DUMP AirBnB right away. They are kissing Trumps ass all the way. The CEO is very… very proud to be part of DOGE. Fuck them.
Airbnb will now show users the total cost of their stay right away
Submitted 3 weeks ago by Tea@programming.dev to technology@lemmy.world
https://news.airbnb.com/total-price-display-is-now-standard-globally/
Comments
Wimster@lemmy.wtf 3 weeks ago
JovialSodium@lemmy.sdf.org 3 weeks ago
Gross. I didn’t know that. I do occasionally use AirBnB. I’m aware of their impact on the rental market, so I favor hotels most of the time. But there have been a few occasions in recent years where I was traveling in a larger group and an AirBnB made more sense. But no more of that.
I looked in to this a little, and Joe Gebbia is no longer the CEO, but he is still on the board. Still a good enough reason to boycott.
fritobugger2017@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
too little too late.
SirEDCaLot@lemmy.today 3 weeks ago
This 100%.
AirBnB used to be cheaper than a hotel. Then it got so easy to tack on fees and ridiculous requirements that you’re basically paying more than a hotel to housekeep your own room. Mix in lots of shady hosts and most of the time I’d rather just stay at the Hilton for the same price.It can still be useful as a novelty, like book a party house somewhere or as easily cheaper way to house an awful lot of people. But for the most part, I’ll pass.
lka1988@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 weeks ago
Airbnb was started to offer up your free space to someone for a night for a bit of cash, and that was it. Then the morons found out and bought whole ass houses specifically to rent out on Airbnb.
People ruin everything.
fritobugger2017@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Yup. I used AirBnB when they first started and it wasn’t terrible but then it became a huge hassle. Don’t give me a list of chores and then I might get penalty fees if I don’t do them right. Plus all the other damn fees. I don’t even bother to look at ABnB any more
0x01@lemmy.ml 3 weeks ago
5 years too late, hotels have been cheaper and better for a while now. All of these companies that touted revolutionizing industries have just become worse versions.
Netflix, airbnb, uber, etc all of them are worse for people than the things they replaced
Viri4thus@feddit.org 3 weeks ago
Richard Wolf had a very good take on all of these Silicon Valley “disruptors”. It’s basically been the neoliberal US american MO for the past quarter century:
Step 1: get a bunch VC money by promising the moon Step 2: “disrupt” by undercutting the established moon due to lack of regulation. Even though it’s an inferior product, it’s VC subsidised, so it’s cheaper than the established businesses. Step 3: due to lack of regulation, your business drives established operators to bankruptcy. Step 4: become the monopoly and suck as much money as possible from your customers to generate “shareholder value”
Coyote_sly@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
American business practices summed up for pretty much my entire lifetime right here. No wonder we live in such a shit hole - society as a whole has mortgaged and undercut for an entire generation.
refurbishedrefurbisher@lemmy.sdf.org 3 weeks ago
It’s almost like capitalism is an inherently broken system or something
criss_cross@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
I’ve been the weird one in my friend group because I’ve refused to use Airbnb. Why would I want a less guaranteed place to stay that doesn’t have amenities and now costs more?
mbirth@lemmy.ml 3 weeks ago
Yep, the one time I’ve tried to use AirBnB I had booked a nice place way in advance only to get it cancelled a few weeks later b/c the owner apparently needed it for something else. Or realised there was an event during that time where he could get more money.
Contrary to that, when the hotel we had booked for some time during Covid realised they weren’t open for the public yet, they moved our booking to a nearby higher tier partner hotel and they then even upgraded us. You won’t get this with AirBnB, I guess.
sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 3 weeks ago
hotels have been cheaper and better for a while now
Strongly disagree. Here’s stuff I hate about hotels:
- housekeeping - just leave me alone and clean up when I leave
- rarely have separate bedrooms - I have young kids, so we can’t use the room once they go to sleep
- parking lot is a crime magnet
- more expensive for larger groups - we often travel w/ friends, so there’s often 10 or so of us
- minimal included entertainment - usually just TV and maybe pool; airbnbs often have kids toys, private hot tub, etc
Airbnbs are essentially the inverse of all of that.
We occasionally go to hotels, but if we can find an airbnb that’s a similar price for the scale we need, we go for that every time.
0x01@lemmy.ml 3 weeks ago
For large groups I suppose airbnbs are more reasonable, though it’s honestly not that big of a difference in pricing for vacation rentals.
Housekeeping is easy, just put the little do not disturb sign up, they won’t bug you.
I don’t have an opinion on the other stuff though.
