I'm never using AirBnb again! Think you have a booking? Guess again. (1 Viewer)

[NutterButter]

Yeah, that's one of the tradeoffs with using airbnb. That and another gripe I have is the tighter cancellation window. But overall, I love it. The types of accommodations you can find in great locations at a reasonable cost is hard to beat. Its perfect for a solo traveler.

 

[Joe Bryant]

To be clear, I'm NOT saying this is you, but I know people who play defense so hard on things fighting and haggling to make sure they always get the very best deal on everything that they miss tons of the good things if they'd rolled with the flow more and just had fun. Not to get all zen, but humans have a finite amount of energy to expend.

In my opinion, visiting a place like Hawaii is 99.9% about being outside. Not the AirBnB or hotel room.

 

[belljr]

To be clear, I'm NOT saying this is you, but I know people who play defense so hard on things fighting and haggling to make sure they always get the very best deal on everything that they miss tons of the good things if they'd rolled with the flow more and just had fun. Not to get all zen, but humans have a finite amount of energy to expend.

In my opinion, visiting a place like Hawaii is 99.9% about being outside. Not the AirBnB or hotel room.

I know what you are saying but if they still won't return my money I'll enjoy my vacation and still go out of my way to let everyone know when I get back. This isnt haggling this is a service that kept all my money that didn't provide the service

 

[Joe Bryant]

I know what you are saying but if they still won't return my money I'll enjoy my vacation and still go out of my way to let everyone know when I get back. This isnt haggling this is a service that kept all my money that didn't provide the service

I'm sorry if I missed that part.

What exactly is the OP asking AirBnB to do?

They canceled the room and will not return some money he paid them?

 

[belljr]

I know what you are saying but if they still won't return my money I'll enjoy my vacation and still go out of my way to let everyone know when I get back. This isnt haggling this is a service that kept all my money that didn't provide the service

I'm sorry if I missed that part.

What exactly is the OP asking AirBnB to do?

They canceled the room and will not return some money he paid them?

Well he was asking them to find him another place to stay......and when they didn't he wants his deposit back ...... Unless i missed something

 

[NutterButter]

Airbnb will certainly return the money. They just won't guarantee to find you a replacement room at that price point.

 

[John123]

I know what you are saying but if they still won't return my money I'll enjoy my vacation and still go out of my way to let everyone know when I get back. This isnt haggling this is a service that kept all my money that didn't provide the service

I'm sorry if I missed that part.

What exactly is the OP asking AirBnB to do?

They canceled the room and will not return some money he paid them?

Well it's costing him $700 more for the week. If AirBnB is going to provide a service, they need to offer some guarantees and recompense when the people they represent don't live up to certain standards. I say this having NEVER used AirBnB. I'm just speaking to what y expectations would be to get me to use such a service.

 

[Joe Bryant]

Well he was asking them to find him another place to stay......and when they didn't he wants his deposit back ...... Unless i missed something

I can't imagine he wouldn't get his deposit back. That's a given.

But yes, for sure, if the issue is they took his deposit, canceled the room and will not return his deposit, that's a different thing.

I wasn't aware that was the issue.

Is that what he's accusing AirBnB of?

 

[IvanKaramazov]

To be clear, I'm NOT saying this is you, but I know people who play defense so hard on things fighting and haggling to make sure they always get the very best deal on everything that they miss tons of the good things if they'd rolled with the flow more and just had fun. Not to get all zen, but humans have a finite amount of energy to expend.

In my opinion, visiting a place like Hawaii is 99.9% about being outside. Not the AirBnB or hotel room.

No, no, no. If we learned anything from White Lotus, its that the host must absolutely give us the exact room that we booked, and only a loser would just enjoy his vacation without making a huge deal out of it.

 

[John123]

Hypothetical:

I find a guitar on Ebay I want to buy.
The price is $500.
I buy it.
Next day I get an email that says, "Sorry, we've had an issue with the guitar, and we're no longer able to sell it to you."
They refund the full purchase price of the guitar.

