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Illegal host, electric shocks, slugs, leaks and no support – How Airbnb failed

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Re: Illegal host, electric shocks, slugs, leaks and no support – How Airbnb failed

#401

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's rules and regulations against it, for one. Should locals be allowed to do whatever they want on their property with no regards to how it will impact neighbours and local economy? There's a reason we have zoning laws, etc, in place. There's lots of things we stop locals from doing because it's for the better of the community as a whole, and renting out short-term to tourists should be one (and, again, it somet…

Locals should absolutely have the right and power to change their local laws to prohibit Airbnb. However, I'm not going to feel guilty for using Airbnb in places where it's legal, because it's simply a better product than hotels by a long shot (when it works).

I'd be willing to bet that in most places they're not legal, there's just nobody enforcing it. They're willfully in violation of a lot of rules and regulations that are already in place. And harming the locals so entitled tourists can think they're at home.

Re: Illegal host, electric shocks, slugs, leaks and no support – How Airbnb failed

#402
post #274

I used to enjoy Airbnb until I ended up in a place with bedbugs. Never again.

Agree with the other commentator, that can happen literally anywhere in the world. Bedbugs are THE human parasite, fuck em but they're everywhere. You should do your due diligence when staying or traveling anywhere, before putting bags down or sleeping in a new space.

Re: Illegal host, electric shocks, slugs, leaks and no support – How Airbnb failed

#403

Airbnb and hotels both have their place. Airbnb is at it's best in spots like coastal California where a place with outdoor space, cute decor, and a kitchen is really nice AND you can always go to a Holiday Inn off the 101 if things go sideways. Avoid in places you haven't been to before or when you'd be really screwed if it ended up being unsuitable.

AirBnB works in my opinion best for very remote, or not-tourist travelled places. Where you're going to the island of Sørøya, for example, and there's literally no hotel space or otherwise accommodations available. Unfortunately, big business management companies exist in Norway too... go figure.

Re: Illegal host, electric shocks, slugs, leaks and no support – How Airbnb failed

#404
post #178

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Just because some tech bros with sexist issues can make an app and a service without customer service does not mean jack shit. this is an ad hominem attack and not helpful -- Kalanick's personal problems are separate from Uber's product and services

It was not just him, it was on a wide scale, he was dismissed because it all hapoenednon his watch, unless I am grossly mistaken.Guy is not fit to run a business, if he is not in jail for breaching laws with his products, then somebody should be sent to the slammer for sexaul assault, wouldnt you agree this is crossing the last and final taboos in society and law? Sexual misconduct is punishable by prison in the us.…

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Re: Illegal host, electric shocks, slugs, leaks and no support – How Airbnb failed

#405
post #274

I used to enjoy Airbnb until I ended up in a place with bedbugs. Never again.

Agree with the other commentator, that can happen literally anywhere in the world. Bedbugs are THE human parasite, fuck em but they're everywhere. You should do your due diligence when staying or traveling anywhere, before putting bags down or sleeping in a new space.

I understand that for you I am “a random someone went somewhere”. So from your point of view it might make sense that talking about things that “can happen anywhere” makes some sense.

What you need to understand is that for me I am not just “someone who went somewhere”. This was something that really happened to me personally and it was extremely uncomfortable and I’d rather not delve on the details. That is why a statistic-based argument makes no sense to me. I will never use Airbnb, ever again, because it left me both physically and mentally scarred. It’s not an abstract ethereous thing for me.

Re: Illegal host, electric shocks, slugs, leaks and no support – How Airbnb failed

#406

Earlier quoted context omitted.

AirBnB homes are so much nicer than those sterile corporate chains. It is not the same experience.

So, again, it comes down to the entitlement felt by travellers.

Not sure what you think my point was or how that remark relates to it.

Re: Illegal host, electric shocks, slugs, leaks and no support – How Airbnb failed

#407

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>You mean a hotel? Hotels are not inadequate for longer stays. If someone desires the comforts of a home, they can move there and actually rent/buy a home. What about a middle ground. If I go somewhere for 2-4 weeks? For that length of time I kind of want a proper kitchen, which I won't get in a hotel, but obviously it is not long enough to actually rent/buy a home.

This is exactly the entitlement I am speaking of. You want to go somewhere for an extended period. You want a proper kitchen. Your expectation is that the residents of a town or TheMarket should just... accomodate your desires? Regardless of their housing market, QoL, infrastructure, etc.? Sheesh, jamie. I typically eschew using this term, but someone taking a 2-4 week vacation is already highly privileged to be able…

Well, he wants and he is willing to pay, it's not like he's demanding it for free. The residents and the town should price it accordingly so that both sides benefit from the deal.

Following your logic, going to the bakery to buy bread instead of making it myself is "entitled" and disregards the baker's quality of life since he'd be much more comfortable sleeping than waking up at 5am to start preparing the bread.

Re: Illegal host, electric shocks, slugs, leaks and no support – How Airbnb failed

#409

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Hotels are great. You got to be kidding? Last time I’ve used AirBnb it was a 1 bedroom half of the house, shady, private area with a creek, private yes - but in a walking distance to the downtown. I had a full kitchen, an office place to put my computer and monitor in and a personal, fast Internet connection. I even had a shed to put my bicycle in without a need to drag it into the house. The host configured the lo…

Where was this?

Dropped pin Near 5145 Antone Rd, Mariposa, CA 95338 https://goo.gl/maps/oeVqaChM9cRnNXKd6

Re: Illegal host, electric shocks, slugs, leaks and no support – How Airbnb failed

#410
post #313
post #281

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is a budget hotel chain in the UK (premierInn) where if you complain you get a free breakfast and if you make your complaint official you will get a full refund. They have remained profitable for many years despite the obvious incentive for people to make unwarranted complaints.

This, I think, is the critical difference. If I get a hotel room, enter it, and discover anything is out of joint, I can walk downstairs and ask the manager for a refund, or at least a different room. If the same thing happens with an Airbnb, and the host has no interest in helping, you are basically out of luck.

If your hotel reservation is not refundable - you are out of your luck. You can potentially get refund from credit card company, as I once did, but the same is available for AirBnb - never tried though, was no need.
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