You are absolutley right @Pat271 and I'm so glad you said so!
I'm not for a second condoning this behaviour, but, I do think if we stop and think about it, there's often (not always),a valid reason for it a lot of the time that isn't dark and subversive.
I also recently read an airbnb guest/traveller forum where the general thrust of the advice was, "did you realise hosts are willing to accept up 15% less than you are actually charged, because airbnb adds on 15% to their fee" And given that airbnb is doing nothing at all to educate guests about it's points of difference with other platforms, it's beginning to look more and more like a hotel booking platform. I'ts pretty much common knowledge that most hotels, especially the smaller independent ones, will give you a cheaper rate if you approach them directly - indeed we are ENCOURAGED to approach them directly as the money then stays in the economy of country of origin. I can see why a lot of guests think it's perfectly acceptable to try their luck this way.
Although an experienced airbnber should know better - really no excuse for that.
I'm always astounded that people fail to think twice to use the platform to suggest cheating the platform - leaving a lovely trail of evidence. What crosses their mind? Or maybe it doesn't - just like individuals who post every intimate detail of their lives on social media and then scream privacy violation.