Do I have recourse with Ebay?

I don't think that comparison is valid. Not getting that guitar doesn't potentially leave you homeless for a week in another state, cost you an extra $700 not to be, and cause you extreme stress right before a major trip.

 

[Joe Bryant]

I don't think that comparison is valid. Not getting that guitar doesn't potentially leave you homeless for a week in another state, cost you an extra $700 not to be, and cause you extreme stress right before a major trip.

It's for sure not an exact comparison. Was simply asking a hypothetical. I can make it another thread.

 

[massraider]

Its perfect for a solo traveler.

If you want someone's guest room.

If you want your own place, you are looking at $200+ cleaning fee. Why would I do that, pay MORE than a hotel room for a place, when the cleaning is included in the hotel cost? Oh hey, don't forget the service fee!

@FreeBaGeL has it right, if you are booking a large group, with several rooms needed, 3+ bedrooms, it can really save some money.

Friends went to the Poconos this summer, rented a big place, 6 bedrooms or so. The house was in a community, with a bunch of amenities that AirBnb users cannot use. Not a problem, especially if you know in advance. But they were treated like second class citizens antime they interacted with anyone working for the community. Guests were required to bring their trash down to the clubhouse, where there were dumpsters behind a locked gate (this is when massraider would have exited the chat). Well, this group checked out on a Tuesday, and as it happened, the trash area is not available on Tuesday, so my friends, after consulting their SUPERHOST, were instructed to bring their trash with them when they left, and dispose of it wherever they could.

My only bad experience was when my brother was on tour with his band, and they came through NYC, so I rented them a place in Brooklyn for them to sleep, that had a lockbox, so the owner told us they could check in whenever. They arrived at 11 pm, and no lockbox. We found out the next day, after they slept in the van, that the owner had the wrong address listed on AirBnb. When I reached the owner the next day, she asked me why they checked in so late.

I travel a ton. All done with AirBnb.

 

[CGRdrJoe]

i’ve never had an issue with airbnb but yesterday i went to the airpot to check in for my flight I found out it was cancelled! Yep, Southwest. Usually they email and text when there is even a slight change in departure time but this time not a peep and there were tons of people waiting in line for an explanation. I am luckily staying with family and had them swing back to the airport to get me so that I can spend another week with them since the first flight I was able to rebook on is on 1/1 I actually rebooked on 1/2 because I have no desire to fly on New Year's day hungover

 

[The General]

I guess my wife was unable to find accommodations anywhere other than Airbnb on such short notice. So she booked with another host. The place isn't as nice and we are paying about $700 more for the week. I spoke with Airbnb support. I explained the situation to the first person I spoke to and after placing me on hold, he apologized and offered me a $20 credit. I asked to speak to a Manager. She listened to my tale and again after putting me on hold, offered me a $200 credit which could be used towards our next booking.
I explained if this was our only compensation, I would never be booking with Airbnb again. I told her I intended to share my negative Airbnb experience throughout social media, on message boards, etc.
She listened carefully and said the $200 credit was the maximum she could offer. She said she would escalate my situation to another department and they would be in touch within 24 hours.

Glad you were able to track down another spot.

Twenty bucks is worse than offering nothing I’d have to laugh at this resolution, would make me more upset TBH.

I‘d understand being weary of using them again but for this type of service they are prolly the best. This is a crazy situation where you got unlucky which sucks.

Marriott has started up a similar service haven’t read the fineprint. There are some others already mentioned that sounded like they could have the same issue.

Enjoy Hawaii. Hard part is over!

 

[The General]

Agree that the OP should totally move on...in time. First be pissed/shocked, second get another hotel or condo what have you secured preferably VRBO does this if it’s in their policy (I thought this was how it worked), third get the company to make good if their service wasn’t met (if the fineprint says this is acceptable than I guess move on but this seems extremely screwed up).

