Airbnb is adding cleaning fees to a new 'total price' of bookings in search results after people complained listings were misleading - eviltoast

Airbnb guests will soon be able to see the total cost of their stay, including cleaning and service fees, before taxes in a step towards better pricing transparency on the platform.

  • wazoobonkerbrain@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    I travel a lot and used airbnb for a year or so during their heyday, I greatly preferred them to hotels. I would never go back to them now though. Ever since they started going crazy with the fees and chores, I prefer hotels where you know what you’re getting.

    • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Yeah, it used to be great.

      A while ago I got an email about my “planned trip” where I was added as a guest by someone I don’t know to a house on another continent… Because they speak another language there, everything in my email was also in that language I don’t understand as a bonus

      It’s been years since I used Airbnb, just never deleted my account.

      Apparently anyone can add anyone as a guest to their booking. There’s no way to decline being a guest, it just automatically accepts. There’s no way to cancel on the app yourself. And customer support kept alternating between “there’s no way this could have happened” and “anyone can do it, just block all emails from Airbnb if you don’t want to see it”.

      Like, I still can’t get over how they could suggest the fix was just block all emails from their company.

      So now my account is fully deleted, and Id advise anyone else with an old account to do the same.

      The last thing I need is Airbnb coming after me for damages to a property someone unilaterally decided I was a guest at.

        • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Yeah, like maybe the booker just mistyped someone’s email and somehow got mine? I’d be surprised since my email doesn’t have random numbers or anything that would make it an easy mistake.

          But also, if it was a scam to trash the house and have random people on the hook for damages, I have no idea how they got my email.

          I have no idea what was going on, just reminded me how bad an idea it is to have an account like that with my personal and financial info just hanging out because “maybe some day Airbnb will stop sucking”.

          If that every happens, I can just make a new account. That would be much less of a hassle than fighting a fraudulent charge from another country because Airbnb told me I stayed there.

    • Overzeetop@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      Indeed. Loved the concept and have had some really great properties. If I can sus out the specific property now, I’ll see if they have a direct book and use that instead. I don’t mind the simple stuff on exit, that’s just polite, nor a small cleaning fee if the nightly cost is low (I think of it as a turning fee), but I hate having to play whack-a-mole on the site to find a property in budget when half of the fees aren’t included in the top line.

      Except for large parties (me and the parents, or another family joining) in the same location, or the need for a full kitchen, there are few places where ABnB/VRBO has better pricing than major hotels with suites.