Troubleshooter helps Franklin County woman get refund after unexpected Airbnb charge

It was an unexpected charge of hundreds of dollars on a vacation rental that caught a Youngsville woman off guard. The $387 charge was related to a vacation rental Darlene Barrett booked through Airbnb.

"I'm like wait a minute, that's not supposed to be happening for another two months," she said.

When she first booked the rental, she paid a deposit. The second charge was not supposed to happen until right before her vacation, but instead, Airbnb took it two months early.

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Barrett said that as soon as she caught the charge, she called Airbnb. She said she was told it was a computer glitch and she would get a refund.

She thought it would be an easy fix and she'd get her money back right away, but that didn't happen.

"I waited patiently with all of this COVID mess, and I know they are just slammed," she said.

Barrett waited more than a week, but with no sign of a refund, she grew frustrated.

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"Still nothing and I said now this is not acceptable, I've been patient," she said. So she contacted the Troubleshooter.

Troubleshooter Diane Wilson got on the case and reached out to Airbnb.

"Sure enough the next day I get a call from Airbnb," Barrett said. "They credited us back the money, which we already received. She said they would not be collecting any more money, so basically, we got that huge credit for that upcoming vacation."

It's a credit that is close to $400 and it's a resolution Barrett tells Troubleshooter Diane Wilson she is happy with.

"None of this would have happened if you wouldn't have gotten involved. I mean lighting speed results so easy to communicate with you, totally surprised me," Barrett said.

The Troubleshooter Takeaways are always to check your bank or credit card accounts often to make sure the charges are valid. Also, as soon as you notice a problem, report it. Another option is to dispute the charge with your credit card company.