Airbnb (YC W09) Grew 800% in 2010 • Hacker News Board

Re: Airbnb (YC W09) Grew 800% in 2010

#31

Post by patio11 » Sun, Jan 16, 2011, 1:46 PM UTC

Airbnb is the only YC company I've ever recommended to family. My aunt and uncle own a cottage. Previously they rented it out via personal connections (when not in it themselves) and it sat unused better than 330 days a year. Airbnb pretty much instantly makes their lives better. (n.b. I'm not sure if they've started using it yet. Interest was high but, well, you know conversion funnel math as well as I do.)

I also think they've been very generous with how much they've shared on the subject of enjoying good PR. I think they're the best company I'm aware of anywhere on that -- honestly, if they didn't explain themselves so often I would have become convinced that they had a picture of a NYT editor caught in a compromising position with a Fox News anchor and were blackmailing both of them at the same time.

Re: Airbnb (YC W09) Grew 800% in 2010

#32

Post by vaksel » Sun, Jan 16, 2011, 2:09 PM UTC

chanri wrote: post #2

Just wondering, how many people here have used Airbnb? I would think a large number of HN people would use it.

I was going to use it, but then I found that a 4 star hotel was going to cost me a little bit less($16 less a day). And the hotel was in the center of London, while anything cheaper on airbnb was about 1-2 hours away by train.

Granted, that's London...so the rent is high, which means the people have to charge more for their apartments.

Re: Airbnb (YC W09) Grew 800% in 2010

#33

Post by arepb » Sun, Jan 16, 2011, 2:40 PM UTC

chanri wrote: post #2

Just wondering, how many people here have used Airbnb? I would think a large number of HN people would use it.

I'm lying in bed at an airbnb place reading this thread. It's my first time using the service and it's been incredible. Good followup emails, owner's place was exactly as it was described and it's so much better (and cheaper) than a hotel. I will definitely use this again.

Re: Airbnb (YC W09) Grew 800% in 2010

#34

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Re: Airbnb (YC W09) Grew 800% in 2010

#35

Post by cdr » Sun, Jan 16, 2011, 3:28 PM UTC

spxdcz wrote: post #17

chanri wrote: post #2

Just wondering, how many people here have used Airbnb? I would think a large number of HN people would use it.

We've been traveling the world since May 1st 2010, and have used it wherever we can (Vancouver, Melbourne, Thailand, ...). It's a great idea, love it, and don't want to say anything too negative (it has far more going for it than against it). However, the one problem is that it's quite difficult to leave negative comments about anywhere. One of the places we stayed in... well... the room was great, but the people we…

Retaliatory feedback was a huge problem eBay faced. They "fixed" it by removing the ability of sellers to leave any type of feedback besides positive. It seems like an extremely difficult problem to tackle unless you're willing to intervene and investigate every time someone reports that feedback is retaliatory.

Re: Airbnb (YC W09) Grew 800% in 2010

#36

Post by ben1040 » Sun, Jan 16, 2011, 4:49 PM UTC

physcab wrote: post #16

chanri wrote: post #2

Just wondering, how many people here have used Airbnb? I would think a large number of HN people would use it.

I tried when I went to NY a couple months ago. I contacted like 6 people and they all bailed on me ("bailed" in the sense that they had their apt listed as available on the day I wanted to go, but then couldn't offer it to me). It was a week before I wanted to go. I ended up paying for a hotel that was substantially more expensive, but it was definitely available. I'd imagine this is part AirBnb's core problem. How d…

A coworker and I have had this same problem while trying to book a place for a trip in May. Places show up as available, but the owners then reply with "well, that's too far to tell, I might not even have this apartment then."

It you're not sure if it's available, why are you listing it as such? I guess the disconnect is that every person who does this is acting in their own interest and doesn't care about the interests of AirBnB or their customer experience.

It's really soured me on trying to use this, because I don't need to mail 10 hotels that say they're available on my dates, and go back and forth only to be told no. I hit a button and book it.

It's also bad that people like to write in the house rules section things like "I have a $75 cleaning fee" or "I require a $400 security deposit via paypal prior to checking in." I shouldn't have to pay a surcharge for the unit to be clean and in the advertised condition. A security deposit I can understand, but AirBnB should be brokering that via credit card holds rather than allowing cash exchanges between renter and owner.

If you're trying to compete with the hotel experience, simply having a lower price isn't the only factor involved.

I'd still like to give AirBnB my money and try this service, but after a week or two of trying to book something, they're making it really hard to do.

Re: Airbnb (YC W09) Grew 800% in 2010

#37

Post by steveplace » Sun, Jan 16, 2011, 5:11 PM UTC

physcab wrote: post #16

chanri wrote: post #2

Just wondering, how many people here have used Airbnb? I would think a large number of HN people would use it.

I tried when I went to NY a couple months ago. I contacted like 6 people and they all bailed on me ("bailed" in the sense that they had their apt listed as available on the day I wanted to go, but then couldn't offer it to me). It was a week before I wanted to go. I ended up paying for a hotel that was substantially more expensive, but it was definitely available. I'd imagine this is part AirBnb's core problem. How d…

I had the same experience when looking for a place in NYC-- I think it's due to the fact that published availability dates are not consistent with what the property manager has, as they most likely have other sources of reservations.

Re: Airbnb (YC W09) Grew 800% in 2010

#38

Post by waterlesscloud » Sun, Jan 16, 2011, 5:28 PM UTC

chanri wrote: post #2

Just wondering, how many people here have used Airbnb? I would think a large number of HN people would use it.

I have no interest in using it, but I may be a little odd that way. I prefer the corporate impersonality of hotels. I've stayed in "bed and breakfast" spare-room places before, and I've never really been comfortable with the experience. I don't like that personal touch with people I don't already know.