Calgarian warns of uphill battle to get back $3,300 Airbnb cancellation fee
CBC
Calgarian Steve Smith says the past couple of weeks have been filled with sleepless nights and dead-end bot conversations on Airbnb's portal as his family tried to convince the online rental platform to return a $3,300 cancellation fee on a Toronto summer rental.
Smith says his son, who is attending university in Ontario, was looking for a place to stay for four months when he found a listing of interest on Airbnb earlier this month.
A couple of days later — after his son told the host "thanks, but no thanks" — the family noticed a charge of $3,322.71 on Smith's credit card. That's roughly equivalent to one month's stay at the furnished studio suite.
"We felt violated, taken advantage of, fooled, frauded — all those bad things," said Smith.
Smith says his son believed he was negotiating a contract and then terminated it without confirming anything.
But he says the host and Airbnb disagreed.
Then the same day that CBC News reached out to the host and Airbnb, the family learned they would be getting their money back.
In an email, Airbnb told CBC News the host had agreed to the refund.
"We're happy, relieved that the matter has been properly resolved," said Smith.
"(But) I worry about others who have had similar experiences to our son, and who don't have the wherewithal, other resources or the support to pursue a proper resolution."
Smith says his son was having a hard time finding a place to rent in Toronto this summer, so he decided to search the listings on Airbnb.
When his son set up his account, he needed a credit card. The limit on his student card was too small, so he used his dad's card.
Smith says his son then inquired on Jan. 5 about a studio apartment in Toronto's entertainment district by clicking the "Reserve" button on the listing. The rent was listed at more than $3,000 per month.
Almost exactly 12 hours later, on the morning of Jan. 6, the host's representative accepted the request.