dishonest hosts who advertise wifi that is unusable

[Julian1134]

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i need wifi for my job. i need wifi to stream content. I NEED WIFI!.

whenever i stay in airbnb places that advertise wifi, the wifi is unusable. airbnb's response? "move to another place". 

hosts are contractually obliged (according to what airbnb have told me) to ensure that if they advertise wifi then it must work uninterrupted. i just stayed in a place that had the worst wifi i've ever encountered. it was unusable. the last place i stayed in was also advertising wifi which again was unusable. 

i've already told airbnb to get hosts to run a speed test on their wifi, screenshot the result and then post the screenshot on their listing. this allows guests to make an informed decision as to whether the wifi is going to be suitable for their needs. the last host i complained about said, "this is a holiday house and you shouldn't be working". yes really. 

it's like arriving at a listing to discover the bed has no mattress. 

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[Robbie54]

It’s a common trait for a person to send insults (involving children no less)  when they know they have lost or are losing an argument. Feel free, I don’t mind, however your true colours are shining bright for all to see @Julian1134 

[Julian1134]

@Robbie54 

"It’s a common trait for a person to send insults (involving children no less)  when they know they have lost or are losing an argument. Feel free, I don’t mind, however your true colours are shining bright for all to see"

there is no argument here to win or lose Robbie. I started a thread on wifi speed, stated my experience and then one individual in particular (you) became abusive and made blanket assertions with no evidence, and told me what I was thinking and what motivates me etc. 

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what do you think about my suggestion? ie that hosts post a screenshot of their wifi speed.....as an indication of what can be achieved at the property (particularly if the guest wants to know). what do you think Robbie? is that a good idea.....or a bad idea. and can you give me reasons so we can engage further ?

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[Robbie54]

I've already indicated why posting a screenshot of a hosts wifi speed is not a great idea, go back and have a look at my previous posts. 

I've clearly hit a nerve with you, however you including my children in a post was disgusting. I've reported you for this and will no longer reply to you again. @Julian1134 

[Julian1134]

@Robbie54 

yeah you mentioned fluctuations etc....and I already explained that we are all sensible enough to understand that sometimes wifi gets interrupted. I also explained that this was you misrepresenting the argument (straw manning), since I never mentioned fluctuations and was only concerned about potential wifi 8strength.

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btw.....airbnb messaged me about this. here's their response. 

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[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Sarah977 

There are several boxes that hosts have the option of clicking on regarding Wifi in the "Amenities" section, one of which is "High Speed, Unlimited".

I tried to update our listing, but that option doesn't exist.

[Sarah977]

@Ian-And-Anne-Marie0  It's possible that I misremember that setting, but I think it used to say "high-speed unlimited".  There isn't any option for cell-based, which mine is, but I asked a guests who was a techie what would be the closest description, and she said "pocket Wifi", so that's what I checked. Mine isn't "continuous" because I and my guests have to turn on the hotspot setting on my phone to get connected. 

But it hasn't been an issue for my guests- there are tons of cafes and restaurants in town, where my guests tend to go everyday anyway, where they can connect if they need more internet. Some guests have done their work offline here, then send it to wherever it needs to go when they go to town.

I imagine guests would expect reliable, good internet in a city, but it's not necessarily expected in more remote or rural places. Everywhere has trade-offs in terms of not being able to have everything. You might get great Wifi in a listing, but you might also get traffic noise, loud neighbors, etc, rather than having tropical birds and butterflies to enjoy perched in the trees right outside your window and peace and quiet.

In fact, some guests book places like that and mine because they want to relax and "unplug" from the cyberworld. 

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Sarah977 

Things change all the time, but if you saw it, then as a worldwide organisation sharing a basic database, then you would expect the options to match worldwide too. It's not there, but might be an credible option to add if "guest satisfaction" is the aim.

I did already mention that hosts are not always in a position to offer the 'best of the best', and in fairness, even having that I don't think guests would be too peeved if it didn't actually perform for every minute of the day.

I'd happily stay at your place on holiday and even feign no reception - even if there was some, but if I was working and needed to send 16GB of images somewhere, irate wouldn't be enough of a description to describe my state. (I would actually ask beforehand as well - too). 😀

[Julian1134]

@Sarah977 

"You might get great Wifi in a listing, but you might also get traffic noise, loud neighbors, etc,"

yes that's correct. and I try to get as much information as I can before I book. if a host isn't being honest about how noisy it, how good their wifi is, how many annoying tropical birds and butterflies there are then they're not being a very good host. transparency and correct information costs nothing.

and this isn't about wifi for work. this is about wifi period. the excuse that 'work' requires more wifi than pleasure is nuts. wifi is measured in mbps.....how you use it is irrelevant. I want to stream content on youtube.....for pleasure. and I want to upload content for work. there's no difference.

"In fact, some guests book places like that and mine because they want to relax and "unplug" from the cyberworld. "

and guess what.....some don't. and if they don't and they want wifi that allows streaming, shouldn't the host at least let them know if that's going to be possible? 

[Nanxing0]

One thing needs to be mentioned is that the internet speed standard is different across the world. In most part of US a 100Mbps internet is considered to be "average" at this time, with some cheap service as low as 10Mbps or lower, while there's gigabit service provided as well. However in some developing countries 10Mbps is considered a "ultra high speed internet" while they might not have anything more than 100Mbps available for residential use. 

