WiFi Issues With Listing

[Penny31]

I have been travelling all over the world using Airbnb listings for almost a year. There have been times I've ended up in nice listings that ended up having really poor internet connections, but because the stays were only a couple of days long, I just let it go.

I've currently rented a place for a month and they listed WiFi as an amenity. This is a major city in Europe, and while I have stayed at other listings in this city that didn't have the fastest internet, it was useable enough and definitely NOT as slow as this one. I need internet for my work, and let's just say the internet is not even real WiFi but a mobile hotspot (MiFi) they stuck in the flat.

I didn't know this, nor was this mentioned on the listing anywhere, so I didn't think to ask because no one has ever done this from my experience.

Anyway, once I realised I can't even do much except slow Google searches (think the days of "dial up") on my laptop, I reached out to the host to ask for help about the speed. This is how I found out that the WiFi is actually a mobile hotspot (MiFi), with speeds not above 3 mpbs...that's about 1/3 of what we all get on our mobile phones on the street! I explained the issue to my host, I asked for help, and now I'm being told I obviously need internet speeds for "business" purposes, except..I can't even log onto AirBNB with the speed, without getting error messages because I can't stay connected to the internet at 2-3 mpbs per second (the lowest I've experienced in this city was 15, and that was for a month, but I made it work...but 2? 3?!!).

So, now there's talk of "other options" from the host - but the kind of options that would be coming out of my pocket. I have reached out to AirBNB and asked them to discuss this with the host and they (customer care) sounded understanding on the phone to me, but I've had the experience before with customer care where they say all the right things to me, but then turn around and email a cop-out answer instead. I don't want to wait for that surprise, so I'm asking for help/input.

Internet is my livelihood. That's how I'm able to afford staying at an entire place and paying hosts all the money for lengthy stays. But if they list WiFi, and the internet is so slow I can't even connect to AirBNB, what is a reasonable fix for this issue without me paying even more for an amenity I already paid for - which I'm not getting? I'd rather stay put at the listing, but one needs a working amenity, no?

[Ange2]

@Robert487 

"Airbnb: we need to be able to vote for WiFi speed and reliability !"

You might try that with the providers because the consumers have no control over much of that. At best Airbnb could ask hosts to  include speed of internet the host pays for (however, that is often less than what their provider actually gives them) BUT reliability is rarely in the host's control.

I pay for superfast, the fastest and only avialable internet in my area, there is a monopoly. The few times my internet has gone out or slowed to a snail's pace and guest's have complained and penalized me in ratings  (guests who are surreptitiously working here, which is againts my rules) so has the internet at local café's and hotels. btw: I do not charge guests for internet usage.

[David126]

@Ange2

I guess the reason why I see it as a win win is that you specify your nightly charge the service povrider, which plan, now if the service goes down then the Guest gets that day rebated but even where I am in the boonies it does not happen that often.

Pretty much every guest I have wants internet info, so turn something that can be an issue into a profit.

If the Guest has the option to review then they are reviewing not me but the ISP, and everybody else near me uses the same Company so becomes a review of what is available in my area rather then me.

[Ange2]

@David126You probably get better internet service than Manhattan, which is renowned for outages and  low-quality service (true, some is because of the aftermath of disasters not yet resolved).

But, there maybe thornier issues soon, let's see what happens if/when the repeal of net-neutrality kicks in. Offering limitless everything and at high speed in non net-neutrality countries can be expensive, even cost-prohibitive, I can see why it can be slow and unreliable.  What may matter will be data allowance and data package add-ons and access to : videos, email, music apps, social media, messaging, etc. Better for that situation would be if Airbnb incorporated new fields so hosts could choose 'Basic Access' (it is what it is, no guarantees) or if applicable to the hosts set-up they can offer internet add-ons and faster speed and packages at an extra cost to the guest as you appear to suggest.  If not hosts will have to put their base prices up to guarantee good access and coverage or to absorb guest refunds.

