AirBnB was "a dumphole"

Just got a call during dinner from a woman in a panic. She was in the town just south of us and had gone to the AirBnB they had booked - but it was "a dumphole". So she was looking for a replacement - for 10 days! I commiserated, but told her we only had 1 night open in the next week. I gave her the name a new (real) B&B in town that might have some openings.
All I can do is shake my head at how folks are getting scammed by places like AirBnB. Sure,maybe they understand that "youse takes your chances" at unlicensed establishments, but until stories like this get publicized, it will continue to happen. (As an aside, I wonder if AirBnB rules allow them to get their money back???)

As always, travelers must do their homework, studying the reviews and photos. No reviews means I'm probably not going to risk staying there!

How many innmates run a B and B in Canada? There is a program on CBC that starts up in the fall called Go [email protected] They are looking for programs. Do you think it would do any good if a few of us were to go that route with airbnb? And mainly make the public more aware of some of the problems a traveler might run into by booking with them.

Yikes. The air site seems to have general name familiarity out there now. We were the first in our area to list one of our places with them. Many more have come on board in the last year. Local listings run the gamut from a spare room in someones house, to the kind of place we offer, with a dedicated clean and private space, the usual linens and amenities one would expect in a professionally run motel. One local lists his whole house when he's on the road working. Hope he doesn't get burned.
I am beginning to be leery about taking air guests without reviews. We hosted one air couple who were renting out their whole house and staying with us! They needed quite a bit of cleaning up after - after they departed. For the most part, the guests have been great though. This is the place we have available for those with children or pets, and in general guests ages have skewed lower than that of our typical full b and b guests.
One thing we can all be jealous of I suppose, is that on the air site the hosts rate the guests too!

I thought maybe she meant hovel....
Hovelstay, the ultra low cost riff on Airbnb

I've done my share of "rescues" over the years. Let them call the company and deal with them. If rent from someone unlicensed, untaxed and immoral, you take your chances.

spend my life doing rescues from my godmothers properties - does no one read reviews apart from us?