Plenty of time left to enjoy vacay, OP hasn’t even gone yet. Still have the joy of dealing with the airport

Totally agree once you step foot on the island resist any urge to compare the new place or think that somehow this impacts what you are now doing. Don’t do anything but maybe a joke or two at VRBO’s expense while drinking a Chi Chi poolside.

The important question now is which island are we going to? @northern exposure

 

[PIK95]

I guess my wife was unable to find accommodations anywhere other than Airbnb on such short notice. So she booked with another host. The place isn't as nice and we are paying about $700 more for the week. I spoke with Airbnb support. I explained the situation to the first person I spoke to and after placing me on hold, he apologized and offered me a $20 credit. I asked to speak to a Manager. She listened to my tale and again after putting me on hold, offered me a $200 credit which could be used towards our next booking.
I explained if this was our only compensation, I would never be booking with Airbnb again. I told her I intended to share my negative Airbnb experience throughout social media, on message boards, etc.
She listened carefully and said the $200 credit was the maximum she could offer. She said she would escalate my situation to another department and they would be in touch within 24 hours.

 

[The General]

To be clear, I'm NOT saying this is you, but I know people who play defense so hard on things fighting and haggling to make sure they always get the very best deal on everything that they miss tons of the good things if they'd rolled with the flow more and just had fun. Not to get all zen, but humans have a finite amount of energy to expend.

In my opinion, visiting a place like Hawaii is 99.9% about being outside. Not the AirBnB or hotel room.

No, no, no. If we learned anything from White Lotus, its that the host must absolutely give us the exact room that we booked, and only a loser would just enjoy his vacation without making a huge deal out of it.

Cancelling a week out and offering 20 bucks - after I call them - is reason to go a little ballistic

 

[Zow]

Not much to add other than that subpoenaing records from AirBnB is a major headache.

 

[NutterButter]

Its perfect for a solo traveler.

If you want someone's guest room.

If you want your own place, you are looking at $200+ cleaning fee. Why would I do that, pay MORE than a hotel room for a place, when the cleaning is included in the hotel cost? Oh hey, don't forget the service fee!

Depends. In Sedona where things are pricier, I'm fine with a separate bedroom and bath; I just insist on having my own entrance. I'm not the type that wants to go through someone's living room. But in Costa Rica for instance, its just amazing the airbnb options you have. And I never understand the fee outrage. All I care about is the final cost. Break it down however you want. Just tell me what's out of pocket for me and I'll compare that to alternative hotel costs and make my decision. But I'm also a value traveler. Location is important as well as a separate sleeping and showering space, but beyond that, don't really need it. Just give me the place that has great reviews at a good price.

 

[Grahamburn]

i’ve never had an issue with airbnb but yesterday i went to the airpot to check in for my flight I found out it was cancelled! Yep, Southwest. Usually they email and text when there is even a slight change in departure time but this time not a peep and there were tons of people waiting in line for an explanation. I am luckily staying with family and had them swing back to the airport to get me so that I can spend another week with them since the first flight I was able to rebook on is on 1/1 I actually rebooked on 1/2 because I have no desire to fly on New Year's day hungover

Have an employee stuck in St. Louis right now who can't fly out until New Years Day. What in the eff is going on?

 

[The General]

i’ve never had an issue with airbnb but yesterday i went to the airpot to check in for my flight I found out it was cancelled! Yep, Southwest. Usually they email and text when there is even a slight change in departure time but this time not a peep and there were tons of people waiting in line for an explanation. I am luckily staying with family and had them swing back to the airport to get me so that I can spend another week with them since the first flight I was able to rebook on is on 1/1 I actually rebooked on 1/2 because I have no desire to fly on New Year's day hungover

Have an employee stuck in St. Louis right now who can't fly out until New Years Day. What in the eff is going on?

