I Was Swindled Renting an Airbnb Directly via The Host, Bypassing Airbnb

Lcatchup on 26/11/2024 - 01:28
Last edited 26/11/2024 - 17:00 by 1 other user

A few months ago, I booked a weekend getaway with friends in Orange, NSW, through Airbnb. The listing seemed perfect: a spacious, peaceful house surrounded by nature, with an attractive price. The host, MJS, seemed very professional and responded to all my questions promptly. He offered me the chance to pay outside the Airbnb platform, assuring me it would save on fees and give me a discount.

Without thinking much of it, I agreed to make the payment via bank transfer, as requested. Once the money was sent, things took a dramatic turn. When we arrived at the address, we found the house completely inaccessible. The door was locked, and there was no one around. After multiple calls and messages to MJS, he stopped responding. He had disappeared.

I contacted Airbnb, but since the payment had been made outside the platform, they couldn’t help. The listing had been removed, MJS was unreachable, and I was left without a place to stay and no way to get my money back.

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Comments

  • Gervais fanboy on 26/11/2024 - 02:22
    +89

    You posting this is you warning other people to not do what they already know they shouldn’t be doing? Useless post imo.

    Member Since
    3 hours 38 min ago

    Probably a troll.

    • HangryCakeStore on 26/11/2024 - 18:07
      +24

      Still a good tip, thanks Op 🍻

    • AndyC1 on 26/11/2024 - 18:09
      +1

      Sure is, no responses from OP…..

      • hopper on 28/11/2024 - 08:39
        +7

        OP is MJS

    • catchup on 26/11/2024 - 21:59
      +13

      I'm not a troll.
      I wanted to create this profile to talk about this but also to be able to interact on other things. I know it's a lame arnarque but I was really stupid at the time. And I'm not saying that I blame Airbnb, I did contact them to report that the user was a scammer.

    • catchup on 26/11/2024 - 22:53
      +22

      No, I just want to tell people to be careful with this guy (without naming him directly but only leaving his initials). Because he's ingenious and I've got a friend who knows how to get away with it but in a different way.
      Your comment doesn't seem very useful to me either.
      I'm new to this kind of forum and I'm still learning. But I thought it was important to mention that there's a guy running a scam in this part of Australia.

      • CodeXD on 27/11/2024 - 13:06
        +19

        I just want to tell people to be careful with this guy (without naming him directly but only leaving his initials).

        Ah yes, initials, the unique identifier so we know which guy we need to be careful with.

        Put his full name and bank details so if anyone googles his name or bank details they will find this post.

        • chamzoo on 29/11/2024 - 15:46
          +1

          Agree. Why is OP trying to hide scammers details? Doubt it's real to begin with

      • johnno07 on 29/11/2024 - 01:10
        +1

        Because he's ingenious

        Hmm

    • kaboom mel on 27/11/2024 - 08:54
      +25

      The OP is at least trying to warn others of this instead of you trolling him. I find this post useful. In the past i have tried to book air bnb and the person has told me that he also lists property outside the platform and i can also if i choose to book directly from their website, which was legit. Same property can be listed through multiple agents. went with the cheaper option and worked out 6/6 times.

      A post like this will get me to extra due diligence next time.

    • momptdeals on 28/11/2024 - 13:18
      +3

      Don't be mean to the newbie ozb user. Sounds like a rough experience and they're just sharing.

    • CalmLemons on 29/11/2024 - 11:36
      +2

      Feel like OP is probably airbnb using a pseudo account to remind everyone not to fk with them.

  • MS Paint on 26/11/2024 - 05:39
    +77

    I Was Swindled Renting an Airbnb

    I didn't follow the rules and scammed myself.

    FTFY.

    • mapax on 26/11/2024 - 06:50
      +3

      ADASMHS

    • 87percent on 26/11/2024 - 09:34

      Yep.. ops own fault

    • meong on 27/11/2024 - 22:59
      +1

      i was expecting an mspaint pic… im disappointed

  • May4th on 26/11/2024 - 06:35
    +8

    that's unfortunate, hopefully lesson learnt

  • SBOB on 26/11/2024 - 06:45
    +18

    I agreed to make the payment via bank transfer, as requested.

