Life has been 'utter hell,' says Airbnb victim
The victim in the Airbnb incident writes on her blog that the company should have had protection measures in place from the start.
In the latest twist in the Airbnb saga, the San Francisco woman whose apartment was ransacked and robbed by a guest says the travel marketplace should have had protection measures in place from the very beginning, and her life continues to be an "utter hell."
Airbnb matches people looking for a place to stay with others renting out their own homes or apartments. The victim had said the company did little when she reported the damage to her apartment.
Responding to CEO Brian Chesky's apology over the incident and announcement of revamped policies to protect hosts, the woman known simply as "EJ" wrote on her blog today that the announced measures haven't reduced the pain and trauma she has experienced from the crime itself and the online vilification of her.
I agree with Mr. Chesky's statement that Airbnb should have responded much more quickly to my urgent pleas for help, that they should have communicated with more sensitivity, and that they should have taken decisive action to help me feel safe during what has been a desperate time.
Had they done so, and had these significant new policies been implemented from the very beginning, I could have been spared nearly six weeks now of disruption and displacement, and the hurt and exhaustion of having to face disparaging remarks, slander and harassment, my integrity being called into question, my character publicly trashed...
I have unwittingly and unexpectedly become the target of an onslaught, being called a liar and much, much worse by both public and anonymous figures who have no first-hand knowledge whatsoever of the very decent person I am, nor any knowledge of what has transpired in the past several weeks.
All of this has exponentially confounded the trauma I already felt, and has taken its toll both emotionally and physically, subjecting me to utter hell...
While I applaud the steps that Airbnb is taking to fulfill its commitment to safety and security, the reality for me is that the hardship continues. As will, no doubt, the nasty comments and unwarranted name-calling that have been thrown in my face.
EJ refused to comment on the investigation into the crime, in which a woman was arrested.
San Francisco police have said they arrested 19-year-old Faith Clifton of San Francisco on June 28. She was booked into county jail that night on possession of stolen property and methamphetamine, as well as on fraud charges and because of an outstanding warrant.