I’m not flying so haven’t paid any attention but weather across the country is kinda bad. Cancellations cascade.

 

[CGRdrJoe]

i’ve never had an issue with airbnb but yesterday i went to the airpot to check in for my flight I found out it was cancelled! Yep, Southwest. Usually they email and text when there is even a slight change in departure time but this time not a peep and there were tons of people waiting in line for an explanation. I am luckily staying with family and had them swing back to the airport to get me so that I can spend another week with them since the first flight I was able to rebook on is on 1/1 I actually rebooked on 1/2 because I have no desire to fly on New Year's day hungover

Have an employee stuck in St. Louis right now who can't fly out until New Years Day. What in the eff is going on?

southwest cancelled 70% of all of their flights yesterday compared to the 3% other airlines cancelled, today they cut 60% sounds like weather/staffing issues but I've honestly never seen such a **** show as what is going on right now. My flight is just from Long Beach, CA to Oakland, CA so you'd think we wouldn't be worried about what's going on with the East Coast weather but I guess I was wrong...shocking.

 

[Zow]

Its perfect for a solo traveler.

If you want someone's guest room.

If you want your own place, you are looking at $200+ cleaning fee. Why would I do that, pay MORE than a hotel room for a place, when the cleaning is included in the hotel cost? Oh hey, don't forget the service fee!

Depends. In Sedona where things are pricier, I'm fine with a separate bedroom and bath; I just insist on having my own entrance. I'm not the type that wants to go through someone's living room. But in Costa Rica for instance, its just amazing the airbnb options you have. And I never understand the fee outrage. All I care about is the final cost. Break it down however you want. Just tell me what's out of pocket for me and I'll compare that to alternative hotel costs and make my decision. But I'm also a value traveler. Location is important as well as a separate sleeping and showering space, but beyond that, don't really need it. Just give me the place that has great reviews at a good price.

Prices have surged outrageously in Sedona the last ten years.

 

[fred_1_15301]

AirBNB is a complete scam from top to bottom.

No one should use it ever.

I’ve used it a ton without any major issues. With 2 young kids, I prefer it much, much more than a tiny hotel room.

 

[Wildcat]

As others have stated, I've used it a lot over the years and I have never had an issue. I prefer AirBnB over hotel rooms. I guess it's like anything else - you are bound to have a bad experience at some point. I always try and choose a property that is a Superhost.

 

[Zow]

Also, I cannot help but continually read this thread title and think in my head, "well, if I know one thing, I'm never doing Cat Fancy again."

 

[Drunken knight]

Its perfect for a solo traveler.

If you want someone's guest room.

If you want your own place, you are looking at $200+ cleaning fee. Why would I do that, pay MORE than a hotel room for a place, when the cleaning is included in the hotel cost? Oh hey, don't forget the service fee!

Depends. In Sedona where things are pricier, I'm fine with a separate bedroom and bath; I just insist on having my own entrance. I'm not the type that wants to go through someone's living room. But in Costa Rica for instance, its just amazing the airbnb options you have. And I never understand the fee outrage. All I care about is the final cost. Break it down however you want. Just tell me what's out of pocket for me and I'll compare that to alternative hotel costs and make my decision. But I'm also a value traveler. Location is important as well as a separate sleeping and showering space, but beyond that, don't really need it. Just give me the place that has great reviews at a good price.

It depends what they choose to charge, and when/where the choose to disclose it. We have used them quite a bit over the past 5-6 years around Lake Tahoe. Show me the fees on the first page, not at "check out." When we have stayed for a week, I can justify the cost. Having the flat fee applied to a long weekend can make it unreasonable.

 

[massraider]

https://www.reddit.com/r/travel/com...ndroidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

Reddit thread a few weeks ago. Some crazy stories in here

 

[Plaid Boxer]

I’ve never understood the complaining of the cleaning fees. It’s just part of the total. I’m choosing based on the total price, I don’t care what structure makes up that total.

