Boy Scout Troop Finds Empty Land instead of Airbnbs in Florida Keys

MIAMI (WSVN) – The Boy Scout motto is “be prepared”.

But how do you prepare to find empty land where your accommodations are supposed to be?

“What exactly are we supposed to rent?” Scout Leader Scott Mulkey asked as he documented his troop’s arrival in the Florida Keys from northeast Georgia.

“Explain to me, how is this not a fraud?” There is no house here. There is no address here. There is absolutely nothing here.

Their skepticism started at home before they arrived.

The Boy Scout leaders noticed something funny about their separate Airbnb bookings. It seemed they had rented the same house from different hosts.

“The pictures are all exactly the same and all for Big Pine Key,” Mulkey said.

They reached out to Airbnb and the hosts, but were told the listings were legitimate, so they were hopeful.

The vacant lots told another story.

“It’s supposed to be a brand new house near the beach,” Mulkey said.

The Boy Scouts quickly turned around and found rooms in a hotel.

An Airbnb representative said the Scout troop will get a full refund.

“This type of situation is extremely rare, but when it does occur, we take steps to protect the integrity of our platform,” said a statement from Airbnb. “To that end, these lists have been removed and all associated hosts have been suspended pending further investigation. “

The Boy Scouts say they won’t let this ruin their trip.

“Go into the water and try to leave it all behind, at least for now,” Mulkey said.

Airbnb also offers each Scout’s family a credit to use on a future stay.

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