Brian's Message was sincere but unsatisfactory for the host

Juan63
Level 10
San Antonio, TX

Brian's Message was sincere but unsatisfactory for the host

First of all, thank you Brian for taking the time to leave this message and for the countless hours your team has put in. I truly appreciate it. I am only speaking for myself, but none of your proposed plans made me feel more comfortable with the situation.

 

• Take back all the handouts, I want to know what is our roadmap to succeed. I wanted to hear that full refund cancellations due to Covid-19 would end or not end and by when. So I can decided the fate of my Airbnb.

 

• I wanted the guests to receive full credit, a 50% refund or more if the host agreed.

 

• None of your proposals involved the host being part of the process.

 

• The 12.5% payment to hosts is a joke. I hope the 25% number was not intentional as to make the payment to hosts seem larger than it is.

 

Once again I really appreciate your effort, but as for me. I don't think your team has listened.

30 Replies 30

@Mike-And-Jane0 @Juan63 
Man!!! I love steak, the extra steak dinner sounds pretty good lol

 

All joking aside, I am with Mike and Jane here even though personal I am not satisfied with this proposal. You might not need that extra steak dinner, but don’t you see what happens out there, everyone is doing it tough. The long term rental market for example, tenants are losing their jobs and asking for delay payment, the homeowners are seeking mortgage delay, bills delay.

 

With some people this extra dinner is what enough to go through this time, because the other alternative might be worse. 

@Ocean50 do you know why Airbnb even did what they did? It was because people were unhappy and they spoke up. They didn't take the status quo. Changes don't come by accepting the steak dinner, it comes from fighting for the ingredients to make yourself the steak dinner.


@Juan63 wrote:

Changes don't come by accepting the steak dinner, it comes from fighting for the ingredients to make yourself the steak dinner.


Wow!!! This is too good I can't argue with this, I will use this quote one day.

@Ocean50 Once in a while everyone makes a decent point...lol

 

I called St George Bank  last week and they told me the real truth. 

 

You still to make interest repayments or they will add the interest on to the principal.

$400 000 you owe - in 6 months on freeze your new amount at say 4% will be 

$408 000.

 

They are not giving any concessions to residential loans in which the property is leased out.

 

Big Shopping center chains who lease shops such as Westfields - Stocklands have borrowed

money from overseas to build their centers. They are not giving them free interest.

 

It just about how much spare cash a company or landlord has to be able to continue 

to make the interest repayments to banks. 

 

This is a time for the banks to make a profit and they will make sure of it.

Hi @Juan63 

You asked to 'show me where it said a full refund was the advertised policy....'

I can't paste the URL but see a paragraph cut from the extenuating circumstances policy in existence before Covid 19 events:

 

If you’ve confirmed your circumstance meets the requirements above, first cancel your homes reservation or Airbnb Experience. If your reservation falls under a recognised extenuating circumstance, you’ll be notified that your reservation qualifies for a penalty-free cancellation, and you’ll get a full refund if you’re a guest.

@Mike-And-Jane0 

 

Just wanted to reply to you comment 'For those continuing to complain I suggest you spare a thought for the millions of other people who have lost their jobs due. to the Corona Virus -  As hosts we have no god-give right to be immune to this.'

We have 4 housekeepers, 2 gardeners and pool man who will receive no pay. At our properties we also regularly employ different maintenance engineers who we can not afford to do anymore.

Don't forget the regular cost associated in running and maintaining our properties.

 

The Algarve (where our properties are) only have a 6-7 month season per year starting in March. The whole region has lost the first 3 months of that season. The whole region will be devastated. 

 

Covid-19 is certainly not the fault of the traveller nor Airbnb, but why are the owners/hosts the only ones to financially suffer?
Surely if Airbnb only wanted to offer their 12.5%, they could also hold 12.5% from the traveller. That way everyone looses a little, but it might just be enough to keep the industry afloat. 

I know of many privately advertising owners who have offered a 70% refund and promised to offer a 15% discount if that guest re-books with in two years. What is wrong with that kind of offer?

Paul351
Level 8
Dublin, Ireland

It annoys me that re guests who had already cancelled in this period and where I was due to receive 50% looks like it will be reduced to 12.5%.  This itself will balance out any other proposed payment.

@Paul351 in my experience, it hasn't been retroactive. When a guest canceled prior to the policy change, Airbnb had to get my permission to refund any additional amount.

Yes that’s how it should be but Airbnb are full of inexperienced staff.  I’m currently battling two cases where they’ve retrospectively applied policy.

 

Am I misreading below?

 

’ What happens for reservations that were canceled before this March 30 announcement?
As long as the criteria above apply, and the guest cancels under our extenuating circumstances policy, we’ll pay 25% of the amount you would’ve received for a normal guest cancellation.‘

Airbnb are Snakes.

@Paul60 Sorry Paul, I'm confused on this one. Wish I could be more helpful.

Kristopher-and-Jennifer0
Level 2
San Jose, CA

COVID 19 aside - unilateral policy changes that benefit one side at the expense of another are unacceptable. Yes, these are extenuating circumstances. Yes, people shouldn't be traveling. Yes. People are unable to work and many are barely able to stay afloat (or worse). But notice, I didn't say "guests." I said people. Hosts are people too and hosts are hurting. We commit (in most cases) our largest asset (or liability) weeks and months in advance for guests to use for leisure, business, whatever they choose. If the opposite happens and demand goes thru the roof and another guest offers me 20x the nightly rate - I cannot cancel free of charge and public shaming. If we as hosts can't remove the glass ceiling in boom times, why can the platform which we advertise through remove the floor when the sky is falling without our input?

 

And did I miss the proper communication that they decided to extend the EC policy change to the end of May? I relistened to the talk, he didn't mention it. His letter mentioned in briefly and strategically one line after $250 million in bold letters. How can he apologize for poor communication while poorly communicating another unilateral decision to extend the policy that he was apologizing for?

 

We're trusting them with our real estate?!? 

 

Perhaps the most comical part is the Voucher option for guests. The company gets the interest carry, the guest gets their full value and the host.... ?  Yeah. Very disappointing. 

Sarah977
Level 10
Sayulita, Mexico

"How can he apologize for poor communication while poorly communicating another unilateral decision to extend the policy that he was apologizing for?"

 

He obviously has a certain kind of intelligence to have parlayed his company into a 3 billion dollar business, and is clever like a fox, but to tell you the truth, I really get the sense that he isn't what I would consider to be particularly bright. He manages to come up with policies and convoluted messages designed to sound good for PR, but he doesn't seem to understand that most hosts see right through his BS. He seems to lack the very qualities that make the "sharing and caring and connecting the world" rhetoric that he built the platform on possible. He's terrible at interpersonal communication and I think he's afraid of his hosts..

Simon2560
Level 2
Burwash, United Kingdom

You have have to be intelligent to make billions,  just ruthless.....

Susan17
Level 10
Dublin, Ireland

Here's a clue, guys - Chesky's buddy, mentor and very early investor is Jeff Bezos. You can be sure he's pulling plenty of strings behind the scenes..