Arizona man travels to Hawaii Airbnb. And they try to check in: ‘We are out thousands of dollars’
An Arizona man traveled with five other guests to a Hawaii Airbnb supposedly owned by a superhost. Then, they realized it was a fake listing, making them spend “thousands of dollars” on other accommodations after arriving.
TikToker Imfalls (@imfalls) and five of his friends took an opportunity to visit Kailua, Kona, Hawaii. They each purchased tickets for a flight from Arizona to the island, paying a pretty penny to end up in the Aloha state. Then, they realized their Airbnb was a complete scam.
Imfalls posted a video on TikTok, hoping that it would reach Airbnb, which has since garnered over 31,800 views.
Booking an Airbnb, only to realize it was a scam
Imfalls and his friends booked private rooms in a Kailua, Kona, Hawaii resort on Airbnb. The resort was listed as the “Wyndham Kona Hawaiian apartment [two bedroom] Apartment with resort AC,” a spot that matches a hotel in the area.
When they got to the resort, they tried to check in. Then, they realized they didn’t have any reservations to begin with.
“ The second we got there, the front desk lady had already said, ‘I think you guys are in the wrong spot,’ imfalls said. “So we gave her our last names and she could not find us in the system. It turns out that Airbnb listing shouldn’t have even been on Airbnb. It’s a timeshare getaway. So that is illegally listed on the platform currently.”
The group had no idea what to do or who to turn to. They were stuck in downtown Kona after a grueling seven-hour flight and just wanted to rest. They managed to find one Airbnb that had an available spot for the night. But it didn’t have accommodations for the rest of their trip.
After hours of searching for alternative Airbnbs, the group found one option. A 325 square foot dojo with no air conditioning. Unfortunately, they had no other option but to book the room. “ This is like five miles from the beach and we didn’t rent a car because our first listing was on the beachfront,” Imfalls explained.
So, they ended up having to Uber and DoorDash throughout the trip. That added huge additional costs to their trip.
They try to get refunds from Airbnb
Imfalls and his friends felt incredibly frustrated with the situation. So, they reported the encounter to Airbnb, hoping for some form of financial compensation. Despite reporting all of the problems, Airbnb offered them a paltry $358 refund.
They then had to haggle with Airbnb support for even longer to get a full refund for the place they did not end up staying at. But, they’re still spending much more than they thought they would on the trip. The full refund did not include the additional costs incurred due to the Ubers and DoorDashes they took.
“The current Airbnb we’re in is significantly smaller and is more than the initial Airbnb that we booked, and it doesn’t cover the other Airbnb we booked for another $500,” Imfalls explained. So, the friend group is still spending hundreds, if not thousands more than they thought they would.
Is Airbnb responsible for additional costs?
One commenter aptly described the group’s situation, saying, “A fake verified listing forced them into a $500/night scramble and a no-AC dojo, plus Ubers and DoorDash because they planned to be beachfront. Refunding the original booking is expected — but covering the extra costs caused by it is basic accountability. If this is the final offer, that’s disappointing.”
But, is it truly Airbnb’s responsibility to pay for any additional costs associated with their original booking not working out?
Every booking on Airbnb comes with “AirCover,” which essentially acts as an insurance policy. Airbnb will find a “better or similar accommodation” for guests whose bookings are canceled. If they can’t provide one, then they’ll provide a full refund.
But, Airbnb is ultimately not responsible for their plan to be on the beachfront not working out, nor is it responsible for the Ubers and DoorDash. AirCover does not cover any travel-related costs. The platform is only responsible for actively monitoring listings and trying to preserve the legitimacy of stays, and for providing a full refund for the cost of the original listing.
“They are never going to comp you for the Ubers and food,” one commenter said. “They will just argue that [it’s] expenses for vacation. You should ask them to comp the $500 room and half of your current place for the accommodations being small. Make the $$ for food and rides up that way.”
What other options did he and his friends have?
Since the DoorDash deliveries and Uber rides weren’t approved under Airbnb’s platform for reimbursement, it’s unlikely that Imfalls will get any compensation. Similarly, Imfalls and his friend technically had a choice not to use those platforms and to research cheaper alternatives for travel in the state.
Another commenter expressed a similar sentiment, saying, “Ok but honestly you don’t have to DoorDash. No one in Hawaii uses DoorDash; it’d be cheaper to rent a car or Turo. You can also catch a cheap interisland flight to Oahu or Maui and find a place there too.”
@imfalls AirBNB we need support from you guys… Can everyone tag @airbnb ♬ original sound – imfalls
The Mary Sue reached out to Imfalls via TikTok direct message and Airbnb via email for comment.
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