Airbnb booking turns into a NOT-FUNNY comedy

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Airbnb booking turns into a NOT-FUNNY comedy

What ended up as comical to-and-fro with Airbnb’s local flack-catcher has highlighted a major flaw in the online accommodation marketplace’s weed filtration system.

A provider’s attempt to extract an extra $4000 out of yours truly serves as a timely warning for those who think that Airbnb’s systems are infallible.

Despite continual assurances and denials from the company, rogue operators appear to have discovered a way to work around Airbnb’s consumer protection mechanisms.

The story starts early this year when our son announced his engagement to a Scottish lass. The early January wedding was to be held at a country estate near Edinburgh.

Wow! Lovely! And why not combine the wedding with the famed Scottish end of year celebration, Hogmanay?

In April, we set about finding accommodation. Hours later, and using Airbnb, we selected a spot near central Edinburgh. Given we were also accommodating our other kids and grandkids, we selected a townhouse at a cost close to $7000 for five nights.

Quicker than a Scot can sink a dram of single malt whisky, Airbnb had whipped $3500 out of our account.

Them’s the rules.

Excitement was building up until two Saturdays ago when an Airbnb email lobbed, informing us that: “Sorry, your booking’s been cancelled. The accommodation’s not up to scratch. Good news, we’ve refunded your money and here’s a $200 voucher.”

Camera IconAirbnb logo. Credit: The West ***********

The tears flowed. The hours spent finding a place to stay began again. But now, with only 10 weeks to go, the range of options had all but evaporated.

Our $7000 budget was now looking decidedly thin.

All that angst turned to anger when, 12 hours later, we discovered the same place was relisted — but this time for nearly $11,000. In other words, $4000 more that what we were offered in April.

I smelt a rat. Better still, I smelt a story.

An email to Airbnb’s PR person asking “how could this happen” resulted in a wordy apologetic reply, along with links to the 2000 pages of Airbnb’s policies. And, of course, an assurance that the matter would be investigated.

Sure enough, a couple of hours later the listing disappeared.

A lovely separate email arrived from Airbnb with a very nice apology and an offer to cover whatever the difference was between what we could find on Airbnb and what we had originally booked.

Let’s hope Airbnb offers that response to anyone whose accommodation is cancelled at relatively short notice.

Sadly for Airbnb, however, we’d found another place using another booking service.

But there was more to come.

Just 24 hours after the listing disappeared, like a scene from the 1980s classic Steven Spielberg film Poltergeist – “It’s baaack.”

Another email to the PR person with an accusation that people appeared to have worked out how to game Airbnb’s systems, along with specific questions to that effect. It was also asked why didn’t Airbnb pay me interest on the $3500 ******** it had kept for nearly seven months?

Again, assurances and more policy cut and pastes … but no real answers (and no money). Once again, the accommodation disappears off the site.

“I would just like to reiterate that our response makes it clear that Airbnb has a system in place to proactively remove bad hosts and poor-quality listings,” boldly wrote the Airbnb PR guy.

You’re not going to believe it. Yep, 24 hours later, it’s back up again!

Another email to Airbnb. We can’t wait to check later this weekend.

While this has now turned into a slapstick comedy routine, it seems to be a clear demonstration that some hosts have worked out how to work around Airbnb’s quality control systems. Having used the service extensively in the past, we’ve had enough. Never again.

When this saga eventually ends, I am certain the local Airbnb operative will be needing a holiday.

My only advice to him? Don’t book your accommodation through Airbnb. You might regret it.

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