 

[The General]

I’ve never understood the complaining of the cleaning fees. It’s just part of the total. I’m choosing based on the total price, I don’t care what structure makes up that total.

The place when I get to it should be pretty clean is all I ask

 

[The General]

https://www.reddit.com/r/travel/com...ndroidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

Reddit thread a few weeks ago. Some crazy stories in here

Reading through some of these I do remember a house we rented a couple times back did say we took a lamp or something. I can’t remember exactly what it was but it was weird thing to say I remember. They dropped it after we said that they were wrong.

I have never had Marriott email me a week later saying I took a nightstand.

 

[massraider]

I’ve never understood the complaining of the cleaning fees. It’s just part of the total. I’m choosing based on the total price, I don’t care what structure makes up that total.

So is any other hidden fee. ComplainIng about hidden fees is pretty common.

 

[massraider]

I have never had Marriott email me a week later saying I took a nightstand

Did they ever ask you to launder your towels?

 

[flapgreen]

Always had great experiences with it until I woke up one morning with a strange dude in the bed next to me.

 

[The General]

I have never had Marriott email me a week later saying I took a nightstand

Did they ever ask you to launder your towels?

That is not on my to do list when checking out of the Courtyard

Most houses I think have just been asked to collect towels in tub or maybe toss them in the washing machine. I don’t think I have ever been asked to straight up wash them. I usually toss all towels I have used in the tub at the hotel.

 

[The General]

Always had great experiences with it until I woke up one morning with a strange dude in the bed next to me.

What was their fee for this?

 

[parasaurolophus]

i’ve never had an issue with airbnb but yesterday i went to the airpot to check in for my flight I found out it was cancelled! Yep, Southwest. Usually they email and text when there is even a slight change in departure time but this time not a peep and there were tons of people waiting in line for an explanation. I am luckily staying with family and had them swing back to the airport to get me so that I can spend another week with them since the first flight I was able to rebook on is on 1/1 I actually rebooked on 1/2 because I have no desire to fly on New Year's day hungover

Have an employee stuck in St. Louis right now who can't fly out until New Years Day. What in the eff is going on?

southwest cancelled 70% of all of their flights yesterday compared to the 3% other airlines cancelled, today they cut 60% sounds like weather/staffing issues but I've honestly never seen such a **** show as what is going on right now. My flight is just from Long Beach, CA to Oakland, CA so you'd think we wouldn't be worried about what's going on with the East Coast weather but I guess I was wrong...shocking.

Weather is not the issue. Airlines like to claim weather whenever possible. Weather would make cancelations much closer to equal.

This is a southwest issue.

 

[parasaurolophus]

I’ve never understood the complaining of the cleaning fees. It’s just part of the total. I’m choosing based on the total price, I don’t care what structure makes up that total.

Can you check a box that gives an all in total when searching?

I don't use Airbnb but I have seen listings now showing up on Priceline for same kinds of rentals. If you sort by price it will put it in there, but you have to look at the listing to see real price. Minor inconvenience that I don't like.

 

[FreeBaGeL]

Its perfect for a solo traveler.

If you want someone's guest room.

If you want your own place, you are looking at $200+ cleaning fee. Why would I do that, pay MORE than a hotel room for a place, when the cleaning is included in the hotel cost? Oh hey, don't forget the service fee!

Depends. In Sedona where things are pricier, I'm fine with a separate bedroom and bath; I just insist on having my own entrance. I'm not the type that wants to go through someone's living room. But in Costa Rica for instance, its just amazing the airbnb options you have. And I never understand the fee outrage. All I care about is the final cost. Break it down however you want. Just tell me what's out of pocket for me and I'll compare that to alternative hotel costs and make my decision. But I'm also a value traveler. Location is important as well as a separate sleeping and showering space, but beyond that, don't really need it. Just give me the place that has great reviews at a good price.

