Do they block posts critisicing them?

[Nick86]

Each time I try to post a message that criticises airbnb it fails to post! anyone else get this?

[Helen3]

No they don’t . Myself and lots of others regularly post negative posts about Airbnb @Nick86 

Your posts usually only get removed if you break the rules if the forum. 

[Anonymous]

@Nick86  They don't have such sophisticated AI that the system automatically knows your post is critical the second you hit the Send button. Unfortunately, their software is such crap that these errors happen every day. Frequent contributors tend to copy their longer posts before submitting them, so when the error happens they can reload and resend.

[Nick86]

yes - the software being crap seems much the more likely option - definitely will be copy/pasting in future

[Ute42]

.

@Nick86 

In general airbnb does not block critical publications. They do have a keywordfilter though for posts on the Community Center. So if You are using certain words, this may block Your post from being published. In this case Your post goes into escrow and the mods then have to release it manually. Maybe try to change some words You think may be critical and then see if it works.

There is a way around the keywordfilter, but I'm not going to tell You what that it is. 😃

[Nick86]

Have hosts ever tried to organise a general strike? It seems I am not the only one treated appallingly and without us they would have no business

[Anonymous]

@Nick86  Conventional hosts with only 1 or 2 listings have zero leverage with Airbnb at the moment. There are over 600,000 of those - the supply vastly outstrips demand in a deeply depressed travel market. You couldn't ask for a more futile time for a collective action along these lines. 

But you do have the kind of property that could succeed on other platforms, and with only a small number of reviews under your belt there is no reason you should feel stuck with Airbnb as your listing service.

[Nick86]

yes I agree that now is not the time - was just wondering if it had ever been attempted.

What other platforms? The only one i know of is booking.com and they charge around 18%. I would love to bid this platform goodbye.

[Helen3]

@Nick86  You can only strike if you are employed by a company. Airbnb is just one of a number of listing companies we can use as a host to promote our STR business. 

If you are unhappy with their service the best way to show this is vote with your feet and use other listing companies and promote your STR business directly. 

If you do a Google search for your type of property you will see companies who advertise STRs in London

[Nick86]

you may have taken me too literally with the word "strike"

I meant collective action whereby everyone blocks their properties  for a couple of days. It was a theoretical question but I can dream!

[Anonymous]

@Nick86  Since hosts are customers of Airbnb rather than employees, what you're describing is a boycott, rather than a strike. Some activist groups have tried organizing mass boycotts of Airbnb, but mostly it's been guests that they seek to organize - and in these cases, it's certain kinds of hosts they're opposed to. Like those with listings in illegal Israeli settlements, or those associated with housing shortages and overtourism. 

But asking people to not spend their money on a product is a much easier thing to do than asking people to sacrifice income for a cause. As often as I've disagreed with some of Airbnb's decisions and practices, I can't say I've ever personally been treated poorly by them - quite the contrary.  And I don't see the point in protesting against a service that you're perfectly free to choose not to use. 

If there is a specific thing you wish they would do differently, this forum is one place you can amplify your voice. Their social media is another. To their credit, they are more receptive to user feedback than their main competitors.

[Nick86]

who are their main competitors? We aren't their customers - we are their suppliers! Sounds like you have been luckier than others. I feel like it is a constant battle with them whenever anything goes wrong as a host. And having been both a host and a guest, they definitely favour guests as they are the customers.

[Anonymous]

@Nick86  Hosts are not Airbnb's suppliers. We rent our properties out to guests, not to Airbnb. You pay Airbnb a service fee in exchange for using their product, a branded listing service, to support your business. That fundamentally makes you a customer. The guest is the customer of both you as the owner and of Airbnb as the broker.

Anyway, you might find this article interesting https://www.androidauthority.com/best-airbnb-competitors-1066448/

[Helen3]

To be honest @Nick86  the vast majority of hosts don’t have any problems using the platform. Those that do, tend to use their choice as a business to use other platforms.

Of course with Covid, issues in July with some hosts not receiving payments and their reduction in staff in recent months  - customer service has been much worse for those who do experience issues. 

I’ve used Airbnb for 5 years, have had hundreds of guests  and apart from my very first guest haven’t had any problem guests or ever had to make a claim for damages.

What sort of problems are you experiencing- perhaps the community here can advise??

[Nick86]

you say customer, i say supplier - let's call the whole thing off

thanks so much for the link... very helpful