Airbnb « accidentally » cancelled 5 future reservations worth over €20,000 as well as 3 past reservations together with 5* reviews. They don’t respond to my emails or call back.

[Mikhail82]

I’m a host on Airbnb for over 5 years, super host many times.
Last Sunday Airbnb cancelled my 5 future reservations and 3 past reservations as well as removed 5* review on my listing. 

To give you better picture it was 5 future reservations worth over €20,000 which I was supposed to get even if gusts cancel, because I have strict cancellation policy and my guests booked back in May. 

In their email to me and to my guests Airbnb wrote that they cancelled reservations due to suspicious activity on the account. On the phone they told me that it was cancelled « accidentally » and they don’t know why the system cancelled. 

Then instead of getting in touch with my guests who chose my place for their holidays and were extremely stressed and frustrated because of the cancellation; and help them to reinstate their booking and secure my money, Airbnb sent them an email offering crap alternatives. 

I’ve been calling Airbnb every day since then - whole week. I opened about 15 help requests online. No one ever got back to me on this.

Clearly my guests are afraid to re-book since in the email Airbnb told them it’s a security related issue.

My only question is will Airbnb take responsibility for this awful error and try to fix the mess, compensate me, apologise to my guests and explain them what it really was and restore reviews on my listing or they will never will until I take them to court because this is how they are and this is their standards?

Should I wait longer before legal actions?

[Gordon0]

I've read many similar stories, @Mikhail82, and the chances of getting a quick response (if at all) are seemingly incredibly poor. Some say Twitter works, after all, businesses like Airbnb don't like bad publicity.

[Mikhail82]

Thank you Gordon. Looks like they don’t care about publicity either. I tweeted and posted on FB. I get automated messages back saying thanks for bringing the issue up let us know your details and we see what we can do. I provide details and they never get back. 
It’s been a week. Today they have blocked my account again for « security reasons ». Something is very wrong with Airbnb. Will leave to leave it to my lawyers.

[Huma0]

@Sybe @Quincy @Emilie 

Any way you could give the team dealing with this (I assume Trust & Safety) a nudge about this?

[Mikhail82]

Infortunately I don’t know who is dealing with it and if anyone is dealing with it. The only thing I can do is call them. Whenever I call them they say that the booking was cancelled by them “accidentally”  but they don’t know how and what to do and they need to escalate it and someone will be in touch with me. 8th day - no one gets back. I opened requests online but they close it writing “if you didn’t enjoy experience with us you can leave your feedback here

[Huma0]

@Mikhail82 by the way, when I look at your listing, the calendar looks pretty full. Did Airbnb cancel the reservations AND block the dates?

[Mikhail82]

Try September and October. This reservation what for the whole month of September. But they don’t want to rebook because Airbnb’s sent them an email saying that their booking was cancelled because of security related issues. I asked Airbnb’s to get in touch with them and advise what it’s safe to rebook but Airbnb contacted them to offer them alternatives.

[Huma0]

@Mikhail82 

What a nightmare. I don't know what to suggest really as you said that CS only advised you on the phone that it was an error, rather than in writing, in which case you have nothing to send to the guests to reassure them of this.

When I had a major issue with Airbnb (large and wrongful refunds they made to guests by mistake and then refused to compensate me for), the only way I got a solution was to harass them constantly for a month. In the end, I won, but it was very time consuming and extremely stressful. 

I have tagged some of the CC admins above. They do not deal directly with these issues but might be able to give the team who do a nudge to get this escalated and sorted out. Fingers crossed.

[Mikhail82]

Thank you @Huma0 . Very kind of you

[Emilie]

Hi @Mikhail82, 

Sorry to hear about this! Has there been any progress since you posted here or are you still waiting? Either way, I've nudged the team for you, hopefully they'\ll be able to follow-up with you directly shortly. 

Thanks as well for the mention, @Huma0  🙂

Emilie

[Mikhail82]

Thank you Emilie,

non progress at all. I’m so disappointed and annoyed and frustrated. We all know that it’s not an error that tells you about the system but it’s the reaction to the error. No reaction from Airbnb system for 10 days tell me much about how it works. 

[Mikhail82]

Two weeks and Airbnb hasn’t come back at all. I don’t think they ever will. It’s a major fault in their system and I’ll do what I can to make it know that to as many people as possible.

[Mikhail82]

UPDATE: a few weeks later Airbnb got in touch to say that they appointed a person to sort out my case. His name is Valentin. Super professional, efficient, polite and punctual. After investigating the case Airbnb compensated my lost reservations in full. They have also reinstated all lost reviews and apologised. Thank you @Emilie and @Huma0 . I'm sure your input helped to attract attention of Airbnb to my case. Thank you for your support. I wish I could speak to Valentin the day my reservations got cancelled. It would save so much time and stress. I hope Airbnb will improve their feedback/communication system. With people like Valentin there is a hope. 

[Huma0]

@Mikhail82 

I am so glad that your situation was resolved and that you were compensated. It's just a shame that it took so long.

Was Valentin able to find out why all of this happened?

[Mikhail82]

They didn’t explain me the details but looks like it was exactly what I was told in the beginning - accidental cancellation by the system/system glitch.