Airbnb: A Nightmare in Thailand

I haven't had to share a dormitory with other people since my 20's. But there I lay, kicked out of my Airbnb at the end of my month in Thailand, all for cutting short a call from an Airbnb host on an anonymous number, after he condescendingly talked over me, whilst I was miles away from his (perfectly average) residence on tour with some elephants. 

Expensive sanctuary elephants. I'm on holiday, I'm doing Muay Thai, I'm touring, I'm busy, I'm trying to make the most of what should have been a once-in-a-lifetime experience. 

Oh yes, this will only happen to me once. I am certain of this, and I hope this never happens to you. 

I don't think bullies like this often get stood up to, I think in general when you stay in someone's home you give each other good reviews; people tend to avoid conflict in any shape or form and want good reviews for themselves in return. 

However, bullies should not be allowed to exploit vulnerable travellers, so I am telling this story to warn others. What else can I do? Does psychological abuse count as a crime in Thailand? Can I obtain a protection order against someone in Singapore who harasses me on three different tech platforms? When will international law be able to enforce cyber-bullying? Not today.

There are three parties responsible here: my host, Luca. The mega-company that has flourished from Silicon Valley. And me.  

I blame myself. I hastily booked in between wedding planning before departing NZ. I did a quick review of a host in Chiang Mai, looking at the star ratings and didn't read the personal accounts of abuse, lies, theft and harassment that guests had endured before me, from Hong Kong to Chiang Mai, dating as far back as 2015. 

In situations involving three parties where one has the least power, the powerful have an advantage and rarely will the least vulnerable see a fair outcome. I can't change my outcome but I can use my voice to tell the real story here. 

The story of someone who should have never been allowed to legally make money from people unfortunate enough to stay in their homes.

So this is what happened. Moments after requesting a booking for 13 days in Chiang Mai, my host said that the quoted price was too low and requested another $75 USD. Whatever. I agreed. I paid. 

I then caught word it was crop burning season in Northern Thailand. Air particulates were so harmful that several independent websites recommended evacuation from Chiang Mai, or to wear a gas mask and stay indoors with air conditioning and sealed exits. My expat Kiwi friends were literally running from the area. Scary stuff. 

I contacted my host, who said he would only provide a 50% refund if I cancelled, according to his strict cancellation policy. I then contacted Airbnb, expecting this to be an extenuating circumstance, to be told that I had to get sick before being provided a full refund. 

Anyway, it rained, the danger of lung poisoning went down, problem solved. Lack of adherence to customer safety displayed. 

Within days at the property an element on the stove shorted out all electricity in the condo and the fridge wouldn't shut. I defrosted the fridge and left a warning sticker on the guilty element dial. Problem solved again. 

Until a week in, when I was surprised to receive extra charges for electricity from my host. So his appliances malfunction, I foot the extra electric bill. $13 NZD. No big deal. 

Except it was a big deal. A huge deal, in fact. I received 34 messages from my host on the Line and Airbnb app within the space of 24 hours. And a 10:00 am call from Airbnb the next day supporting the host's request for extra cash. Despite paying this pathetic amount within 18 hours notice I also received threats to be kicked out and repeated demands for videos of the functioning fridge. Post-stay, he tried to charge me $75 USD for the stove element I "broke".

Maybe if I were renting a property for a year, maybe a month, but not for less than a fortnight lease would I check everything in a house. I might next time though... Even when you rent, as many of us do, it is not our responsibility to pay for existing broken things. But Airbnb were complicit in this, with their highly trained phone diplomats, taking no action to prevent or warn a bully of his unreasonable harassment. 

Then my phone breaks on holiday. I struggle with the new cheaper one to send a video of the fridge door opening and closing. The threats and messages continue. Apparently I am liable to damaging his precious fridge. Thirteen messages on 26 April from the host saying that the damage is my responsibility. The harassment is again reported to Airbnb, again no action is taken on my behalf. Except for the advice to keep communication within the Airbnb app for transparency's sake.

Luca is very displeased with my requests for communication through the official Airbnb app. He requests phone calls and continues to harass and send messages both through the Airbnb and Line app. I politely give him my reasons for my preferred method of communication. 

