Is AirBnB ACTIVELY trying to get rid of hosts by ALLOWING inaccurate reviews in vilation of its own support agreement with hosts?!

[William1246]

It seems at first glance that refusing to to allow guests who have stolen from properties to post retaliatory reviews would be a no-brainer. A quick glance at the forums here show literally tens of thousands of comments about this. It seems like preventing guests who have caused payouts by the AirBnB Resolution Center would be very much like "low hanging fruit" so to speak when it comes to quick ways of improving the review process. And yet AirBnB refuses to do it! Why??

I have a background that includes military, government and Fortune 500 consulting and this "fix" is a SUPER obvious and simple one to implement, yet AirBnB refuses to do it desptie years of outrage by hosts and damages and thefts from properties. Why? The only logical conclusion is that AirBnB DOESN'T ACTUALLY WANT TO IMPROVE THE REVIEW PROCESS.

That may seem super odd at first glance, however it makes perfect sense if they have "too many" hosts. How could they have too many hosts? Easy. If too many properties are on the market, then prices will drop and that will lower the AirbnB profits. Given that many jurisdictions are starting to "push back" on more properties listing themselves on AirBnB, (witness the prohibition enacted in 2019 against AirbnB listings in Toronto and Paris among other cities,) and AirBnB can't make more money as easily by adding more properties. They can, however, easily make more money by driving up prices, which are still quite a bit lower for a house than they are for a hotel room in many cases. 

How do they do that you may ask? By getting the concentration of rental options to self-reduce in certain markets. The closer they get to saturation in those markets, the higher the prices will go. And AirBnB ends up making much more money without doing a single, tiny bit more work! Same number of bookings, but more profits because the prices are higher. 

That's right, despite the rhetoric on their comments like the transparent ** posted here, AirBnB doesn't actually give a crap about hosts; they WANT hosts to leave! They WANT fewer hosts on the AirBnB platform, because that's the only way that their prices will go up!

**[Inappropriate comment removed in line with the Community Center Guidelines]

[William1246]

I'm new to these forums yes, but not new to hosting. I posted here thinking that it might be a bit more direct in terms of being a "squeaky wheel" so to speak, but honestly with the snark and sarcasm that I've received in response to some of my posts I'm not at all certain that these forums are any more of a productive use of time than calling AirBnB's useless, outsourced "Support Ambassadors" is. 

This whole thing may be best left to the lawyers.

[Helen350]

You'll get used to us, @William1246 .... Lighten up! 🙂

[Bez8]

@Helen350 

Hi Helen. There is something we can do. We can support each other through this community and give feedback to Airbnb. I cant speak for the past but i promise you that Airbnb is listening to hosts. It's hard to listen to 4 million hosts all at once. There is a shift. Just be patient. 

[William1246]

"Just be patient." Sure, no problem...  because two years is OBVIOUSLY not enough to fix something this obvious! I'll be "patient" when my mortgage company starts accepting "patience" as a form of payment! 

Idiocy.

"It's hard to listen to 4 million hosts at one." Listen, Lady, when you have threads with TWELVE THOUSAND COMMENTS AND OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND VIEWS which all agree on one thing, that thievs shouldn't be allowed to post reviews, then you clearly AREN'T listening. You're prevaricating. 

"This is a beautiful community!" I didn't sign up to join a beautiful online community. I did so to run a business! Stop weaving flowers and take some easy steps, like removing reviews by thieves! You don't need a meditation circle to realize that obvious conclusion.

[Sarah977]

@Bez8 "There is something we can do. We can support each other through this community and give feedback to Airbnb."

I don't know how long you've been hosting, but hosts have been doing exactly that for years and it continually falls on deaf ears. In response, we get the same kind of empty rhetoric you've posted here, so while I'm sure you mean well, it means nothing and just angers hosts to hear more of it.

Since you've only just appeared on this forum, it seems that what Airbnb did in choosing its host advisory board is hire hosts who are green when it comes to being part if this forum community, unlike many if us who have participated for years. 

So pardon us for our skepticism, but it is well deserved when your posts here sound like you drank the kool-aid.

[Bez8]

@Sarah977 

I totally understand. I'm new to the community center because I'm rarely on an actual computer. I've been connecting with hosts on various other platforms. 

There is no kool-aid. We all have different experiences and our reactions to them vary. 

I've had bad and good experiences and the good far outweigh the bad. But I'm not blind and have gone through my fair share of issues. 

No one asked me to be here. I came to check it out. I'm super active on local facebook groups and have been for years. This is just a platform that I don't use much. 

Off topic but I stayed at the palapa ganesh in sayulita. It was amazing but super expensive. 

I will continue to help and support as many hosts as I can. 

[Sarah977]

@Bez8  Although I have a budget priced private room listing, in general,  Sayulita is definitely not cheap.

And "amazing" and economical are usually mutually exclusive, not just here 🙂

[William1246]

@Bez8 You wrote, "Hi Helen. There is something we can do. We can support each other through this community" YAY!! Please go ahead and deposit some new reservations aka MONEY into my bank account, Bez, and hey! Thanks for your "support!"

[William1246]

@Helen350 that is starting to happen. We get contacted by other hosting options at our companies here in the USA and elsewhere about other online marketing optionis and so far have replaced about 50% of our bookings that we used to get from AirBnB. If they don't smarten up soon, then we'll be looking forward to dumping them entirely in the near future. I've spoken with several colleagues who've alredy succeeded in getting off of AirBnB completely and every one of them claims to be much happier.

