Airbnb refused to refund me after I left an unsafe property on day 1 — they denied my claim using a made-up policy criterion they later admitted was a "typing error," then used it again.
I booked a 3-month stay at a listing described as a "private apartment" in Mexico City. On the first night I discovered two serious issues: (1) the front door lock was malfunctioning and required excessive force to operate; (2) the bathroom was located on an open outdoor terrace with no physical barriers, freely accessible from other units in the building -completely contradicting the "private" description in the listing.
The host admitted both issues: offered to send a locksmith (confirming the lock was broken on arrival) and said "no one is allowed to enter the terrace" - which is literally an admission that the only privacy protection was a verbal rule, not a physical barrier. I'm a solo foreign woman traveling alone. I left the property that same night without using it, risking a 3-month financial investment, and immediately reported everything to Airbnb with video and photo evidence.
What followed was a masterclass in bad faith customer service:
5 different agents handled my case with zero continuity
Airbnb's own email system received my videos corrupted, forcing me to use Google Drive, then they cited "insufficient evidence" as grounds for denial.
A Senior Case Manager denied my claim citing a "2-hour criteria" required by AirCover. I asked where this criteria existed in their policy documentation. He replied: "I am extremely sorry, it was a typing error." Then Airbnb used the exact same non-existent criteria again in their formal denial letter.
When I pressed for a real explanation, the agent said he "can't comment on Airbnb's policy positions or legal matters"
Airbnb told me to ask the host for a refund — knowing the host had already refused
The case was unilaterally closed on May 3rd at 2:08 a.m. with no resolution. Obviously I was sleeping at that moment and I could not do anything else.
I have everything documented: videos of the bathroom on the open terrace, videos of the malfunctioning lock, the full chat history with Airbnb including the "typing error" admission, and the host's own written admissions. Total amount at stake is approximately $40,195 MXN (\~$2,000 USD) for a property I never slept in.
I am now filing a formal complaint with PROFECO (Mexico's consumer protection agency). Has anyone successfully recovered money through PROFECO against Airbnb, or through a chargeback in a similar situation? What can I do to protect my money from the next charge? I'm concerned that accepting the booking cancellation terms might be disadvantageous for me.