I ran into either a cultural phenomenon or an organized group of hosts renting units that are not in reality available in Thailand

[Victor4421]

Not entirely sure if this is the right forum, but I was recently in a situation where I booked an apartment in Thailand on Airbnb, only to discover upon check-in that I had been downgraded to a smaller unit with a completely different layout and view, and also on lower floor and the advertised view obstructed by ongoing construction of a skyscraper next door. The host appeared indifferent (hinting to this being typical modus operandi) and after some back and forth offered to cancel (during high-season) or a 10 % discount, which is likely to normal rate of said smaller apartment.

To avoid dealing with this again, I started asking hosts upfront whether the apartment shown in the listing—its layout, size, and view—would be the one I receive. What I found is concerning: For five instances in a row (counting my original host), I was told that the advertised apartment wasn’t actually available, despite being listed as such on Airbnb. Instead, they either offered me a different unit, often of lower quality, size, or with an inferior view (I'd guess they never would've told me had I just booked directly without asking). They also appeared completely indifferent to suggestions it might be good to not list the apartment as available then, and fix the description. I'd guess they also cycle these around once bad reviews begin piling up (for some of them I managed to find similar experiences in the review, of it not being the unit advertised). I haven't tried with more listings now as I got annoyed of wasting my time, so switched over to using booking.com for the time being.

I’ve reported this pattern to Airbnb, but I just wanted to give others a heads-up by posting it here (any better place?). If you’re booking in Thailand, I'd recommend asking your host before finalizing your reservation whether the apartment shown in the pictures is the one you’ll actually receive (or at least very similar in terms of size and layout).

[Joan2709]

@Victor4421 

Sorry this happened and thanks for posting here. Not sure there is another place to post regarding this practice?

Airbnb does allow Hosts to offer a guest a substitute property in case of unforeseen issues like water leak, etc. The guest must agree however. The practice of doing this bait & switch is not allowed. It was good you reported this to Airbnb. You can also "flag" the profile of the Host if you wish by clicking their profile photo under "Meet Your Host" at the bottom of the Listing Page and then "Report this Profile":

You can also report the original listing used to "bait" you:

If the Host Offers You a Different Place to Stay

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/250

Report A Host or Guest Profile

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/3806

[Victor4421]

Thank you for the information 🙂

I tried checking a couple more listings after this and ran into the same practices and responses from hosts. It seems this is common practice in Bangkok (and likely other hotspots in Thailand). Many of the listings have a similar approach to how they are named and described, as well as the type of pictures used, hinting that this might just be the same operator/owner with different employees acting as hosts. Some quick googling also suggests that bait-and-switch is a common practice with Airbnbs in Bangkok (or in the rental market in general). Hosts advertise high-end apartments in a building but, in reality, rent out inferior units (lower floor, different view, seemingly smaller, different layout, etc.) -- though at least in the same building.

The best target demographic for this type of business is of course short-term visitors, which makes airbnb a great tool, because for longer contracts (couple of months and more) on other platforms you typically go and see the apartment before renting.

So, I get the feeling this is not something that will change anytime soon as it's probably quite lucrative for everyone involved... 🙂 (these 1-month apartments go for quite the premium compared to off-airbnb rate). Super annoying looking for short-term units though, as I've been using airbnb as the best bet to avoid getting screwed, but now you can more or less take for granted the unit you will get is not the one in the pictures and end up wasting a lot of time (you might get lucky and get on very similar, or unlucky and get the worst one in the building -- and still pay the same price). Hopefully this will not become the standard in all countries/cities.

[Joan2709]

@Victor4421 

This is troubling and seems from your comments this is a widespread practice in Thailand? Perhaps one of the moderators could forward this to the appropriate team at Airbnb, as it certainly is not a good situation for guests and Airbnb as a platform.

@Rebecca , @Alex , @Bhumika 

[Marisa182]

@Victor4421  Sorry that happened to you, Victor. Not a very good practice for hosts to engage in, and I would be a very unhappy camper if it happened to me. Hosts with multiple listings, dozens and even hundreds, may occasionally find it necessary to switch a booking, but you should have been informed before your arrival. And the host appearing indifferent is very troubling! You have every right to inquire if the photo is the actual listing before you book. Sorry you found out when it was too late. Hope your next booking is problem free!

[Victor4421]

Thank you!

Yes, had they just told me upfront I wouldn't have booked, as there were other similar listings available and I would have gone with those (though who knows, maybe they’re all false advertisements).

Based on all my recent inquiries, the Bangkok market isn't looking all that promising, as every host reports back that the apartment in the pictures isn’t available. Let’s hope this doesn’t set the standard for airbnb in general.