Shirley nurse fighting to get bridal party deposit back from Airbnb
A Suffolk nurse facing the brunt of the coronavirus pandemic postponed her summer wedding, but getting a refund from one company has presented a challenge.

Jessica Lourenco, of Shirley, is fighting an uphill battle against Airbnb to get a $1,500 deposit back on a house she booked for her bridal party. Lourenco and her fiance canceled their August 15 wedding when the pandemic hit.

As a nurse at Long Island Community Hospital, Lourenco wanted to devote her time to working in the battle against the coronavirus.

"When we initially reached out to Airbnb, we told them my situation," Lourenco says. "And Airbnb said if I was able to provide a letter stating that I was working with COVID patients, I was working through the pandemic, they would give me full refund of my deposit."

Lourenco provided the letter, signed by hospital HR, but Airbnb denied her request.

"They said they need more information on it. They need to know that I'm more involved with COVID patients. Every person I speak to, asks for something different so it's kind of hard to know that they're looking for," says Lourenco.

A spokesperson for Airbnb told News 12 that the customer service representative didn't know what he was talking about when he asked for a letter from Lourenco. They said the company's extenuating circumstance policy for refunds only extends to June 15.

"That's new to me," Lourenco says. "I haven't heard that at all and I spoke to these people multiple times. So it's like they're making things up as they go because every single staff member I speak to has a different guideline, a different rule, a different letter, another person I need to speak to. It's just nonstop."

Lourenco says she will not stop fighting until she gets her money back.