Family of 12 says they were left ‘standing on the side of the road’ after Airbnb’s alleged ‘awful’ response to a bad listing

After a family of 12 was left stranded, a TikToker is calling Airbnb out for its allegedly poor customer service.

TikToker @reneescbfs said she “will never book through” the company again after its response to an incident was “awful and lacking any compassion.” A group of her family members booked an Airbnb to holiday in Byron Bay, Australia. When the family arrived, the home was vacant, under construction and uninhabitable. 

@reneescbfs

Hey @airbnb – my family turned up to this today. A completely vacant home, in the middle of a massive renovation. No warning, and when they rang you for help you accused them of lying, wouldn’t help find somewhere else to stay and wouldn’t provide them a refund. You left 12 people and 3 kids under 3 literally standing on the side of the road. #fyp #foryoupage #airbnb #airbnbaustralia #rentaldisaster #airbnbexperience #airbnbdisaster #byronbay #holidayaccommodation

♬ Oh No – Kreepa

“Airbnb refused to talk to her, wouldn’t believe her, wouldn’t assist in finding another rental and have refused to refund,” the video text stated

Brief footage showed a home that was undergoing total renovations inside and out. The interior was clearly in the middle of construction. Meanwhile, outside of the house, there was equipment and furniture, like the stove and fridge, strewn about.

The caption, addressed to Airbnb, read “When they rang you for help you accused them of lying, wouldn’t help find somewhere else to stay and wouldn’t provide them a refund. You left 12 people and 3 kids under 3 literally standing on the side of the road.” 

“We were disappointed to learn about this experience, and fully refunded the guest and provided rebooking assistance,” an Airbnb representative told In The Know. “We have taken appropriate action on the Host while we investigate further, and reached out to the guest to provide further support.”

People shared the TikToker’s outrage and vented about their Airbnb experiences. A couple of days ago @reneescbfs provided an update. She finally received a full refund and even thanked the TikTok community. 

“Airbnb has lost its spark. Hotels all the way,” a user said

“I’ve lost all faith in humanity! Greedy! So sorry this happened to them,” another wrote

“How is this possible,” a TikToker replied

“Hotels are best now for sure! People who have no experience in hospitality have no business renting homes, I’m over it,” someone commented

“Time to say bye-bye to Airbnb! They deserve a FULL REFUND!” a person added

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