Let's Talk About How Bad Airbnb's Customer Service is

Where do we even begin with this customer service horror story? Consider this the longer review of my original write-up from our Worst Companies section - where Airbnb has a certified top spot on the list and for good reason. If you've ever needed actual help from this company, you already know you're in for a ride straight to customer service hell - equipped with no seatbelts, no exits just a hold music loop from the seventh circle.

Let's be crystal clear folks. Airbnb's customer service isn't just bad, it's structurally broken. I started tracking them in 2021 but their transgressions in this area span far beyond that, likely 10 years or more at this point. The items that I mentioned in Top 10 list like ghosted support tickets, robotic copy-paste "apologies," refund runarounds and dismissed safety reports are treated like wet noodles and are really the daily reality for both guests and hosts. Scroll through it - including the Maui wildfire refund denial example and this one regarding DEATH below - and you'll see just how much their leadership keeps papering over the mess with shiny product confetti.

Yikes....

The Numbers Don't Lie (And They're Ugly)

Here's some data that'll make your blood boil: A 2021 study of over 125,000 Airbnb complaints on Twitter found that 72% of the issues were related to poor customer service. Let that sink in for a hot minute. Nearly three-quarters of people bitching about Airbnb on social media weren't even complaining about dirty apartments or broken amenities, they were pissed about the company's complete inability to provide basic human support.

But wait, it gets worse. Research shows that 82% of guests who had problems with Airbnb cited customer service as a major cause of their frustration. This isn't just a few Karen complaints we're talking about, this is systematic failure on an industrial scale.

Good Luck Actually Reaching Someone

Want to call Airbnb for help? Hope you've got nothing else planned for the day. Users routinely report calling multiple times and waiting 40+ minutes on hold, only to get disconnected or routed to some automated system that's about as helpful as a chocolate teapot.

And if you somehow manage to get through? Congratulations, you've just won the lottery of frustration! You'll be greeted by someone who sounds like they're reading from a script that was written by someone who's never actually used Airbnb, let alone dealt with a real customer complaint.

Their email support isn't any better sadly. Those "personalized" responses you get are copy-pasted right from a playbook and more generic than store-brand cereal. It's like they have a magic 8-ball that randomly generates meaningless corporate speak. "We understand your frustration," they'll say, right before proving they understand absolutely nothing about your situation.

When You Do Get Through, It's Amateur Hour

Here's where things get really fun. Airbnb has heavily outsourced their customer service to Asia and poorly trained their agents, which means you're often dealing with representatives who barely speak English and have zero understanding of local laws, customs or common sense.

Picture this: You're trying to explain a serious safety issue, and you end up in what one user described as an "Abbott and Costello comedy routine" that goes on for days. Different agents give you completely contradictory advice, nobody reads the previous conversation history and each interaction feels like you're starting from scratch with someone who just learned what Airbnb was five minutes ago.

One customer reported going through five different support representatives over a single issue, with each one basically playing telephone with the previous agent's notes. It's like watching a corporate game of broken telephone, except you're the one getting screwed in the process.

Safety? What Safety?

This is where Airbnb's customer service fail goes from annoying to downright dangerous. When actual safety issues come up, like misleading listings, dangerous conditions or emergency situations, their support team treats it like you're complaining about not getting enough towels.

Take this real example: A guest booked a place specifically for air conditioning during a heatwave, only to arrive and find the AC was broken. The temperature hit 100°F, and when they contacted support, they spent five hours getting bounced between different teams without any real resolution. Five hours! In 100-degree heat!

And those stories are a dime a dozen on this platform, which you can find all over their Trustpilot page:

Here's another one.

Even better, some users report that Airbnb's customer service actually warned them against recording calls for their own protection, essentially telling customers they can't document how poorly safety issues are handled. If that doesn't scream "we know we suck and don't want evidence," I don't know what does.

Your Money, Their Rules

Let's talk about everyone's favorite topic: refunds and financial disputes. Airbnb's approach to your money can best be described as "heads we win, tails you lose." Their customer service treats refund requests like you're asking them to donate a kidney.

One crude example of this is when natural disasters happen and people can't travel because of them, like those Maui wildfires from 2023. Despite the obvious hell this incurred for many people, Airbnb Support STILL denied refunds for it:

The corporate scam warnings practically write themselves here. Users have documented thousands of cases where Airbnb refuses refunds even with clear evidence of problems, forcing customers to dispute charges with their credit card companies or file complaints with the Better Business Bureau just to get basic consumer protections. And sometimes people even need to go to Small Claims Court, which is the last resort that I mention on our tips page.

