Goodbye

[Peter1354]

So Long

Four months ago, after our hosting and guest account was suspended for no reason, we decided we would close our Airbnb. The suspension was the last straw in a long list of issues we’ve had with Airbnb since becoming a hosts in 2018.

Last week our home sold, we closed two of the three listings with Airbnb and at the end of Jan 2022 we will close the last listing. 

Our desire to start an Airbnb was due to having been guests with Airbnb. We, however, had no idea how different (poor) the treatment would be from ‘guest’ to ‘host’. Hosts are mere products and anyone who thinks Airbnb values your hard work, dedication and devotion is sadly mistaken.

Proof is in the “overall rating” which shows the disdain Airbnb has for hosts, or products. Products are replaceable and the rating system is designed to lower scores over time. No matter how hard we work, we are left exposed to the ‘whim’ of a guest based on the lies told by Airbnb.

We opened our Airbnb based on experience with Airbnb and we’re closing it for the same reason.

[Anonymous]

@Peter1354   That's really a shame that an experience has left you so soured. From every review that's visible on your profile, it looks like not only were all your guests delighted with your home and hospitality; it also sounds like you were really enjoying hosting them.  It might be a bit much to hope for a multibillion dollar corporation with 5.6 million listings to value the hard work and dedication of any individual host, but if it's any consolation, it seems that the overwhelming majority of your guests truly did value the experiences you provide them. To me, that counts for far more than the automated validation spit out by an algorithm.

Should you ever decide to try your hand at this again (hopefully with reduced expectations for Airbnb as a listing service), the reputation you've earned on your profile will be a great starting point for your future endeavors. Best of luck to you and your derrière!

[Peter1354]

@Anonymous  Thank you for your note and words of encouragement.

“It might be a bit much to hope for a multibillion dollar corporation with 5.6 million listings to value the hard work and dedication of any individual host”…this is of course true, to a point.

However, when Airbnb suspended my account I had no way of contacting anyone at Airbnb, everything was locked. In the end had to vent my frustration on Facebook….which seemed to get some attention. We had guests arriving and had no way of contacting them, none. This is how Airbnb treats its hosts. 

When the account was restored, three days later, I receive a glib message from someone called “Nik” who addresses me as “Pete” like we’re old buddies and yet, my buddy Nik was unable or unwilling to provide me with a reason for the suspension, all I get is “it’s all fixed now”.

However, back to your original comment. Should I stay with you, for example, with one message to Airbnb, claiming anything I dreamed up, they would suspend you….no questions asked, your relationship with Airbnb is that lopsided and meaningless .

Kind regards,

Peter

[Anonymous]

@Peter1354   It might be even worse than it seems, because you can't truly contact Airbnb. Instead, customer service queries go to a third-party contractor that appears to have very limited autonomy or information to work with.  And you can't defend your case against a Kafkaesque suspension, because you can't reach anyone who knows what the charges are. 

Of course if someone alleges an urgent safety concern - the kind that attract bad press - it's sensible for the account to be suspended pending investigation. But those pesky Terms of Service give them broad latitude to suspend or delete an account without any warning or explanation - sometimes just due to a glitch. And whenever the case finally gets down the pipeline, as the host is hemorrhaging income, I'm afraid the person tasked with assessing the facts and issuing a ruling is not exactly Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

[Peter1354]

@Anonymous So…I could come stay with you, make up something about a dangerous door handle and that would be that…you would be suspended.

This is what happens when the likes of Airbnb claim they are a technology company and therefore don’t need to talk to the products or communicate effectively at all.

As hosts we are in the game of ‘communication’ of ‘relationships’ and yet Airbnb have no clue what either of those things means. 

Just something to think about. 

[Sarah977]

@Peter1354  I totally agree- I have characterized the way Airbnb conducts business as Kafka-esque

many a time.

As an aside, although you won't be needing this advice now, it might be useful to others reading it-

"We had guests arriving and had no way of contacting them, none."

Hosts should always make a note of guests' contact information as soon as a booking is confirmed- then you can still get in touch with them should Airbnb pull this BS.

[Lenore22]

Great advice

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Sarah977  that's exactly what I start doing recently, after reading so many posts about suspended listings.

[Brian2036]

@Peter1354 @Anonymous 

Airbnb is certainly capable of adopting an “innocent until proven guilty” policy, informing hosts of the charges against them, and allowing them the opportunity to defend themselves.

Possibly the current protocol of penalizing hosts for accommodating every nutcase referred to them, while also penalizing hosts for refusing obvious troublemakers, is due to incredibly incompetent management.

It certainly appears to be, however, a declaration that hosts are worth very little and can easily be replaced.

[Genaro18]

I just exploded with laughter.

so charmingly hopeful...

"innocent until proven guilty"

not a chance, at best 1 out of ten times

[Peter1354]

@Brian2036 

That was funny…and as Genaro says “so charmingly hopeful”.

[Bob297]

@Peter1354 

I'm sorry to hear about your experiences with Airbnb. Booking.com won't be any better. Booking does not even facilitate payments for homes in Curacao.

I have had better experiences with VRBO.

Your apartment looks similar to that of Beaches' ocean view apartment.  Same developer?

[Peter1354]

@Bob297 

We’re done, already booted Booking.com and done with VRBO. 

No, we designed and built the house ourselves.

Danki

[Peter1354]

@Bob297 

Booking.com is a Dutch business and Curaçao a Dutch island…that says something.

[Elaine701]

@Peter1354 

Sorry to hear about this. We've also considered it on many occasions. 

But now, I've resolved it down to one thing: Airbnb for all its faults, for all its incompetencies, has one competence that is undeniable: they generate bookings. Better than anyone else. Period. 

We've been through them all. Booking, vrbo, others, and smaller boutique platforms. To date, not one can even remotely match the performance of Airbnb. It's the one thing of which they're still tops in their field (with respect to hosting). 

So, given that, despite our listings on other platforms, we still get 90% of our bookings from Airbnb. And none of Airbnb direct competitors provide useful host support. We are listed on one boutique platform which is very hands on and helpful, but Airbnb still runs circles around them in terms of bookings. 

So, as we are (still) largely dependent on Airbnb, I've simply chosen to see past the flowery rhetoric, and see it simply as a booking machine. That's all it does. Don't expect more from Airbnb (or anyone else). 

I implement my own security measures to minimize undesirable guests, and I don't use Airbnb support at all, for anything. Ever. As you can see, getting Airbnb involved carries risk, and can actually be quite damaging. Aside from processing bookings, keep them out of it. It's >your< problem.

Don't throw the baby out with the bath water. Just vet your guests carefully to ensure that it's the right fit for those booking it, and scare away those who seem "off", or are likely to be unhappy. Be patient. There's another booking waiting. It's Airbnb's greatest strength. They're really good at it. 

Finally, give the guests that do make it through the gauntlet every reason to write good reviews. If you still get a bad guest, just take it on the chin and move on. Don't get Airbnb involved. It can get worse that way.

The key (and art) is filtering good guests. It's work, but it works. And you still get the bookings.