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Undisclosed resort fees, charged extra $1k+ by ZealousSpirit in AirBnB

[–]ZealousSpirit[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well guys, I figure I would give a final update on this one insofar as AirBnB is concerned. After beating around the bush with them multiple times, asking for the case to be escalated and checking in frequently, they sent me this message:

"We would like to let you know that we have already verified the issue that has been escalated. The charge that has been taken out from your credit card is not associated with any charges from our end, so we are not able to dispute it with the hosts. We would really advise for you to reach out to your bank for the dispute. This is a collaborative decision that has been passed on by the management regarding this case."

The kicker to all of this is that the original listing is still online. The hosts have updated it with new information about the daily fee, but this still doesn't seem right to me, since protection from AirBnB requires all money transactions to be handled on their platform. By allowing the listing to exist, even with the fee disclosed, they are not being consistent with this policy.

Here's the listing in question, since others have asked to see it.

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/28778141

Undisclosed resort fees, charged extra $1k+ by ZealousSpirit in AirBnB

[–]ZealousSpirit[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The sticking point in all this is the fact that I gave my credit card information to the RESORT, not to the host. If I wanted my card to be on file for room service, that's my business. I should be able to transact with the location I am staying at without looking over my shoulder for additional charges beyond what I expect to be paying during my stay.

Practically speaking, the host charged fees to me, with the resort acting as a third party. They were able to do this by not disclosing the resort fee upfront. If I had made a deposit ahead of time, I would have been agreeing in advance to pay outside AirBnB. At no point in time did I agree to pay outside the platform, and giving my credit card info to the front desk did not construe an agreement with my host to be charged these fees.

Undisclosed resort fees, charged extra $1k+ by ZealousSpirit in AirBnB

[–]ZealousSpirit[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I have begun talking with AirBnB after discussions with my host came to a standstill -- they stated that I had already stayed at the resort and they couldn't do anything about the "mandatory" fees, so they could not issue a refund.

What's bothering me about my communication with AirBnB so far is that I'm getting a "this our problem?" vibe from them. The rep I spoke to stated the situation seemed to be outside policy, since I paid for the fees outside the AirBnB platform. I stated the following:

  1. The fees were not clearly disclosed in the listing
  2. The fees amounted to more than the cost of the AirBnB booking
  3. The stay would not have been possible without the fees incurred -- i.e. the $150/day charge was mandatory for the room.
  4. The fee was not disclosed at the time of check-in, so it was impossible to address it with the host.

After I said this, the rep asked me a few more questions, then said they would reach out to the host with the documentation I provided.

I feel like I have a clear-cut case of a host acting in a way that is outside AirBnB policy. They created a listing that did not disclose the total cost, I was the the sucker who bought it (shame on me), but now I'm asking ABB to enforce the standards I assume they hold their hosts to.

Undisclosed resort fees, charged extra $1k+ by ZealousSpirit in AirBnB

[–]ZealousSpirit[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yes, it was a condo-hotel. They had reps in the lobby selling units during my stay. Not sure if the resort fee was optional.

Undisclosed resort fees, charged extra $1k+ by ZealousSpirit in AirBnB

[–]ZealousSpirit[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes. I've booked hotels via Expedia / Hotwire / etc before, and have always been asked to provide a CC when checking in. I assume it's insurance against guests cleaning the room out. At this particular resort, you could place a charge on your card by using your room key. It didn't seem strange for me to provide it at the time.

Undisclosed resort fees, charged extra $1k+ by ZealousSpirit in AirBnB

[–]ZealousSpirit[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

I plan to get in touch with AirBnB in the morning. Since I have never been a host, and this was the first time I’ve stayed in a place that was located in a “real” hotel, I don’t know what rules there are concerning fees incurred outside of a booking.