The Review Scam That Nobody Talks About

Here's a dirty little secret that'll make you rage-quit the platform: Airbnb's review system is completely rigged against honest feedback. Try to leave a negative review about a legitimate problem, and their customer service will either completely ignore the underlying issue or, worse yet, side with hosts against guests who are just trying to warn other travelers.

Some users have reported getting scathing retaliatory reviews posted against them after filing complaints, even when customer service initially confirmed they "handled everything correctly." It's like they're actively encouraging hosts to punish guests for speaking up about problems.

The review removal system is equally broken. Legitimate negative reviews mysteriously disappear while fake positive reviews stay up, creating a completely misleading picture for future customers. It's consumer fraud disguised as quality control.

Brian Chesky: The Man Behind the Madness

Let's name names, because someone ought to be held responsible for this, right? Brian Chesky, Airbnb's CEO, loves to take the stage and promise the sun, moon and "we heard you and we're fixing customer service this time." He's even admitted the obvious, that "reliability is Airbnb's Achilles Heel." Yeah, no kidding. Then, like clockwork, he pivots to flashy product news and design demos while the support dumpster fire rages.

Here's the pattern we keep seeing:

• Big keynote energy about shiny stuff (Airbnb Rooms, Icons, Wishlist redesigns, glossy UI makeovers).

• Hand-wavy lines about "improving support" with zero specifics on staffing, training, or escalation timelines.

• A new "magic toggle" or "smarter AI" that does nothing for you when a host cancels day-of, your account gets locked, or you’re stranded at 11 pm with no access code.

• Press tours about "affordability" and "authenticity," while the refund team writes Mad Libs with your case notes.

  
  

Translation: customer service gets a footnote and product design (which he has a degree in) gets the billboard. Reliability is the headline in interviews, but in practice it's a backstage extra.

But don't just take it from me...

He's conned his users about this so many times that I pieced together this satire video below about what he would actually say about his Customer Service if he was being honest.

Enjoy.

The Full Complaints List (From Our Top 10 Worst List)

Yep, we've seen it all and so have you. Here's the condensed rap sheet you can send to your group chat:

• Phone support that might as well not exist

• Scripted, copy-paste non-answers

• Pinball-machine support

• Safety minimized to a rounding error

• Refund runaround (aka bring your own parachute)

• Host-side disasters with zero accountability

• Review system shenanigans

• "Don’t record us" vibes

• Maui wildfire refund denial (receipts we won't forget)

  
  

Bottom line: this isn't just a bad day at the office people. It's a system designed to protect margins and stockholders, not the customers who have kept this company afloat for years. If Chesky wants reliability, he can start by funding and fixing frontline support, not shipping another confetti cannon feature.

What You Can Actually Do About This Mess

Alright, enough ranting: let's talk about how to deal with bad customer service when Airbnb inevitably screws you over:

• Document everything: Screenshot conversations, save emails, record calls if your state allows it (and ignore their threats about not recording). You'll need evidence when you escalate.

• Skip the regular support line: Go straight to social media. Tweet at @AirbnbHelp with your complaint. Public shame is often the only thing that gets corporate attention.

• File complaints everywhere: Better Business Bureau, your state's attorney general, consumer protection agencies. Make noise in multiple places.

• Dispute with your credit card: If they won't refund legitimately bad service, your credit card company often will. Document the attempts to resolve through Airbnb first.

• Consider alternatives: VRBO, Booking.com, and direct rental sites often have somewhat better customer service, although it's barely better to be honest (Expedia Group - VRBO's parent - is also on the Top 10 Worst List) so tread carefully. Hotels are often much better in this area and much more reliable in general.

• Know your consumer rights: Research local consumer advocacy tips and protection laws. Companies like Airbnb count on customers not knowing their rights.

The bottom line? Airbnb's customer service isn't just bad: it's a systematic failure that puts customers at risk and treats basic support like an inconvenience. Until they face real consequences for this customer service fail, nothing's going to change. Your best bet is to protect yourself, document everything, and consider whether the hassle is worth saving a few bucks on accommodation.

Ready for more consumer advocacy tips and corporate accountability? Check out our other investigations where we expose the worst offenders in customer service hell.