How Airbnb works hand-in-hand with listing host to screw their clients over

[Ashveer0]

Does anybody have a management email or any serious person in Airbnb one my contact to discuss how airbnb staff have no way to properly investigate any cancelations and how they cannot provide you proof on their investigation ? i have really being struggling for a month with their staff; South Africa....

[Annie1372]

@Ashveer0 

We read these situations far to often now, many have similar issues Daly with AirBNB customer services.

do you have a case number ?

if yes, you could tag Emily from the Online Community Manager about it

and my best advice, keep calling them daily until you reach a better conclusion on your situation.

and keep a log of all of your interactions with Them.

good luck

[Ashveer0]

Thanks @Annie1372  , will continue to add pressure on them.

[Ashveer0]

@Annie1372  can you help with the tag emily , when i try to tag it provides me multiple emily's

[Annie1372]

@Ashveer0 

It is simply ‘emilie’ without any number as she is an ‘online Community Mamager’

[Ashveer0]

@Emilie can you assist me Please , as Airbnb failed to investigate properly , they are working with the listing host who are only worried about the each others pockets....

 **[Private conversation removed in line with the Community Center Guidelines]

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Ashveer0 Are you going to tell us what actually happened?

[Ashveer0]

@Mike-And-Jane0 

*i had a booking in Durban for the 15-19 April 2022.
*However during the week of the 10th to the 16th Durban had ended up with major issues due to the flooding that occurred 
*On the 12th i had contacted the host informing her id need to cancel due to the weather and the flooding and roads are a no go , it was at that point the host house i booked had already had the water cut off  and power was an issue and there area was hit , and the main access to the area was blocked out - i was aware of all the issues in the area because my In-laws stay 2 streets away from the host house.
*I had then asked the host would i get my money back as we don’t know when the area would be safe to visit , at which she directed me to contact AirBnb
*AirBnB has a policy which convers natural disaster , and the South African government had the declared a natural natural disaster.
*I had then contacted AirBnb stating the issues with Durban and i would like a full refund.
*i was contact by AirBnb via message portion of Airbnb , where they told me it they cannot refund me because the host area is 40km from the flooding.
* it was at this point i insisted over multiple messages what investigation was done to reject the refund...
* When they finally decided to tell me how the they investigated it was shocking , they simply put the host address and looked how far it was from Durban...Airbnb staff does not realise Durban is used to describe KZN as everyone in SA knows this.
* They now keep using the google distance between Durban CBD and the host accommodation as the excuse to say Durban was affected but not the host area. Yet i have explained to them and provided proof and they still rejected the claim.

Ashveer3:25 PM

omg was that the investigation done, that is extremely poor service investigation.

Durban is a city , part of KZN>>>>you guys need to go back to the drawing board to investigate , in SA all coast lines are referred to durban , WOW i am shocked at airbnb.

please refer to south Africans government articles below?

https://www.gov.za/speeches/president-cyril-ramaphosa-declaration-national-state-disaster-respond-wi...

https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/202204/46247rg11424gon2029.pdf

* they them took it up with the host who apparently said she dose not then the disaster falls part of the policy 'Extenuating Circumstances Policy' ; this policy clearly makes provision for Natural disasters. They clearly don't care about their clients safety. Expected me to still go to Durban during the floods and risk my family and my life

**

 **[Private conversation removed in line with the Community Center Guidelines]

And i have being struggling for days with them , they keeps telling me the same answer and closing my tickets; Airbnb seems to be working with the host to not refund me.

[Huma0]

@Ashveer0 

I am wondering what was in your discussion (which I assume was via the Airbnb messaging system) about the effect of the flooding on the listing/area. 

You wrote:

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"...the host house i booked had already had the water cut off  and power was an issue and there area was hit , and the main access to the area was blocked out - i was aware of all the issues in the area because my In-laws stay 2 streets away from the host house."

Did the host confirm (in writing) at any point that the above was in fact what was happening at the house? If so, I would think you have a strong case and I would focus on this in your arguments with Airbnb CS. 

[Ashveer0]

@Huma0  , No the host did not confirm in writing. the host believes the flooding is not an Extenuating Circumstances as i did chat to her over the phone at which point she directed me to Airbnb. The host knows exactly what the situation was in the area but refuses to tell the truth as it affects her pocket.

Airbnb just keeps closing my requests and they have provided me no proof of the investigation they have done , the only investigations was google maps. 

[Huma0]

@Ashveer0 

Ah, well, that makes it more complicated. In general, it's best to keep anything important on the Airbnb messaging system so that there's a record, but if the host did not admit that the flooding was affecting her listing, that's neither here nor there. I am not sure information from your in-laws is going to have much sway. 

[Ashveer0]

@Huma0  Surly Airbnb can do a proper investigation , i mean , i also provided them with proof and government URLs to view , seems they are just not interested ; its more about the host and airbnb which counts 

[Huma0]

@Ashveer0 

I'm not sure it's more about the host and Airbnb which counts. You only have to browse this community centre to see how many hosts believe, based on their experiences, that Airbnb CS tends usually to side with the guest when it comes to resolution cases and refunds. 

However, I think it works both ways. The problem is that most of Airbnb CS has been outsourced and the majority of reps are not that well trained/versed in Airbnb policy. It's unlikely now that you are ever directed to someone in your country or region. In addition, they seem to want to close cases as quickly as possible without spending a lot of time and resources on each one. So, it doesn't surprise me that they are latching on to one particular argument (the listing is not in 'Durban') rather than doing a 'proper investigation'.

I have often found when trying to get a resolution and I am 100% sure that the decision is not fair, I become like a dog with a bone and just keep quoting their own policy, word for word, back to them.

Yes, natural disasters are covered:

Natural disasters. Natural disasters, acts of God, large-scale outages of essential utilities, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, and other severe and abnormal weather events. This does not include weather or natural conditions that are common enough to be foreseeable in that location – for example, hurricanes occurring during hurricane season in Florida.

But also 

Declared emergencies and epidemics. Government-declared local or national emergencies, epidemics, pandemics, and public health emergencies. This does not include diseases that are endemic or commonly associated with an area – for example, malaria in Thailand or dengue fever in Hawaii.

Of course, in this case, the Government has declared it a national emergency, as you've pointed out. You could try stressing this again, if you are not getting anywhere with the natural disasters clause.

The problem in your case (or rather what CS has fixated on) is not whether natural disasters are covered by the extenuating circumstances policy but whether the area you were visiting was affected or not.

I lived in South Africa for a couple of years, but even I do not know the Durban or KZN area well at all. I doubt a CS rep with no knowledge of the country has the first idea. The first article you linked is very long and detailed. I'm guessing they cannot be bothered to read and digest it when a quick Google search gives them what they believe to be an answer. 

Can you find any articles that are specific to the location you were going to visit, i.e. from local press? If you can find something that clearly mentions Do your in-laws, or anyone else you know in that location, have any photos of the effects of the flooding? I'm not sure if that will help, but I feel you need something glaringly obvious that CS can simply not argue with.