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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  • [Deactivated] on 26/11/2024 - 19:11
    -8

    This is pretty typical for platforms like AirBnB. If you are a scammer, their hands are tied, can’t do anything, oh no. If you’re unsafe at a property, they can’t do anything. Getting spied on, not their fault. Bet they love these scammers scaring users into paying through their platform.

  • Alley Cat on 26/11/2024 - 21:03
    +2

    I only do that once I had checked in and stayed at least one night. That way we both know we are legit or not. Then it's business between the host and me. Try that next time.

    • catchup on 26/11/2024 - 22:16
      +1

      Yes, I've clearly learnt that mistake. Fortunately I hadn't paid in full, but I don't think it will happen to me again.

      • Alley Cat on 26/11/2024 - 22:23
        +1

        You gotta try everything at least once in your life 😊

        • catchup on 26/11/2024 - 22:47
          +1

          Absolutely 😅

  • skidexa on 26/11/2024 - 21:21
    +9

    Apparently Ozbargain members have never made a mistake in their lives, with the amount of crapping on OP there is in this thread. But yeah stay on your high horse, but i guess with the amount of upvotes the bible deal got it's no wonder people on here think they are perfect

    • catchup on 26/11/2024 - 22:10

      Frankly I just wanted to tell people to be careful if they rent something on Airbnb in Orange NSW. On this post I'm alerting to the user not the platform. I didn't think I'd get bashed by everyone like that haha.

      • Ughhh on 27/11/2024 - 09:17
        +2

        Frankly I just wanted to tell people to be careful if they rent something on Airbnb in Orange NSW

        But saying that, I'm not sure if you've learnt the lesson. This kind of scam has existed since early eBay days. Its no different to the seller telling you to pay outside of eBay, then never hearing from them again. You'll most likely experience the same problem from another person/scammer in another state.

      • gromit on 27/11/2024 - 10:12
        +6

        The pile on shouldn't be unexpected when your original clickbait headline implied it was a AirBnB problem. This scam is as old as the hills and exists in various forms on every platform in every region of the country and world. saying people need to be alert for AirBnb in Orange is silly. You need to be alert everywhere and follow simple safe security hygiene in these transactions, The fact you seem to think it is just a location problem suggests you are ripe to be stung again in future.

      • axyh on 28/11/2024 - 21:15
        +1

        This is an extremely common scam, so it doesn't really matter which town it's in, or who the user is.

        If someone is asking you to pay outside the platform, it's pretty much guaranteed the property they're renting isn't theirs or doesn't exist.

    • FireRunner on 27/11/2024 - 19:51

      I agreed up until the Bible part which came out of nowhere.

    • Minimum chips on 27/11/2024 - 21:34
      +1

      the amount of upvotes the bible deal got it's no wonder people on here think they are perfect

      Oh, were talking about my autobiography?

  • lainey13 on 26/11/2024 - 23:00

    How many reviews did this listing have, and the host have? If you say zero for both then sorry to say but where did your common sense go?!

  • snirodha on 26/11/2024 - 23:04

    Sorry this has happened to you. Did you try to search listing images on Google. There might be similar listing on other bookings platforms and you may be able to track him down.

    • catchup on 26/11/2024 - 23:34
      +1

      Yes I did, I discovered that he was pretending to be a ‘Superhost’ on Airbnb and he created an entity called bnbhostsupport which I had to go through to pay him. I tried to report him to his host hubspot but I didn't get any response.

  • heapsbeached on 26/11/2024 - 23:11

    People get so easily scammed nowdays

  • Kiro on 26/11/2024 - 23:30

    Save by going outside of a legit business that will help you in a scam scenario.

    Lesson learnt OP, saving a buck tends to cost you in high yield investments.

    • catchup on 26/11/2024 - 23:36
      +1

      I've reported it too, but no response yet.

      • Kiro on 26/11/2024 - 23:38
        +2

        Hope they can put the address on a watch list for future swindling and marry up the contact details…. Shit a read too much Clive cussler vandorn detective books.

  • Snoref on 26/11/2024 - 23:38
    +2

    Been using AirBNB but to be honest recent event have made me turn away from it. Especially around late cancellation from hosts.

    I booked in June an accommodation for December, come 1 month before the arrival they cancelled on me. Stating "leaking problem" they needed to fix, I went to check their listing. It was still up and available to book for dates prior to my arrival?

    I rang customer service, they said they can't do anything but they will investigate and punish hosts who make fake cancellations. Only offered me 20% of my deposit as a credit, which worked out to be $175. Looked at the other listing and they were $3000+, so i had to pay extra $1500+ for a similar place.

    This is despite the host cancelling after cancellation period. It crazy that if we do the same to the host, they get to keep our deposit even though we might have a legit reason, but when a host does it you get 20% and they get no consequences…

    I even said, shouldn't their listing be taken down due to this "leak"? why is it still up? their response was they probably haven't done it yet, but instead had time to cancel my booking? seems crazy you wouldn't pull your listing first then cancel the bookings (in that order?).

