Airbnb support do not support the hosts

[Akos4]

After a guest incident who stole our keys and posed a security and safety risk to our home and to us, hosts, Airbnb did absolutely nothing. After contacting Airbnb in many channels, stating that the guest posing a safety risk not only to our home but to us as well, Airbnb did not even care to send a single response back or tried to reach out to help or assist. The only communication from them was that it is assigned to a safety specialist with a highest possible urgency. And then nothing happened, AT ALL. I was left alone completely. I obviously had to replace locks and everything but the guest was not even investigated or had any consequences of his actions even after providing clear evidence of his actions. I am not sure if anyone else had similar case but I see it as a huge issue with Airbnb's customer care, as their ignorance may scare normal hosts away from the platform. I have other examples where Airbnb took the guests side after having parties and taking drugs in my airbnb and Airbnb said the guests did nothing wrong. Curious to hear others' stories.

[Anonymous]

@Akos4   This one has come up many times before. With most damage/theft claims, Airbnb is totally capricious, but their record is pretty solid when it comes to reimbursing you for changed locks. The complications come up mostly with hosts who have bought too hard into the "trust and safety" rhetoric, which is just marketing. It's never wise to wait for a customer-service subcontractor to help you through a safety issue on the ground - they're not trained for this, they have no time to dedicate to your case, and nothing that could possibly help you is within their power. So when you have an emergency, take the appropriate action first and deal with the bureaucracy later. If you feel your safety is at risk, obviously you call the police rather than your listing service.

When your keys have gone missing, here's the procedure:

1. Immediately safeguard the property and contact your guest to notify them that they will be charged the full cost of changing the locks if the keys are not directly returned within, say, 2 hours.

2. If the issue is not resolved when the specified period of time has elapsed, arrange an emergency locksmith (which should be available 24/7 in London) to change your locks, and be sure to collect the full receipt.

3. Immediately (i.e. before checking in any new guests) send your guest a Resolution Request for the full cost of the locksmith. If they don't accept the charge within 72 hours, advance your case to Airbnb along with the invoice for the locksmith.

4. At some point within 14 days of checkout, leave an honest review saying what happened when your keys went missing (I don't recommend saying they were "stolen" without proof of intent - that would be tantamount to libel).

In most cases, if you've done everything correctly, you'll be paid out either from the guest's payment method or from the Host Guarantee. Honestly, this is one of the only things it's actually good for. But if you need a listing service that also offers criminal investigations and emotional support, you're definitely on the wrong platform. Those are premium services.

[Michael5562]

Excellent suggestions/guidance.  Have you had any experience with guest damages?  I had guest damage from a guest a month ago.   I 1st went to guest to discuss the damage, then to the Resolution Center.  Guest denied damage and my request for compensation.  Then my claim got kicked to the Host Guarantee area and they assigned a claims rep.  At first, they were very responsive, asking clarifying question, pictures, receipts, estimates for replacement etc.   Then silence, haven't heard back from them in weeks.  No replies to emails.  When I call help center they say they will send a message to the rep and their supervisor.  Still nothing.  Completely ignore.  When I asked to speak directly with rep or supervisor they said flat out No.  Claims people do not talk to hosts.  Their only suggestion was to email rep which I already explained was unresponsive.  Has anyone had this experience? Can anyone offer suggestions? Does AirBnb typically ignore/disregard their Hosts?

[Anonymous]

@Michael5562  By most reports, the claims process has gone way downhill since last year's major downsizing. Just going by the limited data I've seen, I'd estimate that they currently take 6-8 weeks on average to close a claim.

[Colleen253]

@Michael5562 It says right in the terms that claims can take up to 3 months to complete. You're now playing a waiting game.