Airbnbs can be either a hit or a miss. For this vacationing family, this Florida-based Airbnb was definitely a miss.
In a video that has garnered 1.2 million views, the matriarch of the Davis family (@davisfamilyjourney) recapped their unsavory experience while they were traveling via car.
She explained that they had gotten to Pompano Beach three hours ago, but they were now leaving the vacation spot. The first issue with the Airbnb was how “run-down” it apparently looked.
“I’m not above staying anywhere because I literally used to stay in like the cheapest, most run-down hotels ever,” she explained. “But it just kept getting worse and worse as we were going.”
Still, they persevered. They unpacked their bags, got groceries delivered, and went to check out the beach, which was said to be two blocks away. It was here that the Davis family faced its next problem. To reach the beach, they’d have to cross a highway with no crosswalk.
As they approached the beach, the TikToker said they came across “five crackheads.” She dubbed the situation “really ridiculous and bad.”
When they got back, she messaged the host, saying this wasn’t going to work, adding that they were not in a safe environment and that this was not what the pictures looked like. However, the worst part came when her daughter discovered a tile hanging from the ceiling. After pulling the shower curtain, the tile collapses even more. While the 12×12 tile was pushed back up, it fell on her head.
When the TikToker told the host about this, they said they couldn’t guarantee a refund. “Oh, yes you can,” the TikToker said. “Oh you absolutely can and you absolutely will.”
In total, the TikTok video amassed 1.2 million views.
BroBible reached out to the TikToker via email.
What Did Viewers Think?
Some TikTokers shared their own experiences.
“This situation happened to my family a few years ago on Airbnb,” one wrote. “My dad has been relentlessly trying to get a refund since 2021. We were there for literally 20 minutes, and left. It was so bad.”
“I hope you get your money back,” a second said. “Had an awful experience my last stay with Airbnb and went back and forth with them. They only refunded a portion. Not sure I’ll be using them again.”
Others cited the importance of Google Maps as part of the research process.
“I always Google Street View maps before I stay somewhere,” a third added.
While a fourth was more critical, asking, “So you didn’t think of using something called Google Maps to see how far the beach was from the place you were staying and to see how you get to the beach?”
Also in the comments, multiple users said the TikToker shouldn’t get a refund. In response to one comment like this, the TikToker shared a picture of the gaping tile hole in the bathroom and wrote, “Considering this fell on my kids head.. I did in fact get a full refund.”
How Did They End Up There?
In a second video, the TikToker explains how they ended up in Pompano Beach in the first place. They gave a wider context about what led to the vacation, saying they decided to make a whole trip out of their daughter’s Sweet Sixteen Trip to Daytona.
She reveals that after leaving Pompano Beach, they tried to book an Airbnb that same night, but it wasn’t approved quickly enough. They ended up at Cocoa Beach and found nicer accommodation there.
The TikToker also reiterated they did get a refund “because there was no way they were gonna deny the fact that a ceiling tile fell on [her daughter’s] head and they weren’t gonna give me my money back. Like, are you for real?”
What Did Airbnb Say?
In an emailed statement to BroBible, a spokesperson for Airbnb said, “We want our guests to have a positive experience on Airbnb, and we take safety reports seriously. We’ve been in contact with this guest to support them, including providing a full refund for her stay and reimbursement for her rebooked accommodations, and we have worked with the host to address the reported listing concerns.”
How Does Airbnb Protect Guests?
If there are issues, guests can contact the 24/7 Community Support team and/or the 24/7 Safety Line.
Airbnb also has ground rules for hosts and certain safety requirements for listings, including the requirement of “listing accuracy.” The company, in turn, can take action on any reported violations.
In the event that the hosts cannot resolve the issue for customers, Airbnb guests have AirCover. Through AirCover, Airbnb will find the guests an alternate accommodation or issue a full or partial refund.
@davisfamilyjourney It literally looked nothing like the pictures.. were on our way to a totally different area now.
Airbnb Floods With Raw Sewage
Disgruntled holidaymakers are calling out sub-par Airbnb properties on TikTok. One TikToker accuses Airbnb of “scamming” them, and there’s one TikTok that even documents raw sewage coming out of an Airbnb’s pipe.
The viral TikTok shows a gross-looking grey liquid bubbling out of a drain pipe as brown dirty water spreads onto the floor.
“Current Airbnb situation,” on-screen text read. “Hosts not responding. Airbnb is no help.”
Eventually, somebody came to clean up and fix the blockage. This was after two hours of waiting for Airbnb support to successfully get in touch with the host.
However, when the same issue occurred again, the TikToker finally left. According to the user, Airbnb told her that the host has to fix the issue before allowing people to stay in it again. Whether that actually happened is another story entirely.