On 11-20-205, I searched on Airbnb for accommodation for 8 adults and 4 children. Airbnb’s search results displayed a listing that appeared to be a home or condo with 3 bedrooms, each showing 2 queen beds. There was no clear indication in the main listing display that this was actually a hotel with three separate rooms, not a single unit.
Believing it was a single home/condo (as shown in the search layout), I booked the stay. Immediately after booking, I received confirmation showing that I had unintentionally reserved three separate hotel rooms instead of one unit for our group. We have been using Airbnb for so many years (at least 2-5 times a year) and there is absolutely no reason for us to find hotel room when come to Airbnb. Of course, we were also having responsibility for our lack of attention when booking for not going through the whole policy. We realized the booking went wrong and asked for cancellation only 1 hour after booking and more than 48 hours before the check in time.
Within one hour of booking, I contacted Airbnb and requested a cancellation due to the misleading presentation of the property. However, Airbnb refused to issue a full refund, citing the host’s cancellation policy. As a result, I was charged nearly $1,000 for a reservation that I canceled almost immediately and that I could not use.
Why I believe this is unfair/deceptive:
- Airbnb’s search results displayed the property in a way that strongly suggested it was a single home/condo.
- The listing details were unclear or misleading about the fact it was three separate hotel rooms.
- Airbnb should not rely solely on a host’s cancellation policy when the platform’s listing layout contributed to the misunderstanding.
- Being charged nearly $1,000 for a reservation canceled within an hour is unreasonable.
