Case Managers dropping the ball

Jodi40
Level 2
Johannesburg, South Africa

Case Managers dropping the ball

Good day,

I joined Airbnb in 2012, I started listing my first unit in 2016 and since listed 3 more apartments.  In general, I have always been happy with Airbnb’s service but the last 24hrs have been a total nightmare and Airbnb did nothing until I totally lost my cool and started yelling at people.  What is wrong with your company?  Why do host mean NOTHING to you?  I had a guest in my listing who blatantly lied about the guest count and not just once but repeatedly when I kept asking her and showing her proof of her lying.  She refused to pay the extra guest charge and then after 4 hours of trying to sort it out and involving Airbnb eventually she agreed to a date change to leave in the morning after Airbnb paid half of the night’s accommodation for her.  Check out is 10am when I arrived at 10:15 to clean the guests was still in the apartment and she told me that she refuses to leave until Airbnb refund her the money.

After another 45min of arguing she agreed to make a new booking with the correct guest count and paying 50% of the additional guest fee.  I even helped her do the booking request, then I send her a special offer and told her to accept it and it looked like that is what she was doing when I left.

Few hours later I contacted Airbnb about her not accepting the special offer, few hours after that Airbnb contact me in regards to a booking for dates that is during this booking request and again I told them why I can not accept the booking since this woman refuse to leave until Airbnb refund her the money.  Not an hour after that I get an instant booking for 3 nights arriving tonight, I contact the guest and explained to her I cannot host her, and she needs to contact Airbnb.  After that I tried to contact Airbnb to sort this out and then X the case manager for the instant booking contact me and I explained to her that ALL the case managers that have been “working” on this need to get together and sort this out because effectively I am sitting with a squatter in my listing.  After that the guest said they will accept the offer but can’t since the dates is not available because when X cancelled the instant booking, she said I (the host) cancelled it so the dates got blocked out.

I tried messaging and phoning but every case manager or senior case manager that I spoke to or message with was just totally clueless and after having to explain the story repeatedly just got nowhere.  SERIOUSLY!

After hours and hours I eventually got to someone at 9pm who might be able to help the guest make the booking with her refund credit but that person did not even contact the guest they referred me to the safety department!!!!!  Where I had to explain the situation ALL over again and then I KID YOU NOT I got referred to the useless case manager that absolutely did nothing.

So, I am not allowed to lose my cool, swear or do anything while every single person I am dealing with is taking their sweet time in just referring me to the next case manager who is going to do NOTHING.

It is 10pm, 12 hours after a guest refuse to leave my listing because Airbnb did not refund her money, 12 hours of me contacting Airbnb via the app and phone, 12 hours were I spoke to more than 6 case managers and 1 special department case manager who did sweet nothing and 1 Safety department person.

So, after almost 8yrs of being an Airbnb guest and almost 4 yrs of being an Airbnb Host I finally get what other hosts complain about and finally decided that I had enough.

2 Replies 2
Scott1220
Level 1
Oneida, TN

Yes, we are also having a TERRIBLE time with Airbnb right now, and will be delisting and probably won't go back.  I think this is the death rattle of this company.

 

We had a cancellation, and Airbnb was supposed to get back to me on an issue with the guest refund. Well, another guest booked THE SAME weekend, the day before their arrival!  I needed to cancel the guest.  Called and got the run around on case managers, etc.  Well it has been 4 days now.  They deposited the guests money into my account!  Now they want a review!  But the guest never stayed!!!  What a mess.  

 

In the time we as hosts need Airbnb, they leave us high and dry.  

Helen3
Top Contributor
Bristol, United Kingdom

@Scott1220  as you know Airbnb in common with our STR companies are completely overwhelmed in terms of responding to the Covid epidemic and the huge amount of work that has been involved in managing cancellations.

 

Have to say i am not at all clear as to what happened with your case.

 

How were you able to accept a second booking from guests covering the same dates?

 

Why can't the first guest just hit the cancellation button on their booking if they want to cancel. Why do you need to be involved.