Warnings when viewing AirBnb listings
(Thanks Brother IHeartIpa for sharing!
Might be time to share some advice on dealing with AirBnb listings. Let's all share our advice & wisdom.
Remember the days when we had few options other than hotels?? Yes, the Bad Ole Days.
Despite Abb being a great option, "This is Kenya", so you know scamming, corruption, and unadulterated incompetence are going to be major factors in trying to find good listings. Over the years, here's what I've learned:
(1) Read ALL the reviews. Why? Because real, honest details about the place will hopefully be buried in there. Details that the Host should have put in the Description.
For example, too many Hosts conveniently fail to mention that their unit is on the fourth or fifth or higher floors -- in a NO-elevator building.
If you're lucky, one of the previous Guests will announce this "oversight" in their review. So you'll be forewarned.
If you do stay in such a place, and no previous review mentions something like this, PUT IT IN YOUR REVIEW. Help future customers to avoid such nonsense.
(2) Many Hosts 'buy' good reviews.
They either have their friends book a night or two, but they never stay there, the Host refunds their money, just to get the good review. OR-- there are people out there who offer to give good reviews for a small fee, so the Host does a similar trick with them.
(Abb doesn't care--they still get their cut from a refunded listing. And having so many bogus profiles that have "actually" booked listings, makes the Abb service look more legit that it really is).
The easiest way to start spotting bogus reviews is when there are many one- maybe 2-liner good reviews; and then you'll spot that very-detailed critical or outright bad review. Then you know most if not all those previous one-liners are bogus.
(3) Never book a listing with No Reviews.
I don't care how lovely the pics are, or how surprisingly cheap such a beautifully-furnished 2 BR in Spring Valley for 19 USD seems -- don't do it.
Let the scammer start popping bogus reviews. Which you now know how to spot. Or let some other brave soul be the first legit customer, wait to get their impressions.
(4) Look for and try to book the 'Free Cancellation' listings.
This way, if you find a better deal close to you check-in date, you can cancel with no loss.
(5) Be cautious of the 3-day Minimum listings.
My strategy has always been, book 1 or 2 nights (even in no-Cancellation spots), test the quality. If I like it, I tell the Host that I'm extending. I even try to bargain for discount. If not unreasonable, they may agree.
Some Hosts have sniffed out this strat, now they require 3-day minimums, or no cancellation at all. I avoid these, unless I know the place already, enough to book a longer stay anyway.
(6) Bait-switch listings can get a Host banned. Perhaps even permanently. But you have to report them!
I've had one experience where the Host (and her crony) had photos of a place on Rhapta Rd, with loads of good reviews, but when the payment was made and nearing the arrival, said that 'due to Covid' they had to do an emergency cleaning, so offered my & my friends another flat in Valley Arcade. Although we were lucky that there actually was a place, it's quality was nowhere near the photos on the listing.
This is one where I had not read ALL the reviews; if I had, I would have seen 2 or more that complained about the same thing.
I wrote in my review, and in the chat with the Host, that I was reporting her to ABB Corporate. What is more miraculous is that someone from ABB did actually respond. Soon after that, the listing was killed.
I'm sure that didn't stop the scammers from opening another bogus listing. But I haven't seen them or that previous listing for 2 years.
(7) Sometime the map marker is not near the actual location. Worse, is when the marker is NOwhere near the location!
This one may still happen: e. G. The marker shows the place 'near' Parklands, but the Description may outright say it's in NaiWest.
It's obvious the Host is trying to get guests she or he normally wouldn't. (I don't recommend anywhere in NaiWest, however, there is one building that was 'okay'.).
If the actually location is one you're aware of, and like, maybe let this (white?) lie slide. Otherwise, just strike it from your list of potentials.
(8) No review for more than a year? Skip it!
One good thing about Bad Hosts-- if no one has reviewed their listing in more than a year, wow it must really be bad! Skip these now 'zombie' listings, which Abb allows to sit in the search pool.
So, what are your advice, experiences, wisdoms about AirBnb?
