Another host is using photos of MY listing as his own!

[Deb154]

So, another host is using photos of MY condo in his listing. They are photos I took for my own listing. They are interior shots, and they show my bedroom, kitchen, living room, porch, etc... He even shows  a composite photo from a computer screen of MY listing, showing the actual condo number twice, as though people can rent MY condo from HIM. I reported this to AirBnB through the "Report this listing" option. No response or change. I called, talked to a human, he reported it would be sent to a "special team". That was two weeks ago. I spent a few hours this evening trying to get AirBnB "help" to actually help with this, and got nothing. This actually is fraud. Someone is actually on AirBnB, offering MY condo. At least, using my condo to lure guests into thinking they will be getting my condo, and then what? AirBnB was less than helpful. Apparently, fraud is okay with them. Has this happened to anybody else out there? Resolution? Did you have to take care of it yourself? Where do you report such fraud to, if AirBnB isn't policing itself?

[Jenny]

Hi @Deb154 

I just wanted to confirm that I've passed your details over to the relevant team at Airbnb to get you some help with this.

Someone will be in touch once the case has been reviewed.

Jenny

[Deb154]

Well, I did that very thing over two weeks ago. Wrote, called, was told it was "passed up" to the relevant team. Nothing has happened. The fraud is still live on AirBnB, with AirBnB's full knowledge and consent apparently. AirBnB has had such bad press lately. I'm beginning to understand why. AirBnB "help"? Pretty non-existent in this Super Host's experience.

[Helen3]

What did the host say when you contacted them with an invoice for use of your photography and asking them to remove the photos @Deb154 ?

If Airbnb aren't answering your o to get the photo removed then I would suggest you publicly post on their social media channels asking why they are allowing a host to misrepresent their listing by using photos from your listing.

[Deb154]

The AirBnB "copyright" people are on it, now, after over two weeks.

I do not intend to contact the person. I don't want any personal contact. It is AirBnB's responsibility. If I tried to charge him for the unauthorized use, I would have to give him my address, or some payment path. No, I don't want him to know who I am, or anything personal about me. Copyright is the least of it, the main issue is that he is using my photos, my condo, as "bait" to get people to book with him, then probably doing a "switch" to whatever random timeshare he has allotted to him each year. That is fraud, and AirBnB needs to deal with it, not me. I have been pushing AirBnB in every way I can think of. We'll see.

[Sammy-L-0]

Report it as a safety issue. He could be using your photos, booking them into your condo and getting paid while the guests have no place to stay.

[Deb154]

From one of my comments above: My best guess is that the person is a timeshare owner at the resort where I am a "full owner", meaning I own my condo outright. So he is entitled to one week each year in a company owned timeshare condo. I think he is trying to rent out his one week. Okay, that's fair. But he has stolen my photos to represent what people would be getting.

AirBnB has now removed his listing. I'll be watching though!

[Helen3]

You can contact the host directly and let them know they are using your photos without permission and send them an invoice for their use.

also confirm they need to remove them immediately. 

not clear from your posting did they create their own listing and use your photography or have they duplicated your whole listing .

[Deb154]

He used many of my interior photos, and also displays my actual condo number twice, while he says he has a "floating" listing. So he is using my nice looking beachfront condo as bait, then switching any guests he gets to a different condo in the same small resort in Hawaii. A previous guest almost booked with him, thinking it was my listing. (I have distinctive living room furniture, so when she saw the stolen photos, she assumed she had found my listing.)

I feel this is something AirBnB should deal with, as I think it violates so many rules and, in fact, laws. But after two weeks with zero progress, I'm pretty disappointed in AirBnB.

[Helen744]

Deb 154 I think that Airbnb need to take you a little more seriously. This is fraud. It would maybe be a good idea to gather as much evidence as you can , does the host have a profile.? Photograph it .Are you able to make a booking and follow through with someone with you to acertain where or what this host is offering ,except for fake photos, there may be no listing at all ,just a way to steal from your credit card. Good Luck ... H

[Deb154]

My best guess is that the person is a timeshare owner at the resort where I am a "full owner", meaning I own my condo outright. So he is entitled to one week each year in a company owned timeshare condo. I think he is trying to rent out his one week. Okay, that's fair. But he has stolen my photos to represent what people would be getting. They will never get my condo, they most likely will not get my ocean front location, and I do not sub-lease or have any other management other than myself. I know his name now, but no address or email. I'm looking into legal options outside of AirBnB, as they have been so absolutely worthless.

[Deb154]

So, "Bait and Switch" is the scam he is running.

[Helen744]

Deb154  All the best. Its a great worry for you and could ,because of loopholes ,it seems ,happen to anyone...H  Jenny  , Bhumika 

[Sammy-L-0]

Report them to Air BnB immediately! This is a terrible scam for you and potential guests.

[Deb154 · Accepted solution]

Update: After 14 days from my first notifying AirBnB over this issue, after several hours on the phone with very unhelpful and unknowledgeable "help" people, the issue appears to be resolved. The offending listing has completely disappeared. The email notifying me that AirBnB had removed the photos was actually mis-addressed. "**" started the note with the greeting "Dear **", as though writing to himself. Such attention to detail.

Anyway, some tips: Use Google's image search to spot check if there has been any similar misuse of YOUR images. Read up on AirBnB's copyright page, www.airbnb.com/terms/copyright_policy

They give the info they need to proceed against copyright violators. The blatant fraud was a higher concern for me, but this was the way to stop it. I had given all of this verbally, over the phone, and was told it would be taken care of. Don't ever trust these kinds of statements. Seems to me now that I was brushed off so many times with this sort of statement. The front line phone people, as I look back on my experience, seem more interested in getting rid of calls, rather than dealing with the actual problem. I am stuck with AirBnB. I basically have been happy with the platform. But, in my experience, they only work well when you don't need them for anything outside of contributing to their income stream.

**[Name hidden due to privacy concerns - Community Center Guidelines]