4shtonButcher@discuss.tchncs.de 3 weeks ago
I share a lot of of the criticism towards AirBnB. However, I’ve often ended up using them either way. We travel with a dog and a toddler. They need to be allowed in the first place. And ideally we get a kitchen, a separate room so we can still have normal noise and light when the kid sleeps. Often we even find Airbnbs with toys, kids books, dog beds, treats on the table when we arrive, …
You simply don’t get that in hotels. At least not in a price range I’ve considered so far
FunnyUsername@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
i don’t think people need to justify Airbnb’s, it’s a great alternative to a hotel for many reasons including those you listed. What needs to be addressed is the damage the shareholders who are running the company are doing to society. let’s not give them too much credit about this choice: they are still sucking up homes from homeowners and removing money from the middle class. they only made this change because someone realized it will make them more money.
turmacar@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
They’re footnote section is doing a lot of work.
1 In some countries and regions taxes are included in the total price displayed. The total price including taxes is always displayed prior to checkout.
They also either don’t know how notations work, or the AI they’re using to generate this doesn’t because it has a separate footnote with that same sentence later on.
I would be thoroughly unsurprised if some EU or other regulation came into effect that they have to do this, and now they’re taking credit for being consumer friendly.
4shtonButcher@discuss.tchncs.de 3 weeks ago
I guess: great concept, shitty company.
Like with so many “tech giants”, they had a great idea but greed is spoiling it. I wish we had more “public infrastructure” for this. I’d love to have OSS, tax-funded or at least heavily regulated SoMe, video sharing, home swapping/renting, local marketplace, … Those should not be industries, they should be part of our society’s fabric like the fire department or trash pick-up.
Ledericas@lemm.ee 3 weeks ago
especially corporate landlords are even worst, they are doing the same,.
lemmylommy@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
I must admit that I am biased in that regard, but still I believe blaming Airbnb is mostly a distraction. Even in the worst of the worst places like Barcelona they reach around 10% of rental properties. Usually it’s a few percent in touristy places and much less everywhere else. Is it good for renters? Of course not. But it’s not the biggest factor, by far.
Now if I look at the whole rental market in my country, Germany, what’s on Airbnb is just a drop in the bucket. And still people are struggling to pay rent, especially in the cities. Even in those places that nobody in their right mind would go as a tourist unless threatened with serious physical harm.
Rents here started increasing uncomfortably after rental properties owned by local governments were privatized for a quick buck. Those new, publicly traded companies quickly raised rents sharply, because of course they have to earn back what they paid for the properties, plus a nice payout to investors. For the last two decades they have continued raising rents, neglecting maintenance and bought each other until now we the biggest company alone has almost half a million rental units, in a country of 80 million people. Of course, they don’t own three houses in villages here and there, but whole blocks in cities, with local market shares of up to 25%. That is much more significant than a few percent that are lost to tourism.
And don’t get me started on cost of construction, the chronic lack of new buildings, empty real estate owned by speculators or money launderers,… or I might rant again 😉
sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 3 weeks ago
Exactly!
I have young kids, and airbnbs offer a lot that hotels don’t, and they don’t have the crap I hate about hotels (housekeeping, sketchy parking lot, etc).
Surely we can find a solution where you and I can get what we want, while residents get what they want.
blarghly@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Yeah, I mean, there is a solution. Liberalized zoning and Georgist tax policies. The problem is rarely that there is a lack of space to live - it is that that space is poorly utilized. And this is true because (1) it is illegal to build what people want where they want it in many places and (2) investors and homeowners speculate on land value without providing value to anyone else.
slaacaa@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
booking.com
4shtonButcher@discuss.tchncs.de 3 weeks ago
Tried that many times. It has given me the exact same place for slightly cheaper than AirBnB once. Other times it was more expensive but most often of simply had worse choices.
primemagnus@lemmy.ca 3 weeks ago
TOO LATE!
These companies are unbelievable. Create the most predatory system on the planet and when their bottom line tanks they turn around like they didn’t create the very thing they now want to “fix”.
Anyone have an ETA on the rocket to the sun?
UltraGiGaGigantic@lemmy.ml 3 weeks ago
Getting a rocket to the sun is easy. Getting it back is the hard part. For your use case, I think we can make it happen right now if we really tried.
stevedice@sh.itjust.works 3 weeks ago
Even by space flight standards, getting a rocket to the sun is very hard.
psycho_driver@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
I stopped using their site for anything years ago. This was one of the main reasons. Too little too late for me.
Hyphlosion@lemm.ee 3 weeks ago
What. The. Fuck.
They haven’t been doing this from the beginning? That’s shady as all hell.
bitjunkie@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
They had it originally and when they removed it is when I stopped using them. Like every other fucking “Uber of” tech company, they couldn’t compete with the traditional thing they were trying to “disrupt” once the VC money dried up, and tried to cover for that with deception. Fuck them, I’ll just book a hotel.
