Cancellation - airbnb has taken money from me that I never received

[Michael5176]

In June a guest who had booked with me was forced to cancel because at that point it was not possible to offer self catering accommodation due to covid restrictions.

I agreed to let her cancel in order that she wouldn't lose any money.

Now it looks like airbnb has taken the money from my account from bookings which have taken place since.

How has this happened and how can I fix this?

Thanks for help 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Michael5176 A call to Customer Services I am afraid. You may have a long wait. Numbers can be found in a post pinned to the top of the Help section in this community.

[Michael5176]

Hi, thanks for your comment. I'm not sure where the contact number is that you mentioned. Can you help again? 

[Michael5176]

Hi, found the number now. Thanks

[Michael5176]

Airbnb not taking phone calls right now  

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Michael5176 Then your next best hope is Twitter - No idea what it is but people report it works when publicity threatens.

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Mike-And-Jane0 @Michael5176 

All social media requests for assistance are being directed here to the CC. It has been like this for months now. The CC is the free Customer Services for Airbnb and has been notified as such by official Airbnb communications.

This is even more frustrating when you consider that @Michael5176 is ACTUALLY financing Airbnb with their ridiculous cancellations policies.

This is not a 'glitch' as Airbnb would like you to think, it's a deliberate policy to hold onto cash. 

[Michael5176]

According to the transaction history on this particular booking the reservation was cancelled with no penalty me or the guest. Yet, they have withheld payments from recent bookings to pay for the cancellation   

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Michael5176 Do let us know if Twitter  works. @Lizzie Do you know if Twitter enquiries are directed here?

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

Yes, @Lizzie Can you confirm that the short cut to any Customer Service via Twitter has now been cut off and bots are requesting multiple times over for host accounts' email addresses in order to prolong answering important host and guest requests for help please. Only, I've been watching this Twitter game play out and there are pages of evidence that nothing is being done apart from 'ping ponging' messages backwards and forwards without any resolution.

Where is @Aisling in all this? The executive in charge of Airbnb’s customer-service operation has left hasn't she !?  Who is heading this now, if anybody? Nobody has claimed ownership of this customer service problem since Aisling's last posts have they?

@Mike-And-Jane0 

According to Standing on Giants (the company who runs this CC)  the first purpose of a "brand owned community centre"as this, is to co-opt the members as free customer service reps.

See here: https://www.standingongiants.com/benefits/

Not only that, Brian Chesky - on multiple occasions has cited the CC as an important Customer Support channel on multiple occasions.

This is what we're part of:

The Community Centre benefit

"Reduce call volumes with customer support provided by community members"

All we're doing here is frustrating @Michael5176 in obtaining a resolution because Airbnb -  despite still charging a full rate service fee are providing totally inadequate support and (as here) financing their problem by robbing payouts from hosts.

It's all pretty awful.

[Michael5176]

thx

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Michael5176 

When in June was the cancelled booking for and when was this booked please?

[Michael5176]

The guest bored in June for  stay for the whole of July. Unfortunately the Scottish government had banned the use of self catering accommodation and I had to ask her to cancel. 

We contacted airbnb and fixed the issue with them and were told there would be no penalties.  

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Michael5176 

We contacted airbnb and fixed the issue with them and were told there would be no penalties.

And despite this they are still withholding payments from your current bookings?

I didn't realise Scotland had a "Bank of Michael".

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Michael5176 

One of these two methods will get you some action, although why I as an unpaid community member should need to provide this notification service is ridiculous:

1) Via @Lizzie @Quincy @Stephanie @Liv @Nick @li-user0 @Katie  helping to sort out your payment due.

2) Contact Sal at C N B C News who has been researching these stories, and get the media involved: Host's he's spoke to Airbnb about got paid.

(I'll DM you a link so you have it available).