TikToker says a group of friends drove six hours to Florida for a Fourth of July weekend trip, only to find that the Airbnb they had booked was not actually available to stay in. TikTok user Kaylee Sticker (@kayleesticker) documented the experience in a video that has drawn over 1.3 million views.
Sticker said the group booked the rental two months in advance and paid for it in full. When they arrived at the house, she said the owner told them it had not been listed on the market for four months and that they were not allowed to stay there.
The group was left without a place to stay in 100-degree heat during a holiday weekend, according to Sticker.
Group says Airbnb and rental company offered no immediate help
In the video, Sticker and a friend explained what happened while sitting in their car outside the property. “We booked an Airbnb two months ago, and they took our money, and we showed up to the house, and apparently the owner said it hasn’t been on the market for four months,” the driver said in the video.
@kayleesticker taking any and all suggestions
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Sticker said the situation left them “stranded in Florida.” She added that it was 100 degrees outside and that it was a holiday weekend. She said neither Airbnb nor the rental company that had listed the house on the platform was helping them resolve the issue. “Airbnb, get it together,” she said at the end of the video.
The video opens with on-screen text reading, “Airbnb ruined our weekend…” Sticker begins the clip by saying, “Airbnb, f–k you!” before explaining the situation further. According to Airbnb’s AirCover guidance, guests who run into a problem like this should first try to contact the host to resolve it. If that does not work, they can report the issue to Airbnb and document each step.
Airbnb recommends getting written confirmation, such as a message from the host, when a listed property turns out not to be available, and keeping all communication on the Airbnb platform. Guests are also advised not to cancel the reservation themselves, since a host-initiated cancellation entitles the guest to a full refund, including service fees.
Airbnb’s AirCover policy states that, for serious booking problems, the company can help guests find similar properties based on availability and comparable pricing. If no replacement is available, Airbnb may issue a full or partial refund. If a guest never receives the service they paid for and does not get a refund from the host or Airbnb, they can also dispute the charge with their credit card company.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau notes that being charged for a service that was never provided can qualify as a billing error, which may make a guest eligible to dispute it. Such issues can leave guests stranded, as when a woman booked an Airbnb for 13 weeks only for an electrician to arrive and say nobody should be living there.
Some viewers left similar advice in the comments section of Sticker’s video. One person wrote, “Dispute the charge with your bank!” Another commenter seemed confused by the situation, writing, “Contact airbnb what do you mean you can’t get your money back that doesn’t make sense.” A different commenter, who said they used to work for Airbnb, wrote, “I worked for air Bnb, if this happened you will one million percent be refunded.”
In a follow-up TikTok video captioned “we are just not meant to be at the beach,” Sticker gave an update on the group’s search for a new place to stay. She said they had booked a second property through Airbnb. While standing outside the new building, she explained that the door code was on her friend Naya’s phone, which was inside the building.
@kayleesticker we are just not meant to be at the beach
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Naya then had to download the Airbnb app on a tablet to try to retrieve the login information and door code while the group waited outside. The frustration of a non-existent listing can lead guests to seek their own recourse, as one woman did when she tracked down her host’s personal details after a similar scam.
In a third follow-up video posted on TikTok, Sticker said Airbnb eventually stepped in to help. “We booked a second place, and 11 PM that night, they called and offered us a full refund for the first place and decided to cover the difference from our first place or second place,” she said. She noted that three friends in the group decided to go home before Airbnb’s offer came through, which made the trip more expensive for those who stayed.
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Sticker said that despite the resolution, “Airbnb should have never had a listing listed that wasn’t available.” She added that the group still made the most of the weekend and thanked people who had offered them a place to stay. She said they will “probably not be using Airbnb from here on out.”
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An Airbnb spokesperson confirmed the outcome in an email to BroBible, saying the company was “glad that we were able to support this guest with a full refund and cover the extra cost of a new Airbnb reservation.” The spokesperson added that Airbnb had been in contact with the host and had removed the listing from the platform. The spokesperson also said the company’s 24/7 Customer Support team is available to help guests with concerns.
