Airbnb completely threw their hosts under a bus regarding Covid-19

[James207]

Why exactly are we being told to bear 100% of the financial burden of this? Oh, right, because Airbnb doesn't actually care about the hosts or their financial well being.

And we aren't Marriott, or United or Airbnb that will probably get bail outs from the government.  We just get slammed with the fall out.

The costs for cancellation should be split 50/50. If the guest took out travel insurance then it won't be an issue for them. It always, always seems to fall on the hosts to eat the costs if there's adverse weather or events and guests want to cancel. It's incredibly frustrating.

[Karen765]

Everyone should sign the petition that is circulating....   before AirBNB bankrupt us all!

AirBnB, you have abused and neglected the rights of your Hosts. You bite that hand that feeds you. Without us, you would not have guests! It is not your right, to decide what to do with OUR earnings. Many Hosts are outraged and not accepting this! You need to implement a new system and stop screwing us! You can offer credits to guests for future stays, for example, or use the VRBO model which "suggests" Hosts to refund their guest but leaves it to the sole "Discretion of the Host" . These are legally binding contracts that we engage in as hosts, and travelers should be taking their own measures like purchasing travelers insurance. Why should we carry this weight? We have lights to keep on, bills to pay, mouths to feed, and for many this is their SOLE income. Shame on your AirBnB for throwing us under the bus, and we are NOT Standing for it! Many on the forums are stating they will remove listings, only use VRBO, remove instant booking, raise rates and it will get worse! You will love business for making this daring action on our behalf, a community that is the lifeblood of your business and YOUR income! We will sign this petition and show you this is unacceptable AIRBNB and you need to change this plan immediately.

[Sharon1014]

At risk of being a harbinger of hope in the midst of all the doom 'n gloom.... in about 2 weeks time, people generally will be completely fed up with social distancing and self isolation.  They'll see the new infection rates dropping quickly and whether the media monkeys or governments like it or not, they will emerge from their cocoons to resume (maybe tentatively at first) some resemblance of normality.  And then it will be Easter break, spring break for our US friends and other northern hemisphere mates.  People will have time to stretch their legs, do a few things, realise it's not so bad and that they soooooooo miss face to face interaction with other human beings, not to mention going places and doing things. 

And by then, Airbnb may have got it's act together to actually support hosts, come up with a travel insurance option (and yes, they're probably busy right now negotiating their cut out of a bulk deal insurer).  And perhaps the 10% discount in return for no-refund bookings cancellation policy will be the standard default and one that sticks regardless of what nasty bug rears it's ugly head in the future.   Here's hoping.

[Ruth393]

How is Airbnb doing the refunds? My guest canceled right before the new covid refund  policy was announced. So I just received my payout for the canceled booking. The guest used the REQUEST FOR MONEY option to ask me for the refund. I am concerned if I accept his request AND they also refund him I may be out double the money. That happened to me once last year and it took me forever to get the money back.

[Sharon1014]

@Ruth393  I wouldn't be refunding from funds you currently hold.  Airbnb have been quite happy to throw our money around, so let the guest chase them for the refund and pocket what you can.  If necessary Airbnb can raise a debit against your next booking(s).  Decline the request for money.  Insurance against double dipping.  My 2c.

[Kristin108]

I'm curious, 

Why would you refund a guest that cancels last minute?

Maybe you can afford the hit. many of us can't. 

Please reconsider... People who travel, myself included, should ALWAYS buy CFAR insurance.

[Ruth393]

@Kristin108  The only reason I decided to refund them is because I was able to rebook those nights pretty quickly. But now I am constantly back and forth with this guest while he is chasing his refund. Also, I thought Airbnb was refunding cancellations 100% on our behalf without asking us first?

I still don't understand how they're doing the refunding? Are they asking hosts first? Are they taking it from our future pending payouts?

[Ryan-and-Darnie0]

We will most likely raise the nightly rate on our listings to cover the losses when this inevitably blows over. and bookings start coming in again We suggest everyone else does the same.

[James207]

Yep. Significantly. Since my condos are in Maui, I'm blocking Airbnb from booking high season dates. Usually there's zero inventory from Dec. to April and the condos book up months in advance. The other platforms fill all those dates with no problem. I've got a 4.94 average rating between my two condos. I take extraordinary care of the guests and condos. It's unbelievable how badly Airbnb is screwing the hosts.

[Sheila22]

I have already increased my Airbnb pricing significantly for summer months (when the Arc of COVID-19 will be on the decilining and the weather will be too hot for any virus).  And I have lowered my prices on my listing on competing platforms.  I have added an extra fee to my Airbnb listing.  I'm calling it the "High Risk Fee"  and if a Guest says "why are you charging this fee?"  I will say: it is because Airbnb is a high risk platform for Hosts, so I need to charge this fee.  I will then say, however, you can find my listing on competing sites for much cheaper price and there is no "high risk fee." 

[Kristin108]

I totally agree with this!!!! And I already have.

[Rebecca181]

1) It would be too costly to split the loss - Airbnb is going down the runway toward an IPO

2) Because they don't give a crap about home-sharing hosts. They are interested in the commercial enterprises these days. 

[James207]

@AirbnbYou are bankrupting your hosts. In the last five days, I've been forced to cancel $7600 worth of stays for my two condos. This is a disaster and it's horrible what you're doing to essential part of your supposed 'community'. You want us to bend over backwards to take care of our shared customers, but you're destroying us. Shifting all the pain and financial burden to hosts is unconscionable. I guess you can revel in your IPO while inflicting financial ruin on all us. You are truly miserable human beings.

[Anjali4]

Airbnb would not survive without the Hosts- It's time we put pressure on them to not keep extending this deadline- Airbnb could have come up with a solution that was not totally one-sided.

Does Airbnb really think that they can build a community just with guests?

[Sheila22]

This extremely effective post "Airbhb completely threw their Hosts under the bus..." has 4,144 views, 200 thumbs up, and 369 comments, yet Airbnb is continuing to crush us!!  The have move forward to cancel booking April-May.  PLEASE, if you are one of the Hosts who is being completely decimated by Airbnb as we speak, please come join our FB page "Airbnb Hosts United". I am not sure what the answer is for us: media coverage to set the record straight and make sure it is clear that Airbnb are NOT the Good Samaritans they are pretending to be (refunding Guests but failing to mention it is on the backs of their Hosts); Class action suit (or maybe an onslaught of small claims suits; or mass exodus to another platform; severing our relationship with Airbnb jointly. We have many ideas, but they are difficult to discuss on a forum that is the property of Airbnb.  So join us if you need a private place to speak with others who are experiencing exactly what your are going through.  We are trying to make sure it is only Hosts on this FB page and primarily Hosts that are experiencing the full force of Airbnb's abuse right now.   You might believe we are small potatoes to Airbnb, but you are wrong.  It is a very small percentage of Airbnb's Hosts who are continually and consistently booking their places year round.  We are the ones who mainly support their business, yet we are the ones that are being decimated by them right now.  Without us they return to their roots as a 'sleeping bag on the floor' service.  Understand this, and join together.

[Ceri6]

hi Sheila

I'm with you 100%. Have spoken to a journo today in Victoria who is doing an article on how **bleep** Air b n b are playing with hosts.

Can you tell me how/why are we graded as levels? Ive never been on this forum before until this and all of a sudden I see these levels that apparently "grade" us that I was unaware of.

Regards

Ceri