I agree with air be and be issues
I had two or three issues renting air be and be last year. One was in Valley Arcade. Decent area by the way. The set up was slightly different than the photos but the place was still nice enough to remain for the month. Another apartment in Westland looked like the photos. But had cracked tiles tiny bathroom and sink in the living room. Another apartment did not have any refrigerator. Two apartments had no generator so went lengthy times without electricity, WIFI. Fortunately in each case Air be and be sided with my defense and I was refunded and allowed to leave my agreement prematurely. So gather facts, evidence, pics to forward to the case manager and forward a good argument and luck may be on your side. Kenya was great. The women so sweet. Especially in Nairobi. Girlfriend experience, overnight stays. No rushing to leave. Don't hesitate to pay the uber and have liquor. They love to drink. And everything should be fine.
[QUOTE=IHeartIpa;2679283]I joined 2 different Airbnb Kenya groups on FB and posted what I wanted, and joined a telegram group also. You get plenty of messages but a lot of junk, places in bad areas, or just people who message everyone with their apartment even if it doesn't fit the posters requirements. I ended up paying full monthly price on a regular Airbnb place after going to see it and had the owner agree to reduce the price if I stay longer.[/QUOTE].
8 out of 10 AirBnBs have worked for me
Overall I've had good experiences with ABB. Actually, the worse experiences I've had have been in the US!
In Kenya, the bad ones were 20% or less, for example: that one-time bait-switch -- which still worked out ok for me & my friends at the alternate place (not for the scammers, though! LOL); the one where the unit was totally fine, actually quite nice, but the Host still hadn't addressed the mosquito issue (which previous Guests had complained about, so I knew what I was getting into), currently I think the NON-bogus reviews are complaining about this more&more. Kenyans being blockheaded Kenyans, he probably won't make real changes until the money drops to zero. If even then.
Power outages and water shortages happen everywhere in Kenya, even in the so-called nice areas. Only the best hotels, and the better properties in the best neighborhoods, have backup generators and extra water tanks.
My main complaint for any ABB that I've stayed at is that they typically are NOT *Quiet*. They're always either in a poor area like NaiWest, which means noise all the time; or near some lame call-to-worship at stupid hour in the mornings; or the oldie-but goodie, very near a pub or club; or, just-my-luck, major construction is going on nearby, exactly at the time of MY booking. Which of course the Host never did warn about. But makes plenty of excuses when responding to the bad reviews.
Of course, I can avoid this by staying out in the boonies like Karen, or way-overpriced-but-probably-worth-it areas like Runda, Spring Valley, etc but either choices don't make for enjoyable mongering.
Despite all this, I don't see me ever going back to hotels. (Unless my job pays for it) For me, there's more value & freedom for the money spent with ABBs.
Hmm things must have changed in a few years
The only problem with an ABB I had in Nairobi was the first one I ever got, which I went cheap with selection. I didn't know about pre-paid electric and to keep an eye on the meter but the power died on me there. I finally understood what happened, called the dude and he fixed it. The fridge was overflowing with ice and needed a defrost. It was August and it only had an tiny space heater while leaking cold air in every window. My friend always had great ABBs in Kilimani. Woodmere is always in ABB and is very quiet. Only my moaning WG was the only noise I heard. No walk of shame and on site store.
Back in the US, Back in the US, Back in the US -Republic of Kenya!
[QUOTE=Rwenotmen;2679193]I had the same happen to me Dec 2020 also with Qatar A. (at Heathrow). Luckily I had it. (Ever since then, I've always pre-booked a return, even if I plan to extend it.) And same--got to NBO, they never asked about it.
I wonder if this is something strict with Qatar airlines.[/QUOTE]Arrived in NBO on Sunday.
Yes-- here it is, 2 years later, Qatar again asked at boarding about my return flight. This time, clerk didn't ask to see the return ticket (I had it anyway), just counted the days based on the Return Date to make sure it was 90 days or less. He DID want to see the Kenya Visa.
On arriving flight, QA staff handed out the old Visa application white card, and a small paper application for the Traveler Health Surveillance -- docs that GoK already made us complete online.
Of course, on Arrival, nobody asked to see those stupid paper applications.
Warning: Police Protecting Forex
If you need to exchange money at a Forex and you see a policeman (not security) standing outside the building as if he's guarding the Forex, don't use the Forex. The Police and his partners are waiting for someone like you to exit the Forex with cash so they can shake you down.
