Furious Airbnb customer claims rental company refused to refund her after she tried to rebook to property away from LA’s raging wildfires
A woman who was unable to make her Airbnb reservation due to the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles was denied a refund, with the company claiming the inferno did not fall under its “major disruptive events policy.”
Chief Financial Officer Ana Mostarac contacted Airbnb to ask for help rebooking accommodations further away from the danger zone after the massive fire in the Pacific Palisades forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people.
But in a screenshot on her .
When speaking to Airbnb customer service, Mostarac was told: “We’re sorry to hear that you won’t be able to make your upcoming reservation…Unfortunately, this cancellation is not covered by our Major Disruptive Events Policy.”
“This means your host’s strict cancellation policy applies,” Airbnb continued.
Mostarac angrily shared a screenshot of the conversation on X and sarcastically captioned the post: “Thank you Airbnb.”
Her tweet has been liked thousands of times, while hundreds of followers have left comments condemning the accommodation rental service.
‘This is ridiculous! I hope @Airbnb comes along and does the right thing here!,” one X user wrote.
Chief Financial Officer Ana Mostarac contacted Airbnb to ask for help rebooking accommodations further away from the danger zone after the massive fire in the Pacific Palisades forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people
In a screenshot on her .
Mostarac angrily shared a screenshot of the conversation on X and sarcastically captioned the post: ‘Thank you Airbnb’
Another said: ‘So basically you have to pay them even if they can’t accommodate you?’
“I understand that,” Mostarac responded.
‘What in the world? They want you to endanger your life and stay in a house near a major fire? What’s the game plan?,” read another response.
Hours later, Mostarac added on the social platform: “For clarification, I called Airbnb to ask for help in rebooking accommodations further out of the danger zone. As always, their policy did not take context into account. The fires are getting worse, and unfortunately many others are probably stuck explaining bushfires to someone in another country right now.”
According to Airbnb’s website, cancellation policies are determined by the host and vary by property.
This means that some hosts may offer a full refund, or allow you to cancel your reservation for free before a certain date and time.
Other accommodations are non-refundable or partially refundable, meaning guests may not be able to cancel their booking for free.
However, some listings may be subject to the company’s major disruptive events policy.
According to Airbnb, the cancellation policy is determined by the host and varies by listing.
Firefighters battling a massive blaze in California’s posh Pacific Palisades have warned they are running low on water and supplies, as emergency evacuation warnings spread as far as Malibu and Calabasas
At least 30,000 residents are now under mandatory evacuation orders
Tankers full of water have been dousing the inferno from the sky all afternoon, but all aircraft are now grounded amid deteriorating wind conditions and visibility.
A firefighter tries to cover his face from the thick smoke as he battles the inferno
According to Airbnb, this means that in the “rare circumstances where large-scale events prevent or legally prohibit the completion of a reservation,” the Major Disruptive Events Policy may apply.
This means that “guests can cancel their reservation and receive a refund, travel credit and/or other consideration regardless of the reservation’s cancellation policy, and hosts can cancel without fees or other adverse consequences.”
DailyMail.com has contacted Airbnb for comment.
It comes as firefighters battled a massive blaze in Los Angeles, while evacuation warnings have already spread to the Malibu and Calabasas areas.
Tankers full of water spent all afternoon yesterday pumping out the inferno, but all aircraft were later grounded due to deteriorating wind conditions and visibility.
Residents were warned that the worst is yet to come as the raging wildfire rages through more than 2,900 hectares of land in Los Angeles at an extraordinary pace.
At least 30,000 residents are now under mandatory evacuation orders and even more have been warned to be prepared to leave, after a fire that broke out in the foothills near Eaton Canyon grew to 3,000 acres in just six hours since it started.
A third wildfire has broken out in Sylmar in the San Fernando Valley, spreading to about 100 hectares according to recent estimates.
A disturbing video showed the fire creeping up the mountainside where the iconic museum is located – as eerie black smoke filled the air around the pristine white facade
Hellish photos from the inferno’s epicenter show once-decadent multimillion-dollar homes completely destroyed by the wildfires. A spiral staircase and a lavish art gallery wall were burned to cinders
Pacific Palisades, where houses have already been reduced to rubble, is a celebrity enclave that is home to the likes of Chris Pratt, Reese Witherspoon and Miles Teller.
Even more celebrities call Calabasas and Pasadena home, including the Kardashians.
Hellish photos from the inferno’s epicenter show once-decadent multimillion-dollar homes completely destroyed by the wildfires. A spiral staircase and a lavish art gallery wall were burned to cinders.
Firefighters, who said yesterday there was no hope of controlling the fires overnight, have focused their efforts on helping residents get to safety.