Listing Unlisted for no Apparent Reason

[Drew2041]

I've been a Superhost for numerous years with multiple listings. Our properties have always performed extremely well and this business is what supports my wife and three kids at home! I take it very seriously!

We had a case come up a week ago labeled the following: Mediation request (basic):  **for reservation ** .

We responded with times to call back and/or the option to email back. There was no response for two days. Then on Tuesday, Dec 28th, another member of that team sent back another email with the same subject line, and asking for information again. Which we provided and were available to discuss if needed.

All of a sudden without a word from anyone, we saw that our listing, Private Pool & Beach House, which continued to host guest, was Unlisted. At first I was extremely confused and didn't know what this had to do with or why it was Unlisted. I contacted Airbnb Support to try and get an answer and they indicated the Safety Team who is on the Case could only be contacted via email. So I continued down that path and followed the most recent email thread from Tuesday, Dec 28th. By that night that email thread and "Case" was closed . And it was supposedly moved to another thread that was started from an Airbnb agent who contacted me directly on a message thread on Airbnb. By the following day that Case was also closed. Still no answer and no response. Just case closed !

The communication after that was a number a few phone calls I made with Customer Support. All have been very helpful but none have been able to actually help with the direct problem or give me a timeline that has been followed. At one point one Airbnb Support member contacted the Engineering Department as they thought it was an error that the listing was Unlisted as nothing on my profile indicated a violation that would cause it to be Unlisted. The Engineering Department came back and indicated it was Unlisted due to the Case mentioned above (case**).

Within that message I also was pointed to the Airbnb Ground Rules guidelines indicating that can help me understand why a listing might be Unlisted.  In that document it mentions that a listing is Unlisted based off this: " When repeated or severe violations of these ground rules are reported, Hosts or their listings may be suspended or removed from the platform"   

We haven't had repeated violations as Airbnb Support showed none on file, and the case on hand was in regard to a few possible hairs on the sheets and some possible stains that weren't washed out well enough. There was also a pool balancing that needed to be done while the guests were there but that is standard cleaning the pool has to have to keep it clean and sanitized (i.e. safe) for the guest. At least from what I can see there doesn't seem to be anything that would meet either of those reasons for a suspension/Unlisting, but if it does it would have helped to know that upfront.

The final message I sent out yesterday was back to the original message thread on email I was sent on Saturday, Nov 25th. It was the only "Case" that was supposedly still open. I sent an email back asking for an update and again, this morning, I was contacted but it was by Airbnb Support, again, indicating the same thing I have heard over and over. First asking if they can be of any help, and then indicating yes I need help with the case. Then that the Case is still open, and there is nothing they can do.

The main reason I am starting this conversation is to try and find out the following:

-Why was the listing Unlisted and where are the Airbnb supporting documents backing this Unlisting

-Why was there no communication indicating this would happen

-Why wasn't this discussed prior to Unlisting it explaining the process of how this works 

-Is there something I am unaware of that would have caused the listing to become Unlisted

To be Unlisted is a very serious issue for me as this is my livelihood. I want to do my best as a host and provider for my family. And to have no apparent reason on why this happened, no timeline on how all this will take place, and no communication back from the Safety Team that started this is very tough to handle. Also, the constant Airbnb Support messages that would "Close a Case" made this extremely confusing. A few times a message thread would pop up just asking if I could use any help. I wasn't sure what they were asking about. There's a lot of things I can use help for......be more specific !Then after numerous messages explaining what I needed help with, the case would then be closed. That's very time consuming not only for me but the Airbnb Support team.

I only want to do my best as a host and keep our properties performing at the highest standard possible and when there is no communication on what is going on and what I need to do it is impossible to act accordingly on my end.

I appreciate the Airbnb platform and all you guys do.....without this I couldn't have the livelihood I have. I'm hoping you could help give me come clarity on the situation.

Sincerely,

Drew**

**[Personal details, Reservation, and case number removed in line with the Community Center Guidelines]

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Drew2041 Superhost or not, guilty or not, Airbnb just seem to suspend first and slowly investigate later. @Catherine-Powell gets a tag from me every time it happens to a Superhost in the forlorn hope that she will do something about this process. Most hosts, when they go through this, decide to list with VRBO as well/instead of Airbnb to ensure they at least have one route to market.

[Drew2041]

Thanks for the message......and that seems to be the conclusion that has come about that airbnb just does what they want without communication and takes entire control of this. Makes me almost want to give a guest a full refund, regardless of whether what they did is right or wrong, just to eliminate the time to get thru a "Case" like this. Even though I feel the guest in this situation is incorrect for wanting a full refund, the amount of time and lost revenue from lost bookings from the listing being unlisted doesn't really seem worth it at this point. From a business operating standpoint, it would have been better to give the guest what they wanted, and take it as part of "doing business". The guest would get what they want, and my loss would have been some money AND a loss of giving the guests an unreasonable request and a FREE stay at our property.

Seems ridiculous to come down to that but given my experience at this point I am highly considering that for future issues like this.

We do use other platforms but Airbnb gets 80% of the bookings . So very tough to beat that! It's a great platform (most of the time), just very tough to operate our business with an issue like this. Appreciate the feedback and hoping being proactive I can get this going again. Question: what happens if I put up another listing (same listing duplicated? ) Is that an option or will it be taken down asap given the same pics/etc?

Just trying to figure out ways to work thru this and has anyone had experience and success with other platforms outside of VRBO/Airbnb?

Open to suggestions !