Ledericas@lemm.ee 3 weeks ago
the only way there were going to disrupt is offer a cheaper sustainable service, that turned out to be the opposite in the long run, and airbnb has even caused harm in housing too.
OsrsNeedsF2P@lemmy.ml 3 weeks ago
before taxes
Why is the West like this
Noodle07@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
We always see prices after tax in the EU
Sixtyforce@sh.itjust.works 3 weeks ago
Unfortunately, Canada too. Very annoying.
standarduser@lemm.ee 3 weeks ago
Feeding on the simple minded and ensuring the feeling of taxes is like the devil.
BackgrndNoize@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Wouldn’t this mane Americans uncomfortable, they aren’t used to seeing the actual cost if something until one step away from checkout, or sometimes not even then.
A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Theres been only a couple times in my life where I considered an AirBnB over a motel/hotel.
Every time I ended up staying at the Hotel/Motel, because it ended up being cheaper.
I remember looking at an airbnb that was like 25 dollars a night, and went to check out… and had to do a fucking comic book double take because the 25 dollars a night (was only needing it for one night) ended up being like 250 dollars thanks to bullshit cleaning fees and other exploitative, hidden bullshit.
the motel I ended up at instead was only 75 bucks all in.
sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 3 weeks ago
Are you traveling alone? If so, that makes a ton of sense.
I’ve had a really good experience w/ airbnbs, but we generally go as larger groups (i.e. 2-3 families, so 10 or so people). We check the fees and whatnot before signing up so there are no surprises, and generally speaking, it ends up cheaper for us vs a hotel.
Lemmynated@lemmy.zip 3 weeks ago
For me it was about the tiny houses attched to the back of peoples properties in the forests and mountains. Hotels can’t compete with finding a spot out nature way.
But after finding out about the DOGE shit i wont eber be using them again.
TheDeadlySquid@lemm.ee 3 weeks ago
In future news, AirBnB has gone bankrupt due to lack of bookings.
Zwuzelmaus@feddit.org 3 weeks ago
Total price display? Always been there. Always been a legal requirement.
(Not in your place? LOL)
sparky@lemmy.federate.cc 3 weeks ago
Laughs in European
SocialMediaRefugee@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
I remember when things like Uber and Air BnB came along the media was saying it was the death of cab companies and hotels. Well enshittification marches on and they’ve both become bogged down in costs, fees, rules, etc.
Ledericas@lemm.ee 3 weeks ago
and it has mostly reversed, now cabs/ or other rideshares and hotels are lower costs.
x00z@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Any alternatives? Especially European?
FiskFisk33@startrek.website 3 weeks ago
hotels/hostels?
CmdrShepard42@lemm.ee 3 weeks ago
Not quite hotel space as I have yet to find a hotel that can accommodate several families traveling together with a shared space, including a fully stocked kitchen, washer and dryer, parking, etc. There’s definitely a demand for something like this that isn’t filled in any other way.
acchariya@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
If you are looking for a permanent place somewhere in Europe, it’s very difficult to quickly find monthly or weekly rentals with the appropriate monthly or weekly discount you will find on Airbnb. I don’t discount it’s négatives, but with the paperwork burden to find a medium or long term place in many areas in Europe Airbnb does the best job of cutting through all of that and getting you a place now
iopq@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Without airbnb more hotels would be built instead of apartment buildings. The tourists will get a place to sleep eventually, you just have to decide whether it’s in an apartment or a hotel. That will determine future construction projects
x00z@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Great point. Hostels seem very fun.
cotlovan@lemm.ee 3 weeks ago
Booking.com they also have private hosts on their platform
Sighpolice@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Never book flights through booking.com, they use a third party company called GoToGate who have the worst customer service possible and do not refund, and only try to charge for more.
NotJohnSmith@feddit.uk 3 weeks ago
HomeExchange looks good and is European.
It naturally lacks the depth of listings that Airbnb does but will grow if people use them
slaacaa@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
I never stayed in an Airbnb, always found easier and/or better options at hotels, or an apartment at booking.com. People act like Airbnb came up with the concept of renting apartments, while websites like this have been doing this for a decade by the time it came around.
fyzzlefry@retrolemmy.com 3 weeks ago
I stopped using them the minute they said they had to store a copy of my ID.
giorovv@feddit.it 3 weeks ago
I’d shoot myself rather than using Airbnb again.
homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Is that because their founder joined trump’s team and they face a massive boycott?
slaacaa@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Capitalism breeds innovation
jqubed@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
I’m glad to see them doing what they should’ve done all along, but doing what they should’ve been doing also doesn’t merit praise.
