Airbnb “Bribes” Host with Cash Under NDA After Partiers Destroy Apartment • Hacker News Board

Re: Airbnb “Bribes” Host with Cash Under NDA After Partiers Destroy Apartment

#201

Post by bigbugbag » Fri, Mar 31, 2017, 4:29 AM UTC

RcouF1uZ4gsC wrote: post #24

Why do people find it surprising that companies who exist mainly on the premise of ignoring laws/regulations they find inconvenient, won't eventually ignore laws/regulations that you think worthwhile (ie Uber and sexual harassment and AirBnb and paying for damages). In addition, I find it interesting that the host is only sending a bill for $8000. It seems as if he is only trying to get paid for his damages and not e…

> I find it interesting that the host is only sending a bill for $8000. It seems as if he is only trying to get paid for his damages and not even considering the damage and disruption to his neighbors

Could be related to the fact that those are not covered by the AirBnB guarantee:

  What’s not protected?

  The Host Guarantee should not be considered a replacement 
  or stand-in for homeowners or renters insurance. The Host 
  Guarantee does not protect:

    cash and securities
    pets
    personal liability
    shared or common areas

Re: Airbnb “Bribes” Host with Cash Under NDA After Partiers Destroy Apartment

#202

Post by sk5t » Fri, Mar 31, 2017, 4:29 AM UTC

cmurf wrote: post #188

tptacek wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

An exploding offer is simply one that has a deadline set so short that the recipient must accept or reject on the spot. In startup funding, they're intended to prevent you from comparing an offer to other potential offers from other investors. In the Airbnb case, they're intended to prevent you from consulting with a lawyer or further appraising your damages.

I'd call it a poison pill. Consider what it most likely is trying to prevent you from doing, and then go do that instead of what condition the poison pill is attached to.

"Poison pill" has a very different, established meaning in corp law. "Exploding" here hews well to the old Mission Impossible bit: "This message will self-destruct in ten seconds."

Re: Airbnb “Bribes” Host with Cash Under NDA After Partiers Destroy Apartment

#203

Post by srtjstjsj » Fri, Mar 31, 2017, 4:34 AM UTC

tptacek wrote: post #87

The irony of YC's flagship startup forcing exploding term sheets on their customers is a bit much to take. [ ps ] Airbnb's statement concluding this story says that this interaction fell short of their expectations. Maybe they can go a bit farther. Can they commit (just a comment here would suffice) to not using the exploding-settlement tactic with their clients? Maybe all they'd really need to say is that nobody out…

AirBnB was YC's original poster child for "we invest in them because they are so passionate that can't be hamstrung by obeying the law, website terms and conditions, or being honest in general"

http://www.businessinsider.com/airbnb-harvested-craigslist-t...

Re: Airbnb “Bribes” Host with Cash Under NDA After Partiers Destroy Apartment

#204

Post by NeutronBoy » Fri, Mar 31, 2017, 4:36 AM UTC

supercanuck wrote: post #64

jpttsn wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What if one day the Airbnb exec privately pockets money for getting someone into an apartment? You've already used "bribe;" where do you go from there? The problem with hyperbole is you will pay the inflation tax on your word choice. Crying wolf, basically.

I just bribed my kid to do his homework. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bribe I am using the word correctly. Perhaps you should consider if you're interpretation of the word is not biased?

> you're

Frankly, if you want to have an argument over the semantics of language and the interpretation of words, you need to be on top of your writing.

Re: Airbnb “Bribes” Host with Cash Under NDA After Partiers Destroy Apartment

#205

Post by srtjstjsj » Fri, Mar 31, 2017, 4:37 AM UTC

whack wrote: post #119

I have a friend who literally had the exact same experience a week ago. She rented her apartment to a guy for one night, and he proceeded to have a massive party filled with drugs, prostitutes, and God knows what else. Her apartment was subsequently degraded and destroyed beyond all recognition. Thus far, Airbnb's response to her has been extremely non-reassuring. Hopefully they will do more in the coming week and re…

AirBnB's business model is primarily facilitating illegal rentals. Why would you expect reassurance when dealing with criminals?

Re: Airbnb “Bribes” Host with Cash Under NDA After Partiers Destroy Apartment

#206

Post by srtjstjsj » Fri, Mar 31, 2017, 4:38 AM UTC

bigbugbag wrote: post #183

__jal wrote: post #146

Hard to say what I'd do when I haven't been in that situation, but in a past dispute with a large company, I felt I had the freedom to make them pay for their desired confidentiality. (It wasn't quite like this situation, but somewhat similar.) I demanded a 60% premium over their "final" offer for the confidentiality clause. They told me to take a walk, but reversed and paid after my lawyer contacted them. (the 60% w…

IMHO submitting to corporate NDA is wrong. Corporations should be exposed for their wrongdoings so other people can know about it and corporations made into changing their ways.

signing an NDA is becoming complicit in the scam, like joining an MLM scheme.

Re: Airbnb “Bribes” Host with Cash Under NDA After Partiers Destroy Apartment

#207

Post by srtjstjsj » Fri, Mar 31, 2017, 4:40 AM UTC

bigbugbag wrote: post #185

rahilsondhi wrote: post #171

Am I the only one disgusted by the canned replies from Airbnb to Luciano? The guy had his home ruined and all Peter from Airbnb can talk about is file format requirements. Where is the empathy?

If it was not for Hanlon's Razor, I'd think this was deliberate and part of the process of cheating the guy out of the money he was entitled to. Though this is a repeat of history as this has happened before, for example with the guy that got bitten by a rottweiler[1]. [1]: https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/11/your-money/questions-abou...

Of course it's deliberate. AirBnB's business model is to achieve profit margin by cheating laws and contracts, and facilitating their customers doing same.

Re: Airbnb “Bribes” Host with Cash Under NDA After Partiers Destroy Apartment

#208

Post by srtjstjsj » Fri, Mar 31, 2017, 4:42 AM UTC

sarreph wrote: post #138

> This was all too reminiscent of the NDA Tesla asked customers to sign last year after a defect was discovered, a request that was deemed “unacceptable” by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (which issued the warning about the defects). How are the biggest and trendiest companies getting away with this kind of despicable behaviour? The lack of regulation in intervention here is especially troubling.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._Microsoft_Cor....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_Oil_Co._of_New_Jersey...

Despicable behavior is the history of business

Re: Airbnb “Bribes” Host with Cash Under NDA After Partiers Destroy Apartment

#209

Post by srtjstjsj » Fri, Mar 31, 2017, 4:43 AM UTC

jInflux wrote: post #83

I find it shocking that someone thought it was a good idea to list a flat on airbnb that they're only renting themselves. Largely in England subletting is not allowed under the terms of rental agreements.

This is AirBnB's entire business model.

Re: Airbnb “Bribes” Host with Cash Under NDA After Partiers Destroy Apartment

#210

Post by srtjstjsj » Fri, Mar 31, 2017, 4:43 AM UTC

jInflux wrote: post #83

I find it shocking that someone thought it was a good idea to list a flat on airbnb that they're only renting themselves. Largely in England subletting is not allowed under the terms of rental agreements.

This is AirBnB's entire business model.