Airbnb Swings to a Loss as Costs Climb Ahead of IPO
wsj.com
wsj.com
Even if what you said is true, and it isn’t, you still had time to review and cancel inside the cancellation window. The fact that you chose not to is your own fault.
I've had good experiences with AirBnB until the one I booked 3 months ago actually.
It was a one month booking, and short version was it wasn't as nice as pictured, and the owner was trying to rent it out long term, so they were bringing visitors inside while I wasn't there (which I hadn't agreed to, and was my main sticking point).
It took a few days for them to escalate (they want you to try and resolve the issue with the host), but once I made it clear I did not think that negotiating be fruitful, their team reimbursed a hotel, refunded me up to the night I left, and didn't require me to check out with the host (to avoid an awkward confrontation).
I don't really know how they could have handled it better.
I then start reading about sketchy postings and think how lucky how I’ve never had one.
Stayed in New Orleans after that at an Airbnb, had issues with the place that wasn’t in the description. Decided to bail and had to deal with customer support that basically was no help. We wound up staying at a hotel for the rest of the NOLA trip.
Not a fan. There’s too much risk in me and my family banking on a listing that might be a gamble.
I could never in good conscience book an Airbnb for any friend or family member.
If you want to talk about the ethical black hole of AirBnb, look at how much money they spend on litigation agains the municipalities whose laws they flagrantly ignore to make some more money, rather than accepting responsibility for the negative externalities their business model has created. And rather than just play by the rules, they light their money on fire trying to "disrupt" cities where people can barely afford rents as it is.
Like I don't know how you AirBNB engineers can live with yourselves. I wouldn't be able to sleep at night, knowing that all the RVs on the side of the road where working people sleep because they can't afford rent would be partially my fault. It's not like you can't make good money elsewhere.
With them needing more revenue, this tactic will likely escalate.
And "Only $199 a night!" (Plus 100% in fees you see at check out).
AirBnB had a great opportunity to be a small platform to provide people a way to rent their empty homes for a bit of extra cash every once in a while.
Instead, the VCs sniff it out and it turned into a multi-billion dollar platform for real estate speculators, harming neighbourhoods and circumventing laws, because "disruption".
Does anyone consider AirBnB a "good brand" anymore?
Because they are externalizing the costs onto the hosts, many of whom are skirting liability obligations, heath and safety and zoning laws.