Sadly, AirBnB has failed for me more than 90% of the time. In NYC there were overtly shady people, such as a dude who had at least 3 accounts, 2 of which he would pose as women. However, the biggest problems are flakes and people who list their apartment as being available when it really isn't. To AirBnB's credit, housing in NYC is shady to begin with, and the one time it worked, it was great.
So far about 50% of the rooms I've tried to book on AirBNB turned out to be "not available", even though they were listed as available on the site. It's the fault of flaky hosts but these people aren't being screened effectively at present.
It's sad to say this is true. In many cases, it's just as cheap, if not cheaper, to use Starwood SPG.com or Priceline, plus you get free points or have points to use from a credit card. You also know that while it won't be as personalized an experience as AirBnB, you know that bedsheets will be clean, there is maid service, decent amenities (like a pool or workout room), and room service often at the same price for AirBnB. And you also earn points for your stay.
Traveling in Australia I found the prices for nicer AirBnB listings were the same as many hotels or weekly apartments. It was easier to just check out weekly rentals posted in the window of of a realty office. Plus, in Australia the listed price is the price, whereas AirBnB drags in the obnoxious American custom of tacking on extra fees right at the very end of the transaction.
However, I will say that the one time AirBnB worked for me, the person was renting out their apartment like a hotel. She had a maid clean it up and even left me mini soaps. It was way better than a hotel.
To me this message of yours is a learning to make note of: "Plus, in Australia the listed price is the price, whereas AirBnB drags in the obnoxious American custom of tacking on extra fees right at the very end of the transaction."
When we take any service to a different country / continent, we need to take into account the local practices of the place (especially pricing) and build it into the system, wherever possible.
As an American, I can tell you that we find the practice of tacking on fees just as obnoxious as everyone else does. If you're a business extending the 'courtesy' of posting actual prices to other countries, we'd appreciate it if you'd also do it for us.
