Upcharging for listed Amenities

[Kenneth12]

Listing says there are Essentials but in fine print,  towels are $5 each.

Listing has three bedrooms but if you want to use 2nd or 3rd bedroom,  you will have to pay an extra $15/night as an alteration (not handled by ABB's calculator).

I suppose these are off-putting to many and may reduce bookings,  but they also allow some listings to appear cheaper and get more views.   

What do other hosts think of these practices?   Quite alright,  beyond the pale or somewhere in the middle?

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Kenneth12 You should report the host to Airbnb as this many of these practices (including demanding money effectively off platform and misrepresenting amenities) are totally unacceptable.

Good that you spotted these extras before booking 

[Katrina79]

@Kenneth12 I’m pretty easy going and if it was the case where I was staying I would go along with it and humour the host. As a guest these practices would be quite alright with me. However, not everyone is easy going. 
As a host there is no way I could handle the hustle effectively or sanely. 

[Anonymous]

@Kenneth12   

It sounds like airline pricing.

The room is $10 per night!   

An extra $10 if you want to use the bed

and $10 per night for linens

Plus $5 for a pillow.

Towels are included, but showers are $5 per minute.

You may recharge your devices; $5 per day for each outlet.

Guests who wish to leave and re-enter the property after check-in may rent keys for an additional $20 per day.

Wi-Fi is available for $9.99 per day. For an additional $20 you can upgrade to high-speed.

Be aware that some areas of the household are shared with the hosts and/or other guests. Access to the living room is complimentary, and guests may sit on the sofa for $2 per buttock.

Thirsty? Please help yourself to our delicious tap water for only $5 per glass, and enjoy your stay in Flint.

[Sarah977]

@Anonymous  But the teensy bag with 8 mini-pretzels in it is FREE!

[Debra300]

@Kenneth12,

I see no problem with add-on fees if it is clearly stated at the beginning of the listing description that the base rate doesn't include XX items.  Depending on the location of the rental, it's not uncommon for guests to travel with their own towels and sheets.  The host should un-check the essentials box though to avoid confusion.   The host can send a special offer or request payment of the fees through Airbnb's resolution center and are still operating within the terms and conditions.

Perhaps, the host wasn't aware that a secondary listing of the space could be created and linked with the primary listing to avoid double bookings. This would enable the same property to be offered in two different configurations, e.g. 1 bedroom or 3 bedrooms.  

[Kenneth12]

Hi @Debra300 :

In this case,  the location was central Paris,   and I suspect the reason it was one of the last options available a day before,  were oddities such as this.  (The hosts were relatively new).

Neither was the price particularly cheap-- about 50% more than what I'd booked (the other host wasn't in town for check-in,   the day after a cancelled flight,  so we had to punt).

Neither upcharge was particularly bad,   but when I search for a 2BR,   I want to see the price for a 2BR,   not have to read to the bottom of the listing.    Ditto the towel charge-- if you're gonna charge for towels when you're well over 100E/night,  they better be *nice towels* -- but I've never experienced a host in France,  asking for a few Euros more to deliver towels much less listed essentials.

The guys hosting seemed nice enough,   and the charges weren't particularly significant,    so I think the way to handle is to mention it to them,  and that it probably is what results in them not getting booked when everything else in 2km is booked,   and let them go from there.

[Debra300]

@Kenneth12,

I agree with all that you've said.  Based upon my own experience, sheets and towels are not consistently offered or expected in French rentals.  I have stayed in Paris, Martinique and Guyane, and towels and sheets were barely the basic quality that you'd expect in a rental; more like a motel.  However, the hosts seemed quite pleased with themselves with what they were providing.  Conversely, I've also had guests from these places, and many traveled with their own towels and sheets.  When I told them that we provided these items, and it was in the listing details, they would either reply that they weren't sure what would be offered or just assumed that they needed to bring their own.  

[Sarah977]

@Kenneth12  Pretty much beyond the pale. The amenities list has some things, like laundry facilities, listed as "free or for a fee", but aside from those, any amenity on that list shouldn't be checked unless it's included in the nightly fee, IMO. Certainly not something basic like towels.

I know some hosts do lock off bedrooms that aren't going to be required by the guests, and that seems okay to me as long as that is quite clear in the listing description, and only if there are fees for any guests above X amount. I can understand if a guest is only paying for 2 people in a home which could sleep 6 (and another 4 guests would be charged extra guest fees), that it would be a bit much for them to bed hop, requiring washing 3 sets of linens and having to clean 3 bedrooms they may have messed up..