Superhost waited 45 minutes to talk to Airbnb and then was hung up on!

Jan288
Level 6
Lahaina, HI

Superhost waited 45 minutes to talk to Airbnb and then was hung up on!

Hello fellow hosts,

 

I just waited 45 minutes on the phone to find out why Airbnb thought they could just breach our agreement and refund a guest who canceled.   Covid-19 is a Force Majeure.  I am not responsible for it, the guest doesn't have it, I do not have it, and my condo is available.  I have a strict cancellation policy, and the guest knew this when she booked.    Without asking my permission, Airbnb just changed my cancellation policy and refunded it.  I do feel sorry for the guest losing her money, however, I am losing my ability to pay for my property!  This is why I have a strict cancellation policy.   Even the Travel Insurance companies are not paying for "fear" nor if the guest is not actually sick with Covid-19, and that is what they sell, insurance for cancellations!  Yet Airbnb took this most illegal step in changing my cancellation policy!  

 

I called them back and waited another hour just to end up listening to air.  This is how they treat a Superhost who has been with them for years. Totally unacceptable and very amateur!  They should have checked with their lawyer first instead of making a unilateral decision.  If they wanted to refund guests out of their own pockets, fine, but they should never have just decided to give the money owed to me back to a guest when I do have this strict no cancellation policy!  

 

I am really angry about the unprofessional way they are acting.  I will not refer Airbnb to any other hosts or travelers ever after this!  They cannot be trusted!

 

20 Replies 20
Julia628
Level 2
Albany Creek, AU

Agreed. I'm scrambling right now and unable to pay my bills. This happened so fast and I can't believe there's been zero contact from Airbnb regarding how this might affect hosts. 

Adriano78
Level 10
Seville, Spain

here in Europe is well know you have a double-dipping. A massive fraud,  guest 100% refund with our money + 100% insurance.

 

This morning  I was furious, I received the scandalous Airbnb  bul**bleep** email message  sent to all the host in the world :

 

"We know that this decision has met some of you in a difficult situation. Many hosts were already accepting cancellations outside of the established conditions. You asked us why we made this decision when other companies in our sector did not pass. We want to make sure that you understand our reasoning.

This pandemic is pushing cities and countries to take extreme measures. In this crisis, our priority is to preserve the health of the population and our communities. We did not want travelers to make the decision to put themselves in dangerous situations and pose a public health risk in order to honor their reservation. We believe this is the most responsible choice given the advice of governments and health experts."

 

Are you kidding @Airbnb ??:       " In this crisis, our priority is to preserve the health of the population and our communities. We did not want travelers to make the decision to put themselves in dangerous situations and pose a public health risk in order to honor their reservation".

 

you really think the hosts are stupid????, YOU DON'T **bleep** CARE about population, communities..........,  what you want is just to make an advertising campaign by making the guests believe that Airbnb is so generous (with hosts money) and the other companies so nasty because they do not refund (booking, vrbo ...) .
After the covid crisis with this advertising campaign, you hope that your SUPER generosity (with host money)you will win new customers.

 

AIRBNB, I know you so generous because you have millions of dollars, and you love your hosts so now I suggest you to refund guests with YOUR MONEY and not with host money. WE ARE NOT AN INSURANCE COMPANY

 

Even the travel insurance companies are not paying for this one unless the guest has it. It is under the "Act of God" rule aka "Force Majeure" rule. So how are we supposed to refund?

AirBnB also decided to refund my money to a guest without consulting me too!! I wish we could all do something.

J-Renato0
Level 10
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

@Adriano78  @Jan288 

 

Agree with you you! 

 

I am going to copy and past @Ute42 comment

"In this situation the most important thing is the protection of "our" valued guests sanity.

The best protection is to stay at home and not travel. A guest who stays at home and gets a 100% refund is just as protected as a guest who stays at home and pays cancellation fees.

The protection happens by not traveling, not by not paying."

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Airbnb-Updates/A-Message-From-Our-Founders/m-p/1261464/highlight... 

