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Comment by Raed667 | Hacker News Reader

I got prompted to donate to a host I stayed with for a few days and only saw once many-many months ago.

Heck NO! What is their reasoning here!? I have zero emotional connection with that person. Nor do I think they are entitled to my charity.

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So don't donate?

I've been in AirBnB hosts where the landlady would make deserts for us and all kinds of stuff, just because she was nice and bored. We enjoyed it very much and I would tip her via AirBnb - she didn't want cash, except once - pre-agreed for multi course meal where she fed a group of 4, and it was pretty much just for the resources.

There was a guy in SF that took me around shown me the city, etc... I enjoyed this too and would tip him.

I have more examples of that.

Then why don't just leave them 50$ in cash if you really want to tip them?

Because this is months/years after the fact and you likely don't live anywhere close to the host.

Why would you donate money to people who are houseowners and up until few months ago were racking in profits by renting?

This is not even charity, it's just pointless.

There are hosts who aren’t abusing AirBnB—they’re just uncommon. When you do get one, you know it. I can see why people would want to tip in those cases, especially if you’re paying significantly less than a nearby hotel for much greater value, and often a personalized experience. But it’s rare.

That doesn’t change the fact that AirBnB has a big problem, and what they’re doing here is tone-deaf. Yeah, tips might make sense sometimes, but fix the problem before you start soliciting tips.

I don't mean the hosts on AirBnB are all bad.

I mean it's insane for a multibillion dollar company passing the hat for homeowners. Both sides aren't charity cases.

While hosts like that do exist, that's surely the exception and not the norm. It used to be like that many years ago, when it was less popular.

Right now it's ripe with places (sometimes entire buildings) dedicated to AirBnB, to the point where they put a dent in the local renting market.

Adding the ability to donate is not a neutral decision and affects everyone using the platform whether they "donate" or not. I use quotes because we usually reserve the word "donate" for non-profits and charities.

Not donating is saying just as much to the host as donating.

And maybe that's a good change, but I think it's wrong to say that offering the option only affects those who choose to pay extra.

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