I just tried to book an air b and b condo in Toronto for a week next November. I exchanged a number of emails with the "host" who was really a real estate agent representing a number of properties. She was cryptic and rude in her replies but because the user reviews were positive and the location was great, I went ahead. Well, then I get a message from her that her "boss" told her she cannot accept a reservation so far in advance. How far in advance can she accept? 2 months! So there is no future planning allowed. Then I had to cancel the reservation because she didn't decline it officially. I will NEVER use them again. SCAM and RIP-OFF.

As a host on airbnb I can say - besides many site functionality problem, it is also a poor business model and bad operations. The site is poorly tested and malfunctions often. If not an ordinary booking taking place - any slight modification on the booking request throw the whole thing in disarray. The customer service is below the poor. To reach them by phone - impossible, by email - upto 48 hours, and then you will get a kid giving you a lecture on how to operate their site. Then, after 6-8 exchanges, when screenshot being sent to them to prove that the magic button they sending you to is not there, they will say "Ohhh" and send it to the technical guys to sort it out. And that is endless with them. They take a pose to get upset with you if you are upset with them. They are polite, but mostly incompetent and will never admit to the site's malfunctions. And, finally, they take a big advantage of charging travelers 100% upfront and holding their money sometimes 6 months or more! Money should work. I think they are working only for Airbnb and not for the host. They are doomed. They are living their heydays, but they will not survive - this business is being re-arnged under pressure from governments and many hosts are seeking better representations, while travelers looking for more security. Airbnb does not offer neither security for hosts, nor for travelers. Nor they offer a good and sound service for us - they take advantage of us, hosts. I don't feel that I got a good deal.

At start seems a outstanding website , from both host and guest.
After one year hosting I can tell "if something go wrong you f*kd as host and as guest"
The story is they take 10 % of all transaction, they deal very well whit it , but that`s all. No insurance, no support, no noting, guest in trouble left alone if there is problems. I been renting for one year, they ruined my life , I left my job believing to be able to make a living out of it, but one day my place disappear from the research , no more booking , I contacted them 3 time a day for one month , is impossible to talk to someone who does say more than "good morning , how I can help you?" ..." I am sorry to hear that..." , "I send already an email whit the highest priority".
Never been contacted back, no one know what did happen, sent endless email , always received the usual automatic reply , thanks for contact airbnb we will contact you as soon is possible .. bla bla blabla.." 2 month and not one human response.. , there is no offices there is no manager contact anywhere , is a "ghost" company to the point that a layer does not know how to suit them, and even if was able to do so it was pointless (according to him) .. to cut it short if you are a host don't relay on them.

I have been renting from airBNB quite a lot particularity on my trips to Lyon in France.
I have to say that airBNB doesn't seem to be a trustworthy organization. Their client service is nonexistent. NO mail or direct phone to contact them.
Every time they charge non authorized amounts in my credit card and I have to claim to no avail. Last time I had to request anti fraud services of amex. I do recommend you people to be very careful with this company in order to prevent fraud and rip-off. On top of that strange way of operating their fees are outrageous. A rip-off no doubt.
They don't have a mail for us to complaint but their address is:

Airbnb, Inc.
888 Brannan Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
USA
Registered at: State of Delaware, Department of State,
Division of Corporations Registry
number of registry : 4566980
Tax number: 26-3051428
Phone: 1- 415 728 000
or 855-424-7262 or maybe you can use the following: reply@e.airbnb.com

I have a continuing problem as a consequence of a reservation I made with airbnb. I wanted to inform potential users of this site of the difficulties I have had in resolving a problem i had. I booked two accommodations for six of us (three married couples) traveling to Ireland in late August 2014. Both of the reservations were accepted and I furnished payment for same in the amount of $2301.00 on November 15, 2013. I think that bound both Airbnb & me contractually. The reservations I paid for was for a trip we planned for August of 2014. I was informed it was “Company Policy” that trips had to be paid for when booked…even when that far in advance

On January 20, 2014, some two months later, I received an e-mail from the host of one of the accommodations through Airbnb, cancelling my confirmed and paid for accommodations in Dublin for Aug 28-30. She claimed some misunderstanding on the dates that I had requested. She suggested another property and even went so far as to ask the host of that property to hold the space for us. Upon investigation I found it to be unsuitable since it had only two bedrooms and a hide-a-bed.