    Worse thing is I can't even put a review for my experience with the host…because "i didnt get to stay there"…

    • buckethat on 26/11/2024 - 23:45
      +3

      Yeah have had this happened multiple times too. Also found that in recent years, in a lot of locations overseas, AirBnB are actually more expensive than a nice hotel. I've mostly gone back to just hotels these days.

      • JohnHowardsEyebrows on 28/11/2024 - 00:00

        AirBnB are actually more expensive than a nice hotel.

        Same is true in Australia, tbh. Very few listings below $200 a night, which is not hard to find a nice hotel for outside of busy times. While part of it is pure greed (and gullibility - people should know better than paying it), I think it's also because of hosts using algorithmic demand managers which jack prices up as far as possible at any given time.

        Given damage to the rental market, probably time to put some heavy taxes and limitations on the sector.

  • realaaa on 27/11/2024 - 01:07
    +2

    weird story, so this was a host with no ratings at all?

    post some more details then, name and shame I'd say

    PS Airbnb is not what it used to be also, that's for sure !

  • ShoeyAU on 27/11/2024 - 03:29
    +2

    It's also possible that either MJS account got hacked, or is a scammer who never had a property for listing at all (ie cloned a random listing).

  • khell on 27/11/2024 - 04:32
    +4

    Airbnb is a garbage and overpriced platform anyway. Just book a hotel with how overpriced and crap the listings on there are now.

    • letmecry on 27/11/2024 - 18:40
      +2

      Agree. And it's Airbnb that is greedy.

      I talked to one of the hostess. She told me that she listed it all at the same rate. But it shows $20 more on a weekday and $50 more on the weekend. And she didn't get that rate before the fee.

  • Daddy Chill on 27/11/2024 - 06:20

    I always go outside of ebay

  • danwylie on 27/11/2024 - 09:45
    +4

    Always good to have a reminder that every platform like airbnb is an opportunity for scammers. They prey on human foibles, in your case, greed. My mum worked for Consumer Affairs Victoria before she retired and she basically dealt all day every day with people, often vulnerable old people, engaged in various stages of scams.

  • pufffdragon on 27/11/2024 - 10:25
    +3

    ok, how much did you lose?

  • Robot JP on 27/11/2024 - 11:14
    +2

    Cool story. Any bargains?

    • IcySpicyStew on 27/11/2024 - 15:44
      +6

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

      • Robot JP on 27/11/2024 - 15:51
        +2

        I saw a similar bargain in my junk mail. Something about gift cards? Seems a bit sus to me but I'm sure OP would be keen on it

  • Hangryuman on 27/11/2024 - 13:01
    +3

    you have been scammed - join the list of thousands of others who did not pay attention to the warnings on multiple sites to not pay outside the app

  • zathras on 27/11/2024 - 13:15
    +4

    Booking scams are not new.

    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-08-19/travellers-scammed-fa…

  • Cluster on 27/11/2024 - 13:25
    -1

    OP's actual AirBnB location was in Lagos. Bit of a trek but 10/10 worth it.

  • dogboy on 27/11/2024 - 13:32

    Did you destroy the house?

    • axyh on 28/11/2024 - 21:21

      It's almost certainly not the scammer's house.

      These scammers just choose a random address or some other property for the listing.

      There's one poor farmer in the UK who was in the news recently for bearing the brunt of this. His farm is used as the address for a whole heap of glamping scams. He has people turning up to his door every day, expecting a glamping site, but getting a random farm. It must be hell dealing with them.

  • drfuzzy on 27/11/2024 - 15:00
    -1

    Similar problem here!
    I was shagging my housemates fiance while he was out of town and he somehow found out!
    Now he's kicked me out and won't speak to me.
    He was giving me below market rent as we were best mates and now I can't afford a place to live.
    How do I fix the situation? I can't afford this.
    His initials are B.S. I need to put them here to warn others!

    • CocaKoala on 27/11/2024 - 16:32
      +2

      So the room you vacated is available to rent now?

  • TheFreaK on 27/11/2024 - 15:40
    +1

    You live and you learn

  • imurgod on 27/11/2024 - 16:43
    +1

    You just learned an expensive lesson that most people already know.

  • spiderbite88 on 27/11/2024 - 17:27

    This is a good ad for AirBNB. Their marketing team's really thinking outside the box

  • SolidlyIrresponsible on 27/11/2024 - 18:09
    +1

    OzB forum is the only forum I know where people get annoyed with others posting 😂

    • CuteWittleCorgi on 28/11/2024 - 01:42
      +1

      Didn’t you know, everybody is perfect here? Get out.

  • peterw1 on 27/11/2024 - 18:45
    -2

    thanks for sharing your misfortune and sorry for your loss. its good to alert the community about these scams. I am surprised a stone didn't accidentally break a window or 2 after you left that you know nothing about and couldn't alert the owner as they weren't taking your calls

  • Dogs on 27/11/2024 - 19:46

    If you have a photo of the rental send it to all the real estate agents in the area. They might find out the location and owner. Report him to the police. Then rent the place for a week under a different name turn on all the taps for the week and run a lot of energy sapping appliances for the week.

