We arrived at our Airbnb today after 3:00 PM to check in. I walked in the backyard and found a pair of shoes — I didn’t know they were expensive, tried them on, and bought them back into the house. My son and I went out to dinner and when we came back we’re accused by host of stealing them. She stated they were her daughters and expensive and now she can’t return them and called the cops on me. I was horrified; I took them into the house to protect them. I didn’t text the host because I didn’t think it was my job to find out who these shoes belonged to. I offered to pay for them but they started to say nasty things to me again with the police there so I said we should wait until tomorrow.
I’m here with my family and we have nowhere to go. Everything is booked and there are no available rooms. The host broke into the house to get these shoes without my permission. I even called my husband during this and he stated what if I found a frisbee or a bottle of wine? How am I supposed to know? I didn’t harm or use anything. Just took them into the house. I want to feel safe here and not be pressured to buy these shoes.
The next two days were pure harassment. She called the cops on us for the next two days to force us to buy the shoes. It was a complete waste of time for the police and for my family. The host continued to watch the cameras on the home to see when we would come back from an activity. As soon as we arrived back at the home the cops would arrive 15 minutes later. The host also yelled profanities from the street to the house in the sunroom when we were putting sunblock on. My son took video of that interaction and we sent it to Airbnb.
Since this story has been uploaded to the platform, the matter has been handled by Airbnb and I was given a full refund and the host has been banned. You are not allowed to break into someone else’s space unless it is an absolute emergency. I want to thank Airbnb for handling this matter in a timely, professional way, listening to the guest’s side, and not thinking of the money made from the host.
When the host found out she was going to be banned, and the police said I was not going to be charged, she started yelling at Airbnb and the police. If any items are left in a shared space contracted by an Airbnb guest it is not the responsibility of the guest to secure the items.
Lesson hopefully learned here (for you) is not to wear or move anything you find in or around a stranger’s house unless it is yours (or on the list of amenities). The host probably learned the lesson of not carelessly leaving expensive things around, especially outside of all places.
Even writing this as a guest, I would be pissed if a host tried to wear any of my clothing without my knowledge, regardless of where I left them. Why? Because I could never feel comfortable with them and my stuff around again. So, why should a host feel comfortable with a guest doing it?
If someone would do that, then what else might they do? This is also one reason I avoid booking any place that indicates that other guests will be around.
The only reason I can sensibly think of to “try something on” is if I intend to keep it if it fits. Otherwise, what is the rational point of finding out if it fits?
The host may have overreacted with their behavior, but something tells me there is a little more to this story, regardless of the fact that the host lost the battle due to their behavior.
Besides, this is one of those problems that fall in the “could have easily been avoided” category. Since the host was too careless to protect their “expensive things,” a person should not use that opportunity to do something that could potentially turn this into a bigger issue that now involves them as well, such as “trying on” / intending to use the expensive items, ESPECIALLY WITHOUT asking first.
If I see something in an odd place that is not on the list of amenities that I feel must be moved at a stranger’s place, and I (for some strange reason) feel the need to move it without asking first, I do not wear or attempt to wear it in the process. If I DO ask and I am given permission to move (not wear) something, and then host gets mad once I move it after it is recorded that I clearly asked and received permission to move it, then I have nothing more to do than shut up and grin while simply showing what the host wrote when necessary if the host goes berserk.
Lastly, never assume for someone else how much an item of theirs might be worth. If it is attractive enough for you to want to try using or wearing and protecting it, then it is possible that it’s also of value to the owners, regardless of how careless they seem to be with it.
Awful experience but…why did you feel you had to try the shoes on ? They were not yours so should have been left where found