Guests trying to avoid paying service fees

[Linda317]

I have just refused to accept a booking by someone trying to avoid paying the Airbnb service charges.  We really appreciate what Airbnb offers us and feel that the service fees are very reasonable.  However, when I told this guest that this was not the sort of behaviour we approved of she became quite unpleasant.  Do you think I have been over-judgemental?  I just worry that if guests are disputing payment so early on in the transaction what would they be like at a later date? 

[Steven-66]

At what point did I troll or moan at anybody did you interpret my post correctly? I said don't be so judgemental at somebody trying to avoid a £60 service fee should just be added to the price so it doesn't state a certain figure a night then there's several added fees including cleaning and hottub use I don't dispute it's a company charge I do dispute people be regarded as less respectful or more likely to damage a property because they want to avoid a massively overpriced service charge. Get real.....

[Helen3]

Airbnb allows millions of hosts and guests to connect with each other accessing accommodation around the world Steven-66. Their business model is that they charge both hosts and guests to access and use their platform.

Their service charges are actually one of the lowest in the market.

If you don't want to pay their charges then book directly with the owner or use another listing company who you feel would give you better value.

And there is good reason for hosts not wanting to go outside of Airbnb as you lose the protection they offer if there are problem guests.

Asking a host to  go outside of Airbnb is a good indicator that they guest may also be unsatisfactory in other ways in terms of any booking.

[Helen350]

@Steven-66 I still don't see what you are doing on this site, as your profile gives no evidence of you being a host, nor a guest. Again, if you don't believe the service fee is clear enough, the way the platform is set out, then it's no good complaining to US! We hosts can not change the system; Airbnb provide a template, and we fill it in. Maybe it's separately presented to make it clearer that the host does not pocket the service fee? But that this is something Airbnb take... Obviously Airbnb have to charge SOMETHING, to run their platform & pay their staff.....

Your message to me ends "Get real." I find that a very rude & disrespectful way of making your point/signing off. Hosts will not want to host you if you communicate like that. Especially not those hosts who are welcoming you into their own homes.

[Larry339]

The relationship between a host and the guest is about mutual trust and respect. If a guest asks me to betray the trust with Airbnb then how can I trust them? It's simply not worth a booking to start out that way. Doing what we know is right is always the best decision.

[Andrea-and-Glenn0]

I’m confused. The Airbnb platform is the only booking agent that we use and are happy to pay the commission that Airbnb charges us for the qualified referrals (booking requests) that we are getting. Happily we run at 80% occupancy year round. That being said, and let’s be clear;

1) we cannot and do not negotiable the “Airbnb guest charges” or local taxes, why would you personally lower

your price and take a financial hit?
2) we do not negotiable our price, but we do offer a weekly and monthly discount

3) for “bargain hunters” who ask us to lower our price or somehow discount the AirBnb charges, we simply reply with the following. 

“We take great pride in our Airbnb listing and have done extensive local research in order to price our Cottage fairly and competitively, which is why we do not offer discounts for stays of less than 1 week. We do offer a discount for weekly and monthly rentals but unfortunately cannot negotiate any of the additional fees such as your guest commission to AirBnb, or local and federal taxation departments which add to the cost of any short term rental in our Province.

We will approve your booking enquiry at the stated prices on the AirBnb platform, should you wish to continue your stay at our Cottage. If not, we understand and wish you luck with your search for alternate accommodations.”

The true bargain hunters that are just trying to grind you down in price (whom we don’t want anyways) or those that simply cannot afford our pricing will simply go away and look elsewhere. The others will come back with “thanks, I totally understand, I try and get a discount on everything”….

Cheers/Glenn

[Fionn24]

Hosts need to realize the impact of the 15 to 20% the guest pays to AirBnb.  It is turning guests away from using the platform.  Without exception AirBnb is now one of the most expensive platforms to book on.  I spend thousands every year on accommodation and I am no longer using AirBnb except for research.  When hosts say that fee has nothing to do with us it's true except when I wont book the accommodation for an extended stay when AirBnb wants thousands in fees and I walk away.  Then it affects hosts.   It's ridiculous that I should be excepted to pay 20% just to book on the platform.  Then, tax, then occupancy tax and in places like Mexico where there is a guest tax a whoppping 45% on average on top of the accommodation rate.  I am just trying to point out to hosts why people like me who travel extensively are turning away from AirBnb.   

[Genevieve-and-Eric0]

More importantly we should remember how much work has gone into creating this platform that allows hosts like me to send automated emails, not having to actually keep track of the taxes or payments, generally keeping things fair between host & guest and many other reasons. Imagine having to do those things all on your own, adding credit card fees, checking on law changes for short term rental where you live. Airbnb does it for different parts of the world, down to municipalities, let alone adjusting the website to suit new trends of travelers or new hosting trends or hosts demanding changes. I'm sure there's a team that has to do research and to come up with the best option or several options. Then the software needs to be updated, tested and implemented. After that someone has to make sure it actually is working and if it isn't that it is corrected. Complaining is very easy. But actually creating something sophisticated like Airbnb has, it takes well educated personnel and money or the product will suffer. Let's have a broader mind!

[Fionn24]

Has it occurred to you that they can no longer afford the rental because of AirBnb service fee.  I just got an offer from a host for a 3 month stay for $12000 the AirBnb fee was $1350.  Then tax and cleaning fees which are expected on top of that.  I walked away and the host lost $12000 in revenue.  The $1350 pushed my budget over the limit.  How can they justify charging a fee that size.  They need to explain why it costs them so much to facilitate a $12000 booking on their platform.  it is just software.  I don't think hosts realize how much they are losing with this extortion by AirBnb.  Please do not say they have to pay for customer service it is a disaster and you end up with a clueless representative that you have to explain how AirBnb works to them.  Good for hosts terrible for guests.  

The hosts are being represented on the platform they should be paying AirBnb the 15 to 20% fee as commision.  Sure you would have to increase nightly rates but I would know exactly where I stood in the discovery stage.  it's utterly frustrating to spend hours researching a location to end up not being able to accept it because the service fee is so high.    There is no way of knowing what they are going to charge either until you try to reserve.  

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Fionn24 There is a toggle you can switch to show the total price when searching for accommodation. The only thing this doesn't include in the USA is tax as it would be illegal to do so in many states.

[Fionn24]

no not when it is long stay.  I have used dozens of AirBnb's as I travel the world.  But since they started adding 12-20% to the cost I haven using other platforms.  When you are paying up to $12k of course you are going to ask the host for a break.  They have one cleaning fee instead of several and guaranteed  income.  I have an excellent rating as a guest.  I just want hosts to realize how much of a ripoff this is.  I work in software and it costs them the same whether it's a $100 booking or $1000.  Their job now is not to service you and me it's to make money for their shareholders. Their profits are 42% their greed is going to bring them down.  

[Helen3]

They've been charging those sort of commissions since I first started 8 years ago @Fionn24 

[Fionn24]

Hi Helen, the 15 to 20% booking fee to the guest was introduced in 2020.  

[Helen3]

Sorry no it wasn't in the Uk it's always been  around 17% guest plus 3% host @Fionn24  - in the eight years I've been hosting and booking as a guest on Airbnb

[Beth6297]

Agree!  We list our property on another platform and pay for that service, along with property manager fees (about 27% total).  The daily rental fee is adjusted to reflect the cost of doing business, but at least guests see the price upfront - no surprises!