It depends what they choose to charge, and when/where the choose to disclose it. We have used them quite a bit over the past 5-6 years around Lake Tahoe. Show me the fees on the first page, not at "check out." When we have stayed for a week, I can justify the cost. Having the flat fee applied to a long weekend can make it unreasonable.

Airbnb is actually making this change and is rolling out an update to show the total price (including all taxes+fees) directly on the search page.

Which will make it.....probably just about the only website in the entire country that does this.

It's always been interesting to me that Airbnb in particular takes so much flack for this when it is really an America thing, not an Airbnb thing. If you go to priceline and search flights you don't get the total price of the flight. If you go to Avis.com and search cars it shows you $30/day for 6 days = $180 and it's not until scrolling through 6 pages of checkout that you see the actual price of $320.

Airbnb even showed the total price on the first page of checkout, compared to most US websites that make you scroll through multiple pages first. It's not even limited to travel. It's literally anything. If you go to target.com you don't see the total price inclusive of tax and shipping until you're on the very last page of checkout.

In Europe most websites (including Airbnb) show the total price upfront. In Murica most websites don't show the total price until the end of the process. As far as I'm aware, once Airbnb rolls out this change they'll be pretty much the only website in the US that includes all taxes/fees up front.

 

[massraider]

It's always been interesting to me that Airbnb in particular takes so much flack for this when it is really an America thing, not an Airbnb thing

It is because cleaning fees went from $40-$60 to $200-$300.

 

[Zow]

It's always been interesting to me that Airbnb in particular takes so much flack for this when it is really an America thing, not an Airbnb thing

It is because cleaning fees went from $40-$60 to $200-$300.

On the flip side of this, my in-laws have a couple of vacation of vacation rentals and I have seen with my own eyes the ***** people leave to be cleaned up and the inexplicable damage they do. So, as a consumer it's annoying, but I understand the owner's perspective, too.

*I use this term (s-word) both figuratively and literally in this context.

 

[FreeBaGeL]

It's always been interesting to me that Airbnb in particular takes so much flack for this when it is really an America thing, not an Airbnb thing

It is because cleaning fees went from $40-$60 to $200-$300.

I've been staying in vacation rentals since the 90's and cleaning fees have scaled pretty reasonably with inflation and rising costs. Maybe a little quicker uptick lately just because the actual cost of cleaning has gone up not only with inflation, but with the popularity of Airbnb and the rise in number of Airbnb's while the number of cleaners has remained relatively stagnant. So with a lot more demand for cleaners, and roughly the same amount of cleaners, capitalism dictates that the cost of cleaning goes up. There's definitely a rule amongst hosts that if you have a good cleaner, you have to keep them happy. And that means paying them well. A $200 cleaning fee and a place that gets 5 star reviews for cleanliness is a LOT better for a host than a $150 cleaning fee and bad reviews about cleanliness.

And then there's this new cost of supplies too with all these new hotel travelers moving into Airbnb's. It used to be that when staying in an Airbnb you knew you were going to be providing your own supplies, just like if you stayed at a timeshare or the like. Even as recently as a few years ago it was expected that the first thing you'd do when going to a vacation rental is make a grocery run where you picked up coffee, paper towels, extra toilet paper, etc. If you wanted to do laundry during your stay you brought a little tupperware with detergent in it. If the host provided a starter set of stuff that was nice, and it was rare and a special treat when they actually provided enough for your whole stay.

But now it's expected that hosts provide everything. Soaps, shampoo, coffee, paper products, etc for the whole stay. Washcloths (which have to be replaced almost weekly as most guests seem to think those are theirs to take), make-up towels so they don't stain the bath/hand towels (even though many still do), etc.