    • Lucille Bluth on 27/11/2024 - 20:33
      +3

      Scammer found a random property online and posted it on AirBNB. The owner of the real property didn't even know their property was being used as a scam.

  • Sneeze on 27/11/2024 - 20:12
    +4

    Common scam. In all liklihood the offender is not even located in Australia.

  • Lucille Bluth on 27/11/2024 - 20:31
    +6
    1. Scammer lists a fake property
    2. Convinces the gullible to pay via a payment method that has no protection from the bank
    3. Scammer profits and disappears
    4. Scammer lists a fake property …

    and so the cycle continues

  • Purp on 27/11/2024 - 22:31
    +3

    Doesn't air b and b require a property ID to be registered with the NSW planning portal to have a listing on air b and b?

    • MorriJ on 28/11/2024 - 13:38
      +2

      Sure

      You’ll be issued with an STRA property ID number, which must be displayed on the online property listing.

      So MJS just went on Stayz, got the photos, the property ID, jumped over to AirBNB, pasted all the details including the STRA ID, passed some basic ID checks and then they were ready to accept bookings.

      • Purp on 28/11/2024 - 15:12

        would they not check the person listing on the website is the same person registered as the host/registrant on the pid registration?

  • kaleidoscope on 27/11/2024 - 22:33
    +1

    Scammers exist because people are gullible and make stupid decisions. Hopefully lesson learnt.

    Dunno why the post is reported as spam, these sort of things happen every now and then and they come in all different shaped and colors.

    I’ve seen this on eBay as well where sometimes the seller message you and say settle outside of the platform to avoid fees etc…

  • TightAl on 28/11/2024 - 01:01
    +1

    Did the Airbnb listing have any reviews?

  • Empharand on 28/11/2024 - 01:31
    +8

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

    You contacted Airbnb for help in this situation, even though you circumvented their platform (and their protections) and actually expected something other than a 'Sorry, as you didn't pay through our platform you can go kick sand?'

  • nobro25 on 28/11/2024 - 04:04

    OP what is your main account that you login to Oz bargain?

    • IpGem on 28/11/2024 - 08:51

      jv

  • IpGem on 28/11/2024 - 08:50
    +1

    I think airbnb verify owners' identities before letting them post an ad. Could be a long shot but the police might help?

  • fahadbinyousaf on 28/11/2024 - 09:39
    +1

    That's very kind of you for warning others
    dont take their negativity
    appreciate your input

  • KiKH on 28/11/2024 - 11:16
    -3

    The amount of victim blaming in the comments is honestly disgusting.

    • JimB on 28/11/2024 - 13:57
      +4

      I think people are less sympathetic because he tried to bypass airbnb

  • Excelsior on 28/11/2024 - 14:15

    By the sounds of it the listing likely had 0 reviews/past stays and was probably suspiciously cheap.

    Lesson learned.

  • N15 on 28/11/2024 - 17:24
    +1

    I hope you paid your friends back for your silly mistake

  • ATTS on 29/11/2024 - 16:01

    What things also consumer shouldnt pay out of the platform?

  • mememe1231 on 16/12/2024 - 20:46
    +1

    OMG, are you kidding me?
    So this wasn't the first time for him. Bro, I got fooled by that guy, too. You're talking about Mark J. Smith at Orange, right?
    Unlike you, I stayed on the Airbnb platform. Except that when I arrived on the big day with friends for a long weekend, we were pleasantly surprised to see that the house was already rented. We wanted to reach Mark J. Smith to ask him for an explanation. The tenants who were already inside told us that this wasn't the first time this had happened to them and that they'd never had the opportunity to get their money back, but that when the owner arrived in his Mercedes, they understood that this wasn't the first time the guy had done something like this. I wanted to find out more about this guy. And I saw lots of comments saying that he was a scammer and that on top of that he also had the time to create a bad reputation on the net for those around him. I quickly realized that this guy was deranged and that things weren't right. I obviously filed a complaint and reported this guy to the appropriate authorities. I'm still waiting for the verdict, which will be handed down on February 16. The worst thing is that he's been named “super host” by airbnb, I really don't understand how that's possible. I reported him to the platform but they never suspended his account, he's still working. Please be careful!

    • catchup on 16/12/2024 - 20:51

      Well, maybe it's worth posting this here… I don't understand why he hasn't blocked it already…

    • ramb9 on 17/12/2024 - 14:00
      +1

      Coincidentally, there is a Mark J Smith at orange on google

      Discover Mark Smith: a master storyteller, seasoned blogger, litigation funder, and strategic business consultant with operations in Sydney, Orange, and Singapore.

      Mark has seen up close some breathtaking frauds and complex insolvencies …. he's seen it all, nothing surprises him.

      Haha, i'd be laughing so hard if it was the same guy

      Edit:

      Lmfao, the address of the guy listed on his website, is the same address as the one listed here
      https://www.yelp.com/biz/snowgums-retreat-nashdale

      Which is an airbnb lodging here… just too much coincidence hahaha!

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