Crusader Travel bug ruins Rome trip
ACOUPLE were all set to enjoy a romantic break in Rome but it didn’t come up to scratch after they discovered bed-bugs in their holiday apartment. The ghastly bites and itching then forced Amelia Selway and her boyfriend to quit the grubby flat they had paid £347 for through Airbnb, the short-let hosting online marketplace.
“It was so unbearable that we left early and went to a hotel,” says Amelia. “We had to find an extra £130 for that which proved a blow financially but we had no choice.”
Photographs of the “charming” apartment posted by host Angelo depicted winding white-washed steps, terracotta pots filled with greenery and decorative wrought iron doors.
“But as we began unpacking we noticed the stained walls and the dirty bed headboard,“says Amelia. “After the first night we had bites and when we examined the sheets we saw insect droppings.
“It was the last thing we expected and we wished we had never gone there in the first place.”
After she returned last October, Amelia complained to Airbnb, sending photographic evidence of the bugs and bites and asking for a refund that also reflected their loss of enjoyment. “Staying in a place like that and the hassle of finding somewhere else did ruin the holiday as a whole,” she explained.
Amelia then found £86 that had been offered by the host had been returned to her account, an amount she considered undervalued the loss, she told Crusader.
“That came out of the blue. I told them I appreciated the response but it wasn’t enough.
“The apartment also continued to be advertised for some time after I had complained which was a disappointment. I have not heard from them again and am not at all happy.
“I’ve been a customer many times but am not so sure I will be again.”
Airbnb’s terms of service are clear when they set out what is expected of hosts and guests and what happens if there is a “travel issue”: “We agree: at our discretion to either (i) reimburse you up to the amount paid by you through the Airbnb platform (“total fees”) depending on the nature of the travel issue suffered, or (ii) use our reasonable efforts to find and book you another accommodation for unused nights left in your booking which is reasonably comparable to the accommodation described in your original booking.”
It continues: “If you are a host, you are responsible for ensuring that the accommodations you list on the Airbnb platform meet minimum quality standards regarding access, adequacy of the listing description, safety, cleanliness, and do not present a guest with travel issues.”
Amelia had wisely taken proof of the problems and also had the hotel receipt so we put her case again to Airbnb.
This time she received what she was due according to the platform’s own terms – a full refund.
We weren’t told what the problem had been in issuing it in the first place but Amelia is now delighted, saying: “Thank you Crusader in helping me get justice.”
MOTOR BILLS TO FALL?
Cheaper motor insurance could be a reality after the Government’s announcement that it is introducing the new Civil Liability Bill, which will reform personal injury compensation.
annual motor insurance costs have been predicted to fall by up to £50 a year as costs from crash-for-cash claims and whiplash injury abuses (said to cost motorists £5million a day) are curbed.
rob Townend, managing director of aviva UK General Insurance, said: “Together with the Financial Guidance and Claims Bill, these measures signal the end of the era of crash-for-cash and nuisance calls.
“I repeat our commitment to pass on 100 per cent of the savings to our customers.”