She learned the owner had moved out and left very little behind - no couch in the living room and not enough kitchen supplies to put together a meal.Īirbnb can be a great way to save money and enjoy neighborhoods outside tourist districts - when things go well. 'The whole place felt like an abandoned afterthought,' Diane said. This was not what she expected from the listing. Instead, she ended up wasting the first few days of her trip on the phone with Airbnb customer service, and the unit's owner - who had provided a nearly empty apartment. She looked forward to spending the holidays meeting up with old friends and saving money by cooking for her family instead of eating out every night.

RELATED: $5.I have a friend, I'll call her 'Diane.' Diane was excited to find an affordable two-bedroom Airbnb rental in Chicago. However, her friend learned that family from overseas was coming to visit the same week, so he couldn't go to Hawaii after all. They paid in full for one week in February. Her ordeal began last October when Leva and her friend booked a condo in Hawaii through Airbnb. 'When I went online and followed the steps, it only gave me a 50 percent refund.' 'When I originally booked this place it said I could cancel within 14 days of arrival for a full refund,'' Pleasanton resident Bhava Leva said. She says convoluted wording cost her hundreds of dollars. Now a Bay Area woman has her own gripe over what she calls confusing Airbnb cancellation policies. Some cities want to limit short term rentals, neighbors don't like tourists in and out, some guests claim hosts are spying on them - and occasionally guests trash the places they rent.

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) - Short-term vacation rentals like Airbnb are soaring in popularity - even as they are swirling in controversy. But, a Bay Area woman says the convoluted wording in their cancellation policy cost her hundreds of dollars, making her Airbnb experience extremely inconvenient. Short-term vacation rentals like Airbnb are soaring in popularity for their affordability and convenience.

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