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Monday, September 08, 2025

Farewell unhelpful Airbnb

After my most recent trip, I’ve decided to part ways with Airbnb for good. While I've had good luck with them in the past, my last experience was a harsh reminder that booking directly from a host, no matter how highly they rate themselves, is always a gamble.

During my month-long stay in Taiwan, I encountered a host who was unprofessional, difficult, and frankly, selfish. In one instance, a host tried to charge me for a "messy" home and even accused me of stealing furniture—items that were simply placed in a drawer. The same host, who saw her home as a precious treasure rather than a paid accommodation, even tried to charge me for using supplies that were provided for guests. The unprofessionalism was shocking, especially considering how much I had paid for the stay.

This experience stands in stark contrast to my stays in Tokyo. There, I kept the homes clean and tidy as a matter of respect, and the professional hosts would thank me for it. They never once complained about a few pieces of rubbish. It was a normal, professional interaction that I had come to expect from quality service.

The problems in Taiwan continued at the airport. I was hit with an unexpected charge for excess baggage. This was a stark contrast to my experience in Tokyo, where the airport staff, particularly a kind lady named Mayazaki at Haneda Airport, went out of her way to help me, even wrapping my extra luggage in bubble wrap. It was a genuine act of kindness that highlighted the vast difference in hospitality.

This trip was a hard lesson in what can go wrong when you're at the mercy of an unvetted host and a company that doesn’t back up its customers. From now on, I will be booking my stays with people who are paid to be professional, not those who treat their guests as a burden.







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