9. The Total Trashing
Back in the early days of Airbnb, one of the first big complaints was from a host who’s apartment was ransacked by a guest. “They smashed a hole through a locked closet door, and found the passport, cash, credit card and grandmother’s jewelry I had hidden inside. They took my camera, my iPod, an old laptop, and my external backup drive filled with photos, journals… my entire life.” It was a PR nightmare for Airbnb, but they rose to the challenge and agreed to help out in any way they could, including financial assistance and helping them find a new home. This incident led to Airbnb implementing new security measures to protect both hosts and guests.
10. The Dog Bite
Mike Silverman had used Airbnb all over the world, so had no reservations about using the service on his trip to Argentina. There was never any mention of pets, so he was taken off guard when he awoke to find a Rottweiler staring him down. He put out his hand as a gesture of friendship (bad move) and received a serious bite on his forearm that left a 6-inch gash. He rushed to the hospital where he stayed two nights and had to pay cash. At first Airbnb claimed their liability didn’t cover stays outside of the United States. However, a little bad publicity in the New York Times helped Silverman get his medical bill covered, plus a little something for pain and suffering.