And those costs add up quickly. So some build it into their cleaning fee. But even with any margin added there, with the rates cleaners are getting it's not like they're making money off of it. This isn't like the early days of ebay where people were charging $1 for an item and $24 shipping to get around ebay fees. There are minimal advantages to upcharging on cleaning fees as you still pay the same taxes/host fees on that revenue, and a higher cleaning fee is just as likely to drive customers away in the current "fees are the worst" market as they are to attract anyone with a fake lower price.

And fwiw, I'm pretty sure it doesn't even do that anyway as the cleaning fees have always been factored into the price listed on the search page. It's the taxes and Airbnb's own fee (how they make money, they don't do this for free) that Airbnb doesn't show until checkout. Not the cleaning fee.

Bottom line, most hosts lose money on the cleaning fee. IE they pay for more in actual cleaning costs than they collect in fees. Especially when considering the things needed to keep good cleaners loyal to you in the current environment (I just paid a hefty Christmas bonus to mine which was absolutely not collected in my cleaning fee).

 

[Wildcat]

It's always been interesting to me that Airbnb in particular takes so much flack for this when it is really an America thing, not an Airbnb thing

It is because cleaning fees went from $40-$60 to $200-$300.

I fact checked this based on my own usage. First time I used AirBnB, in 2018, my cleaning fee was $125. I checked my most recent usage in 2022, still $125.

 

[northern exposure]

I’ve never had any issues with airbnb but this is going to be very dependent on the owners. Have to look at reviews and choose carefully.

I’ve also heard that fees have gotten ridiculous recently.

The first owner that canceled had very good reviews. We had been in contact since August and it was always a positive experience. His last correspondence was December 20th and then we got the "punch in the gut" email on December 23rd.

Make sure you leave a bad review on their page. Anyone else looking to book that property should know that they'll cancel last minute without notice.

Tried to leave a review, but it appears Airbnb only allows reviews to be left after the completion of your stay. This could have happened numerous times to others and we would never know.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

I’ve always found Airbnb to be a touch sketchy. i had a STR in HI at one point. never listed with Airbnb. No real data for this, Just an impression.

I also travel a lot and usually go with a Mngt company or work with the owner directly, off platform. Which brings its own set of worries. So far so good.

 

[the moops]

Never used it and never will.

This is a bad take. Airbnb or vrbo allow you the opportunity to not just stay in a downtown location and let’ you explore way more locations than traditional lodging. We have stayed out in the middle of nowhere in Iceland at a sweet house and at an Alp side house in Switzerland. Or even more simply a house along the shore of Lake Michigan or a place that was completely surrounded by Zion national park.

It sucks when **** goes sideways but the small percent chance that it does is worth the risk

 

[Chris B.]

This happened to our Thanksgiving AirBnB, but they gave us about a month notice. It still a huge inconvenience and cost more money to book a new place on shorter notice.

 

[massraider]

work with the owner directly, off platform

That can go very badly.

 

[northern exposure]

I'm sorry they canceled your room there.

FWIW, I've had nothing but super positive experiences with AirBnB.

But I think I also see it more like a connection service putting me in touch with the person with the room. I see them less as a hotel and more of a matchmaker.

I know you're not asking for advice but if it were me, I'd move on from this. Take the money AirBnB offers and drop it and move on and put 100% of your energy into the fun and positives of having a great vacation. Hawaii is super expensive already (daughter lived in Maui for 5 years). You (and I bet everyone else) will be tons happier if you spend all your time having fun vs sweating how you can make sure you do all you can to ruin a company's reputation. Mahalo.

And of course, feel completely free to ignore.

Regarding the bolded.Yes, Hawaii is very expensive and we don't appreciate an additional $700 bill one week prior to our arrival.
Regarding the second bolded statement, you make it sound far more sinister than it is.
There is already stress in our lives from jobs, families, the holidays, etc. This vacation was supposed to be an escape from all of that. We planned it since August and one week prior to our arrival, they cancel our reservations. This is additional stress we didn't need.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

work with the owner directly, off platform

That can go very badly.

Hasn’t yet. But you’re correct.