After booking, I contacted Ali. When I told him that my flight is going to arrive in Venice at 9:35 pm, he replied that I had to pay "IN CASH" 20 Euros for late check in. Which surprised me since I assumed that he lived in the apartment, as in all the Airbnb’s locations where they offer private rooms, and because AIRBNB POLICIES PROHIBIT THAT WE PAY MONEY OUT OF THE APPLICATION.
I kindly suggested that the 20 euros for late check in should be mentioned in his Airbnb ad so that users have the opportunity to make better decisions. I could no longer cancel my reservation because Ali’s cancellation policy is strict, and I did not want to lose money.
Ali, reading my suggestion, began to scold me and to lecture me, alluding that he did not have to explain anything to anyone and that I was disrespecting him for not respecting the rules of his department. He kept writing aggressively, until I told him that I would pay him but that he had to calm down because he was very annoyed for no reason (since I was not being rude). He made me feel very bad (I have the messages in case someone wants to see them).
I made the payment of 20 Euros through Airbnb before my arrival.
When I arrived in Venice, a friend of Ali was waiting for me. HE REQUESTED ME MY PASSPORT TO TAKE A PHOTOGRAPH, THAT BECAUSE I HE HAD TO SEND THE PICTURE TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ACCORDING TO THE LAW OF ITALY. I told him that I already had my identifications validated on Airbnb. Ali's friend told me that they could not see my passport in the application (that is obvious since it’s a matter of DATA PRIVACY PROTECTION). He told me that it was urgent to send my information to the police in case something happens, which made me feel that they did not trust me, despite my good reviews in Airbnb. He did not answer when I asked him the name of the Law. I told him that we use Airbnb because everything should be simpler, and because we want to avoid the typical check-in paperwork of a hotel or a hostel, and that they should publish in the advertisement that Upon arrival we will be asked for a passport so that it’s all transparent before our arrival. I have been to other Airbnb accommodations Italy and nobody asked me for my passport.
THE PLACE TURN OUT TO BE A DEPARTMENT THAT WORKS AS A HOSTEL, but without some benefits of a hostel (like breakfast included). Ali's announcement does not say that he does not live there or that there will be more strangers staying there as guests. I expected to be in a family atmosphere since I expected that Ali lives there.
The place also has additional rules that are not published, such as that the check-out should be done at 10:30 am, despite the fact that on Airbnb it says that it could be done at 11:00 am (I have pictures of everything).
The day after my arrival I met the other guests, they were 2 Canadians and one Frenchman. THEY ALREADY KNEW ABOUT ME BECAUSE ALI ALREADY SPOKE TO THEM VERY BAD OF ME BEFORE MY ARRIVAL. He told them that I was a bad person, and that I did not want to pay for the late check in, which is a lie since I paid him before I arrived. Actually, I felt very bad (morally) to be in a place where I was not welcome by the host, so I decided to spend all the time outside the apartment and just get to sleep at nights. They also told me that they paid, outside the app, for the late check in, and that Ali asked them for an additional payment rate for taxes that was not previously described in the ad, and they have no notice before arriving.
Ali went to look for me at the apartment several times and tried to contact me on WhatsApp. I did not answer anything outside Airbnb for obvious reasons. So, on the third day of my arrival, through the Airbnb messages, Ali requested me an additional 6 euros payment in cash to supposedly pay a tax fee, which he never mentioned on my arrival or before my arrival.
Airbnb allows to add the tax concept to the tariff, so we can see how much we will pay in total before confirming our reservation (including the cleaning fees and those of the service for using the app). I paid him through the application.
Airbnb reservations are similar to a digital contract to which clauses or tariffs cannot be added prior notice / or confirming our reservations, since this is related to our consent, so if they charge us something additional without telling us in advance, it implies lack of consent of one of the parties to the contract and malice (fraud) of the other party.
Ali as a "super host", has the double responsibility of being even more transparent, honest, respectful with guests and above all should not defame us.
I believe that Airbnb should not give the category of "super host" to someone who is not transparent to us in his ad, and who does not comply with Airbnb rules such as requesting payments outside the application. But above all because I think that he takes advantage of the situation of vulnerability in which we all find ourselves in a distant country.
I have evidence of everything that I am writing.