Airbnb Horror Story in NYT

Roy,

Thanks for posting. I agree, AirBnB (and others) need to do more both the vet their suppliers as well as enforce standards. I don't use rentals of this type, and this story reinforces my policy on that.

Note that the story was reported in the New York Times, but took place in Madrid. AirBnB, like many businesses, seems to have a problem with common sense. As soon as AirBnB got the call that a customer of theirs was being assaulted they should have reported it to the local authorities for investigation. They should not assume that the assault is over and there is nothing that they can do. They should not cling to rules that are designed for business reasons when someone's health and wellbeing are in danger. They need to train their staff on when to use judgement. In my opinion, the use of judgement is something that rarely encouraged in today's world. We've done it to ourselves with all of our talk of zero tolerance. If there is zero tolerance then no one is ever allowed to make a mistake and people stick rigidly to the rules even when common sense tells you to call the blasted police! :)

AirBnB claims to have changed their policy, but I bet that they still don't encourage their staff to use their own judgement.

I read the article and while I agree that Airbnb could have reacted better I'm curious why the young man in question chose to call his mother in another country rather than calling the emergency # in Madrid (112 comparable to our 911) since he had a phone with him and he knew the address where he was. The local emergency phone# is something you should know when staying in another country should you need help in an emergency.

I'd also suggest following your gut instinct/intuition (teach your children this as well): If something seems off, it's better to be out the door and on the street than in an unpredictable situation out of your control.

Another note: Some of the listings on third-party sites like bedandbreakfast.com are actually Air BnB type places rather than what most of us consider as "actual" BnBs. Do your homework. I did Air BnB once, and it's not my cup of tea.

There was a similar incident in Italy where an AirBNB host was convicted of drugging and raping several female guests.

Nancy, Why did he call his mother? Because he knew the number. He didn't have time to look up the Spanish emergency number in his guide book. Do you memorize the emergency number of every country before a visit? Your advise is right on, but most people have it stashed away, if at all. One night I realized I didn't know the number in a country where I hold dual nationality! I learned it right away because I'm there so much.

Rachel, the "host" locked the door. Maybe it wasn't "off" until the door clicked locked.

We can look for all the "why's" and "what if's" as a way to reassure ourselves that it wouldn't happen to us because "we know better". But IMHO I think it could have happened to the majority of us.

I think Airbnb and the like are just fine, but you aren't really doing business with Airbnb you are doing business with the apartment owner or the apartment management company. I have always thought it might be better to search out the direct webpage for the property and spend a little time communicating with the owner or the management company. I also have thought it preferable to rent from well established management companies than from individuals. The management company has a larger reputation to protect than an individual would. Nothing can beat a well situated comfortable apartment.

"He didn't have time to look up the Spanish emergency number in his guide book."

In case anyone here finds themselves in a similar situation, the common emergency number in the E.U. is "112". I've heard that number will also access emergency services here if it's called from a cell phone, but I've never tried it.

Ken and Nancy--this is really important information: 112! 112 everywhere. I don't think this subject has ever come up before on this forum, but yes, we should all know it before we go. Lesson learned. 112!

Thanks. Just put it in my phone.

Bets,

One additional point to mention. Cellular networks are constantly being upgraded, and some jurisdictions will have "E911 / E112" which allows the network to pinpoint the location of the caller within about 50 metres. I'm not sure if this also applies to "999" in the U.K.?

Yes some phone / network combination in the UK have enhanced location capabilities for 112/999 calls (which are the same). Incidentally UK mobile networks usually connect 911 to the emergency services as well but landlines won't as it can be the start of a regular local number.

And, I do think that in this instance AirBnB needs to take some responsibility. It's called business ethics.

http://www.towerbudapest.com/en/property_management/news/airbnb-is-wrecking-the-rental-market-of-budapest/348

Interesting.