A celebration was very quickly transformed into a monumental tragedy. Within a few hours of arriving to this home a part of our group was exposed to bed bugs, resulting in us all needing to take precautions to avoid further insult and injury. While Airbnb attempted to rectify the horrific experience, it was a impossible feat given that the second location we were taken to in their array of apartments also had bed bugs upon inspection.
One Airbnb representative was as understandable and kind as a person could be. Another attempted to remedy the situation and found a place to stay with another agency, but failed to inform them of entire situation putting us in a position to explain. They were obviously very upset and unhappy. We ultimately didn’t stay with Airbnb and fully blame them for their lack of a crisis plan, poor guidelines and policies and negligence. The company is not prepared for any such circumstance and believes it’s within its rights to keep our money despite what happened during our first partial night’s stay in one of their registered apartments.
The apartment we ultimately stayed in was not near the area we planned for, but was free of bed bugs so the bar was pretty low. Overall it was an awful experience that I would not wish on my enemies. To say the cost to our overall group far exceeded the cost of the apartment is a grand understatement to the tune of a few thousand dollars. I would stay away from Airbnb in Athens until they understand completely how to manage communal apartments for travelers. I would also implore you to look elsewhere to book a place. Airbnb is not experienced and negligent in their practices, especially given the fact that they admittedly asked us to go find a hotel that would be better equipped to handle “these types of situations”… I guess all hotel guests should be exposed to the pests they have no plan to deal with.
Maybe your outlook would be different if you had this experience. I rented HEIDI’S GRANNY COTTAGE in Daytona on August 7 and inadvertently carried bedbugs to my car and home. Thousands of dollars later in lost goods and payments for treatments and products, my home is still not pest free. As a matter of fact, I’ve been out of my home and without the use of my car since September 8. I hope it is true the bugs don’t live beyond four months without a host. Sooo maybe I can return home in January, 2018. Of course, AIRBNB has done nothing to help, and the host became defensive and continues to rent the place. I may not see it, but I do believe justice will prevail in the end.
Bed bugs are an annoyance. A big freaking annoyance. Time consuming and costly. It’s not however a TRAGEDY. Get a grip.
A monumental tragedy is more like being on vacation in Phuket on December 26, 2004. It’s not bed bugs!
It is actually extremely likely they were carried into that person’s home by a traveller anyway.
Bed bugs occur everywhere, from the most rundown places right through to 5 star.
The only difference being those places can shut down the room, the floor or the wing and move you elsewhere. Just like they have the ability to do if a sewerage pipe bursts, the drain clogs or the air conditioning stops working, or the other 99% things people come to this forum to whinge about. Just stay at a hotel next time!