But, I disagree with refunding a day if the internet is out. In my experience even internet companies do not offer refunds unless you are prepared to jump through hoops and then it's barely a few dollars at most, certainly not comparable with refunding a night's listing fee per day of outage. Cynical maybe, but a refund for internet issues could well become an avenue for abuse, already recorded in some posts on this forum. Most of my guests have been great but one or two have tried it on and it's not a pleasant experience,  in my opinion the less avenues for this kind of spurrious refund claim the better.

Airbnb really needs to give this some thought and be proactive for guests and hosts (and for its business) or soon we'll all have to be charging more just to absorb the unprotected risks Airbnb expects us to take when using its booking platform, which in turn will shrink its market share.  I am already running at a loss this year because of its dubious host protection. Yes, I can choose another platform but that is not the point.

[Robert487]

No matter who's fault it is that the WiFi is bad quality, guests should be able to make an educated decision. If you mention this clearly, guests can make an educated decision + your ratings will remain great because people that need / want fast WiFi won't pick your place or judge by the lack of good WiFi.

The point is that the host should mention all of this honestly if the guest asks this. I work remotely and basically "live" in airbnb's, so this is important to me. 1 Hour of weak WiFi, means i can't work. Nowadays i buy a backup 4G subscription, but that's often slower than a good internet connection.

If guests would be able to rate the WiFi, the guest can decide whether this listing fits their needs.

In regard to hosting and bad internet: After my first month of hosting i discovered my internet was too slow to share with 4-5 people. I then upgraded my subscription to the most expensive package, which worked well. I also hired a technician to make sure the reliability was upgraded (my network was installed badly). Internet in Panama sucks generally, but i made an immense effort to make it work.

In the other hand, something basic as hot water was a real problem for us due to the electricity network. I mentioned this clearly, so guests wouldn't feel i would sell them something i wasn't offering.

[Edwin57]

get a better service

[Ange2]

@Edwin57   Better, faster, bigger  - makes no difference if  the one and only service provider in your area has a problem and is unable to provide what you are paying them for.

[David126]

@Ange2My Internet is a Microwave system, 5Mbps, most I can get is 10mbp but that is another $40 pm. They advertise Gbps systems in Denver.

If I can charge say $10 per night then the handful of days I have bad sevice and need to refund$10 per night is no geat loss.

[Ange2]

@David126   I see, that makes more sense. I thought you were advocating, as many guests and some hosts have, that the total nightly fee be refunded. I am not averse to refunding around $10.00 for bad or no service, it will buy them a cup of coffee at Starbucks so they can use the internet there, if it's working.

[Brian1663]

Robert, probably too late of a submission for this particular thread but my "favorite" host response is "Well, this has never happened before" when wifi stops working.

[Edwin57]

every one is different, as well as every place  you know  that, it all  depends on the  carrier that the host has as well as you,  for years this has being going on way befor Airbnb you know that to. I offer cable and wifi at my place /Airbnb now once you out what kind of wifi you have 

[William503]

Airbnb needs to make a policy about the mobile wifi things, since they are really just cell phones (at best) for internet speed. Hosts should not be allowed to list Pocket/Mobile Wifi things as WIFI/Internet, or they need to add that as a toggle-able option. WIFI does mean internet on AirBnB, despite what I saw one poster try and argue. Yes dude, we all know that technically wifi means a network in the room, blah blah blah, but this isn't an IT site. It means hi-speed internet for the country. Yes, if in a county with slow internet, no AirBnBer is going to be mad at slower internet speeds. But I am in Thailand now in a not cheap AirBnB and it turns out is is pocket wifi. I have stayed in about 20 places over the years here and this is not the standard here, at all. it is unacceptable to call if wifi when for $10 I get a SIM card with Data that is faster than that. AirBNB needs to make a policy on this. 