    I think I read about this in Don’t do what Donny Don’t does

  • holdenmg on 26/11/2024 - 06:45
    +4

    Damn, there wasn't even a fake Iphone in this post. :+(

    Maybe ask your Bank if you can do a charge back…

    • just-human on 26/11/2024 - 21:32

      It's unlikely to work with bank transfers as the recipient would have likely drained the funds. Sometimes it does help to report it so the receiving bank can investigate and potentially shut down the account though.

      • catchup on 26/11/2024 - 22:03
        +1

        No, I didn't get a refund, but I really was an idiot when I did, it's such a scam from the 2000s.

        • just-human on 26/11/2024 - 22:20
          +4

          Not surprised. I work at a major bank and usually people will take cash out as quickly as possible so chance of recovery is next to none.

  • randomusername2017 on 26/11/2024 - 06:45
    +16

    He offered me the chance to pay outside the Airbnb platform

    …and stay

    • Deebo Baggins on 27/11/2024 - 11:14
      +8

      Exterior: Dimly lit holiday house at dusk. Crickets chirp.

      cut to: Close up of man's face lit by screen of mobile phone out of shot. Man is looking around at house trying to figure out a way in.

      cut to: Phone screen. Man starts typing "Where…" when a notification appears "User has blocked you." and conversation disappears with a ploop

      cut to: wide shot of house with man and other guests in foreground. A teenager kicks at the gravel.

      Voiceover: If you pay outside, you may just stay outside.

      cut to: AirBnB logo, crickets intensify.

      @randomusername2017 i think we just wrote an ad.

      • Hangryuman on 27/11/2024 - 13:03
        +4

        'If you pay outside, you may just stay outside'

        thanks for the belly laugh !

      • randomusername2017 on 27/11/2024 - 15:48
        +2

        Fresh Airbnb

  • aat92 on 26/11/2024 - 06:59
    -8

    did you use paypal? what did you use? fight it

    • Empharand on 28/11/2024 - 01:37
      +4

      I agreed to make the payment via bank transfer, as requested.

      You didn't read the post did you?

      • Chandler on 28/11/2024 - 15:43

        That's optional these days, didn't you know? /s smh…

  • Randxyz123 on 26/11/2024 - 07:24
    +2

    You can probably try and do charge back via your bank. Call them and explain the situation. Screenshot the messages if you can still access them.

    If you still have the link, see if you can access via the way back machine or reverse Google image search the images they used. They might try the same thing on somewhere like booking.com

    • JimmyF on 26/11/2024 - 10:56
      +16

      LOL charge back for a direct transfer made months ago! Yeah nah

  • mskeggs on 26/11/2024 - 08:04
    +27

    I can help you get your money back if you send me a 10% finder's fee in apple gift cards

  • mskeggs on 26/11/2024 - 08:06
    +22

    +1 for use of swindled rather than the overused and watered down 'scammed'.

    • FireRunner on 26/11/2024 - 08:42
      +12

      I would have preferred bamboozled but swindled does the job

      • AdamFury on 26/11/2024 - 13:40
        +11

        Big fan of hoodwinked personally.

        • Chandler on 28/11/2024 - 15:44
          +3

          I'm a beguiled man, myself.

  • AustriaBargain on 26/11/2024 - 08:08
    +2

    the chance to pay outside the Airbnb platform

    Lol, you ignored all the warnings. Who you gonna blame? I've fallen for a bigger scam I must admit and can only blame my teenage self. I got the money back from the Indian scammers though, you can't bs a bs'er…

    • SpainKing on 26/11/2024 - 17:00
      +1

      What was the scam and how'd you regain the misappropriated funds?

      • AustriaBargain on 26/11/2024 - 17:08
        +3

        Embarrassed to say, but I transferred $5,000 AUD using a random money transfer service website that had the lowest rates. Easily in the top 20 dumbest things I have ever done.

