Host Guarantee? Not really.

[Zachary122]

Hello,   Super Host here.

I submitted a claim for damage, cleaning, and overstaying the guest's term.  The home was absolutely trashed.  Items stained, broken damaged.  They had a dog, cat and bird.  I gave them the okay for dog and cat - not for bird.   Both pets caused damage but the guest herself was the primary issue.

I followed AirBNB's direction on submitting the claim by first contacting the guest, then submitting it through the resolution center.  That is where communication stopped.  IT has been 29 days and there is no action whatsoever except for automated responses.  I've called the support line over a dozen times to try to speak with a supervisor or get a call back.  No luck.

It seems to me as though the host guarantee is not honored at all and the Platform just postponed or ignores the claim?   Has anyone else had a similar problem?  any luck escalating to a supervisory person?  Any idea how to get a supervisor on the phone?

[Vincent769]

I recently had an issue and AirBnb asked for my patience due to their high call volume.  I probably spent 12 hours on the phone with different people, all of which promised that the issue was processing through their system and asked for my patience.  Just today, the issue was resolved in my favor.  

I would recommend calling AirBnB to and ask for a status (vice supervisor) and hopefully they can tell you that it is being worked on. 

I wish AirBnB had a system to monitor and update our claim status to provide more transparency into the process. 

[Alexandra316]

@Zachary122It's definitely very difficult to get any help from customer service at the moment. Due to Covid staffing cuts, it can take a long time to get a response.

One thing to note about your damage claim: Airbnb does not cover any pet damage. You say the majority of the damage was caused by the guest rather than the animals, but separating that might be tricky. I hope it works out for you and you do get the money you're owed for damage and overstay. 

[Ann72]

@Zachary122  As @Vincent769 mentioned, patience is key.  

I put in a claim last week and heard from them today.  The email said they needed to go back to the guest (who had already refused to pay it, in a particularly unpleasant fashion), and give her a little time to respond.  Two hours later they wrote and said they'd processed the Host Guarantee payout and that I should see it in my transaction history.  And there it was.  It was $277, which I thought was a lot to ask for, so I'm doubly surprised it came through.

What may be happening is that they're giving the guest a minute to think about it - which, judging by your story, is not going to end well at all.  As long as you've uploaded the relevant pictures and receipts and brief descriptions, they should have everything they need.  And I hope it ends well for you.

[Ellen729]

@Zachary122  I’ve been hosting Airbnb four years and this is my first experience with using Host Guarantee. I am having trouble with it as well. It’s all bots so there is no nuance or actual dialogue. My requests for help are essentially ignored. Now they are saying the claim is resolved.

One of the difficulties is that it took another week to find one of the replacement items and to get an invoice, although I did clearly document the damage and estimated replacement cost. By the time the item was ordered, Airbnb had arbitrarily decided to close the claim and they have not provided a way for me to submit the remaining docs.

I make every effort to give my guests a clean and pleasant place to land, and I love being hospitable. But there should be better support for hosts when guests are rough, filthy, or irresponsible. Airbnb would be NOTHING without their super hosts! Here I am ranting to another host because Airbnb has turned a deaf ear. Thanks for listening.

[Patrick568]

This is an ongoing issue. And I unfortunatly see no end in sight. AirBNB has given up on host support.

[Ernie-and-Betty0]

I guess Airbnb doesn't pay any attention to their own forum for hosts either?

[Jay1435]

We are brand new hosts. Just started with Airbnb on Sept 4. Already have completed stays for 9 guests and another 5 booked for upcoming dates.

Our SECOND guest ever damaged our kitchen island by burning a hole in it with a spilled HOOKAH Coal.  (Repair estimate $750) Guest admitted to damage. Guest even sent email confirming damage. We had our 3rd guest checking in just hours after this guest checked out, and we spent the ENTIRE time between the two cleaning, doing laundry, and resetting the apartment for the next guest. 

When we were able to make the call to Airbnb to report the damage they denied our claim in its entirety due to the technicality that we did not report the damage before the next guest checked in (just hours after the previous guest checked out). Since we were brand new hosts we were unaware that this was such a hard and fast rule, and since we have an email from the guest owning up to the damage, we did not think it would be an issue.  Boy were we wrong. 

I strongly suspect that if Airbnb will treat a BRAND NEW host this way, that they will do it to anyone and everyone. Waiting to hear back from an escalation manager, but I suspect we will need to have our corporate counsel deal with this issue. 

Really cannot believe that is how they treat their hosts.

Has anyone else had a similar experience?  

[Anna9170]

@Zachary122  I am a little shy to ask...
Why didn't you approve the bird? It seems to be less of a problem than other animals.