Left stranded by Airbnb

I’m a first-time user of Airbnb, and I have to say the experience has been quite frustrating and feels a bit *****. I recently booked a stay, and after confirming the reservation, I received a message saying that the host needed to approve my booking, which could take up to 24 hours. I was also informed that the payment would only be processed if the booking was approved.

However, a few hours later, I received an email stating that the host had declined my booking. To my surprise, the payment was still deducted from my account despite the rejection. This is extremely inconveniencing and stressful, especially since I now need to find and book another place.

I find this process very unthoughtful. If the booking is declined, the payment should not be processed or held at all. Now I am left stranded