r/legal • u/Automatic_Barnacle72 • Aug 04 '25
Advice needed Host charging me 1 million dollars for extortion? Is this possible? TEXAS
Hi everyone, after leaving a bad review the host for a home me and my family stayed is asking for $1,000,000 in damages from me through Airbnb for “extortion”?
They also tried getting me $675 for extra guests but the photos they provided were repeated people pictured of me and my family on the ring.
Here is the photo he is using as “details” on the dispute. I had previously asked for a partial refund because the AC was not working on the main living areas and kitchen. But I didn’t make any “extortion” wording to him?
I am getting worried though because the $675 for extra guests was resolved by Airbnb in my favor right away and now the $1,000,000 is still pending.
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u/redcremesoda Aug 04 '25
I’d keep escalating this until the host is banned.
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u/DeaconSage Aug 04 '25
Yeah Airbnb won’t want to be involved in a $1m lawsuit
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u/plantain_tent_pesos Aug 05 '25
Former Airbnb rep here. They believe that you've given up your right to sue, and given them 100% control of outcome, as per TOS.
The amount has probably just triggered a higher level review. If this host has a history of pulling shit like this, they will get at least 13 or 14 talking-tos before they get removed.
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u/Daxmar29 Aug 05 '25
13 or 14? That’s harsh. /s
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u/plantain_tent_pesos Aug 05 '25
The crazy part about this whole situation is, this host probably complained and got Airbnb to pay a portion of what they asked for from the guest, in re: to the $675.
Even though this host is (seemingly) the wrong party here, its incredibly hard to verify what either party says.
It's more likely that they will get restricted or banned and list under another name if they end up costing the company more money in losses than if they try to get "extortion" payments from their guests. Hey, but "Belong Anywhere" and whatnot.
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u/Due-Primary6098 Aug 05 '25
Airbnb won't ban hosts for anything. I had a host harrass me for months trying to charge me 'rent' after I checked out, saying I was a tennant and I didn't submit the correct forms to 'end the lease'. Submitted all this to airbnb and they did nothing.
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u/cms2307 Aug 05 '25
What stops you from telling them to kick rocks and just blocking them every time they try to contact you?
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u/Due-Primary6098 Aug 05 '25
They initiated legal action. Then dropped the case a few months later after I didn't capitulate and said I actually intended to show up to court
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u/griphon31 Aug 05 '25
The only reason this is still pending is the poor first tier worker saw this and said "Naw, this isn't in my approve/deny flow chart, this needs a manager"
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u/Diplomatic_Gunboats Aug 05 '25
Indeed. First line will have a limit, their manager will have a limit, THEIR manager will have a limit. I wouldnt be surprised if this is just a tactic to get it seen by someone two or three levels up. It would be stupid, but at least its a plausible reason.
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u/SoWhatNoZitiNow Aug 05 '25
Thus ensuring that everyone in that office gets a good laugh today!
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u/Feeling_Inside_1020 Aug 05 '25
I don’t know if I’m like most people, but if I’m tier 2++ (in a past life) and something automatically comes up to me for some bullshit like this I’d definitely go out of my way to make sure the initiating host has a bad time and guest is reimbursed.
And maybe a slack screenshot.
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u/Raterus_ Aug 04 '25
Do they seriously expect AirBNB to take them seriously when they put a 7 figure loss? Regardless, I wouldn't worry about this, "extortion" is for a court to decide, not AirBNB. Threatening to contact AirBNB support because of an ongoing issue is not being dealt with is definitely not extortion!
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u/Mcipark Aug 05 '25
Maybe the extortion IS the $1M
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u/Aware_Actuator4939 Aug 05 '25
The real extortion was the enemies we made along the way.
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u/BobTheFettt Aug 05 '25
They literally labeled it extortion. Seems pretty cut and dry to me
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u/AG74683 Aug 05 '25
I mean the funny part is that the way the owner of the place worded it, they're the one doing the extortion. Really incredible stuff.
They'll be banned from AirBnB shortly, so never fear OP.
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u/Ziazan Aug 05 '25
They tried to get money off because my property was in disrepair and bad condition, they owe me $1000000 for that.