  • ihbh on 26/11/2024 - 08:09
    +46

    I Was Swindled Renting an Airbnb

    The correct title is: I Was Swindled Trying to Swindle Airbnb

  • ihbh on 26/11/2024 - 08:11
    +4

    Please read this article and try to extrapolate it to other parts of your life: https://www.smh.com.au/money/planning-and-budgeting/doug-tho…

    Hopefully you didn't pay $1m for the privilege of going outside the Airbnb platform.

  • ihfree on 26/11/2024 - 08:13
    +2

    Any other red flags?

    How were the results of the seller? Hacked account or no ratings?

    Where do the images come from? Reverse image search?

  • Ughhh on 26/11/2024 - 08:17
    +10

    It warns you on every listing

    To protect your payment, never transfer money or communicate outside of the Airbnb website or app.

    • CocaKoala on 26/11/2024 - 18:06

      But MJS responded to all messages promptly.

    • Empharand on 28/11/2024 - 01:39
      +1

      OP was like….
      Protection? Nah
      Possible Savings? Hell yeah!

      What's uncanny is OP didn't receive any of the abovementioned, and had the audacity to go to Airbnb to seek their help

  • solidussnake on 26/11/2024 - 08:19
    +18

    I contacted Airbnb, but since the payment had been made outside the platform, they couldn’t help

    Hahahah you dont think 🤣

    • apu on 26/11/2024 - 09:31
      +6

      Exactly my thoughts. Why would AirBnB help when you tried to swindle them and not pay via their platform. How can they help you when they don't make any money?

    • brendanm on 26/11/2024 - 09:45
      +5

      TIL airbnb doesn't handle banking disputes.

    • foxmulder on 26/11/2024 - 12:17
      +2

      I don't get it, op didnt use Airbnb technically, why the need to contact them

      • Save 50 Cent on 26/11/2024 - 17:23
        +1

        The same reason they got taken for a ride in the first place.

      • gmatht on 30/11/2024 - 01:09

        Well, they should probably warn AirBnB that a "host" is violating the AirBnB TOS, even if they don't get anything out of it.

  • Nutrino on 26/11/2024 - 09:29
    +2

    They saw you coming a mile away….

  • Duckie2hh on 26/11/2024 - 09:38
    +6

    TLDR: OP fked up.

  • Dollar General on 26/11/2024 - 09:52
    +40

    That sucks

    I have an Airbnb in Orange I can offer you at discounted rates if you like. We can do it outside of Airbnb to save you money as you are already out of pocket a bit

  • apple2016 on 26/11/2024 - 10:00
    +1

    I Was Swindled Renting an Airbnb

    I shot myself on the foot!…

  • JimB on 26/11/2024 - 10:06
    +2

    Sucks, but a hard lesson to learn.

    OP, did the host have any rating or feedback previously?

    No point going to Airbnb, that's like going to the cops to help you recover funds from a drug deal gone bad.

  • mrkorrupt on 26/11/2024 - 10:18
    +5

    I think this is a big troll, as if people do not know that if you use a platform and the owner want you to pay outside the platform this is a red flag

    Then when things go wrong, how do you expect the platform to look after you if they have NO record of the transaction on their Platform

    I did get swindled on Airbnb (a property advertised certain features and they were unusable (3mbps internet, while 5G on the balcony with local sim was 1100mpbs, 1 Aircon blows hot air only, one aircon blow cold air but undersized so useless, washing machine door lock broken….) but I paid inside the platform and got 80/90% refund.

    • JimB on 26/11/2024 - 11:19
      +5

      80% refund is very good.

    • Save 50 Cent on 26/11/2024 - 17:26
      +3

      I actually have an airbnb and offer repeat guests (who seem mature and reliable) to book directly. Airbnb fees are too much and it is nice when you are able to avoid paying it.