NigelFrobisher@aussie.zone 3 weeks ago
(The cost was fascism)
jjjalljs@ttrpg.network 3 weeks ago
I read that airbnb lead to rents rise, because it made it so easy for landlords to run their property like hotels. I don’t use them, and kind of think lowly of people that are like “well it’s convenient so i don’t care”.
BedSharkPal@lemmy.ca 3 weeks ago
This. They help destroy housing markets.
expatriado@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
whole hotels and motels run at low capacity utilization
umbrella@lemmy.ml 3 weeks ago
further destroy housing markets.
investors are already doibg their work, too.
Thedogdrinkscoffee@lemmy.ca 3 weeks ago
While Air B&B has done irreperable harm to the housing market, I’m not 100% convinced it should be banned. I propose if a house operates as an enterprise, it be taxed according to commercial rates, not residential. It would go a long way to resolving the inequities.
HubertManne@piefed.social 3 weeks ago
this. it should be taxed like any other hotel/motel
jjjalljs@ttrpg.network 3 weeks ago
I imagine there are some “written in blood” laws and regulations that apply to hotels that airbnb is ignoring, too. That should also be addressed.
Album@lemmy.ca 3 weeks ago
Yep instead of lowering rent because your unit is unaffordable you just buy up and rent them all out creating housing scarcity and prices will increase right up until the point ppl can’t afford to vacation anymore… Which is pretty much now anyway.
The Snake is going to eat it’s tail.
hornedfiend@sopuli.xyz 3 weeks ago
don’t forget the rudeness of some people. they behave like the whole building is a hotel and they can do whatever they damn well please.
If it were up to me, I would obliterate this concept. Hotels are for holidays, not people’s houses where everyone brings along their holiday brains and are being generally disrespectful towards the communities.
mbirth@lemmy.ml 3 weeks ago
In Paris, France, government officials went around the inner city area and forcefully removed all unofficial key safes from buildings. That’s how all cities should handle this.
However, some years ago there was a news story going around about one person that owns various different places in Berlin, all listed under different names on AirBnB and that person barely visits those places as he has cleaning people do everything in between bookings. They only pocket the huge amounts of money while doing nothing. And the description to find the door key was like “find the public bicycle rack and look for the broken bike with a pink frame, the key will be under the saddle” and there were specific instructions to not talk to anyone in that building. So they definitely knew that this was kind of a grey area…
sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 3 weeks ago
Hotels suck.
Not sure what this is, every time I use an airbnb I treat the place as if I lived there, because that’s why I’m selecting an airbnb instead of a hotel. We often leave the place better than it was when we got there.
Surely there’s some way to preserve the benefits of airbnb while cutting down on the abusers.
shark_phenomenon@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
It was a nice concept in the 2010a when it was like an advanced version of Couchsurfing or a digital version of a homestay. Then of course it became an unsustainable business model and went to dogs when it became a money making scheme for finance bros to buy up housing and charge 4-star hotel prices.
jqubed@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Where I feel like they have a suitable place is for vacation rentals. Like when I was a kid our family would rent a house at the beach for a week as our summer vacation. The beach we’d go to had several real estate companies that would manage the rentals and published little booklets every year with the listings. The houses were privately owned, though, so as Airbnb and especially VRBO came along this gave the homeowners another option that was perhaps less expensive than the agencies. These are houses in a vacation area, though, generally not taking away housing from locals. This also was traditionally a family that owned one extra house for family getaways and trying to rent it out when they weren’t using it, not investors creating “hotel” chains. Setting up what is effectively a hotel in a residential area and cutting off housing from people who need it should be an obvious problem yet many people don’t recognize it.
HubertManne@piefed.social 3 weeks ago
yeah I get things like its the only option yet somehow people traveled and found a place to stay before it existed.
catloaf@lemm.ee 3 weeks ago
Originally, they did fill a niche. If you have a big group of people, a hotel breaks the group up into rooms. Airbnb lets you have one place all to yourself.
Nowadays it’s gone to shit with low quality spaces, hotels listing themselves on Airbnb, stuff like that. I hope there’s a middle ground.
freeman@feddit.org 3 weeks ago
I think it shouldnt be on the consumers but on the lawmaker. Tax airbnbs like real bnbs or like hotels or there are many other levers that can be pulled to make it less profitable than renting to locals
Ledericas@lemm.ee 3 weeks ago
partially right, but its usually the corporate real estate companies doing this, they buy up the HOUSES and just air bnb, or rent them forever, without even selling any of the houses.
iopq@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
It means there’s not enough construction. If apartments were used as hotels, then more construction would offset increase in prices