Since then I have made numerous contacts withairbnb company by telephone and e-mail. The e-mails were always answered by an automated response that made vague (& unfulfilled) promises of resolution. My telephone contacts, when I was able to wait long enough to get through the queue, were equally unproductive. I was often told that “senior management” was working on a solution and I would hear from them soon. The latest contact I had with your company was with an employee named Mitzi on 2-14/14. She said that the company had issued a refund for the cancelled/paid for reservation. I checked my AMEX account and no refund from Airbnb was posted. The representative then said that an e-mail addressing the situation had been sent. To date I have received no such e-mail. I asked for a mailing address for your company. After checking with someone, Mitzi unbelievably stated that she could not give out the address and that I should Google it. I also told Mitzi that I was unable to respond to the automated e-mails sent by your company. Her answer was that I should change my browser… which I found an astonishing response to a customer service question.

Avoid - no safeguarding to hosts & poor customer support:
I am a host and listed my apartment. Very quickly it was generating enquiries.
Someone booked it, they wanted that day for a total of 4 nights. I followed all the procedures at Airbnb accepting the request. 4 hours later I met up with the guests and they moved in.
8 hours later I get an automated email from Airbnb saying the reservation has been cancelled by Airbnb as they believe this particular guest may be behaving fraudulently. Payment had also not gone through.
That left me with guests in my apartment on a cancelled reservation! I then emailed Airbnb basically asking for advice and what had gone wrong? I thought maybe it was just a mistake with credit card details or something?
I also raised a safety concern through the website again asking for details and advice.
The response to these was just an automated acknowledgement email with no other answers. Further to this, it is now 24 hours later and still Airbnb have not got back to me via either methods of communication.
The ironic thing is it says on their website in big letter that they have 24hours customer services?!!!
Whilst it isn’t there fault that the guest is possible fraudulent, they should of have contacted me much quicker via telephone rather than just an email at 5 in the morning the following day. They have cancelled the reservation which means you can no longer access any contact details of in fact correspondence of the guest. They should also verify the payment details of guests immediately when the reservation is accepted.
The result of all this was I had guests in my apartment that should not be there. I went round to see them and they fobbed me off. I asked for a cash payment and they hadn’t got any money. I had a ‘well built’ friend to hand and luckily they left peacefully!
If you use the website as a host, you take a big risk; the website does not support you if there are issues.

This is a scam to both renters and guests, and I would suggest that you keep away from using their services. Not only is it run by a computer with no humans in sight, not even a contact link NOR PHONE number in their website, but should you encounter problems with the reservation, you are on your own. They just simply dont give a damn, because they charge the traveller upfront, and then wash their hands of any issue that may arise. Also, they delay payments to the renter, if they ever pay, that is... Unfortunately, there is no other similar site, which should give you an idea of a great business model ran professionally and decently. AVOID AIRBNB AT ALL COSTS!!!!

I have been hosting now for about 9 months on airbnb with nothing but positive experiences; I have so far received just under $20,000 in income from a single apartment on airbnb alone. Some of the complaints here are fickle and/or knee jerk reactions to experiences that airbnb.com may not have been able to control. The verification system is actually quite reassuring, and it is up to the host/guest to make a judgment on a case-by-case basis. We have accepted some guests with no verifications whatsoever and we have still had no bad experiences or instances of fraud. There will always be fraudsters, especially on the internet, it is up to you to be vigilant in any of your interactions and transactions when doing business with anyone. There is a reason why airbnb urges you not to communicate outside of the website, and it is not just so they can secure their commission - it is for security. If someone asks to communicate outside the site I immediately flag them. I also read a review about receiving funds on weekends... if you have paypal you will receive the money about 24hours after check-in; if you are set up to receive your payments via bank account, then this is dependent on your bank being open on weekends, again something out of airbnb's control. Again, I have been nothing but pleased with this listing service... it's definitely the best I've encountered on the internet. HouseTrip also seems like a nice site, but it's not bringing in any $$ for us yet.

Beware! The "Street View" shown the web site is not the actual location of the apartment. Airbnb does not give you the address of the apartment until you have paid for your reservation. We made a 35 day reservation for an apartment in Lyon-France for June this year. Based on the information displayed on the Airbnb website, the apartment looked very nice and the street views showed that is was located in a very nice area. After we made payment, we got the address of the apartment. When I checked the address on Google Maps we I found out to our dismay that the building was located in a very narrow and dark street with bordered up store front and shuttered windows. The area did not look safe. Everything was covered in graffiti and the entrance was located across from a building where the trash cans were collected. We tried to cancel the reservation. So far Airbnb is unwilling to refund the money and we have contacted the credit card company to open a dispute with Airbnb.