Also the claimed speed is different from the actual speed you can get. With my 100Mbps/100Mbps Verizon FIOS when I run speed test I get anywhere from a few Mbps to 150Mbps. It highly depends on network traffic and a lot of factors. 

[Nanxing0]

By the way, also I remember I had a few guests reached out to us saying the internet was not working properly. I talked to the guests through restarting their computer and it worked like a charm. Internet speed is also dependent on the equipment you are using as well. 

Also we had a few days of interrupted internet service in the past 2 years caused by different reasons, from storm to service person human error (they disconnected our fiber optic plug from the street hub when installing for a neighbor). We refunded all the guests who needed internet service badly during their stay, but there's really nothing else we can do above that.

All I have to say is that internet is something complicated and it's not possible for any host to make any guarantee that it'll definitely work the way the guest wants. Some part of the function is on the guest's side and the host has no control, nor does the part on the service provider's side.

[Julian1134]

@Nanxing0 

hi....yeah....my post was about base-level wifi and transparency. I know hosts (ex friends) who deliberately had the cheapest wifi possible in order to maximise profits. 

if hosts screenshot results of their wifi speed then at least guest will know what is possible.

this host below has done just that. 

https://www.airbnb.co.in/rooms/39387672?source_impression_id=p3_1594745296_2H8SDZWhLyZJnhfA&guests=1...

[Nanxing0]

@Julian1134 This "basic-level wifi" is a very vague term and I don't know if you have any definition about it. I can show you an example here I have Verizon gigabit FIOS in my home and 100Mbps/100Mbps service for my Airbnb property. I have used both network for work and I never noticed major difference. Only when I'm downloading a large file it might cause some delay, but not too much. The 100Mbps/100Mbps service, which I would consider as a "basic WiFi service" for the price of $54.99 per month with $39.99 per month for the first year, can support me streaming at least 4-5 Netflix/Youtube devices at the same time. However last time I went to Puerto Rico and stayed in a few Airbnbs and hotels and none of the Wifi was fast enough for me to do any streaming, but I know that's the best they could get. It really differs in different location.

And what you said about "maximise profits" is also arbitrary. Internet service is quite expensive in some places, as well as short term rental income. Every host has to balance the expense and revenue with their work. TBH hosting on Airbnb is not something everyone can do with no training/learning. If you never hosted a single guest please don't judge on hosts' choice on this. 

For the speed test result, you have to ask.This should be considered a "special need" instead of commonly needed stuff. I have had a few guests asked me about the speed test but honestly we don't like to post the result anywhere. It's again something not certain hope you can understand. For example I have the 100Mbps/100Mbps Verizon FIOS for my rental. When I tested the speed at a time it shows me 90Mbps/70Mbps download/upload. Do you think I can guarantee that every time I run the test I will get something similar or better than this? I don't want to post it and make it available to some greedy guests as an excuse for full refund. 

[Julian1134]

@Nanxing0 

"If you never hosted a single guest please don't judge on hosts' choice on this."

Jesus - what is with people who make ridiculous assumptions? I am a property landlord here in London UK. I've been a landlord for 30 years. this is what I do to make money. 

"This "basic-level wifi" is a very vague term"

no it isn't....you are. and that's the problem.

"And what you said about "maximise profits" is also arbitrary."

no it isn't. cheapest wifi costs 'x'. most expensive costs 'x' + £30 per month (uk). I pay £45 with Zen for 70mbps. if you rent out a place for £100 per night for 90 days then the difference in profit is at most £90. if you're making £9000 then what cheapskate would put in cheap wifi?

"Do you think I can guarantee that every time I run the test I will get something similar or better than this?"

nobody ever suggested that. the suggestion was to a) provide better wifi (with incredibly tiny reduction in profit) and b) provide evidence that you have done so.

"I don't want to post it and make it available to some greedy guests as an excuse for full refund"

yes....you (and many like you) prefer instead to make arbitrary comments about their wifi. would you do the same if a guest asked you how many beds you have in your property? no....because you're obliged to be up front and honest.....and that should apply to wifi speed also.

"However last time I went to Puerto Rico and stayed in a few Airbnbs and hotels and none of the Wifi was fast enough for me to do any streaming, but I know that's the best they could get."

how do you know that it was the best available? is that what they told you? did you bother to find out? I stayed in an airbnb in fuengirola for two months this year. the wifi was unusable. the host said it was the best you could get. so I google searched and presented her with a company that provided fibre broadband to her house and 70mbps. I arranged to have it installed for her. I called the company and I attended the installation. she now has excellent wifi which is now listed as 'continuous'.

[Emilia42]

Not every guest is after high-speed wifi. I would rather not have guests who book because they are attracted to my wifi speed. I want them out of my house and exploring all day. What you should be campaigning for is a field within the listing where hosts can upload their internet speed (say once a month or so) and then guests can filter search results for those listings with high enough wifi speeds. This would especially appeal to the business/working from the home traveler. Why Airbnb has not implemented something like this, I don't know.

[Sarah977]

@Ian-And-Anne-Marie0  Actually, my reception is fine- I get a strong cell signal. The issue is that it is a metered connection, and pricey, so I can't, nor have guests motoring through the data by streaming things or doing heavy uploading or downloading. And it's also not super fast, if that's what folks require.