And eventually I learn to live without aircon, in daily highs of humid 40 degree (celcius, obvs) weather. 

On 30 April, the day before checkout someone from Airbnb must have contacted Luca and I, surrounded by happy elephants, receive the disgusting phone call from the anonymous number. It's the nightmare host. Knowing that this phone call was not recorded, I thank him politely for the sentiment to "clear the air", briefly listen to his one-sided rant and apologise quoting legitimate unavailability whilst he continues to scold me in a condescending tone. 

If I thought I was getting harassed before I'm really in for it now. 

'Hey Pamela 

I was in the middle of a sentence and you hang up on me.

I nicely call you to talk about the issue and clear the air nicely. 

You are my guest remember that.

You cannot treat me like that. 

you hang up on me?! Are you kidding!

You are staying in my home dude!'

My response:

'Thank you for your call Luca - sorry I had to leave - I'm in the middle of the tour!!'

'Bullshit'

'I am not available 24/7 unfortunately. No offense intended. Have a great day.'

'You are one rude person and what you did was unacceptable'

'Would you like to see some photos of some elephants? Do you require proof that I am on a tour? Thanks for the sentiment of the ph call and I hope all is well with you. I will send you photos of the condo tomorrow. Best regards.'

'...cut the crap and stop your bullshit. 

you  were on loudspeaker and my wife next to me heard all your rudeness.  I was very nice and calm trying to clear the air beofe (sic) check out and you could have just said I call you back soon sorry i am busy, but instead you engage in the conversation, made a point and cut me off and hang up! so, Whatever! 

I am so a freaking hotel (sic) and you are staying in my home! 

do you get it??!??

I am cancelling your reservation right now so you can leave your tour and go back home now to pack up and leave because you cannot stay anymore in my condo.'

(Astounded by his lies and regretful I don't have call recording technology):

'That is exactly what i said. I said i had to go. And then apologised. And I thanked you for calling me. This is why it's best to communicate in writing, in the app, so that there is no room for error - much like the complete mistruths you stated above. 

Again, I am sorry if i caused you offense. 

Kind regards

P'

'You are full of it.'

'You must leave now my condo'

'Get out'

'You must leave'

'I'm on the phone with Airbnb and cancelling'

'4pm my agent is there to clean and make sure you are out'

Two hours later I am given two hours notice from Airbnb to leave the property (while I am still one hour's drive away). I finish packing on arrival (some sixth sense made me pack and start cleaning the day before anyway - yes I'm obviously a little slow to catch on, all things considered). I clean like my life depends on it. I know that I am in for the first bad Airbnb review of my life, but I do believe in leaving the homes I stay at in good condition. Scared that some agent is going to come charging through the door, I stack the TV cabinet against the door after double locking it. I discover some gross things under the cabinet, no need for details here...

Fifteen minutes after arrival I receive a knock. I politely reply (though terrified) that I will be ready in 30 minutes. OK, ka? Cleaning ensues, I won't bore you with tedious tales of sparkling white porcelain and fresh smelling sheets, but I manage to achieve both. I do wish to tell you the more interesting story of what I wanted to do to the condo, but that would not be helpful or appropriate. 

This awful experience was punctuated by phone calls and messages from Airbnb and the host. 

'Are you out yet?' 'Are you out yet?' - Airbnb

'Get out. Noe (sic).' 'Now.' - Luca

And more knocks at the door. I take photos and videos of my masterpiece. To Airbnb's credit they promise to cover the 500 baht cleaning fee, a harassment expert called me a week later, but this HE IS STILL HOSTING. 

I just know that no matter what I do this lying host is going to find some reason to screw me over. He's probably on the phone to them right now, harassing some poor call centre staff member into banning me from the app. 

I finally open the door and look into the eyes of two lovely Thai women. With people like this, it would be a blessing to not comprehend the vile language directed at hurting you. Oh yeah, I had received a racist message from Luca weeks ago telling me who was the better English speaker, 'just between us.' My heart genuinely goes out to these women, working directly under someone who should not have authority over anyone - but I will not diagnose him here. I'm just a humble Airbnb guest with a great track record. 