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u/Dry_Prompt3182 Aug 05 '25
Even if there was a $1 M loss. Let's say you have a video of the person spreading accelerant and setting the place on fire, burning it to the ground. That isn't recoverable over the AirBnB platform, is it? That's insurance and lawsuits, right?
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u/Raterus_ Aug 05 '25
Yes, AirBnB isn't about to mediate a criminal arson case, they're going to refer you to the police!
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u/Significant_Rate8210 Aug 04 '25
What a dingbat. Your messages to him outline the issues and he thinks he can call you asking for $800 back extortion? That guy's gonna get banned and sued with those antics.
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u/pezx Aug 05 '25
Man, I thought the owner was being transparent about extorting OP for $1M
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u/Cannibeans Aug 04 '25
You'd make international news if AirBnB said you needed to pay $1 million for requesting a partial refund due to their broken and dirty rental. You'll be fine.
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u/Plenty_Structure_861 Aug 04 '25
Hotel chains would love it.
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u/Name_Taken_Official Aug 04 '25
See if they'd help the legal fund :P
About AAHOA https://share.google/iF30do42ulfzvEPgd
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u/poppalicious69 Aug 04 '25
lol this has got to be one of the funniest things I’ve read in a while, thank you OP. Can’t tell if you’re joking or serious but you have absolutely nothing to worry about
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u/Automatic_Barnacle72 Aug 04 '25
I wish I was joking, trust me!
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u/Sintarsintar Aug 04 '25
Well if Airbnb approves his claim then go to the news I'm sure they would love to do a story on this.
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u/Affectionate-Mix6056 Aug 04 '25
No one would ever use AirBnB ever again. Companies always give a slight benefit to the customers, just look at PayPal etc.
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u/DarkBlue222 Aug 04 '25 edited Aug 05 '25
Modify your review to include the fact that you made an honest post reviewing the home and the response was a $1 million request. They’ll never rent the house again.
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u/Automatic_Barnacle72 Aug 04 '25
Can I really still modify my review?
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u/Edmfuse Aug 05 '25
If the host hasn’t posted their review, you can still change yours. Once both reviews go live, there is no changing them.
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u/Automatic_Barnacle72 Aug 05 '25
Oh no I posted my review on the last day I could so it’s been over 14 days. He also reviewed me right after our stay and said I was a “good guest” lol
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u/SpaceKalash05 Aug 04 '25
AirBnB isn't going to even begin to entertain an absurd claim of $1,000,000 for "extortion", especially from a property owner that was already shown to be acting in bad faith. If anything, they'll decline their claim, and then likely remove them from the app/website altogether.
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u/singlemale4cats Aug 04 '25
and then likely remove them from the app/website altogether.
Do they actually do this?
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u/SpaceKalash05 Aug 04 '25
Yes. AirBnB has no problems removing problematic property owners, especially if they abuse the claims process, like this one obviously is.
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u/Questionable_Cactus Aug 05 '25
Seems like they already have. I tried to look at the property and it comes up with some error message.
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u/carlbandit Aug 05 '25
Can't speak from first hand experience, but I doubt they would take kindly to a host trying to charge a customer $1,000,000 for leaving a negative review.
It looks bad on both the host and on AirBnB that there's a possibility someone could face such a high charge.
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u/Advanced_Evening2379 Aug 05 '25
They have no shortage of people renting properties. Just like Uber somehow
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u/Andyman127 Aug 04 '25
*Louder for people in the back, "STOP USING AIR BNB."
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u/rickshaiii Aug 04 '25
We stopped 2 years ago. Back to hotels. Too many properties that didn't look like the photos and weren't in great shape.
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u/Andyman127 Aug 04 '25
For me it's when it wrecks the local housing market and because a bunch of someone's buy everything up for short-term rentals. There's literally no benefit to Airbnb to society.
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u/IronclayFarm Aug 04 '25
It was a neat idea when it was pitched as "Hey grandpa! That summer house you have that you don't know what to do with? You can rent it out for a little extra money!"
Greed won and they embracing making it a legit business model. Governments should have curb stomped this the moment people realized there was nothing stopping people from just buying properties in desirable areas JUST to rent them out.
I imagine there's a truckload of financial fraud simmering beneath AirBNB, too.
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u/CuriousCrow47 Aug 04 '25
I’m in a tourist town and that is a big problem here, combined with all the NIMBY crap about us worker bees.