[Lynda-D-0]

Drew - be weary of those guests who are just looking to have a "free stay" and move from one property to another on Airbnb knowing that Airbnb inevitably will side with the Guest than the Host who are actually helping them make the millions in revenue they profit from every year.

Happened to me personally so I am speaking from experience.  My Suite was booked by a third party (who did not disclose this important detail); for 4 other individuals who showed up at my door unidentified and as strangers wanting the keys to their reserved space.  I did not allow them in and called Airbnb immediately for assistance but to NO AVAIL.  I emailed, I texted, I did everything I could to clarify the situation but got no response from Airbnb at all.  I then received a message telling me the guest who booked the property wanted a full refund because I refused to allow these "strangers" into the space.  It became an awful ordeal with both parties at this point, and my safety and security in my own home was challenged by the booking guest.  Eventually, Airbnb issued a full refund to this guest - regardless of all the details and facts that transpired.  A total nightmare!

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Drew2041 I should have said that occasionally the good folks like @Bhumika or @Breanna or @Quincy can tweak Airbnb into action. You never know your luck!

[Breanna]

Thanks for tagging us @Mike-And-Jane0.

@Drew2041 sorry to hear you've been faced with this! We have referred this over to the relevant team and I hope they will be in touch with you soon. 

[Drew2041]

Thank you so much @Breanna . I really appreciate you listening,  stepping in and doing what you can .

[Mrs-Sumit0]

The same thing happen to me once when I hosted a guest who took pictures of my house around 3:00 am in the morning even it’s mentioned that this house is without drinking or no smoking but he did everything also he took pictures of my whole house even the place which is not accessible.I complained regarding this so airbnb did nothing 

[Helen3]

Hi @Drew2041 

I can see you are new to this community so probably aren't aware that hosts have been complaining about this issue for over a year.

If you search this community you will find hundreds of hosts complaining about their listings being suspended without notice.

In your case it's difficult to comment as you say Airbnb had been in contact with you about a case but not what the issue was????

Either a) Airbnb has suspended your listing because of a false guest safety complaint or b) actually guest safety complaint.  If you are lucky they will suspend you for a while and then let your listing go live again

OR c) they have deleted your listing completely - which is much more serious.

Can you clarify which it is so we can try and help.

As you mention your STR business supports your family I am sure you aren't reliant on Airbnb as your sole marketing channel but use other platforms and take direct bookings. Focus on these channels while you try and resolve issues with Airbnb.

Finally you say your listings are suspended but you appear to have multiple listings under your profile.

[Drew2041]

Hey Helen,

The only listing that is "suspended/Unlisted" is one listing. The other listings are still running as planned.

The listing has simply been "Unlisted". We still have guests going to the property, and from the feedback we have all the new guests have thoroughly enjoyed the property. So it seems that there is nothing serious that we are aware of and the guest that reported the incident either falsely reported, or reported an incident that was a one and done situation.

And, yes, as you mentioned it's pretty clear the Unlisting is a result of a Case that is ongoing and the main issue is that we have absolutely no reply's from that direct case. All communication we have seen so far is from Airbnb Support and all the conclusions from those conversations is that the Case is Open and being worked on. Anytime I attempt to send a message back to the original email thread that started this, the Team involved doesn't respond yet I get a message from Airbnb Support shortly after asking "If I need any help". I respond, explain the situation, and then come to the same exact conclusion that they can't do anything!

Here's the email thread that seemed to spark the Unlisting to occur......maybe this clarifies the issue :

**

Hope that helps clarify this. The listing doesn't seem like an extreme situation where all is lost and the listing is removed, however, we do have open dates coming into the busy season only a month out that we really are trying to get filled. And, there hasn't been any clarity on what the problem was that would cause this to happen......zero clarity, and all the Airbnb Support staff have indicated there is no serious violation on file, and no indication of open violations that would qualify as multiple violations.

Let me know your thoughts, and yes, I am fairly new to this forum as I haven't run into major issues like this before. Over 5 years and hundreds of guests, this is the first time we have run into a guest where we had to have Airbnb step into Mediation to resolve it.

**[Content removed in line with the Community Center Guidelines- Please note that it is not allowed to share Airbnb investigation and private conversations]

[Drew2041 · Accepted solution]

I wanted to follow up on this........the issue has been resolved. The listing is Listed again. The challenges I ran into were that no one ever communicated with me after the initial Case was initiated. I simply got an email back from the team in charge 10 days later indicating the Listing would be listed again, which it is, and they indicated it was a Privacy Issue. They didn't indicate what specific Privacy Issue it was, and I can't imagine what it would be as we have one Camera there but it is at the front door facing outside only and that is indicated in the Listing. I am waiting to hear back on what the Privacy Issue was......potentially the Guest that asked for a Full Refund falsely identified something?

I can say that I felt this Community Center was likely the most helpful form of getting this situated. Breanna, an Admin here, said she got in touch with the necessary people and that seemed to propel this to a more urgent case. I don't feel that the Airbnb Support via phone call did much as they simply reiterated what I already knew, and it took a lot of time to update them on what was going on everytime I called. Then they would simply say there was no way for me to talk with the team in charge and that they would expedite the Case......that happened multiple times the first few days dealing with this. I wouldn't go that route in the future and would simply stick to this Forum along with any Cases still "open".

That route along with a lot of patience worked.......it was very frustrating everyday and relied on a lot of trust that Airbnb would get this done in order to keep my sanity as there was no communication from the direct team in charge. Just this forum.

I hope this helps with anyone else running into the same issue......and I do appreciate everyone who chimed in!