Referring Host Isn’t Getting Paid

[Stacy318]

Hello. I am a new host. I used the referral  link from another host who I came into contact with. I had not published my listing but I did START my listing. When I clicked on the referral link it took me to my incomplete listing and told me to complete it, which I did. Now, Airbnb will not pay the referring host the referral fee because they say I had already started my listing. Both the referring host and myself are quite upset because she was counting on the fee and I was doing the right thing to use her link. How can we get this resolved? We have both notified Airbnb to no avail. Help! 

[Ann72]

@Stacy318  I'm sorry to say I don't think you can get it resolved.  The referral is only paid when a new host starts a listing using the link provided.  I've given the link to a host who then forgot about the link in her eagerness to start her listing, and that was that.  I didn't even bother to contact Airbnb because I knew it would go nowhere.

[Stacy318]

I am so disappointed about this because now I will have to pay the host myself out of my bookings. It’s a bit more involved as I am using her as a consultant but she was going to use the referral fee as payment. She has contacted everyone possible but I’m afraid you are right. 😭

[Sarah977]

@Stacy318  No one should ever "count on" a referral fee. That's like counting your chickens before they're hatched.

[Inna22]

@Sarah977 I think it is a reasonable expectation if you follow all the rules. We expect to get paid for the stays we host; a consultant that works for me at my "day" job expect to get paid when he gets a new contract for me. Only with airbnb there can be a twist and small print for everything

[Ann72]

Yes, @Inna22, but the OP didn't follow the rules.  It makes sense to me that they would only pay out when the referral link is clicked and a new listing started then.  

[Sarah977]

@Inna22  I didn't mean it wasn't a reasonable expectation, but that I have read so many posts over time of it not being paid that "counting on it", when it comes to Airbnb, is an oxymoron.

Hosts can't even depend on getting paid for a completed stay if a guest can convince a CS rep that they deserve a refund.

Oh, and guesss what, folks. Airbnb just changed their policy- guests now have not 24 hrs to report a listing as being unacceptable- theynow have 72 hrs!  So they can stay for 3 days, then claim the washing machine just stopped working, or that they just noticed a dirty area, and try to get refunded.

[Inna22]

Airbnb is very stingy when it comes to a referral fee. I referred someone but they did not start on the listing for a couple of weeks and I did not get paid either. Apparently the listing needs to be completed and a stay hosted by a certain time. I referred someone else and got paid a lesser amount. I never could get an explanations for that one

[Ann72]

Now that is some serious fine print @Inna22!