Air BNB Service Fee on Special Offers too high!!!!!

[Courtney39]

We recently sent a guest a special offer for two nights and air bnb charged our guest a $100 service fee!!!!!!! This is much higher than the maximum 12% service fee air bnb claim to take. This has forced me to consider another platform for hosting, such as Stayz, as I think Air  BnB are getting way too greedy! That means that from a $830 booking air bnb walk away with $130. That, to me, is just robbery. 

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Courtney39

Airbnb charges hosts with 3% service fee for your accomodation price (not for cleaning fee)

3% of 830 = 24,90

Guests are charged between 6-12% 

12% of 830 = 99,60

[Courtney39]

So it's fine for them to round up to the nearest dollar if they choose? I was charged 25 not 24.90, and our guests were charged $100 - not 99.60 - so it is higher than what they say, and above 12%. Also, our guests have chosen not to stay over the (above) 12% service fee they were charged. So thanks Air BnB. 

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

They said it is 6-12% for the guest and 3 % for the host so at the end it is 15%

Nobody said it would be 12% in total, you undersood it wrong.

But look the other sites:

BOOKING.com will charge only the host 15%.

VRBO host annual registration fee is $549 US . (It is only $399 if you do accept Online bookings) + charge your guests 10% Service Fee.

HOMEAWAY host annual fee is 350-1000˘$ .... or ... 10-13% per booking + 2.5% credit card processing fee 

[Courtney39]

No I think you're the ones who are misunderstanding.  

My guests accommodation costs were $680 and they were charged $100 by air bnb (which is more than 12%) 

in ADDITION to this we were also charged the 3% fee. 

and then in ADDITION to that - air bnb round it up to the nearest dollar - which is ludicrous. How do they justify the need to round it up to the nearest dollar? Why don't they round it down? 

I'm sorry, I just think this is pushing it all a little too far. 

And yes, I am looking at other options - thanks for the suggestions. 

[Wendy-and-Frank0]

In the States, the IRS rounds to the nearest dollar.

If your guests are freaking out over $.40, they shouldn't be traveling.

Seriously....

But ABB, in addition to the 12% charges the guest a processing fee to maintain the platform.

Your guests' total does not seem unreasonable from where I sit.

[Courtney39]

So you don't think it's unreasonable to charge guests $100 for a $680 accommodation spend - just for using the air bnb platform? We're going to have to agree to disagree. BTW the guest decided not to book due to the outrageous fee. 

[David126]

I would rather they did it for free, you said you charged $830 and $100 is my head is about 12% which is what I would expect.

If there was a more cost effective alternative I would be interested, I can charge the same gross and have a higher net.

[Cormac0]

@Courtney39

I completely agree with your frustration Airbnb do not seem to understand that people are using their service for several reasons, at the apex of this list is PRICE, and to all but the feckless it matters a great deal, how their being charged.

I have requested in vain I may add, that Airbnb improve their documentation and transparency in these matters, I got nowhere and almost no support from the host community.

It bamboozles me as to why they round to zero decimal places in this age of computerisation.

Regards

Cormac

The Explorer’s Club Krakow

[Courtney39]

Might I also add that the accommodation fee for our guests was $680.00 (the $830 was with the cleaning fee included). So air BNB charged a $100.00 fee for an accommodation booking that was $680.00. So clearly my guests were charged a lot more than the standart 12%. I am seriously going to look into other options and try to phase air bnb out.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Courtney39 you sent them special offer, right?

I noticed that if my price is 50€ + 20€ cleaning fee then service fee will be calculated as 3% for me and 6-12% for host but only on 50€

if I want to send a speciall offer by adding an extra day then it will be written:

old reservation: 1 day = 70€ ...... new reservation: 2 days = 120€ 

so cleaning fee will be included in accomodation price and therefore service fee will be calculated on the total amount including cleaning fee

[Michele39]

I am seeing the same thing on a Special Offer request.

Below is the image of the Special Offer for a guest. Why would guest pay $607? Guest is from New York, maybe there's a fee associated with that?

[David126]

Tax?

If they are from NY they can afford to?

[David126]

I do not charge a cleaning fee and assumed charges were levied on all costs. Otherwise it would make snese to charge a low room rate and high cleaning fee.

[Michele39]

Low rate / high cleaning fee is also good for subtly encouraging longer bookings. A guest who stays 5 nights, for example, will experience a much lower per-night rate than someone who stays 2 nights.

I charge a $50 cleaning fee on my current listing because that's what it takes to make me clean the bathroom without muttering complaints to myself the entire time.