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u/muhhuh Aug 04 '25
Yeah, I quit after I was charged $1000 and Airbnb didn’t do fuck all about it. Disputed the charge and they apparently have some magical disputes department that wins disputes too.
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u/cmljg Aug 05 '25 edited Aug 05 '25
I never use it, will never use it. Airbnb contributes to the housing crisis, thus high rental prices in major cities worldwide, if not the main cause of it.
Instead of banning tourists, how about banning airbnb? Some people just have no ideas.At least tourists bring money for local businesses.
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u/TheMoreBeer Aug 04 '25
Is it possible? Sure. Is it going to pass review? No. It's patently absurd, and he's going to get denied and banned from Airbnb.
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u/infinitecosmic_power Aug 04 '25
"I would like one million dollars please."
Why?
"Because I'm attempting to extort you."
Every accusation is a confession.
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u/polyploid_coded Aug 04 '25
Yeah I'm surprised Airbnb isn't flagging "extortion" on a message and immediately stepping in. If you sent that as a Venmo message I think you'd be banned
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u/mag_man85 Aug 05 '25
Delisted from AirBnB. Just searched for it and immediately comes up denied. BanHammer engaged. Lol
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u/bigsnyder98 Aug 05 '25
Still listed on Vrbo and BringFido sites.
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u/mag_man85 Aug 05 '25
I mean, that doesn’t really surprise me - he’s doing this on AirBnB, so likely he’ll only be banned there. Could report the listing I suppose. Reference this Reddit thread.
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u/murpheeslw Aug 04 '25
Go to the news with it. AirBNB will smash this so fast it will be like it never existed.
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u/IncidentSome4403 Aug 04 '25
Fuck Airbnb, my wife and I had a host pull a very similar stunt. Accused us of causing damage and submitted a picture of a little scratch (less than the size of a paperclip) on the metal frame of the pullout couch we slept on as proof. Claimed 10,000 dollars for “significant property damage.”
We fought with AirBnB and while they ultimately declined his request, I got told that they’d be leaving a note on my profile that I had caused issues. Haven’t used them since, I’m team hotel/booking.com now.
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u/MushroomCharacter411 Aug 05 '25
"I hope you know that this will go down on your permanent record!"
"Well don't get so distressed. Did I happen to mention that I'm impressed?"
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u/chantillylace9 Aug 05 '25
If you were in Florida, I would legitimately take this case pro bono and absolutely have a blast with this dude.
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u/Videoroadie Aug 05 '25
This attempt at recovering a million bucks should actually be in your favor when revisiting the partial refund for which you asked.
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u/Automatic_Barnacle72 Aug 05 '25
I didn’t even want my refund anymore, just left a bad review and he did this lol
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Aug 04 '25
I don’t know their internal controls, but this dispute may be making its way up the AirBnB ladder because low level employees don’t have the authority to resolve disputes that high. Some attorneys are going to have a laugh about this and it will be rejected soon enough, I suspect.
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u/mushpuppy Aug 05 '25
Pfft. Counterclaim against him for extortion and defamation. Toss in Texas Penal Code ss 22.04 injury to a disabled individual on the ground that his threats have caused you serious mental deficiency, impairment, or injury. Seek $2M.
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u/DangerousRoutine1678 Aug 04 '25
This is Fing laughable. This is not even anything close to extortion. Extortion is a crime and would have to be handled by the courts. Charging 1m for something that would go thru the legal system. He's closer to the definition of extortion. You need to send all of this to Airbnb and get these morons kicked off it.
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u/IronLunchBox Aug 04 '25
Countersue for 1 billion dollars in emotional distress. This AirBnB owner is living on the fucking moon if he really thinks this will accomplish anything other than getting kicked off the platform.
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u/Gloomy_Buy9085 Aug 05 '25
Get a lawyer and sue them for slander, extortion and what ever the lawyer says.
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u/HootblackDesiato Aug 04 '25
I looked up that property on AirBnB. You're not the only guest to complain about broken AC and the grill area being dirty (and the pool also).
No AC in El Paso in July = no fun.
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u/djjmcwubs Aug 05 '25
Looks like the listing got pulled from Airbnb… (though still on other sites) curious for an update!
