I Got Tricked by Airbnb Host into Canceling and Lost ₺5700—I Demand a Full Refund
On April 24–26, 2025, I reserved a property listed by a host named Mirella on Airbnb in the Adalar region, paying ₺8778 for two nights. Unfortunately, a 6.2 magnitude earthquake hit Istanbul on April 23, and for safety reasons, we had to postpone our travel. Knowing Airbnb has an “extenuating circumstances policy” for natural disasters, I contacted the host. She kindly said she’d help if I canceled the reservation myself. Trusting her, I canceled.
After cancellation, I received only ₺1746 back, labeled as a “cleaning fee refund.” The remaining amount was not refunded. I reached out to Airbnb support, who acknowledged that under normal policy I should have received a refund, but since I canceled directly, now the host must approve it. Airbnb sent the host an approval request—she ignored it. When I contacted her again, she confirmed she would not approve the refund.
Airbnb apologized and gave me a ₺1300 voucher, but over ₺5700 is still missing. I never stayed in the home. I was misled by the host, who intentionally caused financial loss.
