Resolution center ghosting

[Rob134]

I had a guest in mid April who did damage. The amount was $687. I finally was able to connect with the resolution center send them multiple times the same evidence the same pictures the same invoice etc and about the middle of May it just ended.

There was nothing. I've tweeted Airbnb I've called I replied to the support emails which always say the same thing and nothing.

Does anyone have any history with being absolutely dropped by the resolution center regarding a request for damage reimbursement and just literally being ghosted. It is the most bizarre thing.

Airbnb is obviously important to me as they contribute a significant amount of income to me. But to claim that you have a department which will help in a case like this and then nothing is most bizarre.

I'm a super host I have 15 properties on Airbnb and I have been with them for many years and have never had a claim but they have simply disappeared on this. The ironic thing is I had a lady who called with an issue with one of my units and I heard from them within an hour and they wanted a substantive response within an hour or so from me so the standards are clearly massively different.

Looking for advice or maybe I'm simply missing something here? Simply trying to get reimbursed with the damage that was done by an Airbnb guest.

[Aimee187]

@Rob134  I can offer proof that hosts do get reimbursed. I recently visited Granada, Spain and was made to pay for a light fixture that fell off the wall and smashed all over the bathroom counter and sink. I was standing right there when it fell (no injury) and therefor I / we were blamed. Thank goodness it wasn't expensive. 

(These messages are sorting strangely. I'm replying to your question about whether anyone can offer proof that hosts ever receive compensation)

[K93]

@Jenny  jenny- I have not yet received help. I have had to open THIRTEEN cases that keep getting closed. Some ambassadors tell me they will call host and call me back then simply close the case. Some say host says “all ok” so they close the case. Some say host gave a different story so they close the case. On July3 I made a 28 day reservation starting July 4 for a home with shared common spaces. I sent a pre-booking question (to a brand new host) Asking him how many people I would be sharing the house with and explaining that I i’m a 50 year old professional coming with my dog to work from home and needed a quiet place with private space to work and ensure is ok with my dog walking around when I was out or should I lock him in my room. He said whatever it took to get me to book and said TWICE there would be me and one other living in the home. Listing was also advertised as “quiet”. As soon as I booked he invited me to come in the car with him to a city two hours away for a party and I politely said no then he invited me to another party and I said no then he sent several messages asking me to meet him and some asking me to meet him and his girlfriend. I was getting uncomfortable and stayed with a friend instead foe the first 2 days of the reservation then finally agreed to go to the home and meet him there. It seemed he would be hanging out there all day which was odd bc he left out all mention of living there and excluded himself in the 2 incl me who would be. 
I arrived to a party with 2 men and him and he gave me a tour and explained there are actually 5 people incl he and his all adult family and sometimes 6 people (sons girlfriend) living there. And that these friends come over often and they play instruments.  I was very uncomfortable. I had an urgent medical appointment and didn’t know what to do so I left my dog in the yard (this was supposed to be my home and yard with one other person for the month and I was stuck- too hot to leave dog in car and can’t bring dog into appointment!). I asked that my dog not be fed human food- he can’t eat human food (I am careful bc he has a lot of allergies/ intolerances- it took $4k in vet bills and a lot of puppy bleeding from bum to find out). 
so I can back and he laughed and said my dog loves Cheerios (note they have grain; something my dog can’t eat). And that when I left his friends gave him Cheerios and he loves them. He encouraged his friend to give him more to show me. I politely left and did not return ever. I had spent 10 minutes max inside the home total.  
i never ever ever would have booked a home with 5-6 people in it - I was there for a quiet workspace and furnished home that would accept a dog for a month of hybrid contract CPA type work and zoom calls, etc.  

the next day I asked host for refund and he said “no refunds”. I appealed to him and he responded “of course I live here- it’s my home!”. Within 72 hours of arrival I escalated to air b&b. They kept closing my cases. I spent hours on the phone (13 cases) and they would say someone would call the host then they would call me back and mot once did I get a call back. So I started doing text cases so I would have the trail. One person was very helpful and seemed to get it (Angela) but early this week she suddenly said she was out of office until today. In the meantime host (who had asked me to pay him extra to cancel!) kept changing his story. Yet it’s all in our string air b&b can read. And the realty is I didn’t get what I booked. AND my dog was put in danger by the host and there is no way I should be expected to continue to leave him with them or to stay with a house of people when it was specified there would be two of us only.  I finally told host if he wants me there so badly I would come but sue him if he or those he is responsible for feeds my dog human food again.  He offered me $800 to alter my reservation to end immediately so he could rent to someone else. I said ok but ensured with the ambassador working on this (it would t cancel without air b&b support) that it would not close my case and explained it. He said no it wouldn’t and the other ambassador would continue to help me on her return. So host made profit, I am out money, and host was able to RE-list listing (took out “quiet” description), and make more profits for same days while I am now spending $180-200 per night in a dog friendly hotel. 
my ambassador came back and said my HOST said situation resolved so she is closing case. (!). I said NO! And updated her since she’s been away and other ambassador said changing reservation to open dates for host would NOT cancel my claim. She said she’s sorry but needs proof and as I was typing that she has ALL the proof if she reads the host/my text string and reads his listing- he admits to EVERYTHING but is new to air b&b (no guest or host reviews) and doesn’t understand how it works; he seemed to think all air b&bs have host families living in them based on his “of course we live there” response to having more than the 2 total (incl me) he stated twice which caused me to book. While I was typing she closed the case. 
I am at a loss. I have actually contacted a lawyer who says this is common and takes 20% of judgement. But all I am asking for is my money back which is within air b&b policy. It was not an advanced reservation; was made one day before and clearly different from what I arrived to, not to mention immediately feeding my dog after asking him not to. 
I don’t know what else to do. 

