What does "Parking on premises" mean to you? Air B&B problem ...

[Puzzledandpissedoff]

Unashamedly posting here for honest opinions, based on the main question in the title

Background is that I'm on holiday with a friend, in an apartment situated in an area where street parking's well known to be almost impossible

We were therefore extremely careful to source a place that actually had it, and checked with the owner before booking that it really was provided - only to find on arrival that it isn't, and all that's available is (non existent) street parking meaning that we hardly dare go anywhere because returning means driving around ( over 2 hours yesterday ) in the hope of finding a space

Obviously we've contacted the owner, only to be told we've "misinterpreted it" and street parking counts as being on the premises

So my question is whether or not we were BU to expect what the listing said, and if not what would anyone else do now? What we really want to do is leave the hassle behind and ask Air B&B to sort a refund based on misrepresentation, but I'd welcome thoughts before doing this

Time difference! They’re in USA!

I rent out my spare room on Airbnb. Free parking is restricted on my street, and can be very expensive elsewhere. I get limited visitor permits every year so I don't sell them to guests - I can't guarantee them a space close by my home.

However, I always tell people the situation BEFORE I take their booking. If your host wasn't honest with you, you should get some money back.

This seems to be a thing in France. I always filter by parking but almost none of the results actually have free parking, it's just standard on street which is not what you want after a long journey!

So I gather, so I'd have thought they'd be replying at 9pm French local time last night

Anyway I finally got back to a message from AirB&B to say that if the host refuses a refund for the paid parking they've "organised" I can escalate to them to get it sorted

Thing is, although the host has actually said they'd refund in the messages which go through the company's system (we're not supposed to message them any other way) I've no longer got the least trust in any of them, so all that seems possible is to sit it out, go home on the 24th and never, absolutely NEVER use AirB&B again

Edited to add that I'll obviously leave an honest, factual review, but with what's happened so far I don't even trust them to publish it. I don't know how they're "reviewed" and frankly no longer care; this is a nightmare which won't be repeated

I was thinking this too, I know it's normally the mn rules to post a picture with a parking thread but I don't think it'd work on this one.

I know it's normally the mn rules to post a picture with a parking thread but I don't think it'd work on this one

You're quite right, @ScottBakula; all it would show is local streets absolutely rammed with cars - some of tthem already illegally parked - and a garden area behind the "entrance gates" which can't be used for a car because it's jam packed with dead shrubs and heaps of stones

To my mind the obvious thing would be to clear the shrubs, etc, and use the quite wide entrance for its obvious purpose, but then it's not my property so not my decision to make

Parking on premises means there is a private off-street area to park in. It absolutely does not mean parking on the street. In fact is the very opposite of parking in the street. You were obviously ripped off by the false description given and I would be playing hell with the booker and thinking about legal redress—a “letter before action” at least. Screenshot all the material advertising this place you can find. Obviously keep your correspondence, take photos of the reality, and prepare for battle.

They’re in the wrong which they clearly know

This sort of thing is unacceptable. We had a similar thing with details in listings on Airbnb.

When we went to Provence in August, I was adamant we had to have aircon. This was having been to South France before and nearly dying of heat exhaustion (not exaggerating, I think it was a combination of medication, mobile home and heatwave). It's accumulated over a number of days, and I was very ill. Completely ruined the holiday.

This house said it had air-conditioning. We arrived and searched high and low, then queried it with the agent. She then said the owner was out of contact but they would get back to us the next morning.

Then proceeded a series of incomprehensible messages in French, which led me to believe I had just not found it.

Eventually I realised that she meant the stone floors were "natural" air conditioning.

I was livid. We were yet again in the South of France, no air con. It was dangerous.

Yes, to be fair, I probably shouldn't have gone at all to that part of the world at that time of year. So I'm not blaming them 100%. Still annoying though.

This is why we stay in hotels - as they are answerable to their customers. Air BnB don’t care about customers.

have a think about the other air bnb cisutomers are taking up all the street parking and massively pissing off the locals who have to put up with this in their area.

so - stay in a hotel next time ?