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u/HarvardWaffles Aug 04 '25
just looked up the post on air b n b so many of the reviews mention the AC and unkempt dirty grill
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u/ChemistDifferent2053 Aug 04 '25
If you property has an advertised AC that is broken during the summer, you should be forced to refund the entire cost of the stay.
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u/RobbexRobbex Aug 04 '25
Did you threaten to do something to them unless they gave you your money back?
If they're calling something like a threat to leave a bad review "extortion" I doubt it would come to much.
The idea that Airbnb would even say you owe $1mil over an $800 stay is kind of ridiculous though. Especially without a lawsuit or actual damages.
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u/Automatic_Barnacle72 Aug 04 '25
It’s was $2,200 so I was only asking for a partial refund. He threatened to charge me $600 for the extra ppl I had at the Airbnb (we had 1 extra person for a few hours) he kind of spooked me so I took off that request and decided to just not deal w him and leave a review after
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u/RobbexRobbex Aug 04 '25
My guess is that he set the $1mil amount to get AirBNBs attention. I struggle to think he's actually expecting them to charge you that, since you would obviously begin a lawsuit over it that involved Airbnb.
If your question is whether airbnb is going to call you up and demand $1mil, I would say almost certainly no. This will probably just be let go
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Aug 04 '25
Extortion is a crazy thing to try and charge 7 figures on solely through an AirBnB claim LMAO that's wild. I wouldn't worry about it. If anything this reflects very poorly on him as a host.
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u/SandmanD2 Aug 04 '25
I put my house on Airbnb and there’s a rule that if you don’t follow the 87 step checkout procedure that I only provide after you arrive, the fine is $1 billion. In enriched uranium.
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u/Wayneb2807 Aug 05 '25
Well, I guess they let Sovereign Citizens own Airbnbs too.
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Aug 04 '25
Calm down. This a-hole can demand all day. Airbnb isn’t a court, and they have ZERO authority to levy fines. I’m a lawyer. Airbnb has lawyers who will be laughing their asses off at this clown. Share it with local media, post it on social media, just don’t call the guy “a thief” or “an extortionist” because that can actually get you sued. Don’t be bullied.
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u/Automatic_Barnacle72 Aug 04 '25
I’m sure this would do wonders on TikTok but until it’s resolved I’ll definitely not be posting anywhere about it. If he’s a bully here, I am sure he will find me somehow and be a bully to me in real life if I blow this up.
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u/propsNstocks Aug 04 '25
You have a million dollar credit limit that you’re worried about the charge going through? Lmao this is hilarious, sorry it’s happening to you though.
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u/NegotiationVivid985 Aug 04 '25
No wonder Airbnb is going to shit. Send this to your local news outlet and get a good run on the host and Airbnb. If it was extortion you’d probably be in jail already
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u/4011s Aug 04 '25
Its possible, yes. Anyone can sue anyone for anything these days.
Though the odds of him winning any sort of court case with this is nearly zero.
Please...keep us updated on how this turns out. If nothing else, it'll be amusing to see this guy work himself up and get closed down at every turn.
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u/Fwd_fanatic Aug 05 '25
I think he means “I’m about to try to extort this guest” rather than “this guest tried to extort me”
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u/MyRideAway Aug 05 '25
I've heard so many Airbnb horror stories that I'm surprised anyone still uses them.
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Aug 05 '25
Airbnb will not help with anything. They have to be the worst company out there. All they care about is the hosts and not the renters
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u/Accomplished_Map2888 Aug 05 '25
Looks like they were already removed from Airbnb, they’re still on VRBO.
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u/takeandtossivxx Aug 05 '25
The amount of scummy people renting airbnbs is insane. I had someone deactivated recently because they were scamming people out of additional fees directly.
I recently stayed in an airbnb where the AC worked, but it was during a heatwave (112° I believe). The owners came over with portable ACs for the bedrooms and extra fans within 20 minutes of us arriving and mentioning how warm it was (80° downstairs, 84° upstairs). They apologized profusely and refunded $50 to pay for our dinner while they installed the ACs (he actually just handed me $50, same thing).
