Hi all,
first time I am trying to book with airbnb and life is made really hard in here.
One week ago I have found and booked a whole apartment in Croatia from 31st August for 9 nights for roughly 90 Euro.
I also immediately booked 110 euros of bus tickets for the travel.
After booking I have messaged the host asking for confirmation that I have booked the whole apartment, as I want to spend a lonely and peaceful stay without sharing spaces with others.
As a reply I received from the host a request of additional payment of around 350 Euros.
I declined and asked for motivation, I was already quite pi**ed as it seemed to me nothing but a trap to bait guests into booking and then request them more money.
The Host replied (in Croatian, she can't communicate in English apparently) that I have booked an apartment of 55 m2 3 minutes from the beach and it costs 40 Euros per night, but she can lower it to 30 euro per night.
I replied that I would not pay an extra Euro and that she should have advised the correct price in first place, adding that if she was not happy with that she will have to request me to cancel the booking, I will not do it on my initiative.
She said "alright", adding that it was the first time for her on Airbnb and she was accostumed to Booking (probably suggesting that she made a pricing/listing mistake, for which I have no intention to pay or to have my holiday ruined).
Until today no cancelation request from the host, everything looks like still confirmed, but I have a bad feeling about this 6 days before departure.
I expect surprises like last minute cancellation, finding double booking on my arrival, making up usual health excuses, abuses of various kind (yeah, I have had a lot of bad experiences in my traveling life).
I have also found her apartments advertised on booking and constantly monitoring them.
I do not know how many apartments she has, at the moment two appear available on Booking.
I do not wannna go through 16 hours bus trip to finally encounter sh***y situation in the middle of Croatian coast.
Anyone who can reassure me on how to act?
What else can Airbnb guarantee apart from the possibility to cancel the booking, get full refund and spend those money in relocation?
9 days in that city would cost 4 times what my budget was, the guarantees from Airbnb look not very promising to me.
Thanx in advance for any help
Cristiano