There aren't any other AirB&Bs on this road, or as far as I could see the surrounding ones, @Plmnki. Remembering my friend's mobility issues we chose this one because of its proximity to things she wanted so would have noticed others

I agree though that we'll probably stay in other types in future, and even some hotels have "serviced apartments" rather than just one room sso hopefully that'll be an option

Eventually I realised that she meant the stone floors were "natural" air conditioning

Good grief, @anon666, and I thought this one was bad!!
It really is just lies, and clearly AirB&B couldn't give a damn

I always book through booking.com. I know it’s probably just another version of Airbnb but I’ve never had an issue, and the reviews have been really useful (I recently did one where I said there was an issue with the electric sockets)

I think it could be an issue with the options provided by Airbnb but I agree I would have understood on premises to be private dedicated parking space. I would have asked if parking on premises meant that specifying what I understood. I think Airbnb should refund you though as you can explain you booked specifically for this feature and it wasn't offered

To be fair to Airbnb, I didn't really raise it with them. I felt a bit bullied over it all, but just sucked it up. I slept under a wet towel with a fan, but avoided a repeat of the worst heat exhaustion I'd had before, because I was more risk averse this time about overheating 🙄.

In your case it's worse, because you literally have no alternative. You've brought a car, and there's nowhere cheap to park it. This happened to us in Paris, where we were told there was parking on street. The on street parking was not available to non residents. 🙄 So we ended up having to pay for the whole weeks parking miles away from the house. We just abandoned the car and got the metro everywhere.

I feel for you, because you and your friend have relied on the accuracy of the listing. I think you should pursue it because for so eone with a disability that could be essential.

It sounds like the French have a very shruggy, cavalier attitude to their listings! Ive never had any problems in the UK. Maybe a cultural difference?

On premises means within the footprint of the land they own as hosts, to me. So sorry you've had your break spoiled

Someone may have already explained but Air BnB auto translates messages in another language. So she could very well be typing in French, but you get a message in English.

Also to add that reviews are not approved by the host. Reviews are released when both sides leave a review, or if the deadline for leaving a review has passed.

We had an air bnb, in a city centre, a few years ago, that admittedly said there was no allocated parking, but that we could use the adjacent carpark. The carpark was extortionate (like £25+ per day) , in the end we paid for a weekly permit at the train station which was about 10 min walk away, which was much more reasonably priced (but appreciate that worked with tween kids and mobile adults)

Airbnb are very good at refunds in my experience I deal with then commercially

I googled “what parking on the premises means on air b&b” and this is what it says:

“On an Airbnb listing, "parking on premises" means that parking is available on the property where the accommodation is located, not on public streets or in an off-site location. This typically refers to designated parking spaces, driveways, or a private car park that belongs to the Airbnb host. It indicates that guests can park their vehicles on the property without needing to find street parking or pay for an additional parking fee”

That seems pretty self explanatory. Refund time. And honest review.

It seems an Airbnb issue. For some reason, they encourage the hosts to use misleading wording. I googled parking on premises airbnb - and this is what came up from Airbnb Community:

” I have had official confirmation that the listing facility described as 'free parking on premises' means "as long as there is free parking available in the area that is all we require of our hosts [airbnb]." 'On premises' means 'private' and therefore airbnb is actually encouraging hosts to use inaccurate and legally false information. Why name a dog 'a cat' if all that you require is that it be a pet - in other words why not use 'free parking in the area' instead of 'free parking on premises' to mean free parking in the area?”

Airbnb is just not worth it anymore. They take a load of money for doing nothing and don’t care at all what the owners say in their listings.

What you describe is NOT parking on the premises.

ive given up on Airbnb and other similar platforms. I’d rather go to a hotel now.

Cfs

Well ‘misinterpreting’ or not, there’s not actually any available parking if you’re having to drive round for 2hrs and it’s a real hassle. She’s completely in the wrong.

I hope you get a refund OP!

Fascinating, RentalWoesNotFun - thank you so much for finding that

I've explained all of what's happening upthread, but unless we go home completely - which we don't really want to do - there's not going to bee any refund except supposedly for the cost of parking elsewhere, and AirB&B won't confirm even that so we're stuck with enjoying the garden

@anon666 much as I love France and its wonderful people you're not wrong about the shruggy and cavalier attitude ... the "Gallic shrug" is named ffor a reason!!

You haven't misinterpreted anything. The owner has deliberately misled you. They know the parking situation could be a deal breaker and it's spoiled your break. I would leave a bad review and report to air bnb