      • Chandler on 28/11/2024 - 15:53
        -2

        People like you are contributing to the fees being so high by dodging them, and everyone else has to cover the costs for you to list your property, etc on AirBnb.

        I await the complaints when AirBnb starts hitting hosts with listing fees to try and recover said costs.

        • Save 50 Cent on 28/11/2024 - 15:57

          Chill bro.. repeat customers who pay cash are less than 1% of my bookings. Fees are high because they can. All companies do that once their platform becomes almost a monopoly.

          • Chandler on 28/11/2024 - 16:48

            @Save 50 Cent: Yes, AirBnb being dominant is a major contributor to the high fees, but people hosting outside the platform are definitely a contributor: I'd wager that AirBnb would crunch the numbers on it and adjust their fees accordingly.

            Side note: my comment was chill, although may not come across as so, or be read as such :)

        • Save 50 Cent on 28/11/2024 - 16:10

          Also, I don’t think i am breaking the law or being unethical when i paid airbnb their fees for the first stay.
          Second time, it is fair game to make a deal privately as far as I am concerned and airbnb can go f themselves.

          • Chandler on 28/11/2024 - 16:51
            -2

            @Save 50 Cent: No, I don't think you're breaking the law. I'd wager again that you're breaching AirBnb's Terms of Service but!

            As to ethics, well that gets more opinionated… some people would say it's fine, some people would say it isn't. Personally, I'd say it is unethical, but at the same time I wouldn't be crucifying you for keeping your hard earned from an >$80b corporation…

            • Ughhh on 29/11/2024 - 06:50

              @Chandler: Would it still be unethical if property was also listed on other competitor platforms like Stayz? How is Airbnb going to know?

              • Chandler on 29/11/2024 - 10:18

                @Ughhh: Good point.

                Likely against AirBnb's Terms of Service, which makes you start wondering about the ethicalness (that a word?) of them…

    • WT on 27/11/2024 - 12:47

      yea its no longer airbnb but just air

  • burningrage on 26/11/2024 - 10:49

    Best you can do is to warn AirBNB for the seemingly fraudulent listing but they will also chastise you for trying going outside the system.

    The red flags are everywhere it is impossible for anyone with basic understanding of financial transaction should miss these.

    • JimB on 26/11/2024 - 11:19

      listing is gone…

  • JimmyF on 26/11/2024 - 10:57
    +4

    He offered me the chance to pay outside the Airbnb platform, assuring me it would save on fees and give me a discount.

    Once you do that, as you have found out, you are no longer protected by Airbnb policies.

  • sim777 on 26/11/2024 - 11:53
    +1

    So pretty much you paid by means outside of Airbnb and you were comfortable with a verbal confirmation of your reservation. Did you even bother to look at the listing again to see whether the dates you booked were unavailable?

    • Chandler on 28/11/2024 - 15:56

      I don't think the host cares about the listing being updated - why would they if they're trying to pull one over the customer and the platform?

      AirBnb can't touch them - it's hearsay that the customer paid the host outside the platform: there's very little AirBnb can do (which is why they tell you not to do it). It's not like AirBnb can force the hosts to do anything. It becomes a case between the customer and the host, and the police/judicial system is who needs to be involved then, not AirBnb.

  • pegaxs on 26/11/2024 - 16:36
    +2

    LOL… no you weren't… You were swindled by trying to save a few bucks and your own blind greed. Your issue was going outside of the AirBnB system to save money… This wasnt AirBnB swindling you as they have nothing to do with it. They provide a system to use and you thought you knew better and circumvented their protections.

    I contacted Airbnb

    LOL!, like they would give a (fropanity). This is between you and "MJS", why would AirBnB give a (fropanity) about some shady under the table deal you did off their platform.

    This is like buying something on eBay, the seller contacts you and says "send us cash instead and cancel the purchase" and then acting all surprised Pikachu when you OSKO them the payment and the disappear with your funds only to try complaining to eBay about it… FFS.

    Edit: Gawd damn it… Only one post. Account made today. No follow up. Logged out almost immediately… trolled again, FML.

