Delisted superhost

[Jane3508]

After five years as superhost I accidentally pressed the pool box because of those new boxes that show up on the screen - I only have a large jacuzzi.  This affected one guest who got a full refund and all other guests that booked during that 2 month period were notified to make a choice.  I only highlight jacuzzi  in main write up and pictures are clear.  Why would I purposefully do that??  I have never had a disappointed guest until now.  They also looked in my account and found in my manual (that no one reads). a pool/hottub please use plastic glasses.

Airbnb do it themselves re babygate.  pool/hottub.  That has been there for years and no one ever expected a pool.  In fact they do use it cold as a dipping pool in warm weather but I would never highlight that as they would arrive expecting a pool.

I have asked twice to be relisted and it is an extremely hard line.  

Oddly they left the two listings for rooms only (when I am in residence) that are same house - same host.

Please does anyone know how to actually speak to the decision maker??  or any advice.  I wll not be able to keep property or beloved staff.

They also cancelled $85,000 USD in bookings.  What a disruption - it defies and business logic or humanity.

Best Jane

[Bianca55]

It really does depend on the person you get as your resolution ambassador. Some are just so lovely and definitely listen to your side of the story whilst others don’t even bother to call the host. It’s easy to ‘stage’ a damning photo much as it is easy to artificially improve the lightning with professional photography for example. It’s also easy to exaggerate in words.

 I’ve just had a deceptive lying guest get a full refund 2 days into her stay. Not one call to me to check my side of this story until after the refund has been confirmed.  I had asked them to talk to me & has sent photographic proof with the guests luggage it in to prove she was deliberately lying.
This particular representative was negligent in my opinion and now after a few calls to support, it seems there is nothing I can do. 
Hosta are truly not looked after in my opinion.

[Jane3508]

I have another final decision by email - no reinstatement

[Michael5689]

@Jane3508 This is so maddeningly logically inconsistent.  They won't let you rent the entire house because of one mistake that at it's core is about a shade of grey issue, but they are letting the individual room rentals stand.  I have a feeling it isn't really about the pool and it's more about the hygiene issue.
 
If I was in your position, I'm not sure how much I would press the issue of the logical inconsistency with the other listings otherwise the individual room rentals might be affected.  I would think your listing would do well on some place like booking as a whole house so it might be time to bring that up as well as by-owner if you haven't done so already.

[Jane3508]

Hygiene. - how can all the other reviews that show 5 stars for cleanliness be wrong???

[Michael5689]

@Jane3508 I meant more the cat urine thing in the review.  That really probably set off alarm bells with support (whether valid or not) and and then the lack of clarity of exactly the room arrangements probably didn't help.  If I was you I might try one more time with support and offer to include floorplans as pictures in the posting.  Since I never got to read the description of the original whole house listing it's hard to judge on the floorplan stuff.

Basically with the simple pool mixup + a health concern (cat urine comment) + a unique floorplan with what sounds like a converted bedroom made a customer support person who didn't look at the larger perspective of the obviously VERY happy history of guests led them to jump to a heavy-handed decision.

The property is very cool and unique, but someone expecting a self-contained whole house under one well-connected floorplan might be disappointed a bit and I could see support latching onto that aspect after a unreasonable guest went off on you.  The inability to take all the obviously previously extremely happy whole house guests into account though...is a head scratcher.

[Jane3508]

I have no idea about cat urine - there is no cat or dog on property

[Michael5689]

I could have been from some smell wafting in from just outside the property so from that aspect I consider that comment from them potentially unfair.

There are a few guests in your reviews that mention the cleanliness so support may have seen a repeating issue there.  Personally reading the reviews it sounds to me like some people are expecting modern hotel-level cleanliness and not understanding that's nearly impossible in a unique cool property like yours with so many nooks and crannies.  Being older and a lot of tile floors and grout it's likely nearly impossible to keep it spotless without power washing between stays.

[Bianca55]

@Jane3508 My issue is there is no one to check if the guest is fabricating all that. Having experienced that myself, I realize that albeit only a few,  some guests are nasty, unkind and unreasonable.

airbnb should send round a rep to verify status & also something like this?

i have a range of homes, some I’m superhost in and some I’m not. 

i list on other sights and use the Lodgify management system.  Once the home is vastly different on other Sites, I snooze or make them not available. Especially if bookings are better elsewhere.

[Helen744]

.@Jane 3508 Do not give up. Get the reps name and escalate this thru Stephnie Jenny Emilie or one or all of the other Ambassadors because none of these reps have any actual proof of anything. Ring them again . Do not email. Also get a friend that is close by to help you with pics and talking to people.Cutting off the communication while providing little in the first place is not professional.How far away is this 800 dollar a night hotel ?It seems the bad review has been removed.Did they even stay ?or just go crackers when they realised there was no pool. Did you refund them? and did they cancel ? Take care of this first. Remember the reps do not come to your place at all, so its up to you to provide all the proof you can I suspect the original rep who may have no name or identity is no longer dealing with your case because of their apalling record. Write back to the email that you will not be closing the case and expect reinstatement in full and compensation for loss of business because of sabotage by a guest and a rep. H 

[Michael5689]

@Helen744 It looks to me like support is basically forcing break up of the property up into 3 different listings because 2 of the bedrooms have private entrances even though they are the same building.  I think it's up-for-debate whether that's really the right thing to force since there's a clear history of many guests being very happy with renting the "whole property", but unfortunately she had a particularly bad review kicked off by a simple mistake intersect with the wrong customer service rep that initiated this spiral.

Personally I would definitely be interested in the ease of renting the "whole" property for my family even knowing that the bedroom arrangement isn't standard. 

[Helen744]

@Michael5689.Yes very tricky and a difficult time to negotiate.It is truly terrifying that her whole listing is being put in jeopardy by a casual rep assesment because I know these cases are dismissed way too quickly and people are allowing something they have worked very hard for , based on trust in a particular platform and oftentimes loyalty to be ripped away. I do not know when Airbnb will eventually face court cases about these types of issues but if even half of what people are saying is true then it cannot be far away. H

[Jane3508]

I am afraid a complete firewall is up - whoever has pushed the cancel button is invisible and I have had three final letters - one that I think came through this community that I have never been on before.  I am not quite familiar and guess that big brother is watching.  

I am looking at other avenues to assess what's next.  Such a hard line has been taken.  

If only the person making the decision would speak directly to have all the correct information.  This new guest to airbnb along with my listing mistake.   If that review is gone then it would seem that I also errored in having any negative comment in the respond section.  The guest I thing must have been involved again in that decision.  They wouldn't do it for me which caused the beginning of the spiral.

We have to take it on the ear as hosts.

I do not feel like I had a proper day in court.  They were so nasty that I should have known to stay clear and another warning about new guests without reviews.

[Helen744]

@Jane 3508 Keep trying Jane things are not right. Keep trying to go over their heads and getting a real response.H

[Jane3508]

Helen

I believe like you in fairness and humanity and COMMONSENSE.

If I had done nothing and not attempt to save my reputation I would not be in this position.

This is not possible in this monstrosity that we are all bowed over too.

I have had a few situations with guests in the past and the host is not supported despite the lip service script - ask yourselves how many times it sounds genuine..

I believe it is over . 
This will just make me redefine my choices and dig deeper.

Thanks for following along with a support.

Jane

[Bianca55]

I agree, I’m definitely not closing my case!