnB’s Resolution Center.
TAKEAWAYS:
Our recent experiences brought up a few concerns regarding AirBnB listings, including negative reviews being removed, being unable to access help, and AirBnB making a decisions about complaints without any proof or follow up.
When looking at a listing, you can eliminate potential for a bad experience by paying attention to the photos, reviews, host profile, and other details.
In photos, look for things that are missing, rooms that aren’t well-photographed, antique structures that might be poorly cared for, and shared decorations across different listings.
The number and depth of reviews can be a good indicator. Also look for large gaps in reviews (a sign poor ratings have been removed), bad reviews clustered at the bottom of the list, and how a host responds to both positive and negative feedback.
If the host’s profile is detailed, includes a guidebook, makes specific and actionable promises, and has a Superhost designation, those are all good signs.
Read the fine print—look for extra charges noted in the “house rules” or other drop-down descriptions hidden deeper in the listing, and pay attention to contradictions.
Many host post their listings on multiple websites, which might have more information or more accurate reviews.
Trust your gut—you can find great deals, but if something seems too good to be true, there’s a good chance it is.
Sometimes things go wrong, but only give your host one chance to make it right. If they show you they can’t come through for you, believe them.
For long-term stays, we recommend getting out of there, even if it means a monetary hit. This is a consideration for short term stays, too, if it’s in budget.
Document Everything. Then backup everything.
If you use a messenger outside of the app, switch all communication to the app the moment things take a turn for the worse, and immediately alert both the host AND AirBnB to the problem.
AirBnB says you should try to go through the host first, but they will NOT back you up if you go that route. Besides, it’s good to have a record of it, even if you only talk to a bot.
