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SoylentNews is people

posted by LaminatorX on Tuesday August 25 2015, @06:02PM   Printer-friendly
from the Couch-Surfing-2.0 dept.

In the online world, a number of companies use algorithms to set or suggest prices. eBay, for example, tells you what similar products have sold for and lets you choose a price based on that information. eBay’s pricing problem was relatively simple to solve: It didn’t matter where the sellers and buyers were or whether you’re selling the product today or next week. Meanwhile, over at Uber and Lyft, the ride-sharing companies, geography and time do matter—but these two companies simply set prices by decree; there is no user choice or need for transparency in how the prices are determined.

At Airbnb, we faced an unusually complex problem. Every one of the million-plus listings on our site is unique, having its own address, size, and decor. Our hosts also vary in their willingness to play concierge, cook, or tour guide. And events—some regular, like seasonal weather changes; others unusual, like large local events—muddy the waters even further.

The article is in part an advertisement for AirBnB, but there's also interesting detail there for those aspiring- or current online entrepreneurs.


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  • (Score: 2) by panachocala on Tuesday August 25 2015, @08:56PM

    by panachocala (464) on Tuesday August 25 2015, @08:56PM (#227781)

    The last 2 times I tried to used AirBnb, I found it pretty flakey. In Toronto the listed price was good but when I tried to book it referred me off-site to email and the price was more than double. In Tallinn, there were a bunch of places listed as available but whenever I tried to book them the hosts wrote back 2 days later saying it actually wasn't available. I have several previous bookings and received good ratings as a guest so I doubt it was personal. Just kind of a waste of time - what's the point scouting out places if you can't book them.

    I also use tripadvisor vacation rentals, VRBO and craigslist (mainly for the USA). AirBnb used to wipe the floor with them but my last 2 tries have been failures.

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