June Rollout & Airbnb failure to Update & Include Additional host properties

[Carolyn805]

I have been in the commercial property management business, apartments, office buildings, retail, assisted living etc. for decades. I understand how the new feature is a game changer. A terrific and unique marketing feature. Make no mistake about it, if your property is included within the new search program, it is an expeditionary superior search tool for your business. Without question those Not included are penalized. That brings me to an earnest consideration, does Airbnb have a fiduciary responsibility as an implied contract to all hosts to be fair and impartial? Why create a marketing tool that clearly favors one property/host over another?

What can a host do to be included?

Which brings me to yet another frustration within Airbnb in reference to this topic  

The mindless Support responses. Most Support do not have a modicum of understanding about marketing and the new rollout. Airbnb has provided talking points that after any actual reasonable conversation with Support, they revert to canned talking points and close the chat. Perhaps because of my career I find it very unprofessional that Airbnb does not forward questions and concerns to a team that can answer questions. For instance, I have been told repeatably that additional properties are added every two weeks. However, since I am experienced in tracking marketing programs I can assure you that statement is 100% false. I have repeatedly asked for that list of properties added but my question has been met with complete silence. The other Airbnb Support talking point is that only the algorithm chooses the properties. Untrue as I have stated ad nauseum to Support that within the news release itself,  it clearly states the opposite. 

Curated by Airbnb

Members of Airbnb’s curation team review listings and hand-pick featured photos. Then each category goes through a final review for consistency and photo quality.

What recourse do those of us, 100,000s+ of us, have when Airbnb decides to arbitrarily select only certain properties? There is no system in place within Airbnb to argue the selection, to receive accurate information. At this point I find  Zero accountability from Airbnb to those of us not included.  Zero ability to change our status within Airbnb.

Again, does Airbnb have a fiduciary obligation to all clients/hosts, not just an elite group that they have been randomly( not so sure about that) chosen to receive superior marketing assistance to the detriment of all other hosts?  

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Carolyn805 why would you believe Airbnb has a fiduciary duty to its hosts? They have a duty only to their shareholders.

[Carolyn805]

Fair point I will edit, I was using the word in a much broader context.   How about any comments about the new rollout which was the point of my post? 

[Helen3]

@Carolyn805  airbnb has never been fair in the way it treats hosts.  As a property management company these companies, will have received many benefits that individual hosts like me and many other  hosts  don't have.

For example they can take a deposit.  We can't. They have an account management system with their  own account manager. We don't. They have dedicated customer services we don't.  @Carolyn805 

So I am not surprised that Airbnb has removed one of the few SH benefits of being listed above other hosts in the rankings . And they have introduced a summer programme which is arbitrary and discriminates against some hosts and have ignored key concerns from hosts ie hosts being automatically suspended if a guest raises a 'safety complaint' ie complaints about CCTV when a guest is caught out bringing in guests not on a booking.

[Carolyn805]

@Helen3 Thank you for your response 

In my opinion, Airbnb is not a property management company. Since that has been my lifelong career I understand that although Airbnb provides a few of those services and guidelines, it is in its essence just a Search Engine. A great search engine for single rental properties. Airbnb provides a professional platform for the inexperienced host. As I read many of the posts, it is evident that most are landlord type complaints and concerns that are the host responsibility not Airbnb.   

But back to my original post:

I thought that my post would yield an onslaught of other market savvy hosts that would be equally upset about the financial disparity between those hosts/properties included on the new banner icons and those of us not included. It is such a simple concept; I am astounded by what most hosts are discussing rather than the obvious loss of revenue from non-inclusion. The new rollout is a brilliant marketing tool which is why all hosts should be clamoring to be included. It is astounding to me that no one is,,,,,,  

[Helen3]

Hi @Carolyn805 

You seem to have misunderstood my post I'm afraid.

Nowhere did I say Airbnb is a property management company - I wonder where you got that impression??? 

there are many hundreds actually probably thousands of posts by hosts including myself complaining about the summer rollout programme. You can use the search function to find them.

airbnb is not a search engine it is a listing company which markets short term rentals. 

[Carolyn805]

I reread your post and maybe its the way we express ourselves. Sorry if I misunderstood about PM.

I will look for those posts as I wonder if they did anything to move Airbnb to listen and resolve the issue.  However my weekly research of comparison propeties listed since June for the central Florida region indicates no change. 

Although Airbnb  states that they add every 2 weeks. 

I called my IT guys about me termonology and they said Carolyn, come on! lol, not a search engine.  As you stated it is a listing company like Hotels.com. A very powerful and terrific listing company for short term rentals. I stand corrected! 

Thanks for your response. Carolyn 

[Gillian166]

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@Carolyn805 wrote:

 As I read many of the posts, it is evident that most are landlord type complaints and concerns that are the host responsibility not Airbnb.   

---

ah, many things are the hosts' responsibility, but they get punished by Airbnb for all sorts of nonsense, and that's why people complain. People are complaining more about the way ABB inserts itself into some disputes, even though they admit they are nothing more than a platform to match a guest with a host, and have TOS that a guest must behave responsibly and obey local laws and leave the place clean, but they won't always back the host when a guest breaks the rules. 

@Carolyn805  
And you must have missed the complaining, SO many people were upset to not have been included in the new categories. I think one of the threads went on for 30+ pages. Then.... fatigue set in and the mods promised all the feedback was sent up the pipeline, and the same thing happens in most forums, people just gave up in disgust, and probably went and investigated other hosting platforms. 

I personally think Categories are a waste of time, once you search for a region and dates, those categories disappear, so what's the point of them? I'm not going to search "incredible pools" first, and then choose a destination. the categories are a bit of fun to have a look at amazing properties, and then you get back to your real life. 

[Carolyn805]

Thanks for the info, I just recently joined this group and find it populated by smart hosts.  My little place has been a fun project, it’s not anything other than that. Also, all my guests have been great, so I have yet to need Airbnb to resolve any issue. I joined several Airbnb FB communities where most hosts were very naive, many hosts had too much  personal attachment to their property not understanding that no matter what this is a business. However, I will say that I did read a few host complaints where I cringed at Airbnb's lack of support and the proper way to resolve some fairly basic rental issues for the host.  There certainly is room for improvement from Airbnb concerning damage & monetary disputes.

The one thing I would tell all hosts that when you approve stays longer than 2 weeks you are opening yourself up to a whole different group of travelers. You become an apartment manager with all the bad stuff that comes with long term rentals. Vacationers are quite a different group, so I limit my stays to under 10 days.

Personally, the new search icons opened my husband & I up to new travel areas  that we would never have considered. We booked several places listed as OMG, Little House & Windmills for this fall and winter. That's why I believe it is so important that all hosts be included. I understand the power of that opening banner listing select properties as both a guest and a host. It’s a great marketing tool & an outstanding money maker for hosts!

Appreciate your response from beautiful Australia! Thanks, Carolyn