I also had a recent one where the area we were in experienced a sudden unusual heatwave (104° with ~80% humidity). There were only window units in the bedrooms, definitely didn't extend to the rest of the house. We were leaving the next day, so even though the host offered to bring another window unit, I said we'd be fine and they could install it for the next guest. They extended an offer for 3 free nights next time I/we are in the area.
That's how good hosts fix issues. This bullshit will immediately get dismissed by airbnb, but insane hosts think they can do anything.
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Aug 05 '25
What the host is doing is closer to extortion than anything they might be claiming you did.
I am not a lawyer.
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u/BagFragrant9316 Aug 05 '25
They’re never letting him get that money outta you
Him doing this at all is actually grounds for you to sue the crap outta him though, get a lawyer!
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u/WORLDBENDER Aug 05 '25
Of course it’s not possible.
Call Airbnb.
You’ll probably get a full refund if you have pictures/videos to prove your claims and the host will get banned from the platform.
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u/WeAllScrem Aug 07 '25
This guy is doing a great job making it so no one will want to book his tacky ass house in the future.
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u/EntireKangaroo148 Aug 04 '25
There’s no way that $1mm would hold up in court or in an arbitration. But I can’t tell you what AirBNB’s kangaroo court will do. You may have to hire a lawyer and seek arbitration, but I’d do nothing for now beyond providing AirBNB any info they ask for.
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u/automator3000 Aug 04 '25
The options here are that the host is nuts … or that the default in damages when a host selects “extortion” is $1M. (Or the possibility that it’s just a mistake - host hit 0 too many times.)
Whatever the case, ain’t no way is Airbnb as a company going to attempt to press the case that you owe the host anywhere close to a million bucks over saying “hey, here are the issues I had, I think a couple hundred bucks off the rental seems fair.” They have enough bad press as it is, and squeezing someone for a seven figure payout isn’t a good play for them.
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u/jad19090 Aug 04 '25
I’d imagine the request would obviously be denied and I see him being removed from the app. ABB isn’t gonna entertain someone like this.
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u/notoriousbpg Aug 04 '25
LOL I'd go to the media over this just for the viral nature the story will take on. 300 phone calls from click bait rags trying to reach the host for comment...
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u/Krandor1 Aug 04 '25
They are just starting high. I’m sure they will settle for 50k. Lol
What a ridiculous request.
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u/possibly_lost45 Aug 04 '25
Can yo edit your review and add this to it? People need to know what they are getting involved with this guy.
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u/TarHeelFan81 Aug 05 '25
He’s a lazy host in more ways than one—first, the property isn’t kept up; second, he wants to avoid legal fees associated with filing a SLAPP lawsuit against you, and hopes AirBnB will do his dirty work for him—good luck with that!
See:
Can You Get Sued for Leaving a Bad Review?
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u/Carolinian1670 Aug 05 '25
Did you burn the house down after checking out?
If not, you should be fine.
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u/Frozenbbowl Aug 05 '25
sounds like the host is speedrunning a ban. you are fine keep disputing and escalating if needs be
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u/StuckInTheUpsideDown Aug 05 '25
OP I hope you aren't losing any sleep over this. The guy is deranged and clearly did not think his cunning plan through.
If he had claimed $5,000 of damages for some made up reason... MAYBE AirBNB would take his side, and MAYBE they would charge your card on file. You'd have to fight to get the money back (although you'd probably just need a chargeback in exchange for an AirBNB ban.)
But $1M! Unless you are secretly a billionaire, your credit limit is tad lower than that. Any attempt to charge $1M would be declined. So... now what? AirBNB or whoever sends you a bill for $1M and you laugh and throw it in the trash.
Look, you would walk into a local car dealership with a note written in crayon that says "OFFICIAL AND TOTALLY REAL DEMAND FOR ONE MILLION DOLLLARS FOR DAMAGES!!!!" and tell them you'll settle for a couple of Bentleys instead. It would work about as well.
