Bedbugs - Zero Accountability!

Bedbugs - Zero Accountability!

I am deeply disappointed with HomeToGo and the way they handled our recent booking.

After spending one night in the accommodation, we discovered a serious bedbug infestation (I wish I could share the photos of the bites here, absolutely horrific). My husband and I were both covered in bites and had to evacuate immediately for our own safety. The situation was distressing, unhygienic, and completely unacceptable for any rental property.

We reported the issue right away to both the host and HomeToGo, providing clear photographic evidence. However, instead of addressing the problem seriously, both the host and HomeToGo described the refund as a “gesture of goodwill” — implying that they were doing us a favour rather than taking responsibility for an unsafe, infested property.

They also claimed that since we “chose to stay one night” and “only raised the issue the second night,” we weren’t entitled to further compensation. That statement is arrogant and misleading — we could not possibly have known about the bedbugs before being bitten and discovering the infestation.

HomeToGo said that they’ll refund the accommodation (still in progress) but refused to cover €300 in direct, documented losses (emergency hotel, medication, unused parking booking made with the original appartment), despite being the platform that advertised and processed payment for this property. Instead, they shifted all responsibility to the host — which contradicts EU consumer law and basic ethical practice.

We have now filed a formal complaint with the European Consumer Centre Network (ECC-Net) and will continue to share our experience publicly, because transparency is the only way to prevent other guests from going through the same thing.

This was not a “minor complaint” — it was a verified health and safety violation, handled with indifference and bureaucracy.
HomeToGo should take full accountability for the listings it promotes and stop hiding behind “goodwill gestures” when guests are harmed by unsafe accommodations. I will NEVER book via Hometogo again!

Zwakke punten
They don’t take real accountability: when something goes wrong, they quickly push everything onto the host.
• They hide behind “goodwill”: even for serious issues, they frame refunds as a favour, not responsibility.
• Listings can be misleading: photos are sometimes AI-generated or overly edited, so the real place doesn’t match what was advertised.
• They deny platform liability: even though they take the payment, they say “your contract is with the host” to avoid paying.
• They rarely cover secondary costs: extra hotel, medication, parking — they often refuse, even when the guest had no choice.
• They protect their image over the guest: decisions feel made to shield HomeToGo, not to make the guest whole.
• Customer service lacks empathy: replies are formulaic and defensive instead of actually helping.