Finally, I'm out. Far later than I should have left, which was as soon as I saw the warning signs. A few weeks ago I only would have only taken a financial hit. I'm now left with new costs of a taxi and new accommodation to pay for. I'm left with the promise of one night's refund in 5-15 business days. I'm left in tears and anger that I allowed someone to ruin what should have been a beautiful holiday in a spectacular city.

I'm left thinking that surely someone else has gone through this experience. I google many things. Airbnb must have some excellent SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) experts on board, most of the search content is suited for the audience of a host, rather than a guest. Now, that doesn't statistically make sense, does it? Surely there are more customers than hosts?; how else would Airbnb arise, glorified, from the Valley of Silicon? 

According to research by a former Airbnb user, Asher Fergusson, 'the severity of “Airbnb nightmares” varies from extremely unsafe living conditions or poor customer service to cases of scams, sexual assault, and in 2016 alone nearly 80 million Airbnb stays turned into a problem for travelers.

- Jun 10, 2018

Link

But if you search words such as 'Airbnb nightmares' and 'is Airbnb safe?' many links lead back to Airbnb's own pages and buzzwords, such as 'Airbnb Trust & Safety - Your safety is our priority.'

So out of the three parties, how did I fare?

After contacting Airbnb over ten times before, during and after check in with my concerns...

• Airbnb informed me that I had to get sick from air particulates in Chiang Mai (literally in the air at the time) before receiving a full refund
• Airbnb facilitated harassment, bullying and intimidation from a host for four years
• Airbnb requested unjust extra electricity charges of $11.98 AUD due to appliances that were faulty upon discovery
• Airbnb didn't block my host from further harassing me
• Eventually, in 5-15 business days I will be refunded $13.67 AUD for the trouble of being kicked out early with half an hour to pack and clean
• Airbnb on 1 May had not escalated my request to make a formal complaint, nor did they provide a time frame in which this would happen (it did happen yesterday - 10.05.19)
• Airbnb have to date not stopped Luca from hosting properties thus failed to protect vulnerable travellers in future
• To Airbnb's credit, their "empathy" for customers on the phone is on point. For example, on 1 May they said that 'I understand that you are looking in to pursuing legal process (sic). If I was in your position, I would feel the same way.'
• To Airbnb's credit, their escalation team called me on 10 May and listened to my story. They advised me that due to privacy they could not let me know the outcome. Today, they stated: 'We’ve taken appropriate action to further protect the community and it wouldn’t have happened without you.'
• Airbnb still allow this host, to host. 

Farrrrrk that.....

Maybe Airbnb's CEO should get into politics. Vague yet comforting language on point. Oh wait... they are already more powerful than any politician; a Silicon Valley giant. Unaccountable, financially and ethically, to no one. 

I wouldn't bother using this app if future if I were you. But in particular, do yourself a favour and stay away from this host:

Link

I've collated some of the more detestable quotes from his previous reviews below. 

Do enjoy, read the small print and take care on your next holiday. Stay safe.

Arohanui. xox

• 7 documented accounts of communicating and host insisting on communicating outside Airbnb app
• 4 documented escalations to Airbnb
• 4 reports of dangerous dogs in area of residence 
• Over 10 extremely concerning reviews.

(translated from Mandarin)

‘Host was extremely rude and not flexible to treat his guests. Booking was required to be confirmed in 24 hours prior arrival that meant I need to risk the 3400 baht penalty but for nothing. No one can response in timely manner, I have nowhere else to raise my complaint! The house is old and broken, it’s really ruined my holiday! It was extremely terrible to stay there!’ – Runmeng, China, Apr 19

'Communication was really hard ... I had trouble with the main door key ... sent car locksmith instead of door one ... took 300 baht which host never returned to me ... he was sending his rules in capital letters and demanded a group chat (outside of Airbnb app) ... there were other things and I don't want to go into the details.' - Stefan, Plovdiv, Bulgaria Feb 19. 

