Following a bad review, an Airbnb host tracked down the wife of a guest to share footage of her husband with another woman.
I think we can all agree that Airbnb has made traveling a lot more pleasant - offering fantastic alternatives to expensive hotels, as you lodge with a trusted Airbnb host.
However, one thing that does concern some people when staying away from home, is the owners of the accommodation potentially spying on them.
For one man, this is exactly what happened... and it ended VERY badly for him.
Pamela Fohler, the host in question, reportedly attempted to coerce renter Shawn Mackey by threatening to send footage of him with another woman to his wife. However, in what appears to be a mistake, the message was accidentally sent.
Mackey, from Mississippi, had booked the accommodation for himself and three guests, informing Fohler that he might have additional friends over for dinner.
Despite this, Fohler claimed Mackey violated house rules and invited more guests than agreed upon, leading to additional fees amounting to $960, as reported by the Daily Mail.
Mackey refused to pay that amount and chose to leave a negative review on Fohler's listing for other Airbnb users to see. He also requested a partial refund of $502.46, which was denied.
In response to the dispute, Fohler allegedly took drastic action by sending security footage of Mackey with another woman to his wife. This action has resulted in a lawsuit being filed against Fohler, accusing her of attempting to extort money from Mackey.
According to court documents, Mackey suffered emotional distress and damage to his marriage as a result of Fohler's actions. The situation escalated further when Fohler allegedly emailed Mackey's wife with a picture of him and another woman, under the guise of admiring the woman's handbag.
Email exchanges between Fohler and Mackey reveal a disagreement over the number of guests allowed at the property and allegations of rule violations, including disturbing neighbors and unauthorized guests.
The first Email from Fohler to Mackey read: "Hello Shawn, we will be able to accommodate a max of 8 guests. This is due to the city restrictions and capacity at our home. I apologize we had not discuss [sic] the guest count tripling."
However, Mackey states that he only had five guests inside the property after an additional person turned up.
Mackey reached out to Fohler, speaking with her husband Jamie, who, upon hearing the situation, granted Mackey permission to remain.
The following morning, Pamela Fohler contacted Mackey through the Airbnb app, informing him of the checkout procedure for the next day. She requested that he strip the beds and load the dishwasher, extending wishes for his safe journey.
According to the lawsuit, Mackey asserts that he complied with these instructions diligently.
The suit documents read: "At the time he checked out of the property, [Mackey], who had broken no rules and had spoken to the host, thought all issues had been resolved as simply a misunderstanding."
Following a back and forth between the pair, Fohler replied: "Hello Shawn, hope you are well. Sorry it took so long to get the photos you requested together to show your stay at our home.
"But I had faith, was driven by integrity, so I committed to get these posted for you and Airbnb. Photo at 3:16 AM is especially notable. Should I forward the photos and videos to [Mackey's wife] Teresa, or will you?
Fohler then allegedly sent the images to Mackey's wife the following day.
Fohler submitted a motion to dismiss, while Airbnb filed a motion to compel arbitration, setting a deadline of February 21 for Mackey to respond.
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