My daughter used my credit card to book a five-month stay using Airbnb after taking up an internship in Toronto. After the host accepted the booking, she got an email saying the price for the overall stay had increased by £4,000 – a further 39%.
Panicked, and unable to afford the extra sum, she cancelled. Airbnb has taken a £1,962 fee, plus a further £682 for cleaning and taxes. As my daughter cancelled immediately, it is extremely unlikely that a booking was lost.
Airbnb is endlessly quoting T&Cs and says it has asked the host to return the money, but he won’t. It feels as if it has assisted this man to perpetuate what looks like a scam.
JS, by email
I am amazed Airbnb didn’t sort this out in your favour before I became involved. A request for an extra 39% payment after the booking had been made – seriously? Happily, the company has now refunded you in full.
It told you that you should have declined the host’s request for the extra sum. It would then have been up to the host to decide whether to go ahead at the original price, or to cancel.
You have to wonder who at the company came up with the T&Cs that allowed such a request to stand, but all’s well that ends well. I hope your daughter enjoys Toronto.
We welcome letters but cannot answer individually. Email us at consumer.champions@theguardian.com or write to Consumer Champions, Money, the Guardian, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Please include a daytime phone number. Submission and publication of all letters is subject to our terms and conditions.