I was recently scammed for over 1500 USD by a fraudulent posting for an apartment in London on the AIRBNB site. I share much of the blame for this as I went outside of the AIRBNB site to communicate with the prospective host. But I am not inexperienced with AIRBNB, nor do I consider myself uneducated when it comes to internet buying. However I felt safe with this prospective host and I feel that I felt safe communicating off-site with this host largely because of some conflicting policies and procedures that AIRBNB uses. I am concerned that AIRBNB has become successful enough to be targeted by sophisticated scam artists who mimic the AIRBNB website, language and page formatting. This included using the AIRBNB name in fraudulent email addresses and on fraudulent bank accounts. Unfortunately, at least in my experience, I don´t feel that AIRBNB is doing enough to police it´s site, and to provide a safe and trustworthy format for connecting hosts with guests. After more effort than I think appropriate in my circumstance, I finally was able to contact AIRBNB to first confirm that the reservation I thought I had made was fraudulent, and then secondly to lodge my complaint and concern over this event. The response I received in both cases expressed regret for my experience but was focused mainly on indemnifying AIRBNB from any responsibility. It is of course common in cases of fraud to blame the victim for lack of vigilance, but AIRBNB has been disturbingly uninterested in my experience, how I might have been led to feel safe with this posting, or how a multiple user might be confused by the policies of AIRBNB. At this point it is my feeling that prospective users of AIRBNB must be extremely cautious with any connections that are made through this site. Hopefully AIRBNB will place effort and resources into making their site safer for users. I have been a very happy user of their site and think that their business model is very interesting, but with their success comes the responsibility to be more proactive to protect users from site predators. It isn´t enough to claim to be a third party platform user anymore. They need to up their game when it comes to user trust and security.

We've used http://Airbnb.com over the years and the service matches travelers with BnB hosting owners - - worked really creat - - until this week. We attempted to book a visit with a host with which we have stayed twice previously. Now the site has as new feature - - User Verification ID. The concept is novel enough in that it attempts to match the traveler with at least two Social Media site (Facebook, LinkedIN, Google). We had our reservation cancelled because 1) we don't have Facebook or LinkedIN accounts, 2) don't have a webcam to create a personal video, and certainly would not provide any form of government id (driver's license or Passport).

http://Airbnb.com has fallen into the trap of believing that Social Media is truthful, useful and a meaningful means of identification. We are seniors and like to travel, even world wide. I am a retired professional programmer. There are many websites using Social Media for single-click login, but attempting to use it as a means of ID Verification is totally bogus. Our friend has lost a book, we will not use http://Airbnb.com again (too bad - has some nice listings).

You might have no concerns for privacy and use the Social Media frequently - - good for you, but for those that don't, the new policy of ID Verification is a nightmare.

AirBnB customer service does not protect its customers. My story is not the first nor will it be the last.

I stayed in an unacceptable hosting environment (there was no heat in sub-zero temperatures, in one of the coldest nights in history according to weather.com) and while AirBnB kindly refunded me, they also asked me to post a review of the host to "keep AirBnB honest."

I hesitated, as last time I posted a less-than-favorable review, the host retaliated and posted completely false and damaging things on my profile. I was able to get it removed by removing my original review, and I see the host continues to do the same things to anyone who makes any kind of complaint on her property.

However, the host seemed relatively nice/stable so I posted a fair but honest review of my experience. The host went nuts, calling me (as well as my friend who stayed with me) twice a day, harassing us to take the review down, and when I asked her to stop calling me, she sent me multiple messages via AirBnB, and even after AirBnB asked her to stop calling me, she continued to harass me.

She then went the extra mile and wrote a false, damaging, and defaming review on my profile. I contacted AirBnB and asked them to take action, or at least to remove the review on my page. They responded in a fairly sarcastic way, saying that while they were removing parts of MY review because it referenced some of the actions of the AirBnB staff (such as the fact that they gave me a refund), they would not remove any parts of the host's review. Nor were they taking any further action about the fact that this woman was harassing me-- so I'm guessing she will have free reign in the future to harass customers who don't completely agree with the substandard conditions of her property. They ended the email with a snarky "I'm sure you'll get great reviews in the future" and basically put the blame on my friend and I.

By the way, after some further research, I see that this host has done this with MULTIPLE people who wrote less than favorable reviews. She slandered them on their profile page in very similar language as on our page. So this is not a unique circumstance to us, yet AirBnB continues to allow her to do this.

The fact that I am being harassed because I posted a fair and balanced review outlining the facts of a host that offered an unacceptable hosting situation and AirBnB chooses to protect the host tells you all you need to know. Sure, if you are in a good situation with AirBnB, you'll be fine, but the minute you need protection, you are screwed. Don't bother. It is not worth the headache or money saved. I strongly recommend against using this service and will be sure to let everyone I know how unsafe this service is. You are putting yourself at a GREAT risk if you use this service.

Verified ID is a big joke. I don't have a Facebook page so nobody will rent to me. How does that make sense? They already verified my government-issued ID, e-mail, and phone number. Plus, I have a reference. Just because you have 800 friends on Facebook doesn't not make you a serial killer. E-mails to customer support have yet to be answered. I can't see this company lasting very long.