[Mike515]

You're spot on William. As a host and also a traveler I see this as a huge issue.  Currently a host just ticks a yes or no if he or she provides WiFi.  I have suggested to Airbnb that hosts be required to select an expected speed range for the internet, WiFi, whatever.

In most first world countries and cities there is fast and reliable internet service and hosts should be required to clearly state whether they provide it.

Currently, I offer 100mpbs WiFi internet in my listing, but I have stayed in places with mobile hotspots and WiFi connections that were 10 or less or even less than 2.  

It's not appropriate to have 100mpbs grouped in with 1.7 mpbs as offering 'WiFi.'  Technically we both offer WiFi, but there is a difference.

[Linda3151]

Just had this experience. The listing said WIFI. I marked that it was a one-week stay for business. Paid full amount then I get the full details and buried deep in the lengthy fine print of the property amenity description is this line. "WIFI will not support streaming so services like Netflix not available."  So that means business Zoom calls won't be possible. That can't be right. Contact the "we are here for you 24/7 support line". AirBNB passes you off to TurnKey, TurnKey passes you off to AirBNB. Both say their 'super strict cancellation policy' is ironclad as they read the same paragraph over and over. " It says internet and internet works"-- so if you cancel you lose all your money except for the cleaning amount or some such.   So if the listing is "has toilets" but you come to find out there is no water to flush toilets you have no case because "it has toilets".  I'm disputing but don't hold much hope for a refund and have decided either way that if TurnKey is involved I'll take a hard pass. Mind you, it was less than 24 hours from booking when I saw this internet problem which meant a stay there was out of the question, but, and this is on me, it is a 30-day cancellation policy, with a stay only 15 days away. 

[Sarah977]

@Linda3151  There is an entire long thread on this forum warning about booking properties managed by Turnkey. Type it into the search engine here.

Warnings about them from both hosts and guests.

I happen to live where I don't have any viable option for high speed, uninterrupted Wifi. But I am very clear about this in my listing. There's Wifi, but it's metered and expensive, so guests can use it, but not to stream or for Zoom calls, etc. So not suitable for digital nomads.

Good luck. And stay away from big property managed listings. Hands-on hosts tend to be much more honest about their amenities and easier to deal with.

[Michelle53]

I don't mean to be pedantic about this, but there is a difference between providing "internet" and providing "Wifi".

 "Internet", or access to the World Wide Web, is a paid service offered by an ISP (Internet Service Provider). It comes into one's location via some kind of cable.  To access this internet, you plug your computer into the cable line (or modem).  You pay a monthly fee. 

 "Wifi" can be thought of as a kind of radio system which accesses the internet service that is bought into your location over the airwaves, rather than by cable. 

Wifi is provided through some kind of device attached to a computer - most modern computers and phones have this capability built in - through a router device attached to the internet input.  One buys this equipment one time (or one can rent one from the ISP)

It’s reasonable to assume that most people might equate Wifi with Internet, since most devices offer this connectivity seamlessly.

 One could offer internet service via an internet-connected computer (wired), for example, without offering Wifi at all. This is basically what internet cafes used to do (and possibly still do), although many have augmented their systems to allow Wifi (airwave) access.   

The ISP could be delivering blindingly fast internet speeds to one's location, but the radio system (router) at the location distributing the signal could be very weak, thereby making the connection which goes to get this internet very slow. 

The reason this is important is because the amenity specified under one’s listing says “Wifi” not “Internet”.  This is also the reason, if one is a business traveler, and specifically wanting Wifi-enabled internet, not just internet, that one should clarify what kind of service is provided, and why, when asked to put “speed” under the “Wifi” amenity, it is the speed at which a device accesses the internet over the airwaves, not the internet speed provided by the ISP.

I say this as someone who has a blindingly fast internet service but a weak router, which I have just replaced at some cost, in order to get a system in place which would be strong enough to broadcast the signal to every area of my house.

Lecture completed, thank you 😉