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]

[Bez8]

@Sarah977 

I know Sarah. I know. I agree with you. All I'm saying is that that communication line is more open than ever. 

Only time will tell but I'm confident and more hopeful than ever. 

[William1246]

@Bez8 Who cares how long you've been a host? What the heck does that have to do with me or with my business? I've been a host since 2009. Are we having a "measuring contest" now? 

You say that you don't work for AirBnB? ** In any case, being here from 2017 makes you a "newbie". And if you are fine with being pandered to and fed pipe dreams and ** instead of seeing actual improvement and change, then great! Good for you. 

But you don't, by your own admissioin mind you, even work for AirBnB. So I don't give a rat's butt about you or your opinion. You talk about paying a mortgage, but you don't seem to understand that having listings relegated to back pages of search results means that you don't make money. That's not smart.

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

[Bez8]

@William1246 

My years of hosting was in reply to someone else. 

I feel really sad for you Will. I really do. You can insult me all you want and please continue if it makes you feel better. I just hope it's the outlet you need. 

Misinformation and manipulative tactics can be toxic Will. You're really quick to take pieces of what I said to ultimately vent and make yourself feel relevant. But what you fail to see is that you don't need to do that. You are enough. Your story is enough. I'm not your enemy. 

I did see that you're a superhost so I know you have the passion and integrity that comes with that. 

What makes me sad is the amount of pain you're feeling right now. It must be so much to have you be so condescending towards someone who you dont even know. 

I wish I could take your pain away. I really do. But I know that's not possible but in the mean time you're more than free to use me as a punching bag in however way you want. I'm here if you need anything else. Just shoot me a private message. 

[William1246]

@Bez8 Ugh! I think that your post offering to be a martyr for me just made me throw up in my mouth a little bit.  

[Bez8]

clean up on aisle Will!

[William1246]

@Bez8 I think that I found your themesong, do you wake up every morning singing this to yourself: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koJlIGDImiU ?

[Bez8]

haha you got me! 

no but that's pretty close. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBt8fN7mJNg 

I sing this every morning! 

have a good day Will

[William1246]

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

[Helen350]

Actually @William1246 , SOME homeshare hosts DO rent more for "warm fuzzies", rather than money. For me, it's a bit of both. I rent modest rooms for £20 -22 single or £30 - 32 for a couple. Including breakfast! A lady down the road rented her garden cabin for£15 single /£24 a couple including fresh baked bread & more! - She wanted her little boys to meet interesting people & have something to aspire to!

And I'm top of the listings round here, or close to top, despite being the cheapest place to stay in town! - So the algorithms putting me top of the listings are not based on how much money I make in absolute terms!

I agree with much of what you say, but as a FYI, we are supposed to be polite & respectful on these boards! - Just a whimsical heads up; don't shoot the messanger!

I thank you for your entertainment value! - (We small time , non business people,  'Mom & Pop' operators haven't got much to do during lockdown!)

[William1246]

@Helen350 I agree with you and completely understand. I've met wonderful people in my life through my hiospitality companies, and it all started by renting out a one-bedroom cottage more than a decade ago. And I wouldn't still be in this business almost a decade and a half later if I didn't love it. In fact, we've kept all of our overseas employees on, (albeit at reduced pay because there's no work for them right now and no income,) just because we love them and their families.

And when two of my listings get **with by thieves and the BRAINTRUST at AirBnB refuses to take them down, it makes it even harder for me to keep paying my employees while we wait for their jobs to start up again. 

Maybe I should just go ahead and fire them, then replace them with outsourced positions using ARISE ... you know, like the "community leaders" at AirBnb did!

I didn't come here to post about things being wonderful, I came to post about something outrageous. ** like that guy to show up and start trivializing the concerns of tens of thousands who are in the same boat as I am was SUUUUUUUUPER annoying! MY community consists of kids whose meals I'm paying for on credit cards while waiting for business to pick up. 

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

[Helen350]

I think @Bez8 is a WOMAN @William1246 ! - You've been verbally abusing a WOMAN! (Call me old-fashioned....)

[William1246]

@Hela0 I'm not attacking or abusing a person, I'm responding to ridiculous THINGS being written. And even if I were, what of it?? Male or female, the tone of her posts was essentially that all I needed in order to resolve the situation was an e-hug! How contemptible, demeaning and insulting!

Finally, are you suggesting that women are weak creatures who can't hold their own? My five sisters, wife and staff composed of only one man and six women would be VERY upset at you for suggesting that. Call me "woke!"

[Emiel1]

@William1246 

The way you are treating Host Advisory Board Member @Bez8 is IMO a violation of the community rules and therefor i reported your post to the Community Administrator.

[William1246]

@Emiel1 Super! Since AirBnB doesn't follow their own rules when it comes to people writing stuff online, this should stay up forever hahaha! 😄

[William1246]

@Emiel1 In all seriousness, the way that he was behaving toward me was disgraceful; trying to brush me off with platitudes and "I hope that you feel better" bromides! So pleae, make sure that you report him as well.