Guest Gives Internet 'Another Reason to Hate Airbnb': 'It's a Scam'

In a now-viral post, an anonymous social media user said an Airbnb host placed him in a different unit at the last minute because they'd accidentally "overbooked" the first one.

Posting in Reddit's "Mildly Infuriating" forum under the username u/veritas__a3quitas__, the guest wrote: "If you needed another reason to hate Airbnb. Two weeks before our reservation, our host tells us he overbooked??" The post has amassed over 45,000 upvotes and more than 2,000 comments slamming the vacation rental platform. You can view the full post here.

Airbnb vs. Social Media

Redditor u/veritas__a3quitas__ isn't the first social media user to complain about Airbnb. On Sunday, Twitter user Texas Runner DFW went viral after posting a screenshot of a comment made in a Facebook group dedicated to Airbnb hosts. The anonymous host asked:

"Has anyone else seen a huge decrease in bookings over the last three to four months? We went from at least 50 percent occupancy to literally 0 percent [in] the last two months."

Thousands of Twitter users offered theories as to why bookings might be down, including a law student named Zaquanna Lloyd, who tweeted: "People are starting to realize [thet] hotels are cheaper, safer, [have] more amenities and [guests are] not restricted to using things in their own room. Also, people don't have time to search out the place for hidden cameras, etc.!"

Speaking to Newsweek, Lloyd said she's had several bad experiences with the vacation rental platform since creating an account in 2019.

"I have been asked to take out the trash or clean the area before leaving despite paying Airbnb cleaning fees," she told Newsweek. "I have also encountered a hidden camera [at] a property with no explanation or heads up through the app."

Lloyd also said hosts have declined several of her booking requests "without explanation."

'Mildly Infuriating'

In his post, u/veritas__a3quitas__ said he wound up staying in a space he "hated" during a recent getaway due to a booking error on his host's part.

The guest told Newsweek that he booked his rental "a few months before" his trip. Two weeks out, however, the host contacted him about an "availability conflict."

"I know your stay isn't for a couple [of] weekends from now, but I am having [an] availability conflict in the space that you rented," the host said, according to a screenshot included in the post. "I have availability in the loft [if] you would be open to staying in that [space] instead."

The poster told Redditors that he "hated" the loft unit but agreed to make the switch.

"It [was] 'quaint,' but it just [looked] old," he said of the loft. "[And] the 'a/c' [was] a window unit in the third story of a colonial house, in the PNW [Pacific Northwest], during summer. [It was] freaking 100 degrees outside and 85 inside."

Redditors React

Hundreds of Redditors said they'd suffered similar experiences with Airbnb and called the vacation rental platform a "scam."

"Our host told us two days before our arrival that they 'forgot to tell us' that they were redoing their roof that day, [and that] work would start at 6 a.m.," u/frederic_r said.

"We found out our Airbnb was double booked when we got to the cabin and [saw that] it was already occupied by guests that got there 15 minutes before us," u/Valkyrie-Online wrote.

Redditor u/Danceallknight commented: "Our Airbnb host canceled while we were driving to the place."

"Stop using Airbnb, simple. It's a scam and one of the big reasons nobody can afford rent now," u/missed_sla added.

Airbnb's Response

A spokesperson for the company told Newsweek that Airbnb has several safeguards in place for guests who experience cancelations, those who don't get what they booked or those who feel unsafe.

"While Host cancelations are rare, we recognize the impact they can have on guest plans, which is why we have fees and penalties in place to deter against this, including blocking the host's listing calendar to prevent new bookings over the same dates," the spokesperson said. "Meanwhile, AirCover provides guests with free protection from host cancelations and covers every booking, meaning guests can book with confidence, and in the unlikely event of an issue, our 24/7 support team is on hand to help."

According to the spokesperson, AirCover is free and covers four protections: a booking protection guarantee, a check-in guarantee, a get-what-you-booked guarantee, and a 24-hour safety line.

More Viral Posts

An Airbnb customer in Australia said a home she had booked was not only empty but also undergoing "massive renovation."

An ex-casino worker shocked the internet by revealing that he found a half-hidden camera at an Airbnb.

And a woman went viral after sharing that she booked an Airbnb that turned out to be an abandoned villa.

Updated 10/21/2022, 4:34 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with comments from the poster.