Airbnb Error message - "Unfortunately, a server error prevented your request from being completed. Airbnb may be ..."

[Richard1379]

If you see this message, Airbnb is, sadly, lying to you:

"Unfortunately, a server error prevented your request from being completed. Airbnb may be undergoing maintenance or your connection may have timed out. Please try again."

There's no server error. There's no maintenance either, and your connection has not timed out. You can "try again" from now till eternity, but you will never succeed. That's how Airbnb intends it. Whatever you're attempting to do --- complete a booking, issue a refund, or whatever -- has been flagged by a poorly coded Airbnb algorithm as risky or otherwise undesirable.

Nothing in the message is true. It is designed not only to mislead, but to deter you. The law of attrition dictates that most will abandon the task after spending a few minutes. Some refuse to give up, but nonetheless believe the message, and will "try again" fruitlessly for days.

The real meaning of this message is this: the company will not allow you to complete your task unless you telephone or email customer service. (Which of course is not easy to do, either.)

So why not simply inform the user that there is a problem, and that the only way to resolve it is through contacting customer service? Because some arrogant and overpaid manager decided years ago that this way was better. Your time was not a consideration. This little deception maintains corporate opacity, which is a good unto itself. And if the user really has a problem, he/she will find a way to contact Airbnb to resolve it. 

And why not at least refine the algorithm, so that the deceptive message appears in response to real high-risk activity, rather than in something as basic as confirming a booking? Because when it comes down to it, Airbnb still runs a massive talent deficit, as has characterized its tech operations from the beginning. The site is bloated, counter-intuitive and slow, its arteries clogged with all kinds of bad code. And frequent users must confront insulting, manipulative messages like the "server error" missive, as they have since the beginning.

Be thankful, though. It used to be even creepier. (In the early days of Airbnb,  you could not even use the worth "bathroom" in your listing text, because some less-than-competent person imbued with way too much authority decided the word could be used to disguise an email address.)



 

[Helen427]

Hello @Richard1379 

There are many,many thread and topics covering this issue.

You are welcome to use related keywords in the Searchbox here in CC, have fun playing Hide & Seek,  & you may find them, if you can log on/in 😉

All the Best

[Saun0]

@Richard1379,

AirBnB customer "service" said they can't do anything about this issue besides submitting the issues  to AirBnB Tech "support".

[Tony1519]

but...

[Tony1519]

what do they have to gain by giving people the runaround. Like what is even the point of having this website, when you can't navigate it or book a reservation? I keep getting error messages left and right, and it won't let me do anything.