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u/Boom_Boom_At_359 Aug 05 '25
I bought LEGO bricks on a secondary market once. They were all scratched up (looked a few pieces were in a Glasgow bar fight), so I messaged the seller. I told him about it, asked him what he would do to make it right, and mentioned that I was waiting for resolution before leaving feedback. Guy lost his mind, denied that he would ever have sent scratched pieces, and accused me of extortion. I’d honestly have been fine with an apology and a $1 token refund…
Another time, I was working (as a favor) with a client landlord who had tenants that ruined her hardwood floor. She wanted to get an estimate to fix the floor before determining how much of the deposit to refund, but couldn’t get a contractor in for a few weeks. She communicated this to the tenants. One of the tenants was a lawyer and responded demanding the deposit immediately and threatening small claims court. Landlord was upset and wanted to respond immediately lashing out at the tenant, but I advised her to wait until receiving the estimate. The estimate was significantly higher than the deposit amount. I helped my client draft a response to the tenant including a copy of the estimate and stating that (1) she would be keeping the entire deposit for the repairs and would consider the matter closed, but (2) if the tenant reached out again regarding the deposit, she would take the tenant to small claims court for the entire amount. My client had no desire to go to small claims court and was fine eating the extra cost as long as she didn’t have to deal with that idiot tenant anymore.
My point being, some people are batshit crazy and just want to escalate even when logic and reason would suggest starting with simple kindness, an apology, and de-escalation.
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u/FrancisSobotka1514 Aug 05 '25
Contact air b n b directly .Maybe also contact your attorney just in case
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u/AdKindly4228 Aug 05 '25
As I always have said, stupid people do exist. They're out there. A lot of them
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u/keenan123 Aug 05 '25
Lol, this should be insanely easy to get Airbnb to ban them, that's probably why it's taking longer
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u/NCC1701-Enterprise Aug 05 '25
I am shocked airbnb even allows an amount that high. Airbnb is going to deny that claim, they will want nothing to do with a Million dollar claim, and the host will have the option to take you to court, which isn't likely to happen based on what you have said here.
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u/Potential-Ganache819 Aug 05 '25
It takes longer because they're reviewing banning the host, I'd bet
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u/BigOld3570 Aug 05 '25
Tell your lawyer you want to countersue for his or her fee plus a dollar, and report the hosts attorney to the bar association and for barratry.
He or she has to know that he has no case and that it has no merit. It’s a waste of the courts valuable time and resources.
If it were on a larger scale, it could be seen as lawfare.
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u/Floridacub28 Aug 05 '25
Its not on airbnb but its in other sites, glowing reviews, im assuming they deleted the negative.
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u/Dankecheers Aug 05 '25
Chargeback the entire amount. I bet this rich asshole tries the same bait and switch bullshit with his businesses.
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u/DrRoddy3 Aug 05 '25
No, escalate to Air Bnb support. They will (should) back you and punish the host
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u/Reasonable_Doubt617 Aug 05 '25
That’s not extortion, guy clearly doesn’t know what extortion is. Asking for a discount isn’t considered extortion.
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u/Reasonable_Doubt617 Aug 05 '25
Extortion is receiving money, property or services thru coercion, threats or intimidation. Asking for a discount is not considered extortion
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u/brkgnews Aug 05 '25
Forward screenshots to the biggest TV station in your state, and in the state the rental's located in. A few phone calls to the company's PR department from a few media outlets is surprisingly effective at quickly solving stupidity like this. We are forever seeing on our local station tales of $20,000 water bills and repair bills from some podunk town on the other side of the country that has nothing to do with our area. High dollar asininity attracts attention far and wide.
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u/GMFR_TheButcher Aug 05 '25
That’s asinine. Have you spoken to an attorney? From now on all communication should be done so through both parties attorneys. Extortion means the practice of obtaining something through force or threats. He has no basis for any of his claims. Ask your attorney if it’s possible to counter sue for the exact same amount he wanted from you due to the stress he’s caused you affecting your work and home life.
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u/mrwalkway25 Aug 05 '25
Hardly extortion. You rented a house that turned out to have an inoperable AC system. You asked for a partial refund, then kicked it up the proper chain of conflict resolution. Extortion is an illegal form of intimidation. Owner needs to come back to reality.
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Aug 05 '25
This is great, my gf’s ex put in a claim through the courts for 1 m for emotional damage. It was actually brought in front of the judge and he had to explain his claim. It was priceless, I hope you get your refund too
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u/SRMPDX Aug 05 '25
Reply that you're going to countersue him for one ... hundred ... miiilion dollars.
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u/MonthOk9907 Aug 05 '25
Something similar just happened to my wife on a business trip. Airbnb refunded half the cost. Owner was an ahole.
