Terrible Customer Service

I had a very disappointing experience with Airbnb regarding my recent booking in Cape Town for a festival. I booked accommodation to avoid traveling far, but just 10 days before my stay, the host informed me that there was a mistake on Airbnb's end and canceled my reservation. This left me scrambling to rebook at another place after receiving a voucher for the same amount.

On the day of the festival, I arrived at the new hotel, which I paid R1,149.56 for, only to be told they had no record of my booking. With the festival starting in just an hour, I was extremely upset. I called Airbnb, and they promised to get back to me within 30 minutes to assist me in finding alternative accommodation.

After waiting for half an hour without any feedback, the hotel receptionist helped me search for nearby places, but due to the short notice and festival demand, the prices were significantly higher. Eventually, we had to pay R3,200 for a room at another hotel for one night.

I finally heard back from Airbnb the next day, only to be told they would refund me around R1,000 and offered an apology, which felt inadequate after the stress and chaos I endured.

This experience has left me frustrated, and I will not be using Airbnb again. I cannot recommend their service based on how they handled my booking.