apologised.
Goemkapronn desk
PANAJI: The Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Chandigarh has fined the homestay marketplace Airbnb and one of its hosts ₹10,000 after a six-month-old child was accidentally injured while the property was being cleaned. The Commission President Pawanjit Singh and members Surjeet Kaur and Suresh Kumar Sardana noted an email exchange between the complainants and Airbnb, where Airbnb and the caretaker admitted to the incident and apologised.
The emails from the accused clearly admit the incident on March 6, 2022, when the complainant’s six-month-old daughter, wrapped in a blanket, fell while the room was being cleaned by the caretaker, and the accused also apologised, the May 2 order stated.
The commission directed both Airbnb and the property caretaker to pay ₹5,000 to the complainant as compensation, along with an additional ₹5,000 for litigation costs. The development comes after the bench heard a complaint from the child’s mother.
She and her husband had booked a room through Airbnb for their vacation in Goa. According to her, as they were about to check out, the property’s caretaker pulled the blankets and pillows from the bed where their six-month-old daughter was sleeping, causing her to fall and get injured.
Airbnb didn’t appear, so the case proceeded ex parte. The caretaker of the property opposed the complaint, stating that his action wasn’t intentional and that he had already apologised. However, the commission found that the incident occurred due to the caretaker’s negligence, thus constituting a deficiency in service. The commission also noted that Airbnb had offered a refund, which was never processed.
Since Airbnb didn’t admit to the claim for compensation, she approached the consumer commission.
