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Airbnb is banning indoor security cameras

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Re: Airbnb is banning indoor security cameras

#271

Post by shagie »

kibwen wrote: post #179
callalex wrote: post #136

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It only shows total price in markets where it is legally required to. Meaning they took the time to implement the feature and actively decided to be shitty to their customers when they are given the choice.

> they took the time to implement the feature and actively decided to be shitty to their customers when they are given the choice Ah, but companies have a fiduciary duty to their shareholders to be as shitty to their customers as they can get away with.

To help put an end to this meme...

Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. - https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/13-354

> While it is certainly true that a central objective of for-profit corporations is to make money, modern corporate law does not require for-profit corporations to pursue profit at the expense of everything else, and many do not do so. For-profit corporations, with ownership approval, support a wide variety of charitable causes, and it is not at all uncommon for such corporations to further humanitarian and other altruistic objectives. Many examples come readily to mind. So long as its owners agree, a for-profit corporation may take costly pollution-control and energy-conservation measures that go beyond what the law requires. A for-profit corporation that operates facilities in other countries may exceed the requirements of local law regarding working conditions and benefits. If for-profit corporations may pursue such worthy objectives, there is no apparent reason why they may not further religious objectives as well.

Re: Airbnb is banning indoor security cameras

#272

Post by EVa5I7bHFq9mnYK »

tensor wrote: post #216
mholt wrote: post #22

I'm worried this ban will only affect honest hosts. Anyway, what Airbnb should really ban is hosts charging a mandatory cleaning fee when also requiring their guests to do the cleaning. We just stayed at one this weekend, and like almost all our previous bookings, the host asked us to: - Take off all bedding and towels and start a load of laundry - Do all the dishes and start the dishwasher (but required to hand-wash…

I've also noticed that now some hosts are able to use external services and require a security deposit not managed through airbnb. Supposedly these are only via "airbnb approved platforms," but I still don't like it as there is no real oversight. For example, I found one that wanted almost $1000 as a deposit, and had a whole bunch of rules by which they would charge you extra. Not cleaning dishes, or not well enough…

That's even worse with Booking (half of their listings are now Airbnb-like rentals). After I paid the full non-refundable amount, I was requested to send an extra deposit, pass video-based verification, holding a passport next to my face, explain the purpose of my travel etc.

Re: Airbnb is banning indoor security cameras

#273

Post by usaar333 »

Scoundreller wrote: post #149
usaar333 wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Cleaning fees exist to charge a fixed fee for a reservation, regardless of the number of days. There's more overhead for a reservation beyond just "cleaning". The most consumer friendly thing would be for AirBnB to just explicitly have a fixed "stay" fee and a per-day fee. That said, AirBnB's site shows the total cost for a stay when browsing, so I don't really see this as particularly deceptive. I don't care how the…

> That said, AirBnB's site shows the total cost for a stay when browsing This depends on which site you’re browsing on. I don’t think US does this, but you can browse the AU or Canada version and set your price in $USD because those geographic “editions” have to post the all-in cost up-front.

I'm in California and see it

Re: Airbnb is banning indoor security cameras

#274

Post by barbazoo »

mholt wrote: post #22

I'm worried this ban will only affect honest hosts. Anyway, what Airbnb should really ban is hosts charging a mandatory cleaning fee when also requiring their guests to do the cleaning. We just stayed at one this weekend, and like almost all our previous bookings, the host asked us to: - Take off all bedding and towels and start a load of laundry - Do all the dishes and start the dishwasher (but required to hand-wash…

No come on, some of those are crazy, no one is expected to clean the oven after normal use.

I've seen this lots but I've never actually done any of the things they ask me to. Bringing out the garbage? Sure, but only if it's overflowing while I'm there. I will start the dishwasher. We've also never received a bad review so I think at least where we stayed, while those things are explained in their handbook or wherever there's no downside to just not doing them.

Re: Airbnb is banning indoor security cameras

#275

Post by usaar333 »

bonestamp2 wrote: post #161
usaar333 wrote: post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It could pretty easily be rolled into the advertised nightly rate. No it can't because the hosts are trying to charge a fixed fee per reservation.

They can still take that fixed fee and do what some hotels do and average the total cost of the stay across the number of nights booked to get a "nightly rate".

I don't think hosts have the ability to set variable nightly fees like that.

