AIRBNB - YOUR CALL TO ACTION

[Allison200]

I have been an AirBnb host for many years and host 2 of my own personal properties on AirBnb.

I have zero problem refunding 100% of the money paid towards cancellations.  I was doing that long before AirBnb made their announcement.  

It's the right thing to do.

However, here are the key points:

1.  REFUNDS: In a time when very few other companies are providing full refunds (airlines, hotels that I know of personally as I had to cancel my own upcoming trip), why is AirBnb forcing HOSTS to refund yet AirBnb keeps all of their "finder fees".  AirBnb - if you really want to do the right thing, you need to participate in the refund or understand that hosts should be required to refund the same percentage that you do.

2.  CREDITS: Instead of refunding, there should be some type of credit provided for future travel to renters.  Same as some of the airlines are now trying to do.

3.  GUIDELINES:  AirBnb - please pay close to attention to those of us who are refunding 100% to renters.  Not only pay close attention, but REMEMBER our actions.  So when you try to assess SuperHost status or place our properties in a lineup, we are FIRST.  AS A COMPANY YOU MUST REMEMBER WHO IS HELPFUL

[Ashley678]

This business is saturated and they know it: therefor they don't , " HAVE TO CARE ", there will be the new comers after all this is over... thinking they will make tons and travel the life of leisure of their measly listing.  Young idiots with no hospitality experience , they won't be on their knees scrubbing for sparkling reviews, or going out of their way to ensure their guests love the experience of airbnb, which btw.. they have created by pitting each of us against each other competitively .  Their website that attracts a luxury stay client, on a beer beach belly idiot... with zero reviews that expect their asses wiped.

Good luck on you're guests being happy airbnb... when they show up for a terrible stay by all your newcomers: you are about to lose the best-of-the -BEST !

ashley paige  

[Allison200]

Your point about pitting us against each other is totally true.  Not only that, we get held HOSTAGE by the renters and their reviews.  I bend over backwards to address every single issue or complaint (I had one guy complain about the noise of a cicada that was too close to the window outside - this is just one example.  I had another guy put blood on a cover on a bed to blackmail me into a discount.)  I have a 4.9+ rating but the outliers like the above make me furious as they are totally cheating and blackmailing the system and I'm forced to pay the price.

[Sarah977]

@Allison200  I'm glad you posted this. There seem to be a lot of hosts right now who think that just because other hosts feel that refunding 100% during this pandemic situation is the right thing to do, that we somehow condone Airbnb's approach in not giving hosts a choice in whether to refund or not. Which is simply not true, and is a perception that indeed is pitting hosts against each other.

I also think that refunding 100% for COVID is the right thing to do, but I also feel that it's up to each host to make that decision for themselves- we each live with our own conscience and ideas about how that might affect our business going forward- it's not a decision that should be dictated by Airbnb.

[Juan63]

@Allison200 I'm sorry Allison but the "right" thing to do is not for you to decide. It's for hosts to decide. Airbnb is refunding all their fees so not sure why the bad information is still being circulated. VRBO has instituted a preferred listing to hosts who have given a full refund. Not sure that is legal but this was a better approach.

[Allison200]

You're correct - it's the right thing to do for me.

As far as the bad info?  My canceled renters along with others I know have not received the refund of AirBnb fees.  That's why the info is still circulating.