No matter how much technology is improved, it seems that the possibility of errors and glitches become more frequent. One shining example is the latest in Airbnb’s series of glitches.
This new glitch cancelled reservations and automatically refunded the customers’ deposits. How widespread it was is anyone’s guess as Airbnb is downplaying the issue.
It is not the first time for a glitch in the system
This new error does not seem to be that large. According to Airbnb it only affected a small number of accounts and those were not very major ones at that. In this glitch, reservations were cancelled and some hosts saw at least 12 reservations disappear in a blink of an eye.
Unfortunately, Airbnb has not been very quick to respond to the complaints made by both guests and hosts. Some have waited up to three days for a response, while some hosts are still waiting for the company to contact them.
But this is not the first time this online company has experienced glitches. Another glitch happened 2 months ago and allowed hosts to see the private inboxes of other hosts. That includes their conversations and other data.
The company’s solution was to recommend clearing cookies and cache from the user’s browser or changing the browser they currently use.
Bad timing
Neither this new glitch or the one that took place 60 days ago came at a good time for Airbnb. It was supposed to file an IPO (initial public offering last week) Plus, the company had planned on being listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange, as well as the LTSE or Long Term Stock Exchange.
The effect of these glitches may have investors a bit worried as the move to become public comes with a $30 billion+ valuation. Glitches do not help nor do they attract long term investors which is the purpose of the LSTE.