Terms of Service

[Andrew1135]

I reserved a basement flat in Munich near Oktoberfest for September 20 through September 23. Total booking was no more than $600. Everything processed normally. Payment was made and confirmed. 

A day later the host contacted me through the AirBnB app requesting $2700 total for the booking. I declined and asked the host if everything was OK. Their verbatim response was:

"No... This war regular price. For Ocroberfest price is 700 Euro per day.. Please accept or cancell this reservation. Sorry. This war technical problem on airbnb.
Best regards.
"Munich travel" team"

I declined to cancel, and I personally don't believe that it was a technical issue. I think the host simply forgot to increase their rate. Per AirBnB terms of service, when a resvervation is accepted and the charges go through, that's a binding contract. The host then cancelled the booking. I insited on getting the good rate, so as soon as it was cancelled, I hopped on and rebooked at $600. No trickery, just being quick and hopping back on the app, usinging it normally to rebook the flat. It was rebooked at $600. Without further conversation the host cancelled again. This process repeated twice more, including me chatting with support to try and remedy the situation. Upon the final time of the host cancelling, per AirBnB policy for hosts cancelling, they were blacklisted from renting out those days for the year. I thought that this outcome was sad, but also justified, as now no one could rent the flat for the much higher rate. If the host is not allowed to bait and switch me, then they can't rent out the place to other people at the high rate either. It seemed fair. 

Well, upon checking the rental a week later, I see that the penalties have been lifted and they are allowed to rent the room for the much higher rate. I also see that the automated review that posts from my account indicating the host cancelled on me, was also removed for the rental's review list. 

Obviously I'm not renting the room as $2700 is outlandishly expensive; so I booked another AirBnB that was considerably further away and $350 more expensive than the original listing. 

I've contacted AirBnB support asking for coupons amounting to the difference of $350. Is it ergregious to ask for the difference? I feel like I was cheated out of a contract and thus had to incur more expense. Aren't I obligated to the difference in price since the rental agreement at $600 was bound?

What do you all think should be the ouctome of this situation? So far, AirBnB has given me 2x (two) $50 coupons off my next rentals. So far this puts the differece I overpaid at $250. Should I ask for 5 more coupons?

[Gerry-And-Rashid0]

@Andrew1135

If it sounds to good to be true then it probably is. As you point out you can only get accommodation for your budget much further away from the festival. 

Having said that, hosts are meant to keep their calendars up to date to avoid this sort of situation, but as with guests, honest mistakes can be made for any number of reasons which may not be shared with you.

In this case AirBnB clearly thought it was right to remove the cancellation and let the host rebook rooms at the higher rate.

It was a bit petty to keep re-booking even though you knew the price was wrong. 

I think you have been well compensated by AirBnB for your trouble. Seems a bit much to keep trying for more money, but that is up to you

[Andrew1135]

Not petty. Contract is contract. It's in the ToS.

7.1.2 You are solely responsible for setting a price (including any Taxes if applicable, or charges such as cleaning fees) 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.

[Cormac0]

@Andrew1135

So you don't mind that the host is at a financial loss so you can make a substantial financial gain, and now you want to be compensated for paying the going rate!

Your some piece of work, why go to the October fest if you can’t afford the nightly rates, I spend a night on the streets of Munich after arriving for the October fest to realise nothing was in my student budget, so I hopped on a train the next morning and left to go back to Italy.

[Andrew1135]

I can afford the rates sir. I'm very happy you have an oktoberfest story. Good for you. This is about their stated ToS and principle. The host forgetting to change the rate is not my fault nor should impact me. I booked a room at $600. That booking is considered contract.  It's in their ToS. 

7.1.2 You are solely responsible for setting a price (including any Taxes if applicable, or charges such as cleaning fees) 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.

[Ricardo85 · Accepted solution]

@Andrew1135

There is no "...This war technical problem on airbnb...". If this is the case, the Host should contact Airbnb and complain for his loss.

One think is certain: when you booked you were in good faith, right?

Take a look at Terms of Service:

"...

7.1.2 You are solely responsible for setting a price (including any Taxes if applicable, or charges such as cleaning fees) 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.

..."

Ricardo

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

Well, @Andrew1135 obviously Munich travel is an agency and different rules apply to them. If this was a private host he would be heavily penalized and I suppose it would make you very happy.

The same thing happened to me at the beginning of my hosting when guests booked in August for New year eve at regular price because I forgot to adjust the nightly rate. I honored that booking and interesting -they rated me low for value. Next year I doubled the price and got 5* rating. So yes, I know, and all hosts know how petty opportunist guests are.

Yes, every host is responsible for setting the right price but mistakes happen to every host and they are costly. It was very mean of you to rebook quickly few times in a row and not giving your host a chance to change the price... and to expect 250€ compensation from Airbnb on top of it. It is not Airbnb's fault that your host canceled but they were good to you and gave you 100€ compensation anyway.

I don't think you will get sympathy from hosts here.  A bit of tolerance, flexibility and understanding for other people's honest mistakes is a desirable human trait, you know.

[Ricardo85]

@Branka-and-Silvia0

We can not forget that we are dealing with a company. There is therefore a very large financial interest in these bookings.

Why not imagine that the company is intentionally putting the prices down to "artificially" look like they are cheap and right after the booking charge the real value blaming the difference for a "supposed" technical error of Airbnb?

The company canceled the reservation and did not block the dates to update the prices soon after.

Think about it...

Ricardo

[Elena87]

@Ricardo85

Perhaps it really was a technical fault after all, whose to say, especially if the dates weren't blocked. I had an issue in the past in long term bookings being sold for the price of one day.

I doubt if airbnb would cover this perceived 'loss', as it leaves them wide open to potential collusion fraud.

[Andrew1135]

@Ricardo85

Yeah, exactly. Though it seems like the majority opinion is that I'm out of luck here and I'm being rude to the host. Go figure. 

[Andrew1135]

@Branka & Silvia

"A bit of tolerance, flexibility and understanding for other people's honest mistakes is a desirable human trait, you know." 

A contract is a contract, and if the host stood by your comment here you would understand that the host could have accepted their own mistake and given me the room at a low rate. 

It seems greed won this round.