 

Hi @Adriano78 , I agree with you...I am also outraged ....  but slow down with dirty words ! 🙂 

 

I still hope Airbnb rethink their decision to hault the stric policy !

Bradley122
Level 3
Washington, DC

I waited 50 minutes to be hung up on when I didn't want to listen to him read an article posted on the website that didn't answer my question.

Oh good grief!  Glad they hung up on me, I would have been more furious than I was.  We should all just pick a month and all of us close it to Airbnb.  See how they like it!

I like that idea but first make sure our properties are also listed on other portals. Lets also make it 2 months.

By the time people are travelling again hopefully all hosts will have moved to other hosting platforms and then AirBnB will be screwed, in the same way they are screwing us now. Karma!

Dixie7
Level 10
Dunsborough, Australia

My Airbnb pad is in Dunsborough, Western Australia.

I didn't bother to attempt phoning Airbnb as I knew I'd be just left hanging on so I've sent three messages (unanswered) regarding the cancellations I've been receiving with the explanation "Due to an Incident in Dunsborough". After the first cancellation with this explanation, I thought I'd better do some deeper investigation to find out what this "Incident in Dunsborough" referred to for my own sake as well as guests who have bookings ... guessing it was due to covid-19. No-one I spoke to in Dunsborough incl nurses at the doctors' surgery & the local pharmacy had any knowledge of an "Incident in Dunsborough". Also my daughter-in-law works in the Sterilisation Unit at the Busselton Hospital (covering the Duns/Buss area) and she hasn't heard of any cases presenting there. So I thought, oh well, obviously that first cancelling guest must have heard something that no one living in Dunsborough has heard. Then, every cancellation after that is "Due to an Incident in Dunsborough". And, so, it's become obvious to me, it's just a stock reason Airbnb have put on the "Reasons for Cancellation" for guests to tick when cancelling. Please correct me if I'm wrong. And I don't think these guests have been talking to each other and decided they'd all give the same reason.

My question to Airbnb is, where did you get this information? 

If it is the case that Airbnb are using this type of statement for guests' reason for cancelling, then quite frankly, I'm furious that they would use a statement like that, with no qualifying grounds to do so. 

I understand guests have the choice as to whether they cancel or not, for their safety and well-being, but to lead them astray by advertising an inflammatory statement that appears to be an untruth is devastating to all hosts in our area. 

Are any other hosts receiving a similar reasons for cancelling?

If you've read this, thank you.

 

Dixie7
Level 10
Dunsborough, Australia

Hi everyone again, I'm sorry my question isn't about the refund to guests cancelling.

 

As far as the refund is concerned, I'm quite happy with my "moderate" cancellation policy as I really don't want to see any guests out of pocket either. Of course, my life doesn't depend on Airbnb but I can understand that this is not the case for many hosts. 

 

Stay well everybody.

@Dixie7 

Hi

That's how mine come through as well. The first one i actually messaged the guest to ask her what incident is she referring to, she called me and said she had no idea what i was talking about, she didn't send it, that's when i realised it was a airbnb thing. It urks me every time i read it. Its just the term they use in reference to the extenuating circumstance in general. I totally agree they could have thought of a better term.

 

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Jan288 

 

I totally understand your frustration. Believe me, I am feeling it too. I have spent I don't know how many hours (adds up to a couple of working days at least - which is costly to me as a freelancer, at a time I don't need to lose more money), but I am not sure they are deliberately hanging up.

 

I think their phone lines can't cope right now. I was cut off several times, but sometimes with the rep in mid sentence. Sometimes the rep called me straight back and seemed frustrated themselves that they kept getting cut off mid sentence.

 

I am not being naïve about this. I think hosts are being thrown under a bus, but I am not sure every time the line cuts, it's the rep hanging up.

Paul60
Level 10
Dublin, Ireland

The is a regular occurrence.  Airbnb staff seem to have a sense of entitlement.  If they doing like your questioning tone they hang up.  It happens often.

Airbnb are Snakes.