FRAUD – Airbnb has been accused of “making it too easy for scam artists” after it was reported that almost a 1m people may have fallen victim to fraud on the website last year.
As many as 1.1 million bookings were also cancelled at the last minute, often leaving holidaymakers on the streets of an unfamiliar city with nowhere to stay, according to a new analysis of the home sharing business.
The report claims that when things go wrong Airbnb’s customer service is appalling, with more than four in five people who had a bad experience saying the company was unhelpful, rude or failed to refund them properly.
The findings come from a study by a travel blog that analysed more than 1,000 “Airbnb horror stories” to establish what happens when things go wrong, The Times reported on Saturday.
Some of the worst cases included a guest being held hostage and sexually assaulted by a host and another finding a rotting corpse in the garden of a property.
The research found that one in five complainants had a host cancel their stay at the last minute or never turn up. More than a quarter reported unsafe conditions, such as a bug infestation, or the accommodation not being as described.
One in six said they were victim of fraud, such as the host demanding extra cash when they arrived.
- European recovery must be based on the drivers of climate and digital transitions
- Fighting the pandemic “is a very tough marathon”
- PRIME MINISTER ANNOUNCES REVISED STATE OF EMERGENCY MEASURES
- Covid-19: Situation “absolutely unsustainable” in healthcare – Public Health Doctors
- Twelve differences between confinement compared to March last year
- PRIME MINISTERS ADDRESS TO THE NATION EXTENSION OF STATE OF EMERGENCY
- Meeting of experts at Infarmed Tuesday 12th January 2021
- COVID-19 INSA Report shows rapid increase in R (t) trends in Portugal
- PRIME MINISTERS ADDRESS TO THE NATION
- The ten numbers of the last state of emergency. From arrests to covid-19 in schools
- Covid-19: Four Portuguese scientists clarify any doubts about vaccines in videos
- British UN diplomat who devised peacekeeping missions dies at 101
- Government of Madeira adopts more restrictive measures to contain an increase in cases
- Covid-19: Increased demand for yoga, pilates, meditation and training with outdoor PT
- Prime Minister New Year’s Message