Georgia Boy Scouts find empty land after booking Airbnb rentals in Big Pine Key – WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports

MIAMI (WSVN) — A trip to the Florida Keys got off to a bad start for two groups of Boy Scouts from Georgia who said they found accommodation through Airbnb for a house that doesn’t even exist.

Speaking to 7News on Friday, Troop Leader Scott Mulkey he and his troops, 5506 and 506 from northeast Georgia, had planned their getaway to the Florida Keys for snorkeling, fishing and snorkeling. camping.

“It’s more of a once-in-a-lifetime thing that most scouts do,” he said.

Mulkey said it was nearly impossible to contain their excitement for their next outdoor adventure.

“It’s just a good time for us to make memories with our scouts while we can,” he said.

For part of the trip, the two troops booked two Airbnb rentals that could hold the 24 people.

But before they even arrived in South Florida, they began to realize that their two separate reservations seemed fake. That’s because, Mulkey said, it looks like they rented the same house through different hosts.

“The images were all exactly the same, and all for Big Pine Key,” he said.

After contacting Airbnb and the hosts, Mulkey said, they were told the listings were legit.

While they remained skeptical, the scouts held out hope.

But once they showed up this week, they arrived to find mangroves and swamps.

“There is no mailbox. There’s nothing there at all,” Mulkey said.

After finding an empty lot, Mulkey recorded a video to document his disappointment and frustration.

“It’s supposed to be a brand new house near the beach. What exactly are we supposed to rent? he said as he stood in front of the parking lot. “Explain to me, how is this not a fraud? There is no house here. There is no address here. There is absolutely nothing here.

Always resourceful, the scouts reorganized and paid for rooms in a hotel.

Airbnb spokesperson Ben Breit said they would refund them in full. In a statement, he wrote: “This type of situation is extremely rare, but when it does occur, we take steps to protect the integrity of our platform. To that end, these listings have been removed and all associated hosts have been suspended pending further investigation.

As for the scouts, they are not letting this setback ruin their plans.

“[We’re going to] hit the waters and try to leave all of this behind, at least for now,” Mulkey said.

Airbnb will also give these families a credit for a future stay.

Copyright 2022 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join our newsletter for the latest news straight to your inbox

Comments are closed.