I've been a host now for about 9 months. We have had almost all positive experiences (except for the one lady who begged to bring her "well behaved" dogs... but I digress). I am fine with the way the reviews are set up, I think it keeps people honest. A couple of suggestions for folks using Airbnb: (1) don't wait until the night before your visit to try to book a room. Even a usually conscientious host can forget to check their email. (2) ask questions before you book. (3) book a place where the pics were taken BY Airbnb, that helps reduce the chance of scamming (and if you're a host, at least last year it was free).

My only real complaint is their claim that they "can't" transfer the money to you over the weekend; so if you have someone at your place Friday - Monday, you probably won't see the $ in your acct until Tuesday. We are in a 24-7 financial market, I'm sure they could fix that if they wanted to.

I for one hope that (a) the # of negatives reflects the fact that people are more likely to share those than take the time to share positives; and (b) airbnb does address what seem to be some fixable situations so that I as a host can continue to meet and host folks from all around the world.

This was our first time booking through AirBnB. Everything was, to my relief, fine and the apartment was, for the most part, great. However, there was one negative incident where the cleaner came into our room to ask us when we were checking out a day before we were scheduled to do so. Even though the review I left on Air BnB was mainly positive, because I mentioned this one negative fact, the host told the Air BnB community we had left the apartment in a mess and we should not be rented to. Strange that we have never had such problems in any cities in the world for the last thirty years or so. I am considering taking legal action against the host for defamation of character. What I do know is that Air BnB clearly has unscrupulous people like this that do not take valid criticism in their stride. Instead they lie to an international community of people to say you left the apartment in a mess and did not treat it well when the exact opposite is true and when additional items were left there at our expense for future guests. I will not be using Air BnB again in a hurry - I am happy for people to reply with valid points to criticism but not with lies and slander. If there really had been such problems, why were we not contacted immediately? Why were these supposed issues only raised after my review.

If you are OK with staying in a place that is NOT a hotel when you travel, and you are OK with having conversations with your hosts about what to expect, etc, then this is the site for you. If you'd rather check in to an establishment with online reservations, a bellhop to handle your bags, etc, and limited other interaction, this is not the option you should choose. I have used airbnb.com successfully more than once, and each time I've met friendly hosts who understand how to help their clients. I've considered becoming a host myself, but in this case, it truly is that the customer's expectations seem to sometimes be higher than they should be. It's a new concept, and growing, but know what to expect before you make a reservation.

I am a host and have not received my payout from Airbnb. Airbnb is supposed to send the hosts payout 24 hours after a guest checks in. I had two guests check in to my house (my primary residence) on Sunday Jan. 5th. It is now Jan. 10th and I have still not received my payout. My guests are still in my house! Airbnb is holding the payment that they received from my guest of almost $1100.

I have called every day since Monday the 6th and have not heard back or received resolution from anyone at Airbnb. I'm a long time host and guest and this is how they treat me?!

Fake listing on this site. The scammer was registered as a homeowner and set up photographs of a property, etc. I was almost caught when asked to send a deposit. To long to try and tell what happened but eventually found that property didn't exist and was gone off the site

Best starter times are over! A lot of fake listings and airbnb doesn't care. Sometimes they find scammers take them off the website but don't warn you even if you had contact already. Please look out !
Do not expect any help from airbnb, if anything goes wrong. They don't feel resposible whatever goes wrong.
Don´t book here, it will cost a lot of money and the house you have booked will not exist.

I hosted on airbnb for the first time.
The guest already stayed for 2 weeks and checked out but I still did not receive my payment.
I contacted them all they told me is to wait, wait and wait because of the one who wrote the payout for me misspelled my name so my bank could not accept it and already sent back.
So neglected, laziness stupidness of that person.
No apology.
Nothing.
Just wait wait wait.
Trust me no good on this website

Never use airbnb ever again.

Do not trust this company, as both a host and guest they are inexperienced in dealing with any issues.
The call center do not help and get you off the phone,they also give conflicting advice when issues arise.
They are not professional and I am out of pocket and had months of stress trying to deal with them.
They held my money for over a month as 'pending' with no explanation.
The company has no idea how to resolve issues legally or professionally therefore do not use!

Keeley's apartment in Singapore, insanitary, dirty sheets with filth and hair , dirty bathroom, dirty and filthy coach, Etc. Never again!

AIRBNB used to be OK - but recent experiences give me a sinking feeling.

Last October, in London, the room I book had been given to another and I got something much less than I expected. No apology from AIRBNB.

I recently booked an apartment in Copenhagen. The host gave a non-peak rate, but AIRBNB tacked on a hidden fee to this rate. When I asked about it, the reason, they said, is due to a currency conversion fee. The AIRBNB site posts US Dollars - and I paid in US Dollars. When I ask what the currency fee is about, nobody can explain - yet I still have to pay the fee.

