doesn’t change the fact that this is a really crappy experience.”
I was beyond excited to book a month-long stay in an Airbnb for my girlfriend and I, so four days before the stay, I made the booking. I wanted to save a bit of money, so I accidentally put in 1 guest instead of 2, as it usually didn’t make a difference in the charge. Little did I know, I had just made a costly mistake.
When I went to add the extra guest, I found that it would cost an extra $2,000 a month – insane for two people sharing a double bed. The initial price was $3,000, so paying $5,000 for a couple was ridiculous. I knew I had to do something, so within 24 hours of booking I reached out to the host. Unfortunately, they were firm on the price and wouldn’t budge.
I was honest with the host and asked if there was any way I could get a full refund, as I couldn’t afford $5,000. Little did I know, the host had the strict cancellation policy enabled and because it was a last-minute booking, there were no refunds. I pleaded with the host and Airbnb support to refund me, as no time had been lost on the host’s listing since I had just booked it hours ago. Unfortunately, the host said no and refused to refund me a penny.
I was stuck in a bind – I couldn’t afford the $5,000, and my girlfriend needed somewhere to stay. I had no other choice but to cancel the listing, meaning I lost the $3,000 I had already paid. It felt like I had just gone through a 48 hour fever dream. I know all of the hosts are going to say “too bad”, but the fact remains that this was a really crappy experience.