Perception vs reality

[Inna22]

After listening to the speech last night, I was left with a perception that I would be getting 25% and $10,000. For the first time in a few weeks enjoyed my dinner and felt the taste of it, I made business decisions that night based on my perception. In reality, I am getting 12.5% and nothing respectively. I guess I still believe in fairies. At that time I believed that Airbnb fairy flew into darkness and finally found its way to sunshine. That was beautiful two hours.

That was my perception versus reality. Here is Airbnb’s take on it:

Reality: we are giving selected host $10,000. Inna’s interpretation: we’re going to give some money to the people who helped us make the most money but only if it is not a business for them. Because it would’ve been really stupid of anybody to build a business on trust. In this case trusting Airbnb to honor the terms of agreement. And stupidity should not be rewarded. Brian's perception for the purposes of PR: all of our employees gave their own money towards the fund to help dying, bleeding hosts. They gave their last dollars and Philippine pesos. In fact, when I saw multiple postings on Facebook marketplace of shirts off their backs, I had to step in. I sold my shirt and added the $9 million I made to the fund.

Next reality: we will give select hosts 12.5%. Inna’s interpretation: what do you mean your overhead is far more than 12.5%? Very responsible of you to run your enterprise with such high overhead. Only start ups that waste investors money are allowed to have high overheads. Why 12.5%? Because that’s approximately how much it would cost them to field complaints and endless phone calls from guests so easier to pacify both groups, not be bothered and get great publicity.  Brian‘s perception for the purposes of PR: all hosts will get 25%. Did you write those two words down? All and 25? And yes, it will come from Airbnb‘s money and the only reason we’re giving refunds it is to save the world from coronavirus.

Airbnb fairy saves the world.

[Catherine2252]

@Inna22 

I had the same reaction: thinking Airbnb will give us 25%!

Does Airbnb think we are so stupid that we will not realize after the first relief, that it is a miserable 12,5%!!

I can't believe Airbnb understood so little of our plight, and save the guests' holiday money once again, and is again laughing at us!!

It would have been so easy to respect our contract, while giving for exemple a credit to the guests, that would have been already generous from the hosts! and allowing the guests to have a minimum of solidarity with the hosts. And to assume also a little bit a crisis for which nobody is responsible.

And above all, Airbnb is asking for a contribution from the poor guests who have already left!! I think it is begging, trying to force their hand, when we should have been entitled to 50% of the amount of future guests! 

[Huma0]

@Inna22 

Same here. Because of the time difference, I did not watch the video live. I just read the summary and went to bed thinking, well 25% would really help right now and I will also apply to the Superhost fund. It's only the next morning that I read the small print/watched the video and got that sinking feeling again.

I have to give it to Brian though. Good PR move for him. Love the way he kept repeating 25%, 25%, 25%, as if it was a REAL number and not just a fairytale.

[Inna22]

@Huma0 It is blow after blow. Now cancellations for May are starting to come in, even though theoretically I should be no longer feeling anything and be immune at this point, I still do. 

[Huma0]

@Inna22 

I think I am slowly starting to feel immune. There's only so long I can spend tearing my hair out and wringing my hands. I guess I have come close to accepting that Airbnb will continue to screw me over and that I am, excuse my French, financially f***ed probably for the rest of the year.

I will only believe that I will get any payouts from them when they are my bank account. Right now my pending transaction history is in -£thousands, and I am just a small-time home host. Any money that is paid out through the new policy won't actually be paid out to me at all, it will just be minused from the 'debt' that Airbnb has decided I am in.

[Susan17]

@Huma0 

Noooo! You're not accepting that - it's your money and you have a right to it. Don't throw in the towel. I know you're totally drained with the stress of it all, but where there's a will, there's a way. I'll message you in the morning and we'll work out a new plan. There are still avenues not yet tried!

[Huma0]

@Susan17 

I woke up at 5 something this morning and couldn't sleep. I'm just too stressed out by all this. I feel like it's somehow blocking me from getting other things done.

I had brought up one of the cases (the one which no one has responded to me about since I first called about it on 15th March) with the new, seemingly sensible, case manager I have been dealing with lately. She is the first person I have spoken to who asked me if I had authorised the changes to the reservation. Well, I guess that's a start. I have given her all the details and am awaiting her response.

I also chased about the other case. That thread is still open, but it's just been passed around from case manager to case manager with no one actually resolving anything. I guess I have to just persist...

[Susan17]

@Huma0 

I'll message you shortly, see what we can come up with. At least there's a glimmer of hope on the horizon with the new case manager - that's a start! And there's always still R, if all else fails..  don't worry, it will get sorted.  ;))

[Valerio112]

I have calculated we will need to triple our prices to recoup from this next year. 

[Jennie131]

I had the same perception at first, and set about calculating my return. THEN I read that I would not be eligible.I have only started in October of 2019, and achieved superhost in January 2020. Despite that fact that my losses are just as real as a host who has been a superhost for 12 months or longer, Airbnb believes that they are not valid. I am not valid. 
I was poised to convert a traditional rental that I own into another Airbnb. I am so glad this happened now before I made that mistake. I can't imagine my losses if I had two places and all of this was going down. I'm at risk of losing my Airbnb house AND my residence because the mortgage is for both. Had I been allowed to negotiate with the guests, I might have been able to make my payment. Now I might lose both.