'I have just endured one of the most horrible experiences of my life. Dealing with Luca and having any contact with him has been so unpleasant that I'm left completely in shock. The problems started before I even arrived ... when he didn't hear a response (7 days before arrival) the tone and content of the messages became more angry ... my flight was delayed ... I didn't appreciate his anger towards me for something out of my control ... (after asking if an additional guest could stay) ... he said I'd be kicked out immediately if my friend stayed. He then started SHOUTING IN HIS MESSAGES. He told me he'd had enough of this conversation and to stop it IMMEDIATELY ... over the next 36 hours I received about 12 messages from him and Airbnb saying that if my friend came to stay I'd be kicked out and lose any monies paid ... what made the situation nasty is when Luca said he would authorise my friend's stay if I paid nearly $120 / night just so a friend could stay. It made me question many things about his character as this seemed he was almost enjoying being so unreasonable ... lots more messages ... I then agreed to talk with Luca ... the whole conversation I hardly said anything as he just talked over me ... after maybe 30 messages over two days I paid $50for my friend's 2 night stay ... after four weeks he asked me to show the condo to a potential buyer ... he then used this to tell me that it was my responsibility to clean the condo and I get in contact with the agent to pay for it to be cleaned if it was needed. This was offensive as the condo was cleaner than when I first moved in ... then he used this to send me more unsavoury messages ...' - Allan, London, UK, Jan 19

'I would have been very, very sad if I was staying for a short time and wanted to see the city. Luca continues to rebut reviews that suggest so (that the residence is close to Old City, Chiang Mai) ... I would not suggest renting from this owner. He is verbally abusive and controlling. I felt quite attacked and unsafe. He repeated insulted (sic) me calling me sad, miserable, pathetic etc. Luca often states that his reviews speak for themselves. I agree. Please look at how he talks to and about people when he rebuts his reviews. This will give you insight into his personality, and should steer you away.' - Kristie, St Paul, MN, March 18. 

'Unfortunately, there were problems with the acquisition of previously agreed cost and Luca showed little insight.' - Markus, Karlsruhe, Germany. 

'Luca as a host is very controlling. Whilst I am OK with no shoes and handwashing upon entering the flat, there was mandatory showering upon returning to the flat ... there was also the curfews ... at 9:30 / 10:00 pm I was told that I needed to return by 10:30 so as not to wake Luca (because of the mandatory shower) ... I missed the curfew ... (arrived back at 11:00 pm). I was told that he had to be up at 7:00 am so I would be woken at this time "so it would be fair". Upon my arrival back I was given a stern talking to ... if you are OK with comments suck as "I'm fucked". "Please shower ASAP I'll be back soon", and "I'm fucked dead" (yes: I got that a few times) then this is a perfect location. However, I found it so bad that I left after 5 days.' - James, London, UK, Dec 15

'The negatives far outweighed [the positives] ... Luca is unreasonable / dishonest - after this incident (existing hair blockage in shower) he requested that I pay him $35 for a plumber to clean the drain even though it was his fault in the first place ... I then refused to pay and told him about the hair being in the drain and he accuses me of lying ... I do, however have photo evidence of this hair ... I would NOT recommend this place or for anybody to stay at Luca's other listings.' - Dan, Camperdown, Australia, Oct 15

UPDATE: only fair to provide his response (lol).

“in 7 years of hosting probably the WORST EXPERIENCE i have ever had. I kicked her out of my condo and Airbnb was on my side. I won the case and i received a big bonus from Airbnb for putting up with her and her lies. Pamela's communication was the worst and created a million problems to me and to my agents. I called her the day before check out to make sure we were in good terms after her messy stay, out of good will I tried to reach to my guest and clear the air in person over the phone. She was on loudspeaker with my wife next to me that heard the all conversation. Pamela hung up on me with total disrespect and tried to lie to Airbnb about it. I called a supervisor (for the third time) and i kicked her out. Again, Airbnb stayed on my side (for once). I would never recommend to anybody a person like Pamela to any host!. She cost me stress and so much time wasted over phone calls and messages with Airbnb and 2 cases opened against her. She is very tricky and do not get sidetracked by her nice way to talk to you, it's all facade. I wish guest like this were banned from Airbnb for good.”