Last week, we wrote a review for a host who made us to pay more money for our confirmed booking (a month after we had paid in full) because of the high demand for booking her location during the August 21st eclipse. She claimed there was a booking glitch and she intended to have Instant Booking charge us more. When we booked, there were other options, but at that point (a month before the eclipse) there was nothing left. We couldn’t afford what she was asking, and were worried she or Airbnb would cancel our booking if we complained, as has happened to other guests on forums where hosts claim a “booking glitch”. This would have left us high and dry with our small children. We offered to pay her $500 instead of $1700, which she accepted.
After our stay, I wrote a review detailing the experience, but I have yet to see it posted on her site. Do you know how long it takes to for a review to show up for a host? It has been a week since I submitted it, and I hadn’t received any messages that anything was wrong with it. I’m worried the host will get Airbnb to not post it. They will be able to see it is accurate; all our communication was done over Airbnb messages, including her request to “adjust the price” and her explanation that she decided to adjust the price due to demand. Ultimately, I’d like to see the host respond to our review with a refund of the money we paid under duress, and to agree to post surge-pricing dates on her site in the future, and address future website booking glitches within 24 hours and with Airbnb rather than putting pressure on guests.
Your review appears once the host has written one, if he doesn’t write any then it will be posted after 14 days . Airbnb never alternate or allow a review not to be published
Buuuut
That’s clearly extortion, the host charged you more knowing you didn’t had any other option
You should have done nothing, not send the money, not cancel. If the host cancel then he lose money and it appears on his profile.
You should have report the extortion to Airbnb
And if the host cancel , well then book another place at a higher price or a hotel (hotel tonight has great last minute prices in the similar price range of what you paid) or cancel that holiday that you can’t afford
But never fall for extortion like that
I would have excluded the words extorted, and duress from your review, because you were hardly really. You had options, cancel and pay more or stay and pay more.
I would have used the review instead to call out an oblivious host who should be more aware of what’s going on in her area and have these dates priced accordingly so as not to inconvenience and place her guest’s travel plans in jeopardy like this again.
Hello,
A quick Google search is always super helpful. https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/13/how-do-reviews-work
If she doesn’t post a review for you, then your review will post only after 14 days.
If she decides to post a review for you, you will receive an email notification that she did so + both reviews will post simultaneously.
Hope this helps!