An Airbnb host has faced huge criticism after being accused of attempting to triple the price of a person’s stay in New Orleans when they learned they were going to see Taylor Swift.
The home-hosting website Airbnb can be a great alternative for cheap accommodation on short stays, but it is not without its faults, as some guests have been left horrified by finding hidden cameras and tunnels within the house.
One woman has opened up about her bad experience, revealing that a host attempted to triple the price she paid for a stay after finding out Taylor Swift was in town.
TikToker Ariel Stewart shared screenshots of the messages she claims were between herself and the host in a viral clip, which has been viewed 3.4 million times.
In the post caption, Stewart explained: “An Airbnb host tried to not only get me to pay triple after accepting my reservation for the nightly rate as posted but wanted me to cancel after it was their own fault for not paying attention to dates.”
Pictures shared by Stewart appear to show she had booked a stay between 24 October and 26 October and had told the host, Heather, that she was attending a nearby Taylor Swift concert with her stepdaughter.
The host replied, explaining that the price had not been “properly set” and that they would have to “collect additional funds”.
When Stewart asked how much the price would now be, Heather informed her it would now cost $2,400 plus taxes and fees.
Stewart explained in the messages that she had been in touch with Airbnb support who advised her not to cancel. She also said she would be unwilling to pay the upped charge.
The host offered another house that was further away from the concert venue, despite appearing to have no right to make Stewart pay more for the property she had already booked.
Stewart explained in her message: “I am sorry but the request will stay as it is because I know that the other location is definitely further and we did not want to be too far from the Superdome.
“I decline changing the rate to a more expensive rate and decline to have my reservation moved to another location. After speaking with Airbnb, you can choose to cancel me but it will penalize you and block those dates from being booked in the future.”
When Stewart would not cancel her original booking, the host threatened that they would not give her the entry codes to access the property.
In another update, Stewart shared screenshots of the message she exchanged with Airbnb Support which appeared to corroborate her claims that it was the host’s fault and she did not have to cancel.
@arielnicolestewartReplying to @Tuna i had sent this lady on airbnb support all the message thread, and now it has been escalated to higher ups. #airbnb @airbnb
Despite the host claiming she was stealing from a “small business”, most on TikTok were firmly on Stewart’s side.
“She only wanted to change the price because you mentioned Taylor Swift and realized she messed up. Good for you!” one person said.
Another joked: “How dare you not help them price gouge.”
Someone else said: “Did they really just call property hoarding a ‘small business’? I die.”
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