Host request for $$$ for clean their hot tub which we didn't use at all
- about billing
Captured on . See reviews on the App Store
AirbnbReported repeatedly
People are refused money back after a stay goes wrong
5 people raised this across 3 weeks, on iOS.
iPhone travellers in the United States and Canada, across four app versions.
In their own words
Neither app store gives a review a permanent public link, so each entry is a snapshot taken on the date shown and the link goes to the app's review listing.
6pm the night before we leave for our trip, our host decided to cancel our reservation
- about billing
Captured on . See reviews on the App Store
Airbnb's own rep calculated and we accepted a specific refund in writing
- about billing
Captured on . See reviews on the App Store
I got a bed bug bite and have shown evidence and airbnb refused to refund me
- about billing
Captured on . See reviews on the App Store
Host agreed to a refund. Then disputed it.
- about billing
Captured on . See reviews on the App Store
What people do instead
Nobody described a way around this.
What you could do with this
These four are written from the reviews above. Everything else on this page is quoted or counted.
written
BUILD IT
A record of what both sides agreed, that neither can quietly edit.
See how3 points
- Capture an agreed amount and date as a signed item in the thread
- Show the agreement's state when either party opens the dispute
- Start with the agreed-then-reversed path reviewers describe
Why it might not workThe platform mediates the dispute and also writes the software, so it has no reason to bind itself.
written
START IT
Evidence handling for people disputing an accommodation charge.
See how2 points
- Collects photographs, timestamps and messages into one submitted file
- Charged per dispute rather than per subscription
Why it might not workThe people who need it most have already lost money and are unwilling to spend more.
written
STUDY IT
What happens after a host agrees to a refund and then disputes it?
See how2 points
- Collect reported agreement-to-outcome timelines
- Test whether a written agreement changes the eventual result
Why it might not workOutcomes are settled privately, so the sample is only people who chose to post about it.
written
WRITE IT
The refund agreed in writing, then reversed.
See how2 points
- Follow one traveller from the agreement to the reversal
- Quote the reviews where a representative calculated the amount
Why it might not workPlatform-dispute stories are familiar; the specific turn is the written agreement being undone.
Related challenges
Airbnb
People are stopped by errors that explain nothing at all
Uninstalled the app and reinstalled, no luck!
Build itAn error that names the step, the cause and the retry.
Start itError-message review as a service for product teams.
Study itWhat does a generic error cost in abandoned actions?
Write itThe error message as a design decision, not an accident.
Reported repeatedly
Airbnb
Hosts cannot reach the calendar their income depends on
Messaging is broken. App navigation is broken on abdroid
Build itA host mode that opens on the calendar rather than the guest view.
Start itTooling for hosts whose working day runs inside someone else's app.
Study itWhat does a consumer redesign cost the people who work inside it?
Write itThe redesign that served guests and stranded hosts.
Reported repeatedly
Expedia
People cannot get their money back when a trip falls through
You refused to refund our money
Build itA refund tracker that shows where the money actually is.
Start itA service that chases a travel refund on someone's behalf.
Study itWhat happens to a refund promise after its window passes?
Write itThe refund that quietly becomes credit you cannot spend.
Widely reported