    • MS Paint on 26/11/2024 - 23:02
      +1

      {insert Rick Astley meme here}

      • Chandler on 28/11/2024 - 16:00
        +3

        "MJS":

        Never gonna host you here
        And I'm gonna let you down
        Them I'm gonna run away and desert you
        I'm gonna make you cry
        Tell your cash to say goodbye
        To AirBnb I'm gonna lie and then ignore you

  • Gaz1 on 26/11/2024 - 16:53
    +2

    Out of interest did the listing have a high rating & lots of good reviews?
    There was an article in the local paper about a reporter that had a listing cancelled very close to their arrival date & the listing disappeared (he got his money back but it was peak season & all other listing were now a lot more expensive).

  • gromit on 26/11/2024 - 16:55

    guessing a troll post. Very old scam, variants of it used on basically every marketplace/service platform in the world as amazingly there are still suckers that fall for it.

  • SpicyStew on 26/11/2024 - 16:57

    and?

  • ramb9 on 26/11/2024 - 16:59
    +2

    I mean, if you can confirm the address is actually the guy… whos to say where the eggs came from

    • Antikythera on 29/11/2024 - 22:40

      i'm not sure they sell eggs at the brick store.

  • Guybrush57 on 26/11/2024 - 17:35

    Why would you contact AirBnB? What's it got to do with them?

    • trapper on 26/11/2024 - 17:57
      +4

      They may want to ban the scammer from their platform…

      • buckethat on 26/11/2024 - 22:07

        They may also want to ban OP from their platform attempting to circumvent their ToS.

    • catchup on 26/11/2024 - 22:14

      I didn't ask for a refund, I misspoke, I wanted to alert Airbnb to the fact that the user is a fraud.

      • buckethat on 26/11/2024 - 23:11
        -1

        I know you're the victim here but to AirBnB, wouldn't both of you be frauds?

        • trapper on 26/11/2024 - 23:37

          Well no actually. Only the scammer is breaking the law here.

          • buckethat on 26/11/2024 - 23:42

            @trapper:

            to AirBnB

            • trapper on 26/11/2024 - 23:59

              @buckethat: Airbnb's legal team is likely to have a good understanding of the law, including the crime of fraud.

        • tomsco on 27/11/2024 - 13:06

          No. The scammer is the one that has the account with AirBNB which would be expected to abide by AirBNBs terms in regards to renting of properties.

          • buckethat on 27/11/2024 - 19:48

            @tomsco: The user would also need an account with Airbnb too and I can almost guarantee that attempting to transact outside their platform is against ToS.

            • tomsco on 28/11/2024 - 11:44
              +1

              @buckethat: https://www.airbnb.com.au/help/article/2799

              All addressed to the host.

              Think of it as the host is AirBNB's client and they are acting as their agent when handling bookings. The hosts are the reasons AirBNB is able to generate revenue, hence they are the ones they are concerned with.

  • DiscoJango on 26/11/2024 - 17:52
    +2

    Today, someone said 'trust me bro' and so i trusted them. They then ripped me off.

    The end.

  • knasty on 26/11/2024 - 18:43
    +7

    Is this post sponsored by Airbnb to promote payments on the platform?

    • trapper on 26/11/2024 - 23:37
      +1

      I got the same vibe

    • FireRunner on 27/11/2024 - 08:52

      Up next, an eBay buyer tries to circumvent eBay fees by paying the seller directly, what happens next will shock you.

      • mapax on 27/11/2024 - 09:12
        +1

        I’ve had a seller do that and it worked out fine. They sent me a message saying to look at the photos and consider cancelling my purchase. But to be fair it was a tyre shop and not some random.

  • GrueHunter on 26/11/2024 - 19:04
    +5

    I wonder if it's the same guy I saw in Harvey Norman

    I was looking at a TV and he said meet me around the back and pay outside the system, I'll give you a discount, it's better for both of us

    I gave him a thousand bucks then never saw him again

    This is how dense you sound OP

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