[Sharon1014]

@William1246   

1.  The quality of Airbnb guests has fallen off a cliff since the beginning of the pandemic.  Guests now know that Airbnb will always, always side with them thanks to the full EC refunds they got while hosts got shafted and Airbnb kept $50m of the $250m they were supposed to pay to hosts.  (S-1 filing for IPO page F57 in the financials appendix).

2.  Airbnb doesn't give a flying fig about you or your property, never have, never will.  Why? Because Brian emphatically believes that "what is good for guests, is good for hosts".  This leopard isn't going to change his spots, now or ever.

3. Airbnb specialises in paying lip service to the peasants (hosts).  It's almost like an abusive domestic violence marriage.  Airbnb abuses hosts, and enables guests to do the same.  Some hosts don't see what they're doing.  Others do, and leave the platform.

4.  Airbnb (ABNB) is due to report earnings for Q4 2020 on Feb 6 (a Saturday, highly unusual), according to the WSJ (Wall St Journal).   WSJ expects a loss per share of around $14.80, but suspect it will be much worse than that.  The company is carrying excessively high debt loads.

5.  You should look at other platform options, where hosts are treated with respect, valued as partners, damages/security deposits are paid up front with the booking, and host cancellation policies are upheld.  Airbnb has become a bottom feeder, attracting the worst kind of guests who just know they can and will get away with whatever they want at the hosts expense.  Airbnb will do nothing to help you.  It suits them to behave this way, that's why CS is broken and useless, it's how they actually want it to be.

[William1246]

@Sharon1014 EXCELLENT summary! AirBnB cost me over $50,000 in refunded bookings last year and I have certainly realized that Airbnb is only here to take advantage of us. From their perspective, if we're dumb enough to let them treat us this way and not leave, then why not do it! They must know that thousands of other efforts are underway to offer safer harbour to hosts. I recently acquired the url austinarearentals.com and will be launching a rental site for this area. I cannot WAIT to get out of AirBnB. 

AirBnB reached out to me to be a brand ambassador in this area, as Austin is the hottest "up and coming market" in the country in their words. We were booked straight through the pandemic, albeit it at lower prices then prior. In fact our "baby company" here is what has allowed us to keep paying our staff overseas at our other company while it was essentially shut down because of zero tourism. "We'll pay you!" they said, and I laughed. Why would I lend my name and reputation to a company that treats people so badly who trust them with their most important and valuable assets??

I'm only mking a stink here in the hope that those 1-star reveiws are removed in order to shut me up. If they're not, then I'll pursue legal options. and I won't be on AirBnB for long after.

[Anthony223]

@Sharon1014    'The quality of Airbnb guests has fallen off a cliff since the beginning of the pandemic'

Hi Sharon.  I'm glad I read your comments because I thought it was only me. Yes, the guest quality suddenly became awful after the beginning of the pandemic.  I hope things will change soon.

[Sharon1014]

@Anthony223   

We also have experienced a noticeable decline in guest quality.  It is summer here in Aussie, school holiday peak season has just finished.  Last peak season, problems with guests = 0.  This season = 6.  That's 6 occasions when, if I had the ability to charge extra for damages or additional cleaning (2 x urine soaked rugs, 1 additional urine soaked floor, all separate guest bookings), broken blind cords, sneaking in extras, overcrowding, picking the lock on our linen cupboard, leaving poo in the toilet, lying when caught out, I would have. 

But the thought of having to deal with CS over a non-existent security deposit was sufficiently off-putting that we just dealt with the issues ourselves.  The poor quality of CS exists for this very reason.   Hosts are "conditioned" by Airbnb into NOT complaining, just like an abused partner is conditioned by the abuser to accept blame for the abuser's bad behaviour and ill-treatment.  And that unfortunately, is exactly how Airbnb like it.  They get to keep money they otherwise would have to pay out and they retain absolute control (all abusers have a control agenda).   Once you realise this, you only have 2 options.  Stay and put up with it (as many abused spouses do), or leave.

I doubt it's going to change anytime soon.  Social  media is full of Airbnb guests now teaching others how to rort the Airbnb system.  Airbnb deleted your guest profile?  No prob, just create a new one, nobody is going to check your ID.  Trash a place, steal from the owner?  Leave a negative review, ruin the host, Airbnb thinks guests are untouchable, hosts on the other hand are expendable.  Don't want to pay full price?  Find a few bugs to plant in the property, take pics, complain about things that never happened or don't exist, and hey presto, immediate 50% discount from CS.

Airbnb is just reaping what it has sown ex the EC refunds debacle, and hosts are paying the price.  Some damage just can't be undone.  And "sorry" from @Brian just doesn't cover it.  The bottom-feeder train is in full motion and it ain't stopping for anyone.

@William1246 

[Bez8]

I've been a host since 2017 and have gone through the exact same issues and experiences you all have. All of them. I understand feel all of your pains. I cant fix them or promise anything. All I can say is that there is a shift and that host feedback is not going unnoticed. 

There is a fine line between feedback and toxic negativity. 

@Sarah977  This is about a personal choice. I understand the past but it doesn't need to define the future. I'm not saying all of this will be fixed tomorrow. I dont know any of that. All I can say is that Airbnb is actively listening to hosts. It's a start and change always begins with that. 

@William1246  I'm not a business. I'm a host and we rent out our primary home to help out with our mortgage. Does that make me less of a host? I didn't mean to offend you and I even sympathized with you. I've been communicating with hosts for years (just not on the community center). I've heard it all and have been through it all. 

[Sarah977]

@Bez8 I agree that the past doesn't need to define the future and I certainly hope it doesn't.

But "All I can say is that Airbnb is actively listening to hosts"-  please, Airbnb has been telling us they are "listening" to us for years. They've held "listening sessions" around the world for years.

We don't need any more listening, we need change.