SOUTH KOREA: A woman from Jiangsu province in eastern China found herself in a shocking situation after mistaking the Chinese yuan (CNY) symbol for the Korean won (KRW) while booking a hotel apartment on Airbnb.
What was meant to be a budget-friendly one-night stay on Jeju Island turned into an unexpectedly expensive ordeal, with her bank account charged a staggering 60,904 yuan (US$8,300) for a single night.
Vacation turned nightmare
According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the woman surnamed Xiao made the booking on October 13 for herself and a friend. After returning to China, Xiao was stunned to discover the hefty charge, especially since she had assumed the price was listed in Korean won, not yuan.
According to Airbnb’s breakdown, the hotel’s one-night rate was listed as 51,944 yuan. In addition, Xiao was hit with extra fees, including an 8,000 yuan service charge, 800 yuan tax, and 160 yuan cleaning fee.
“I thought it was priced in Korean won,” Xiao explained, adding that the property didn’t seem like a luxury hotel to justify such a high price. Had the rate been won, it would have cost only about US$37 for the night.
Realizing the mistake, Xiao reached out to the hotel, which agreed to issue a refund if Airbnb approved it. However, Airbnb initially rejected her request, stating that the hotel had not refunded the full amount.
After multiple complaints, the platform finally offered Xiao a partial refund of 44,000 yuan, followed by an additional 6,700 yuan, and eventually agreed to refund the entire amount as a “gesture of goodwill.”
Careless or fell into a trap?
The incident has sparked debate online.
Some commenters criticized Xiao for not noticing the pricing error before finalizing the booking, while others accused the property of setting a trap with such an illogical pricing structure. “Such pricing is a trap waiting for careless people to fall into,” one Weibo user remarked.
Airbnb’s refund policies allow guests to request a refund before the specified date set by the host, with refunds after check-in often left to the host’s discretion.
This incident has also reignited frustrations over Airbnb’s cancellation policies, which many believe are overly strict and unreasonable, given how often travel plans change.
Legal experts suggest that while consumers bear responsibility for misunderstandings related to currency, they also have the right to request a cancellation if the merchant has made a pricing mistake.
Chen Zhen, a lawyer from Henan Zejin Law Firm, explained to Xiaoxiang Morning Herald that in cases of incorrect pricing by the seller, consumers are entitled to cancel the contract.
In the end, Xiao received her full refund, but her experience serves as a cautionary tale for travellers navigating the complexities of online booking platforms.