This site is a scam and they take no action into making their clients happy and making things right with both hosts and guests. They’re always on the hosts’ side, trying to make excuses because of their “terms and conditions”. There is no reimbursement whatsoever for any reason.
When I reserved a property, Airbnb had given me a time to check in between 1:00-3:00 PM. When I arrived to check in at 1:00, I was pretty much yelled at by one of the hosts about the fact that “check-in was only to be made after 3:00 only” not before. When I mentioned it to the host, I was given the offer to cancel my reservation without any charges but I wasn’t going to be able to find anything else at the last minute. I decided not to cancel since I had nowhere else to go.
It looks like charges are wrongfully made the minute you make that reservation, which is not supposed to be done that way. I made a request for a one bedroom with two beds. Anybody would think that that would include at least two people, especially when I mentioned to the host that it was for me and my father. The host never mentioned anything about the fact that if it wasn’t just for one person that the price would change and told me to immediately change my reservation to two, not just one.
The minute I was told about that rule, I decided to just leave my father there due to his health. I decided not to change the reservation and just leave it for one person. I came back the next morning to pick him up and just cancel the deal. I handed in the key to the host and made it clear to his knowledge that I would no longer be staying.
Another thing I also now see on the receipt: the cost for the night, according to their advertising on Airbnb, was changed from $29 to $34.75 for my reservation for four nights. Was the extra $5.75 charge because of it being for two people or what?
When I contacted Airbnb about the issue, I was supposedly going to be helped with my terrible experience by requesting the host to accept the refund and keep me aware of the results, which a welcoming and reasonable host would do to an unsatisfied client. I was later informed that they had denied my request of being refunded for the nights I would no longer be staying at the property and using their service, as if it was only according to them.
As I was being informed, all they did was show signs of being on the hosts’ side and not caring in regards to the issues I had encountered. I considered myself being legally robbed because of my agreement to their terms and conditions.
I was also emailed about an extra $20 by the host because of the reservation having to be made for two people. I denied this because only one person had resided that night. I wondered what the outcome on that would be.
Do not use Airbnb. There is always a catch for cheap affairs. My irrational and insubordinate hosts have great reviews maybe only because of the fact that Airbnb doesn’t even give the unsatisfied the opportunity to write a bad review or a complaint.
I included a picture of the location to be rented by the hosts. Other signs of this site to be a scam is their cheap night stay without including fake charges like “service and cleaning fees” obviously not counted until the end, which makes it no better than a slightly smaller price paid at a simple motel. That makes it not much of a better deal than a motel if all you need is a roof to sleep under for one night or more.
1. You saw the cleaning fee and the total price BEFORE you booked.
2. You are asked to indicate the number of guests in your reservations.
3. You apparently didn’t read the cancellation policy.
4. Are you sure check-in was 1:00pm-3:00pm? That would be unusual as it would provide little time to turnover a room. Are you sure it wasn’t 3:00pm-1:00am. I mean, you obviously didn’t read a lot of other stuff.
5. If you made the reservation, and only your father stayed, then that’s a 3rd-party booking, which is also against Airbnb’s terms.
6. If you think they’re always on the hosts’ side, you probably should read the “host stories” section of this website.
Basically, you assumed you were renting a hotel room at 1/3 to 1/2 of a hotel room price, and only because you didn’t bother to read. This one’s on you brother.
But, since you agree to terms and conditions without reading them… I’ve got a bridge I’d like to sell you.
…comments here are valid. I can’t figure out what your issue was. Was it your fault that you didn’t read the terms and conditions before you agreed to them? Airbnb is a platform for people to let you stay in their home. It’s ‘my house, my rules’ and every house can be different. For that price, what did you want??? Give up and move on.
Your story is very convoluted. Even after reading several times some of what you wrote, I cannot easily discern the facts.
“Another thing I also now see on the receipt: the cost for the night, according to their advertising on Airbnb, was changed from $29 to $34.75 for my reservation for four nights. Was the extra $5.75 charge because of it being for two people or what?” Quite tortuous to comprehend your meaning. I take it you did not pay less than $10 a night as your sentence reads. I glean you are trying to say you were charged a different amount for each night. This is not unusual and has nothing to do with an extra person charge as you question. Charge per night often depends on the night of the week you stay, eg weekend nights of Friday and Saturday are usually more expensive than mid-week nights. Public holidays and high season rates are most often more expensive than low season or non-holiday days. Most people know this.
“…trying to make excuses because of their “terms and conditions”.” T&C are not excuses. T&C are the points of an agreement, ie a contract, which legally bind the parties to perform their obligations and are enforceable at law and upon which the parties rely for the fulfilment of what was agreed. They should not be placed in inverted commas as this indicates your contempt for a legal document to which you agreed. If you do not agree to the T&C you should not have accepted them and entered into the contract.
“The host never mentioned anything about the fact that if it wasn’t just for one person that the price would change and told me to immediately change my reservation to two, not just one.” I’m sure on the listing and during the booking process that the number of people staying would be requested, usually by way of a radio button. It appears you selected ‘1 person’, which is usually the default number, otherwise you would not have written that the host asked you to change your booking from one to two people. Most people know that two people cost more than one person. From your picture, the room can sleep 4 people. Does your common sense tell you that even the top rate of $34.75 a night would be for one person up to four people?
“I included a picture of the location to be rented by the hosts.” Your picture is not that of the location of the accommodation but rather a picture of the room to be rented. In fact, no where do you give the location of the accommodation at all, not even which country. It appears to be quite a nice room even equipped with a TV. It has two double beds meaning it can sleep up to four people. Even at the top rate of $34.75 a night, do you think that would be for 4 people and not per person?
“Other signs of this site to be a scam is their cheap night stay without including fake charges like “service and cleaning fees” “. Cleaning fees are not fake charges nor do they indicate that the site is a scam. I would presume they were mentioned in the listing but you did not bother to read them.
I think you’ve created many of the problems yourself by not reading the relevant information, using English imprecisely and not using common sense.
“They’re always on the hosts’ side, ”
Not true – they mess around and rob the hosts as well
Awful
Airbnb is very clear about entering the number of persons staying when booking. Not sure how you could have missed it?