You can do far better elsewhere. The prime-time for AIRBNB seems to be over.

In September 2013 I booked a nicely looking place in Moscow.
It was : HUGE ROOM IN WEST PART OF MOSCOW
Nezhinskaya ulitsa, 6
Moscow, 119517

Host: Lana Bene
Phone: +7 985 644 34 83
e-mail: kravchenko01.08.1979@gmail.com
When I arrived there I immediately started receiving my bad experience from the Airbnb host.
The floors were dirty,the linen have never been ironed, host was not friendly at all, one load in a washing machine for 16 EURO, and a few never mentioned guests alongside.

I left my negative review of my stay there on the Airbnb website, then in 7 days I checked in to watch my review and found, that it had been removed by its administration.

A lot of fake listings. Please look out !
Do not expectd any help from airbnb, if anything goes wrong.
Don´t book here, it will cost a lot of money and the house you have booked will not exist.

I Hv made a last min booking w host Willy Li (mother Kitty Liu) in Hong Kong at airbnb Thru Airbnb in end of november 2013. Before booking, i saw some bad comments on Airbnb thru other webpage. However , I still proceed to book w one of the host , Willy Li n mother Kitty Liu. Kitty Liu entice me with discount if i book last min w them. after a few qns n exchanges of emails abt our requirement, i presume everything in order, i proceed to book w 'Wil' = Willy Li ( rabbit biting red carrot)
After reaching Hong Kong we (3 adult 3 children) were place in an apt - 2 bedrooms, 1 hall, 1 kitchen , I toilet at ladies mkt (as per my request) but very old bldg. Willy Li met one resident n was scolded for renting illegally again. Later he told us we Hv to shift out 2 days later cos this is not the units for us, ( he had many such units) but wanted to gv us 2 seperated tiny units run down n stuffy rooms at prince edward rd ( an apt partition into 5 units w toilet- but he call it studio apt- my god, so misleading) . We do not agree to it after viewing. immediately on the first night, I wrote to airbnb to complain our situation n the next day, the host came to talk to us again saying airbnb told them to settle our issue. They are confusing us w many reasons. Willy Li n Kitty Liu told us no need to tell Airbnb as they won't help us n difficult to get refund fm Airbnb etc n try to act kind to us but end up we pay them additional HKD750, as we do not want to be bothered w accomo ( also very blur n confuse ) .The mother Kitty Liu is adamant that we Hv to move out on 4thday ( actual book 5days) to the tiny rooms, despite we Hv paid them additional HKD 750 to stay for 3 nights (2nd day to 4thday) which they claim we are compensating to the guest who book the units we are staying ( my husband is sick, we are tired, confuse n con by them) . Also we are there to travel w kids, we temporary agree to their suggestion n paid. It is stressful for the past 4 days. We taught our kids to learn fm dis experience. Made them involved n help to look for accomo online( difficult as most hotel fully book or either too small units or far away) .

Willy mother , Kitty Liu is experience n tough woman, despite on 4th day we appeal to her to extend 5thday n ask for alternate accomo cos my husband is sick, she after collected the money, changed face n said we can book hotel if dont like the tiny units, So is Willy Li, he became heartless n unkind.
At 4am of 5th day, I found one big ,spacious ,cosy , clean n nice condo like unit, my children loves it, n we pay very high rental ( also book thru airbnb) . we are happy n worth paying it and Had a good sleep n rest in dat apt. I later found out Willy Li Hv 10 units in hand, n 1 unit available on the 5th day but refuse to offer us (advertised in travelmob.com - his ad he put name as Wil w a rabbit n carrot pic at Airbnb webpage)
After we return home, 2 days later after a good rest, I wrote to Airbnb to complain our experience n ask for refund, but Airbnb offer to refund the HKD750 which we pay the host additional in cash at Hong Kong. Anyway, i gladly accept it n thank them for their help n did not argue further. We are happy at least we got back some money as Airbnb is able to help get some refund fm host n offer a USD100 discount for our next booking. the greedy hosts Willy n Kitty Liu did not got his bite, so they must be very angry n hopping up n down. Ha ha, to us if money can buy his pride, why not? Willy Li claim to be a Curtin U graduate, shame on him, mummy's boy, n for having low self esteem. We pity Willy n Kitty for hving no standard in life.
In fact, after we return, we saw another review on his page that Willy n Kitty also try to cheat another guest Lim but the guest did not gv in.
Wonder why they must resort to such tatics n make themselves popular w bad names. They Hv so many units, earlier preview were good but misled us. If can made so much fm rental, why still want to cheat n be greedy? To Wil n Kitty Liu, Money is not everything. Like the guest Lim said to Wil n Kitty Liu: wat comes around goes around.
To those who want to book online, ask many questions ( even silly qns) to test the hosts patience, if they sound rude, don book, n click the unit's picture u want to book ( anyway dis may not be true, as Wil sound ok when I email him) overall, Luck also plays a part , (as the 2nd unit, the host delay replying to my qns, ( but she is nice after meeting her) but I am desperate to get out of the situation, I proceed to book, u got to be prepared to lose out money n Hv guts to do so) I suppose.