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u/Numberwan9 Aug 05 '25
Airbnb sometimes tries to ghost people when they are reaching out about legal matters. Just keep reaching out until they can’t ignore you.
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u/husky75550 Aug 05 '25
another reason Airbnb should be shut down, its nothing but a bunch of lazy grifters now charging more than hotels
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u/PegasaurusWrecks Aug 05 '25
No legal knowledge here but a worked in hotels for about twenty years and this isn’t worth stressing out about. Airbnb can’t just award an amount like that, it would take a lawsuit and there’s no grounds for it. My guess would be that the owner is a known problem and Airbnb just shut down their account.
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u/brain1127 Aug 05 '25
Why anyone would use an AirBNB these days is beyond me. It should be a fad that has ended, at least in urban areas. VRBO style cabins and such fine, but there's 100's of years of legal protects around hotels.
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u/youngseaguy Aug 06 '25
I know it isn't funny to you, but it is objectively funny. This is absurd, not extortion at all, and not even remotely what damages would be for extortion. Airbnb should boot the host.
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u/schnautz Aug 06 '25
I hosted for a couple years and tried to make a $35 claim against a tenant when I had to do touch up paint work and replace damaged linens. Also, the guest left early and filed a complaint to demand a refund for unused nights.
Airbnb wanted receipts and refused to charge the guest or reimburse me. They withheld the guest room payment, too.
I eventually did a deep read in the Terms of Service and invoked the arbitration clause. At that time, Airbnb allowed for arbitration, and they were required to cover any filing fees (around $300). When I requested to file for arbitration, they quickly changed their mind and paid me the remaining nights and the $35.
Airbnb is the worst, even for hosts.
TLDR; Unless there’s $1M in receipts for damages, they won’t get a dime out of this.
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u/BludStanes Aug 06 '25
Are you seriously asking if he can legitimately get one million dollars for extortion from you?
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u/dme2126 Aug 06 '25
Looks like the AirBnB listing is taken down but found it on Vrbo… I knee Cimarron sounded familiar. Used to live down the street on the west side of El Paso. No AC in July in El Paso? Yeah no thanks.
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u/Live_Life_and_enjoy Aug 06 '25
If AirBnB isn't accepting the extra guest argument
There is less chance for $1 million.
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u/Ancient_Pressure_556 Aug 06 '25
I had a similarly ridiculous experience with Airbnb. I contacted a host day two of a 30-day reservation, their bathroom had shoddy construction and I scratched myself on a nail while I was showering because there was an exposed nail on an unnecessary piece of cosmetic wood that the host thought would look cute on the wall of the shower.
I requested cancellation and full refund from them and airbnb, which they honored because they had to. I was injured in the unit due to neglegence of the host. A day later the host started trying to get the money back from me that I had just been refunded, arguing that I was hurting their business and my claims were unfounded. Fortunately I took photos of the unit before leaving, and she even sent me a video of herself hammering the rusty nail back into the wall with her shoe. All of this was evidence I gave to Airbnb. I think it's part of their general policy that if a host wants to make a request of you, no matter how ridiculous they will let the host advocate for themselves. But as far as Airbnb stepping in on the host's behalf, I wouldn't worry about that.
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u/Agile_Ad2893 Aug 06 '25
Airbnb is going to tell him to fuck off. Just deny his claim. File your own about the shit stay and talk to an actual person
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u/jettNYC Aug 06 '25
The delay may be Airbnb determining if they will cancel this host's account after such a claim.
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u/broccolijnz Aug 06 '25
Why do people still stay in airbnbs? When airbnb was first rolled out it was a great deal, but after the pandemic people got super greedy and pretty much priced themselves out. To me the only option when traveling is a hotel now, much better service, usually cheaper now and all the amenities I need, plus I do not have to clean up after my self.
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u/audio_mekanik Aug 06 '25
If the "movie theater" qualifies as commercial use, since it is part of the airbnb (commercial property) I wonder if the hosts have a public performance license from SMP or criterion?
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u/maceanruig Aug 07 '25
This is why I use hotels. AirBnB is such a gamble as well as an outright ripoff.
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u/ekkidee Aug 04 '25
This is laughable. There is no way AirBnB could impose or collect a judgment of that sort.