A Eurovision fan has spoken out after his Airbnb booking request was allegedly declined and the price of the accommodation drastically increased.
Excitement may be growing over the finals of the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest set to take place tonight (13 May), but it hasn't been an easy journey for some fans of the singing contest to get here.
Callum Rowe was 'really happy' with the 'steal' of a price he found for a property in Liverpool on Airbnb which he, his girlfriend and four friends planned to stay in for the dates of the contest in May.
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However, the 26-year-old Eurovision expert's booking request was denied and when he later returned to the rental site, he said he found the accommodation being advertised for a whole lot more than the original cost.
The original price of the mid-terrace house with three bedrooms near to Sefton Park in south Liverpool was advertised at £200-a-night.
However, Rowe allegedly received an email from the host, as per ITV, which read: "We are unable to accept the booking at this rate, this is a brand new listing and we need to organise the listing for those dates."
The 26-year-old then returned to the listing, hoping to request to book the same property again, but to his horror, saw the price had risen by a jaw-dropping amount.
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Instead of being advertised at £200-a-night like the original post on Airbnb, Rowe allegedly discovered the property had risen to '£41,145 per night'.
"It was pretty shocking and disappointing to see," the Eurovision fan said.
The 26-year-old decided to message the host about the price hike, criticising them for 'trying to profit so much from Eurovision' and 'devalu[ing] what Eurovision is all about'.
Rowe resolved: "Eurovision is about togetherness and celebrating each other and coming together, so it was sad to see. I never got a response.
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"I'm surprised there aren't more safeguards in place to stop hosts trying to charge such enormous prices. It was just insane."
Rowe and his friends aren't the only Eurovision fans who've faced a challenge getting to the live shows, with hotel prices in Liverpool having reached up to £5,000 for a night's stay and another fan named Connor Gregory going through a similar ordeal.
Thankfully, as a result of an outpouring of support for his situation on Twitter, Rowe and his friends were able to find somewhere else to stay - 'much nicer than the place that cancelled'.
As per ITV, a spokesperson from Airbnb said: "This listing is not representative of prices on Airbnb and the average price per night of a booked stay during Eurovision is £260, providing affordable accommodation for guests and helping local families boost their income."
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The spokesperson said the company offered a £50 travel coupon to 'anyone who hosts their first guest in a private room during the contest' in a bid to 'help everyone in Liverpool benefit from the influx of visitors to the city'.
LADbible has contacted Airbnb for further comment.
Topics: Airbnb, Eurovision, Money, Music, Social Media
Poppy Bilderbeck