My experience was similar to another recent review - I booked an apartment for 28 days in NYC. Several amenities that were listed were not there, such as tv. There was even a picture of a flat screen tv in the ad for this apartment and the tv amenity had been checked off on the site. The description of the apartment was generally misleading.I tried to sort it out with the host, but it wasn't working and I decided to cancel my reservation. I raised a dispute with airbnb. I've rented successfully on airbnb a bunch of times, have good reviews and enjoy the human element of it, But this one time I had a problem and actually needed help from Airbnb, they really seemed to side with the host from the beginning. Before the dispute I was prepared to just pay for the nights I was there and really expected them to refund the entire balance, since the listing clearly violated the policies and standards they listed on their website. But they said a cancellation fee of $50 a night would apply to every night I had booked, which I may get back if the host rebooks. The host sent me a really rude email blaming me for treating him like a hotelier and saying I should have double checked if he had tv…eeeerrr… yes. Airbnb seemed to think this was reasonable.
I really like the idea of what Airbnb is doing, but this experience gave me an uneasy feeling. Their approach seemed more about a policy decision to keep hosts at all costs, even when they violate the Airbnb policy. THey kept the whole fee I had to pay based on a 28 day booking, even though I cancelled that booking and they will collect new fees during that period of time.

It really doesnt get any worse... as you said.
They force u to enter credit card details in order check if the room is available.
They end you notification saying you will not get charged unless the owner accepts.
On both accounts the owner declined and I was charged immediately $1,650...
It seems on every other forum that you will not get your money back for upto 3 weeks.. my christmas holiday is ruined and I now have to explain to the kids that we do not have enough money to go on holidays for christmas....

As a host listed on airbnb's site, I once loved and supported their operation but my recent experience as a guest has turned me against them. After reporting a booking to them with a host that clearly violated their guest policy (she had listed her property with a fraudulent address - her building was across the street from the actual listing, was lacking amenities that she claimed to have and gave me a room that was cluttered and messy - the farthest thing from the photos on their site) they decided that a compromise was in order and gave me only a partial refund for my trouble. This was after they promised me a replacement room to make up for the fraudulent one I could not use. Not only did they not protect me, the customer, from a scam artist, they supported her (claiming that more investigation was necessary) and her listing is still on their site (though I submitted photo evidence of each point I made above). If they cannot be trusted to protect their own customers how can people feel safe using their service? I will definitely no longer be using Airbnb and I would advise other people to avoid them.

I have been a host on Airbnb for 4 years and only have rented twice. On other websites I rent my house out almost all year round and keep it booked. So on my second rental through Airbnb, I find that I have been contacted by a scammer, my payment information gets changed by someone, they notify me that it has been changed and when I tell them that I didn't change the payment information, they freeze my account and do not pay me after guests stay at my house. I'm out the money and they will not respond to my emails. The call center you get has young guys laughing and having just too much fun in the background, and all they can do is say...I am sorry this happened to you and how terrible. They can't tell me when I will be paid or why I am not being paid and never do I get an email about the non-payment...I'm just out $600 and they must figure I will forget about it.

Nervous experience in Taipei Taiwan. The guy could not be contacted. I spend the night at a hostel i kept as a backup. The next day went looking for this place. I found the street but not the building. Finally met the guy at a subway station, he was really unfriendly. Will never use them again. Hostels are much more reliable.

Terrible experience with Airbnb; never even think about trying it out (if you havn't done it yet)!! booked an apartment in Dubai in hurry, the owner never replied, called the Airbnb if it is ok to cancel it, she was more than happy to help me cancelling it... the dreading news was when I checked my credit card, they charged USD 6,150 for a cancelled booking meaning it will take me 3 weeks, after a hell alot of hassle to get my money back.. the trouble was; it happened to me twice...they are good at swallowing your money...

I am a host in Nashville TN. I have hosted over 30 times. All my guests were nice and clean. We love to host. Most of the time, everything has been great. There have been a couple of times, both me and the guest have had problems with the website. The main thing is the guest must be fully vetted which includes a copy of a photo ID. Most recently the mobile was not working properly. When a guest booked, I did not get a notice until the guest called me and an hour and half later I got an email. I hope they have the app working because I rely on the app.

