{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/5afc793a028014b853c89db4/5afc7961e704e1406c13f59a?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"EP148: This Week in the World of Airbnb","description":"Conventional wisdom tells us to ‘expect the unexpected,’ and Airbnb news certainly delivered this week, most notably when a guest in Los Angeles received a surprise visit from a SWAT team!<br />\n<br />\nMargot Lee Shmorak, CEO and Co-founder of Hostfully, joins Jasper (our homeless host) to discuss that incident as well as the unexpected negative view of Airbnb presented by a few high-profile Democrats on the national stage in the US.<br />\n<br />\nThey also cover the story of a couple who was pleasantly surprised by Airbnb’s new payment options as they planned their honeymoon trip, and an op-ed explaining why Airbnb’s growth in China is sluggish despite their best efforts. Listen in to understand why anything more than modest growth is unexpected in the Chinese market.<br />\n<br />\nTopics Covered<br />\n<br />\nArticle #1: Hotel Industry Details Plans to Fight Airbnb<br />\n•\tHigh-profile Democrats raised concerns about Airbnb<br />\n•\tQuestioned housing costs, racial discrimination, and consumer protection and safety w/ FTC<br />\n•\tAccused Airbnb of evading local tax laws<br />\n•\tFirst time issue raised at national level<br />\n•\tHotel lobby gave $1.3M to congressional candidates during past election cycle<br />\n•\tAirbnb spent $485,000 on lobbying in 2016<br />\n•\tPolarizing stance is surprising<br />\n<br />\nArticle #2: Why Airbnb’s China Expansion is Stumbling<br />\n•\tName rebrand ‘Airbiying’ is awkward<br />\n•\tHomesharing not part of Chinese culture<br />\n•\tOnly 19% motivated by social aspect<br />\n•\tOnly 6.5% of Chinese trust strangers<br />\n•\tPrice difference between Airbnb and hotels is much smaller<br />\n•\tCompetition is much bigger<br />\n•\tTujia boasts 10 times the number of listings<br />\n•\tRegulations make it difficult for foreign companies to do business<br />\n•\tThe city of Paris has roughly the same number of Airbnb listings as all of China<br />\n<br />\nArticle #3: Airbnb Guest Surprised by SWAT Team Looking for Fugitive<br />\n•\tNew Yorker staying at Airbnb in Los Angeles<br />\n•\tOverwhelmed by officers looking for ‘Ashley’<br />\n•\tShot video of the incident<br />\n•\tNervous that local regulations might prohibit Airbnb, he initially claimed to know the fugitive<br />\n•\tLater admitted that he did not<br />\n<br />\nArticle #4: Airbnb is Quietly Testing Flexible Payment Plans for Guests<br />\n•\tAirbnb is testing a feature that allows guests to put down a 50% deposit to reserve a luxury property<br />\n•\tRemaining balance is due two weeks prior to arrival<br />\n•\tInvented other systems in regions where paying with an international credit card isn’t an option, i.e.: Cuba and Brazil<br />\n•\tDemonstrates Airbnb’s willingness to experiment<br />\n<br />\nResources Mentioned<br />\nArticle #1: thehill.com/policy/technology/329120-the-hotel-industry-is-planning-a-washington-showdown-with-airbnb<br />\nArticle #2: techinasia.com/talk/airbnb-china-expansion-stumble<br />\nArticle #3: news.com.au/finance/business/travel/airbnb-guest-surprised-by-swat-team-looking-for-fugitive/news-story/0e0d2ee58092d045e8915466a30a59cb<br />\nArticle #4: fastcompany.com/40410787/airbnb-is-quietly-testing-flexible-payment-options-for-guests<br />\n<br />\nConnect with Jasper<br />\nEmail: jasper@getpaidforyourpad.com<br />\nTwitter: @GetPaidForUrPad<br />\nInstagram: @GetPaidForYourPad <br />\nFacebook: www.facebook.com/getpaidforyourpad<br />\n<br />\nThis episode is sponsored by Aviva IQ. Aviva IQ automates messages to your Airbnb guests. It's also free!","author_name":"Freewyld Foundry"}