- TikToker Alix Earle and her pals turned stranded in Italy after booking scam.
- Her criticism online video been given over 6 million sights in just days, and Airbnb stepped in to aid.
- Airbnb is now acquiring praise and criticism for responding so quickly and placing the team in a Positano villa.
When TikToker Alix Earle and her friends had been left stranded following scheduling an Italian villa that turned out not to exist, she mentioned Airbnb stepped in to conserve the day.
On Tuesday, Earle posted a online video informing her more than 5 million followers that she and her friends experienced fallen prey to a scam soon after booking a pretend villa in Positano, Italy. A single working day and 5.5 million views later, the team of about 10 females are paying their European holiday vacation in a villa overlooking the Mediterranean Sea thanks to Airbnb.
“babes we received you. our individuals are calling you now,” the Airbnb TikTok account commented underneath Earle’s video.
Inspite of the fraud occurring on one more booking platform — Booking.com, for every Earle’s Instagram tale — Airbnb a lot more than delivered on lodging with a Positano villa decked out with a massage table, steam area, and a terrace overlooking huge blue waters.
The team of tourists were packed into a lodge home at the last moment after recognizing that the villa they’d booked failed to really exist. It is unclear how a lot the group used on the faux rental, but Reserving.com commented on one of Earle’s video clips apologizing for the mishap.
“Hello Alix, we are sorry to listen to about your working experience. Make sure you attain out to us by means of Twitter, FB or Instagram, so our assist workforce can glimpse into this,” the remark read through.
Neither Booking.com nor Airbnb right away responded to Insider’s requests for feedback. It’s unclear how substantially the Positano rental is mentioned for on Airbnb, but a villa with related facilities and views goes for just shy of $2,500 for each night.
Social media buyers are praising Airbnb for the go as a “advertising and marketing” tactic of rescuing one of TikTok’s most recognizable faces.
“Airbnb is our rich man,” Earle captioned a online video of her and fellow travelers wearing matching robes.
“Airbnb promoting for the 12 months = finish,” just one commenter wrote underneath the video clip. Social media commentator Jack Appleby wrote in a tweet that the video of Earle thanking Airbnb garnered close to two million views in 4 several hours.
Many others, nonetheless, commented that they were not as fortunate when they have been remaining stranded from an Airbnb rip-off.
“where by was this angle when my airbnb host canceled on me day of, for no clear purpose previous calendar year,” 1 TikToker wrote in reaction to the firm’s offer to assist.
“customer service should not be established by follower rely,” another reported.
