Warning - Service Fee error happening now!

[Claire910]

This is to warn other hosts that Airbnb have an issue with the split fee system. They are overcharging all my guests.  If I go onto my calendar and select a date range, it gives me the price breakdown, e.g. £350 per week with £49 service fee (14%).  But if I pretend to be a guest booking those exact same dates, same price £350 it's charging them £59 service fee (17%).  This is so naughty.  I have screenshotted this to support..  Please submit a ticket if you have this issue. We are all getting less bookings when the service fees to guests are so high.  The more you are charging, the higher the fee and price difference to your guests!

[Robin4]

@Claire910 

Yes Claire, I did a post on this just over a month ago when a guest complained they were overcharged using the split fee system.

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Host-circle/It-appears-to-be-official-Airbnb-are-overcharging/td...

I went into it very thoroughly and yes, all my guests are being charged a service fee of 15.53%!  I as the host am being charged a service fee of 3% + VAT, but that has nothing to do with the guest service charge!

But if the booking is also using the split fee payment system they will be charged 17+% and when I queried this with support I was told that the extra charge was for foreign currency conversion fees, which would have been patently incorrect. However the guest showed me her bank documentation and although this booking was between an Australian guest and host, both using Australian banks and payment details, Airbnb chose to claim the second payment via PayPal and GBP!!!

With a number of contacts I was obviously getting nowhere with Airbnb support, in fact the ambassador (who I suspect was 100% AI) had the audacity to tell me the payment by this guest had actually been made in USD (which didn't enter into the deal  at any point!

It was utterly pointless continuing to deal with support, So to save myself and Airbnb looking like bloody crooks Claire, I just refunded the guest the overcharge out of my own pocket, and I now warn guests who enquire that, if they intend to use the split payment system allow to be overcharged by about 3%.....it's not something I can control, it is just the way Airbnb operates. 

At least that way I come out of it with my honour intact!

But you are 100% correct Claire, Airbnb are overcharging guests with their service fees!

Cheers........Rob.

[Claire910]

Thanks so much for replying Rob. It still doesn't explain why Airbnb are telling me they're charging my guests a certain amount of service fee (shown on my calendar) but are actually charging them a greater amount. Guests are being charged 17% and I am being charged 3.5%.  So airbnb is getting 20.5%.  This is crazy!

I was so sorry to hear of all your issues; good on you for spotting it and kind of you to refund the guest but it really shouldn't be happening.  I'm going to look at other platforms now because this is a huge chunk of money to take and I'm also sick of the review policy. A guest can leave a review which can be PROVEN factually wrong but airbnb lets it stand!  Enough of this!

[Robin4]

@Claire910 

Claire, what Airbnb say, and what they do are 2 entirely different things. 

Airbnb say that that, were no currency conversion fees are involved, guests will pay a service fee up to 14.2%

Every guest of mine not subject to currency conversion is charged a service fee of 15.53%.

Here you go, you do the maths........

As a percentage of $520.00.......... $80.75 is 15.53%, test it out on your calculator. 

I don't know when this additional charge crept in but I have checked random bookings back 8 months and the result is the same.....every guest of mine is charged 15.53% as a minimum service charge.......all 124 of them since Sept 1st last year.

Individually Claire, it's only a small amount and the guest just accepts it, but when Airbnb starts arguing currency conversion transfer costs for what are patently domestic transactions the amount starts to become noticeable.

For my guest who complained to me with her $585.00 booking, it came to $36.40 as an overcharge! Couple that with the $8.07 for the 1.53% above the 14.2% stated service fee that came to $44.50 that I had to refund to the guest out of my pocket.

She was charged $712.00 on a (by their stated charges) $667.00 all up cost booking.

Now glitches do happen, we all make mistakes but, this is not a mistake or a glitch, this is a consistent pattern and it wouldn't be so bad if Airbnb would at least acknowledge it. But when queried they simply pass it off as something that it isn't with no further investigation, and at that point close the case.

All we want is transparency and at least a reasonable right of appeal. I don't like having to refund guests out of my pocket for Airbnb's greed!

Cheers........Rob.