Do not use Airbnb. As you can read from other reviews, Airbnb provides no guarantee that the property you rent (or think that you rent) will really be available to you when you arrive, and provides essentially nothing to you when the owner does arbitrarily cancel your rental contract.
A month ago, I booked an apartment in NYC, through Airbnb, for a long weekend in mid-December. Several days ago Airbnb notified me that the owner had cancelled the contract, with a 'sincere apology' and $50 (less than they charge for their service fee) available toward our next reservation tho only if we spend more than the current refund value. The property I had rented had a cancellation policy stating that I would only receive a 50% refund if I cancelled; Airbnb failed to provide or honor any such protection for me. When I contacted Airbnb, they refused to provide anything more than $50 in credit toward another reservation, and that only if I spent more than I had originally.
When I rent a place (and pay in advance, in full), I expect the property to be available. Sure, sometimes things happen and the owner will need to cancel, but Airbnb should then take steps to demonstrate they recognize the massive inconvenience and annoyance and make it right. Airbnb failed to do that. I will never use them again, and strongly encourage others to avoid them.

I rented a place in Paris October, 2013 for 4 nights. The problem with AirBnB is their lack of vetting the hosts and probably their guests as well. When I couldn't get in touch with my host the night before my arrival because up until then I had no response about where the key exchange would take place, I made a transatlantic phone call to AirBnB for assistance. They were no help and told me to work it out with the lessor...and that they were merely a "platform" for the hosts and guest. I finally heard from the host at midnight by email the night before I was to arrive. It went downhill from there. Yes, you could get lucky with a good host, but AirBnB gets no credit for that. They are absent after you give your money. Will never use this service again! Beware!

Worst travel experience ever - and I haven't even gotten to my destination! Absolutely horrible service and lack of answers/explanations!

This is the first time I have ever rated a company online, though based on my experience, I can only hope that enough negative reviews and logged complaints will have the Better Business Bureau look into the lack of ethical business practices of airbnb.

Users beware - be sure you know what you are getting yourself into when using this site. I have spent hours on the phone and via email with my host as well as airbnb (not to mention my host spent an hour on the phone with an airbnb representative. In addition to the lack of transparency on the website and answers to questions regarding fees, noone seems to be able to explain why airbnb tacks on fees to the host's subtotal (the host had no idea), nor why they are not part of the service fees. To make matters worse, the website is an absolute nightmare to navigate. And 12% 'service fees.' That's the biggest joke of all.

At this point, I'm incredibly disappointed with the lack of transparency, clear information and ethical business practices of airbnb. I will never use this service again. It's an absolute discredit to online services that truly know what service and ethical business practices look like. Stick to VRBO, hotels.com or other reputable booking services.

Airbnb have my credit card number, a photo of my pass port, my Facebook connections, email address plus I've used them once in Kyoto, so the people there know who I am - and yet - they want more validation of 'who I am' - a 30 seconds video -

This is way beyond reason, and I am beginning to suspect foul play.

They want evidence of who we are, but where is the evidence of who they are?

We just completed a stay in Chicago (Rogers Park) and had a lovely experience. We will use Airbnb again.

I worked for them for a while as a photographer. I think what happened is it got too big. the poeple at the top are isolated from everything. I dont know if they do delete reviews but it wouldnt surprise me. this is what happens in a big organization where the people at the bottom are trying to make things look good for their bosses and the bosses most likely dont have a clue. I suddenly realized, after getting some obnoxious emails from a person who claimed to be able to fire me if I didnt jump when she says, that I no longer had email access to anyone but her in the organization. I had to put a complaint thru customer support who did reply but said they couldnt help. It wasnt like that when I started. The person threatening to fire me knew I had no recourse and was on a power trip. I deleted my account and terminated my contract. I dont work for companies that use threats as a form of communication, altho as I said Im sure nobody but her knows about her actions because the place is so disorganized.

I'm being scamed on airbnb, trying to advert them and get some support and it's completely impossible to get in contact. The only contact you manage to have is with the call center kids who don't undestand nothing, just say you'll be contacted and is already passed a week...nothing! WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE EVER!!!

horrible horrible horrible!!

The host didnt even show up to the key handover, but send his mum who was 30mins late, leaving us standing in the rain. I guess the hosts knows why, clients are probably less likely to get angry at his mum then if he turned up himself.

The next surprise was that we werent able to access the booked room, but were told we have to move into another one. After 3 of 6 nights we were contacted again and told we have to move to another place, at that point we simply booked a hotel!

SUPER BAD HOST!!! Name is : Jason, in Hong Kong, Email: jckam8888@yahoo.com // +852 91818833

Bedbugs = No Refunds!
The place I booked had a big bedbug infestation. I made the cancelation and I didn't qualify for a full refund. I was out of pocket $1,000 and stranded for 10-days. Thanks a lot guys, that was tons of fun :) Everyone loves cuddling with long-legged friends.

