Wow @David Oberlander... While I completely understand your feelings here, and how you would not consider Airbnb to be the best result in your own cost/benefit analysis, you could not be more wrong about Airbnb.
If your muni assesses those taxes you´re concerned about, it´s your responsibility (just as any other person representing their self-employment income) to handle your taxes. I pay my taxes just fine, and have had no problems.
Of course, it's the "hotel's" responsibility to collect and pay the taxes but since Airbnb neglects to inform their Hosts of that how many are going to be on the hook when their muni catches up with them?
You´re complaining about their 3% fee for hosts? You realize that this is no more (on average) than you would pay for any merchant account to accept credit cards, AND you have the benefit of a global booking engine and PMS to boot.
I'm actually complaining about the 12% they collect from the Guests in addition to the extra fees and Host charges. And what would I want with PreMenstrual Syndrome? Do I look like I have a uterus??
Engines like Expedia and Booking.com charge hotels anywhere from 15-40% of their bookings, for reference, so 3% is hardly a burden to bear.
Priceline charges 15% and Expedia 25% for example. But if you're a 20 room hotel with empty rooms then it just another expense. Plus I've seen Expedia charge 25% higher for the same room. So it doesn't come out of the hotel's pocket.
Who told you Airbnb makes a practice of removing bad reviews to ensure everybody´s rating?
How about Boston University?
http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id...
I can tell you for absolute fact that that is untrue - we´ve experienced some dreadful reviews, and have left a few of our own, and barring inappropriate language nothing has been censored.
Guess again!
http://maphappy.org/2015/05/why-you-really-cant-tr...
Now link your listing on Airbnb here so everyone can see your reviews. Bet you're averaging 4.5 stars or better ROFLMAO
Their insurance policy is perfectly functional, and I´m not sure where you´re saying ¨nobody´s been able to use it¨, and verification is performed by providing an official ID linked to matching social profiles.
Here's the insurance answer.
http://www.tnooz.com/article/homeaway-thinks-1m-ai...
And do you really think I'm stupid enough to give out my driver's license and SS number
over the internet. LMAO
Look for problems and complaints, and you´ll find them (usually perpetuated by people who´ve had little exposure). Like I´m said, I´m really not trying to convince you one way or another - and I´m sorry for the bad experience you´ve had thus far - I´d just rather not see misinformation perpetuated.
Misinformation? The only one I see spreading misinfo is you. Oh and the Venture capital people who put money into Airbnb recently. Airbnb is on track to LOSE $150 million this year. An accountant told me 30 years ago the value of a business losing money. "It's worthless" and not worth 24 billion. But you don't see is that those VC guys are working on the Bernie Madoff finance plan. They'll cash out of this Ponzi scheme after the IPO hits next year.
