How does AirBNB trust the word of a dishonest (zero review) guest over a 5yr, 4 property SuperHost

[Barry346]

I had a guest have additional people at the house and threw wet toilet paper that stuck to the ceiling and walls.

I provided AirBNB with video footage of the additional guests from the exterior of the property and video from the cleaner of the mess they left.

AirBNB paid out on the resolution centre then a month later suspended my account saying I had cameras at the property.

I have provided all the proof showing my listing shows that there are cameras at the properties and that we email guests and state there are cameras the moment they book and remind them 4 days before checkin.

You can see all the proof at https://twitter.com/icepicknz/status/1421993843742834688

It just confuses me how a guest that had zero reviews and was caught out lying and deceitful can make a claim against a host of 5 years with hundreds of bookings and is guilty until proven innocent. 

This doesn't appear to be an isolated situation, searching this community there are so many super hosts in the same boat as me. 

[Pat7985]

Thanks for posting this experience. I had something similar! The guests went above and beyond to violate rules, so Airbnb intervened, asking for all the camera footage. Airbnb investigated and found the guest violations valid and contacted to guest to correct the behavior and pay the additional fees. Weeks later, the guest complained about cameras and wrote a retaliatory review. I wrote to Airbnb multiple times on this, and somehow Airbnb allowed the guest to violate nearly every "rule and regulation" Airbnb claims to have. Also, Airbnb "suspended" my listings as soon as the guest made the claim of the "cameras." Airbnb seems to violate their own rules. This is downright criminal of Airbnb, and I would happily join whatever group can rectify these situations. You can see the guest here - https://www.airbnb.com/users/show/222488970 - Because of this experience, we've since decided not to give Airbnb our business. Seriously, simply criminal of Airbnb!

[Laura4076]

@Pat7985 we had nearly the same experience but our cameras caught the guest committing a crime. Even with all the proof including police reports Airbnb have not only completely ignored our request for damages ($4000 worth) they suspended my account and let him leave a review full of lies.  He’d never used Airbnb before and I know he won’t again as the police are looking for him. But he was allowed to completely ruin my Airbnb standing on his way out. 

[Barry346]

For the last 5 years of a guest has wanted to book directly we have referred them to our Airbnb listing because we trusted Airbnb as a good well managed machine; even giving up the 15% over a direct booking. We have also used our booking management system to give Airbnb the best possible rate and increasing all other booking systems by 10-20%. 

this will now change our chain of thought and we will take bookings directly, repeat annual bookings again we will do directly and we will choose homeaway to give preferential pricing and Airbnb listings will be stung with a penalty. 

5 years being a host, a dozen or so trips a year as a guest, I’m shocked at the treatment of guilty until proven innocent, especially  when the claim comes from a guest they have agreed broke rules and lied. 

[Barry346]

@Brian hopefully you read these and look at all the super hosts and well reviewed hosts that are leaving the platform due to these false claims by people that have already been proven by AirBNB resolution team as being liers and breaking the rules. @Brian

[Barry346]

I was just reading @Andrew796 post and how @Mike-And-Jane0  tagged @Catherine-Powell with examples of these weird situations where hosts are being shut down when there is no proof of an offence. This is detrimental to the success of AirBNB and once someone has a bad experience like this (after 5 years of great success) this one experience can turn a host away

[Barry346]

https://twitter.com/icepicknz/status/1421986497234800640 for a copy of the email I got from AirBNB and the proof showing that our listing shows cameras... You can see in this post the emails that also show we tell guests when they book and 4 days before they check in that we have cameras on the exterior https://twitter.com/icepicknz/status/1421996072251973635

This was not an honest guest reporting to AirBNB, but a guest we had to take to the resolution centre and AirBNB paid out in our favour that the guest broke the rules and caused damage to the property; they were then allowed to report that we were breaking rules when we were not!

[Barry346]

I too have fell victim to this AirBNB team that just suspend accounts without any due diligence; guilty until proven innocent and then the staff member goes away on their weekend moments after suspending me.

A guest we took to the resolution centre and AirBNB paid out on because the guest caused damage and had additional guests they didn't pay for, then were allowed to falsely accuse us that we had illegal cameras; though our listing clearly shows that we have cameras, and we email the guest twice before checkin reminding them about the cameras;

https://twitter.com/icepicknz/status/1421993843742834688

[Laura2592]

@Barry346  we recently alerted ABB to guests who had overbooked and showed the Ring doorbell footage with multiple cars and guests beyond the number acceptable on the reservation. The CSR said that it wasn't "proof" and offered to call the guest explaining that the camera footage had caught them. I had to beg her not to, knowing how many guests report listings for perfectly legal and well disclosed cameras when they are used to show that the GUESTS aren't following the rules. 

ABB should either outlaw all cameras (there would be a host outcry and people would migrate to other platforms) or cross reference host issues with retaliatory reports of being spied on. But that would actually require some kind of internal process/probably cost money to cross reference a database. So its unlikely to happen. 

[Barry346]

Or give hosts the benefit of a doubt until the matter has been investigated especially superhosts. The whole guilty until proven innocent is ridiculous especially when the claim comes from someone with zero reviews and signed up months ago! Surely a simple a logarithmic equation could fix that! 

[Laura4076]

@Laura2592 I totally agree! I feel like there is no common sense being used by Airbnb. Of course a guest is going to retaliate if caught breaking the rules. Just as they will without a doubt leave a horrible review of asked to pay for damages they cause. Yet Airbnb continually take the side of guest who most of the time are brand new to the site and have no review history. I’m currently suspended because a guest was caught on our door bell camera committing a crime.  Even with the police report Airbnb have sided with him and suspended me.  It’s mind blowing how completely incompetent Airbnb are.  

[Laura4076]

@Barry346  We are having the exact same problem. Our camera is at the doorbell in clear sight as well as included in our listing. We have remote checkin where the guest actually uses the doorbell to be remotely be let in. We are only notified when someone rings the doorbell otherwise it’s motion activated and we’ve never had to look at the footage. Long story short 2 guys from New Jersey, who like your guest have never used Airbnb before, booked our house and set up an EDD scam where they used our address for unemployment claims. Our mailbox is on the road so our doorbell camera caught him every time he went to the mailbox.  Because of the doorbell footage they have a better chance of getting him so  Not only are the police involved but because our they also had us contact the department of justice.  On top of that they left thousands of dollars in damage. Once asked to pay he immediately left a bad review with lies.  Airbnb refuses not only to address all the damages done to our house but won’t even get back to my messages. They have allowed him to lie in his review saying we spy on our guest from an RV! Today they “paused” my account because he’s lied and said we have cameras all over our house. It’s absolutely ridiculous that these people get away with all this and Airbnb continue to let it happen.   I’m considering going to the media as EDD fraud is a huge issue in California and I think Airbnb need to start standing up for their host and not constantly taking the side of guests.

[Barry346]

I'm sorry you have the same issue; it appears weekly multiple hosts have this problem, including SuperHosts, so I dont see the point of the SuperHost status.

I have documented my experience here https://medium.com/@barrymurphy_73830/bad-airbnb-experience-from-a-superhost-1398a40795e and will be updating it in the next 24-48hrs with what happens.

[Laura4076]

@Barry346 I feel like people in this thread are on to something. Airbnb would be nonexistent if not for host. If even the super host are considering leaving the platform due to the complete disregard by Airbnb maybe they will rethink their policies and start doing the right thing. Every situation is different and needs individual attention not automated responses from bots!

[Barry346]

We need someone like @Brian who is head of community to see this; but he hasn't been on this platform for over a year so wont even see this tag.