Airbnb gave me one of the worst holiday experiences i've ever had & i'm not one to complain but I would not wish anyone to endure the same! (this is not a fault on the host I stayed with -her apartment was beautiful and as described!!) I booked to stay in a place for £279, the currency was not converting between the host & I as the website wasn't responding properly. This resulted in my payment going through 5 times. Airbnb charged my bank £1400 leaving me with no money to get to the airport nor eat whilst on holiday, they refused to refund the money and said my bank would have to do so -the bank said this is not a legal practice they can perform. I rang and spoke to 5 or 6 people about this issue. One of the people I spoke to actually LAUGHED at me and called me stupid over the phone. I've never been treated so poorly by a company in my life. They should be banned.

Airbnb.com is a dangerous and will keep your money

read the full complaint on my blog. It was a horrible and dangerous experience and I am out a $$$$. I had to get a new hotel it was so bad. Stay in a hotel where there is accountability.

http://cemersonfinearts.wordpress.com/2013/10/10/airbnb-com-is-a-dangerous-and-will-keep-your-money/

We got chased out of our place in New York City because and term under 30 days is illegal. The police threw us out. The place was very unpleasant, nothing like the modern photos - our trip was made awful and we fought every night to find a place to sleep. Hotels are the only way to go in NYC!!!!

I recently rented a place through airbnb.com. The experience was aweful.

The place I rented was totally misrepresented by host. To say it was a dump is an understatement. That isn't the worst part though. It's the way airbnb treated the situation was.

We had to fight for a refund. We spent hours of accumulated phone calls explaining that the place we rented was not livable. The reps told us that because we didn't give the appropriate cancellation notice we were not entitled to a refund. We fought it of course!

HOW ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO KNOW IF THE PLACE IS A DUMP IF THE HOST IS A LIAR AND YOU DON'T KNOW TILL YOU GET THERE?
This of course doesn't include the last minute rush to find alternate accommodations.

We finally, after more than 10 calls and hours of time, we were able to fight are way into a total refund.

Then I attempted to leave feedback for the place so other mislead potential renters don't get caught in the same situation. Airbnb deleted it explaining that although my feedback was honest they felt it was too negative. That is exactly what they wrote in the email they sent me when they deleted the review.

It contained no profanity. None! Just the facts. Apparently they are not interested in the guests honest opinions and it is VERY clear they consider the hosts their most important part of their business.

I will never use them again and in addition I plan on spreading the word about this companies policies.

Do yourself a favor. Use VRBO. I've never had a problem with them.

*************DONT USE AIRBNB*******************

I booked an apartment and the pictures showed the apartment to be good. However, when I reached there, the apartment was not livable, so dirty and in extremely bad shape.

When I called the customer care, they asked (ALL ON PHONE) me to send pictures for review and move to any hotel and promised the reimbursement for the first night and told to wait so that they can find more options. I had to move to a nearest hotel.

I had to call them 15-20 times but they did not do anything about it. Eventually, I was left with no other option to move out of that hotel and find my own accommodation somehow, which eventually mad my trip really expensive, since I had to book another hotel.

In the end, when I asked for reimbursement and sent them the expenses for the first night, they said that we can only reimburse half of it and even denied that they promised anything that they will pay for the first night.

I would never book with them in future and strongly suggest you the same.

----------------------STAY AWAY FROM THEM-----------------------------

DON'T DO IT! DON'T DO IT! DON'T DO IT!
I have been an airbnb host and guest and it's a total ripoff! As a host, a nightmare: you are being abused by careless guests who are ready to destroy your flat - and then you're left on your own by airbnb. Renting out has cost me way more money (and nerves) that what I got. I can still see the traces of hosts torturing my flat ...
As a host - unfortunately you never get what you see on the website. airbnb photographers (which I didn't use being a host) make it all look bigger better faster more but definitely not like reality. Not to be recommended! The only ones that make a fortune out of that system are the founders of this ripoff system.

So far my airbnb experience has been a good one.My first trip was in Copenhagen,I was a bit worried after the host said she coudn't rent the flat anymore and had to cancel my trip a few weeks before my arrival.So I contacted airbnb live chat and they gave me extra 50 euros to find another apartment.My second trip was in Budapest then a whole week in Paris,all of these experiences without any single problem.I always check for good reviews and verify the area where the flat is located.Some areas arent that safe.My next trip will be in Bruxelles in september,and Im glad I used airbnb instead of hotels,saving a lot of euros and found a large and great apartment near the city center.Always use the airbnb chat section and do not accept sending the moneys via other ways.