You are right about damage to an extent, but having clear guidelines for minor damage would be a good start. I’d just like to get back to a world where the advertised price is what you pay in most cases. I get that Milage on rental cars will always be a variable, but some companies charge a $15 “processing fee” per toll you drive though using their express pass, plus the toll fee… even though I’d assume this is an entirely automated system. That is nothing more than an absurd cash grab… there are hundreds of examples of things like this going in.
I think the point is, if the room costs $100 a night, and the host wants a $20 non negotiable cleaning fee per night, and air BNB wants a $30 booking fee, then the advertised price should be $150 a night….
I get that but I like the idea of truth in advertising. Tell people what it’s gonna cost. Don’t advertise that the cost is a quarter of what you are going to be charged.
Elizabeth Warren's CFPB was going to address issues like this, but the GOP policy arm in robes came up with creative ways to block it
Yes, I had the opportunity to look it over. I took 10 pictures of the damage. They searched scratch by scratch to find the one that wasn't clear in any of the pictures. Then charged me $500 for that scratch (which would have been fixed for far less than that). You are arguing that they would go out of business if it was common, but that is not based on anything. You just think they would, but if customers are not fully informed, they might not be out of business.
Really? You think somebody has to explain how they judge whether you are in the hot tub? They do not. There are ways to mislead customers. It has become common enough that the entire platform is suffering due to the actions of the bad actors. And that is even on AirBNB, where they have tried to internalize the cost of dishonesty onto the individual renters. In markets that have not prioritized it, the issues are much worse.
Right to repair means you can fix something you own. You can’t open up an iPhone for instance and only an authorized repair place can touch it without voiding everything.
i used to love Airbnb. It was a way to stay somewhere different that wasn’t a fortune. Now it can be more than a Marriott but you don’t know until you check out.
Yeah, I haven't booked one in a few years now. I got tired of having to search through all the info to find how they are trying to scam me. Much rather just deal with a hotel. Only exception I would make would be to a group needing multiple rooms traveling together. And even then, I am hesitant.
Come here. We only have a $40 fee on our place. My wife says she is underpaid for that one . Also note there is a tax advantage to a higher cleaning fee. It's taxed differently for the host.
I agree, but you do get the full price before you pay . Side note: Most people may not know this but Airbnb has full insurance on my home. $1M worth for every guest. That aint cheap I imagine. And most of the fees are the exact same lodging taxes and fees as hotels.
This is confusing? What do you not know? Are hosts hitting you with surprise fees not given at payment? I cant collect money after the fact. You pay up front for Airbnb and the money is deposited to my account 24 hours after check in. I have no way to bill for more.
It’s still is sort of a “surprise fee”, though, not as bad as other examples when you don’t see until after the stay, but it makes it hard to compare apples to apples. I think any “fee” that is automatically added to everyone’s bill is not really a fee at all … its part of the price, and should be included in any stated price. Common fees, even though they may not apply to everyone, like parking fees or pet fees should also be stated upfront, on the first screen that advertises the price. And it’s not just airBNB… how can you compare prices between hotels and BNBs when you have to get to the point of payment before you have a true idea what it’s going to cost.. and Hotels are just as bad, “resort fees” and $50+ a night parking fees for some of these.
Resort fees are a big one I know for hotels etc...but the full cost schedule is clearly visible on Airbnb at time of payment. Not sure if that was the case in the past, but it is now.
The point still stands. You don’t have to pay for it if you don’t like it. What you’re saying is basically the government should regulate more convenience into your already leisurely affair of taking a vacation. So you had to spend 3 extra minutes to book your vacation due to the government not having a bureaucracy to regulate it for you. C’mon man.
Yeah, I’ve seen a lot of those articles, too. Like someone had set up a separate payment system to turn the AC on…. Or people showing the extensive list of “chores” they need to do before checkout. Some asked people to purchase replacements for the toilet paper they used. But even with that, I’ve been happy with my few airBNB stays. You can get a sense of whether or not the host is a normal person by the reviews, but those types of stories get passed around the internet and I think have a negative impact on all airBNB hosts.
The concept of honesty in pricing, and rules against false advertising, is nothing new .. why are you so opposed to it? And 3 minutes? How long do you think it would really take to check the real prices on several airBNBs and hotels in an area? Probably hours…
