Airbnb host refusing to send AirPods without me paying?

[moryn]

Recently got back from a short break in Paris.

I left my AirPods on the bed, the host refuses to send them back unless I pay £50 plus postage.

AIBU to think this is ridiculous?

But that includes time and labour - they have to go and buy the packaging and take it to a post office, etc - time when those staff doing it are meant to be cleaning out/prepping other properties. Plus the cost of the packaging itself.

I think £50 is fair tbh.

I’m glad you don’t own an Airbnb, you know things happen, we’re not perfect.

It's probably for time, where knows where post office is.and how long limes are, intl postage etc etc. It's steep but it's to be expected.

If the cleaner didn’t find an item left on the bed, then they need to cleaners! They don’t need to send someone to look for them!

Do their booking t&cs mention this?
We had one that mentioned a charge for posting back lost property.
A fee is fine, but seems too high.

I would certainly expect to pay postage plus costs…

It's a steep fee and once you have either got them or decided not to mention it in your review. I dont think you can claim the cost of your airpods from insurance as they arent lost or stolen. If you mention it in a review it will be obvious they were not lost or stolen.

When i left something in an Airbnb, I offered to pay for the host’s time to return it. She declined, but I would happily have paid

Don’t forget it’s got a battery in. So postage will be more.

Heathrow Airport won’t even post them due to the battery, you have to go and collect!

Again, the postage is being charged on top of the £50.

£50 plus postage? Cheeky fuckers. What’s the £50 for?

My husband left the contents of his bedside drawer in a cottage we rented in the uk recently. We had to pay the postage but nothing else.

He also left his fancy chef’s knife in another (he has form) and those nice people sent it FOC.

YANBU My DH recently left his phone by the bed of a UK hotel we stayed at. I arranged with reception to send them a stamped addressed envelope (I had used my phone for correct weight cost) which they could stick phone in and post. They did not ask for extra payment. I am not sure what the £50 is for, perhaps it is a french thing.

What about the cost of their time to package them, travel to the post office, queue up etc?

It’s much more than just the cost of registered delivery or whatever.

The difference being the hotel employs many staff who are being paid anyway and can do this as part of their daily duties.

€50 plus postage is daylight robbery but they are doing you a favour.

What envelope and stamps is OP going to send to Paris?!

So the owner should give their time and trouble for free? Because someone was careless enough to leave a valuable item?

Someone might need to go to the Post Office to send it via registered mail, that employee needs to be paid for their time.

As a PP mentioned if its a management company who has to deal with it it will be a straight charge yhat someone's going to have to pay

Again, the postage is in addition to the £50!

What’s cheapest.. buying new ones, travelling back over there and collecting them, or paying the £50? It’s daylight robbery yes, but they don’t have to send them, it was your mistake. Terrible customer service though.

Imagine if they had to do this for every guest? I don't blame them at all, they are not a courier service.