A woman revealed that the price of her Airbnb was halved thanks to her “work” as an influencer.
Justine, a Los Angeles-based content creator with more than 145,000 followers on Instagram, said she and her boyfriend were planning to go on vacation.
The couple found a place they liked and wanted to stay, which was “huge and beautiful,” but she said it was “quite a bit more expensive” than the other options.
Justine’s boyfriend I decided to message the owner to ask if there was any wiggle room on the price.
But she was told there was “no way” they could rent the apartment for less than what was advertised.
Justine, a Los Angeles-based content creator with more than 145,000 followers on Instagram, said she and her boyfriend were planning to go on vacation.
Justine said in a Instagram clip:I messaged the big dog and said, “Hey, I’m a content creator,” when I told him they had cut the price in half.
‘That Airbnb is now cheaper than all other options, every single one of them.
‘So while it may seem a little embarrassing when we film ourselves getting out of bed when we clearly weren’t sleeping and set up the camera, the real-world benefits of eating all the time.’
Justine added that while social media stars may seem “stupid,” “social currency is very real.”
But this received some criticism in the comments, with others arguing that influencers are annoying the general public.
One wrote: ‘It’s not about filming in public… It’s about being insensitive to the environment… some people don’t want to be a part of your videos.
‘It’s annoying to go out and enjoy a nice dinner only to sit next to influencers with bright lights trying to get content.
“I understand it’s work, but not getting content, no matter the cost, is crazy.”
Justine added that while social media stars may seem “stupid,” “social currency is very real.”
Justine’s clip received some criticism in the comments, with others arguing that influencers are annoying the general public.
Justine replied: “I live in Los Angeles and this is rarely an issue. But you said yourself: IT’S A JOB.”
“Your job has requirements that help you pay your bills. Our job has requirements that help us pay our bills. It is what it is.”
Another wrote: “And that’s what’s so painfully wrong with the world.”
A third said: “That sounds more like a work agreement than a benefit.”
Justine then replied: ‘Except I have no obligation to post on Airbnb… they just gave me a discount.’
A fourth commented: “Yes! I did it on my birthday weekend, I had last minute plans and (messaged) a host (because) their space was so nice. I told them I was a content creator, etc.”
However, this is not the first time that influencers have asked for free or discounted trips or items.
A professional baker has criticised influencers for requesting a free cake worth around £1,900 that she had initially designed to raise money for children caught up in the Gaza conflict.
Reshmi Bennett, a children’s book author and baker from Surrey, runs luxury cake business Anges de Sucre.
In January, she began selling watermelon-inspired cakes, priced from £140, to raise money for charity.
But Reshmi received an email from an influencer (who she chose to keep anonymous) asking for a free cake for her birthday party.
Reshmi Bennett (pictured), 40, is a children’s author and baker from London who runs luxury cake business Anges de Sucre.
The email read: “I just found your Instagram profile and the trending watermelon cake. I love it, it’s really cool!”
“I saw your website and was very impressed. I am looking for a trendy cake for my birthday in March (date to be confirmed soon).
“There will be between 80-100 guests. My best friend and I are planning it together (girl power, lol!) and we have 68,600 followers on Instagram and just started our joint TikTok account which is already getting a lot of views and followers.”
She then asked if Reshmi could make the watermelon seeds gold to match the dress she would be wearing, but felt the need to point out that they didn’t need to be made of real gold.
The anonymous influencer assured the small business owner that they would tag her in photos of the cake and put her business cards in party bags to “guarantee lots of business.”
The star, who did not mention paying for the cake, later signed off the email telling Reshmi that her bakery was her “first choice.”
The business owner then informed the influencer that a cake large enough to feed her guests would cost over £1,250.
What’s more, hand-painting the gold seeds would add £650 to the final sum as it is a “tedious task” and he joked that real gold seeds would be a “strangulation hazard”.