Re: Airbnb is banning indoor security cameras

#276

Post by usaar333 »

__derek__ wrote: post #142
usaar333 wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Cleaning fees exist to charge a fixed fee for a reservation, regardless of the number of days. There's more overhead for a reservation beyond just "cleaning". The most consumer friendly thing would be for AirBnB to just explicitly have a fixed "stay" fee and a per-day fee. That said, AirBnB's site shows the total cost for a stay when browsing, so I don't really see this as particularly deceptive. I don't care how the…

Airbnb sellers can charge a fixed fee directly by setting minimum stay lengths or by charging different nightly rates based on the length of stay (e.g., weekly and monthly stay discounts).

Former isn't the same thing and is in fact less efficient. Is latter actually possible on the platform?

Edit: At most latter is possible with complex rule sets. But I'm really not sure: https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2061

Re: Airbnb is banning indoor security cameras

#277

Post by barbazoo »

happytiger wrote: post #166

I’m stunned people still use AirBNB after most hosts turned their high paying customers into unpaid housekeepers.

Hasn't been a problem for me. I apply common sense and do the absolute minimum, usually starting the dishwasher. They can ask me to do whatever they want but it has no teeth. I've never seen one of our hosts complain in a review either.

Re: Airbnb is banning indoor security cameras

#278

Post by FireBeyond »

lupusreal wrote: post #69
throwaway290 wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> if a guest uses every dish in the kitchen without doing a wash up, they cleaning crew could be there for hours If it is $200 then that should cover 10 man hours of cleaning in a developed country. I had similar issues as a guest on Airbnb, paid a cleaning fee $100+ and then had complaints that I left food in the fridge (like normal a pack of milk or something not growing new lifeforms) and couch pillow on the floor…

Have you tried to hire a cleaning person recently? $200 will get a small apartment cleaned, maybe. For a thorough cleaning of a modest house prepare to pay 2-3x that at least.

I'm just outside Seattle. My 2,500 sq ft 4br 3.5ba home gets cleaned every two weeks by two, sometimes three, people, for a minimum of 2 hours, usually 2.5, up to 3.

$165.

When they deep clean? $250.

Re: Airbnb is banning indoor security cameras

#279

Post by ghaff »

ryukoposting wrote: post #218
xvector wrote: post #16

I almost forgot how annoying Airbnb is until I started staying in hotels again. I will gladly take a smaller property in exchange for dealing with people that have actual hospitality training, daily room cleaning, room service, etc. Hotels are just a nicer experience. I don't want to spend my vacation cleaning the room or worrying about a "host."

Agreed. The Airbnb of today is a far cry from its early days. Back then, the annoyances of an Airbnb were tolerable because rates were competitive with hotels, and you got more space and a proper kitchen. Nowadays, it really only makes sense if you're renting as a group. Small, affordable Airbnbs just don't exist anymore. Airbnb knows this - just look at their new ad campaign. Not sure if that was inevitable as the c…

I have stayed in AirBnBs once or twice as an individual and was happy with both the accommodations and the pricing relative to other options. That said, a lot of "the hotel experience just doesn't work" is mostly about groups or large families. As an individual or a couple I'll generally take the relative predictability of a hotel or a traditional B&B.

Re: Airbnb is banning indoor security cameras

#280

Post by jerlam »

biomcgary wrote: post #139
_yb2s wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At this point the cleaning fees are just a scam to make the listing fee seem artificially lower. People did the same thing on eBay by making the items almost free but the shipping expensive, until they fixed the eBay interface, e.g. by letting you sort by price + shipping and showing shipping fees before you click.

Airbnb is a marketplace with a much wider range of "products" than standard hotels. I have found stays that fit my needs far better than any hotel ever could. I am both a host on Airbnb and frequent guest. Airbnb's UI needs to guide prospective guests toward specifying what they are looking for so that prices (and price sorting) actually meets their expectations. If you search for a specific date range with # of gues…

Your persona feature is interesting but I feel that every Airbnb owner would also game it so they end up in the category with the highest prices, just like they're gaming the reviews.

Hotels have a star rating so that I never go to a two-star hotel expecting a four-star experience. These star ratings are done independently, and I don't trust Airbnb to provide objectivity when the owners are going to strongly push back against an "unfair" rating, and Airbnb will capitulate especially for superhosts and others who have influence.

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