Hosts raised the prices over 100% after sending him a reservation request

Francisc0
Level 1
Île-de-France, France

Hosts raised the prices over 100% after sending him a reservation request

Hi guys,

 

my name is Francis and I wanted to ask for advice.

We have tried to book a room for a week and the reservation price was 840 euros. After we have requested the reservation, the host replied and said that the price would be Euro 1500 instead, because it is high season.

What can I do in this case ? Why is a certain price shown when we are doing a research and try to book, but then it goes high.
Is this normal ?

Thanks for your guidance,

Fran

69 Replies 69

@Momi0 Just so you know, the additional credit offered by Airbnb for host cancellations is only offered if the reservation was due to start within 4 weeks. 

 

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/170/what-happens-if-my-host-cancels-my-reservation

@Momi0 Just so you know, the additional credit for host cancellations is only offered if the cancelled reservation was due to start within 4 weeks of the cancellation. 

 

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/170/what-happens-if-my-host-cancels-my-reservation

Banana Pancakes ... what? This isn't a discussion about Banana Pancakes ... its a thread about hosts jacking up the price because you show initial interest in a place -- absolutely unethical behavior and all people here can say is, "Well, it's against BNB rules. Tisk, tisk. Not tisk tisk ... I guess you didn't like waffles. It's more on the order of something like that can't be printed here. 

I agree that this is against the spirit of Airbnb. However, strictly speaking, I don't think the passage you cited indicates that it's against the rules. "Once a Guest requests a Booking of your Accommodation, you may not request the Guest to pay a higher price than in the Booking request." Declining the request and updating your pricing doesn't mean you're asking that guest to pay more. You're declining the request and changing your price. The same guest or any other guest can then make another request. I believe the policy is trying to avoid the obvious bad actor who asks for more money from the same guest who booked, either before, during, or after their stay.

I need to know where you got the excerpt where they cannot change the price after request was made. I’m currently going through something along the same lines

Jade42
Level 1
Hong Kong

This just happened to me. I sent a request for a booking for July 2018 at 320€ Per night - the host responded stating that she hasn't updated the listing price per night for summer 2018 yet and that the price would likely be 600€. The listing should not be available for guests to request if the details are not correct and hosts should honour what is advertised. 

Just happened to me - I had a host https://www.airbnb.com.au/users/show/10516300 decline my request to book saying the rates weren't current, then invite me to re-request, having raised the price by 80%. 

I reported the host - she's a Superhost, ironically - on the platform, but it doesn't give you an opportunity to add detail, which is a bit frustrating. So I contacted Airbnb - thank you to the host who posted the support phone number - and was told that - despite the 'ambiguous' note in the code of conduct, that Airbnb's policy is to offer the host 'maximum flexibility to change prices' up until the time a request is accepted. This is, of course, why they are strongly encouraging Instantbook for both hosts and guests. As a host, however, I find Instantbook doesn't give you sufficient opportunity to vet guests before accepting them. Also as a host, I would never, ever up the price after a guest had made a request to book. I guess I just expected other hosts to behave ethically as well. 

I made my point to Airbnb that this kind of behaviour makes for a really, really poor experience for a guest and reputationally damages the platform. My net promoter score (I have been a member since very very early days and a host for 7 years) just crashed from 10 to a 2 and my lifetime value as a customer.. well, safe to say I'll be considering lots of other options (including not hosting) in the future.   

Thanks .. what's the support number as I'm having difficulty finding it

 

this host actually has accepted my booking  despite my refusing to pay extra , then keeps talking about the extras payable probably knowing I stand to forfeit cash if I cancel and then he can take another booking! 

@Cathy212   

 

Are you sure you are getting all of my replies of help to you?  In my very FIRST post reply to you, I mentioned that you can click on link below my name at the end of every post I have written that opens the number for Airbnb.  Look at what is written UNDER MY NAME  🙂

 

Plus I also wrote in my SECOND reply, that the phone number for you to reach Airbnb is in the email they sent you when the booking was confirmed. Please open your email from Airbnb.  They ALWAYS give a customer service phone number to every guests regarding their bookings. 

 

Don't forget to tag your replies with my name @Momi to ensure I get them.  Its the best way to make sure the host sees that you wrote them back.  All you have to do is hit the @ symbol and the list of hosts will pop up and you can choose my name.   

 

 I think you should stay somewhere else.  IMHO. 

If you feel that me or another host have helped you, feel free to click on the "thumbs up" button at the end of any post. Thank you so much.

Aloha, Momi

Great way to contact Airbnb or via Twitter at AirbnbHelp / Facebook


Marit-Anne0
Level 10
Bergen, Norway

I must say I was taken by surprise myself last summer when I got a booking request one year in advance.  Requests so far in advance had never happened to me before and my calendar was not updated.  The prices were correct (I keep a correct base price, not a bait & switch one), but it should not have shown as available.  Lesson learnt !

Cormac0
Level 10
Kraków, Poland

@Francisc0

 

 

You could stay in a Hotel for Euros 214 per night (1500/7) and your Host was offering you a room for that price, sounds very fishy to me, even for high season!

 

Regards

Cormac

The Explorer's Club Krakow III

 

Francisc0
Level 1
Île-de-France, France

Yes of course Cormac. Why stay with Airbnb if we can stay in hotels ?

Right ...

Cathy212
Level 2
Moore Park, Australia

I've just requested a booking for an advertised amount and the host has said the price will increase due to the fact they will renovate before we arrive , so therefore it will be more expensive - but we've agreed to the advertised price . Surely this is illegal?

@Cathy212 Yes, in fact it is against Airbnb's Terms of Service to ask guests to pay more when a Reservation Request has been submitted. 

 

Here is the relevant section of the Terms of Service which addresses this: 

 

7.1.2 You are solely responsible for setting a price (including any Taxes if applicable) for your Listing (“Listing Fee”). Once a Guest requests a booking of your Listing, you may not request that the Guest pays a higher price than in the booking request.

 

You may choose to flag the message from your host by clicking on the small flag icon next to the message asking for more money. 

This will alert Airbnb's Trust and Safety team who will take appropriate action with the host. 

 

Airbnb requires that hosts keep their pricing and calendar availability updated at all times so this behaviour is not tolerated.  

 

I am very sorry you have had this experience!

Cathy212
Level 2
Moore Park, Australia

This is the response I got.. even though I said no to paying more than advertised cost 

the reservation was accepted but then I got another message saying it would be more money.. as I've had the reservation accepted can I still back out and not lose my payment ( made in good faith that the price was the price ??!

 

 

Hi Cathy,
Thank you for your interest in our place.
We are very happy to have you. But there is 1 thing: we are planning to do some work to the place making it into a real apartment. If this is realized the price for the place will be higher than when it is "only" a room. Since you are this early with you booking and that it isn't entirely 100% sure the work will have been done I would like to offer to split the difference of the price now and then when you are here. We are talking about 3x 20€ (now 60 then 100 so 40 split in half). You won't pay that now but only when you are here and the work has been done. If you can find yourselves in this let me know and I'll accept the booking.
Thank you.
Paul

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