Posted February 10, 2022 7:40 pm.
Last Updated February 11, 2022 11:05 am.
If you’re a Canadian resident who has used Airbnb for the first time after October 2015, you could be entitled to a credit stemming from a settlement in a class-action lawsuit.
In October 2017, Vancouver resident Arthur Lin alleged that Airbnb was guilty of displaying two different prices of a listing and debiting the consumer the higher cost, better known as “double ticketing” in the Canadian Competition Act.
Lin claims that when he reserved a stay through the accommodation booking site in 2016, the price displayed on his selection was $108 per night.
But upon completing his booking for a week-long stay, he calculated that he was charged $122 per night due to additional service fees, referencing a digital form of double ticketing.
Double ticketing was first made into law in the 1970s to prevent consumers from being deceived or confused about the price charged at brick and mortar stores, which in some cases displayed two ticket prices.
But in the initial decision, the judge added that the approach can now expand to the digital world with online purchases.
Airbnb logo, 2022. Photo courtesy: Airbnb
Following an appeal, the parties had finally settled without any admission of liability on the part of Airbnb.
What followed was Airbnb users across the country receiving emails in recent days stating that according to records, they may be eligible to submit a claim for a redeemable credit from Airbnb as part of the settlement.
While the credit amount is anticipated to be a maximum of $45, according toDeloitte — the appointed claims administrator — the amount of the credit is dependent on the total number of approved claims, which must be submitted by no later than March 28, 2022.
Canadian residents that do not reside in Québec and who reserved their first stay via Airbnb for a purpose other than business travel between October 31, 2015, and June 25, 2019, could be eligible to receive the credit after submitting a claim.
“You may be eligible to submit a claim for a Redeemable Credit from Airbnb as part of the settlement,” Airbnb wrote in the email. “However, receipt of this notice does not mean that you are part of the settlement or eligible to submit a claim for a Redeemable Credit.”
Today, Canadians browsing Airbnb will now see the total price displayed, including service and cleaning fees.
