A furious traveler claims Airbnb is refusing to refund and book after she tried to cancel a vacation rental near the Los Angeles wildfires.
Ana Mostarac detailed the saga in an X post Tuesday night as the fire ripped through the affluent West LA area, burning cars, schools and multi-million dollar homes.
Mostarac, who had booked a vacation rental near the Pacific Palisades area, explained to X that she would call Airbnb to ask for help “rebooking accommodations further away from the danger zone.”
Despite the force majeure, the rental firm refused the finance executive’s request, saying it was not covered by their disaster policy.
“We’re sorry to hear you won’t be able to make your next booking,” they said, via a photo of their exchange. “Unfortunately, this cancellation is not covered by our Major Disturbing Events Policy. This means that your host’s strict cancellation policy will apply.”
Mostarac was angered by the answer.
“Thank you Airbnb,” she wrote in the caption of the post.
“As always, their policies failed to account for context,” she said in a follow-up post. “The fires continue to get worse, and unfortunately, many others are probably stuck explaining the fires to someone in another country right now.”
“They failed at the moment when it matters most,” she added.
X viewers sympathized with her plight.
“I hope you are safe Ana! God, pray that the house doesn’t burn down,” said one. “What an inhuman response from @Airbnbhelp.”
“So basically you’re going to have to pay them even though they can’t accommodate you?” cried another.
Mostarac replied: “That is my understanding.”
According to Airbnb’s website, the Major Disruptive Events Policy allows guests to cancel their reservation and receive a full refund and travel credit if it is affected by “large-scale events” that prevent or “legally prohibit” the completion of the stay. a reservation. Hosts can also cancel without “fees or other negative consequences.”
This overrides the standard refund policy which states that refunds are at the property owner’s discretion.
However, Airbnb notes that they only cover natural disasters if they result in events that prevent “completion of the reservation, such as a mandatory evacuation order or large-scale disruption of essential services.”
“When a large-scale event occurs, we assess the situation to determine whether the Major Disruptive Events Policy applies,” the guidelines state. “If it occurs, we activate the Policy for the affected area and the time frame where we anticipate that the Event will prevent or legally prohibit the completion of bookings.”
They add that “bookings outside the designated area and time frame may not be acceptable.”
The exact location of the Mostarac Airbnb rental is not clear.
The Post has contacted the company for comment.
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