[Jenny]

Hi @K93 

I'm sorry to hear that you've not had the help you need.

I've passed all of that detail over to Support and asked for further assistance on your behalf.

Jenny

[Rob134]

Hi Jenny,

I received a reply from Airbnb which you may have had something to do with and I thank you. However, she says her name is Maria, and signs it Jie, ????? Am I missing something? And again the reply PROMISES some down the road action. 

Any thoughts on this? 

**[Image removed - Community Center Guidelines]

[Rob134]

Hi Jenny, It really is the unpenetrable fortress of solitude! NOTHING. and yet I get these emails saying they will be doing something. I think I am off to a TV station to do one of those "seven on  your side kind of things" and MAYBE they can get an answer.

Based on what someone said, I believe it is a contract worker who simply says screw you and no oversight from airbnb.

If you actually have access to them and can get a specific answer to my problem I would love to hear anything that is specific to me, cause I am guessing no one can find anything, although I certainly have the string of emails from this David S. who was terrible and then just disappeared. He may have even told airbnb he closed out the case, who knows,

as always your volunteer assistance is most appreciated.

Thanks, 
Rob

[Rhonda301]

Me too I am going to call business Insider too regarding the quote from Brian CEO and founder that they upped hosts limits for reimbursements. 

they kept closing my case with Stacy saying shoddy workmanship yet she said no photos were uploaded or receipts yet I can see them on my side and Axil acknowledged in writing the photos were uploaded. It all seems like a scam to make us comfortable then deny or ghost 

[Jenna356]

I’m dealing with a serious issue here, as a guest has caused thousands of dollars in damage to my home 3 months ago, and the resolutions team has been ghosting me, and dishonest when i finally do hear from them. it took me

months to get a response from my case manager to set up a call with the contractor who provided the estimate (i live  a rural area where there is limited cell coverage) We finally set up the call and airbnb never calls. It takes me another month to get them to respond after the missed call, and they say “the number doesn’t work” which is not the truth. I finally got a resolutions supervisor to contact me, and i’m being told that if they don’t talk to the contractor they’re denying my claim… so they completely ignored the issue that airbnb has not followed through in trying to contact the contractor. there’s no direct number to resolutions so it’s not like i can have the i contractor call them instead. I feel totally helpless. I’m dealing with negligence and dishonesty and no one at airbnb is willing or able to help. I work so hard to be a superhost and airbnb has completely abandoned me in return. It’s heartbreaking and i’m at my wits end. 

[Rob134]

its true, and everything you have said is true, but the only option short of showing up at their San Francisco HQ is keep on trying. There is the possibility of reaching out to the SF Better business bureau, a lawsuit, or one of those TV news programs investigative reporting but of course all those should NOT have to even be considered, but they are your last remaining options. 

[David8879]

Oh the irony

Complainign about airbnb on airbnb board lol

[Rhonda301]

We have no voice. 

[Rhonda301]

@Rob134  I just got denied stating that the guest didn’t damage the house even though prior to their arrival all water stayed where it was suppose to. They actually said it was shoddy workmanship and I am livid. So we are leaving the platform and working on alternatives. Good luck hope they get you what you deserve but I wouldn’t hold my breathe. 

I am done with Airbnb. 

[Stephanie1933]

@Rhonda301  sounds like an awful and stressful situation for you. The tough thing is that there are no other platforms in my opinion that provide the same exposure and level of bookings. We are also with Holiday Homes NZ and Vrbo. 85% of our bookings are through Airbnb. 

airbnb.com/h/sevenoakschch

[Sudsrung0]

We have been full all this year so 100% of bookings have come from airbnb

[Ian35187]

Some thoughts on this here: https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Host-Circle/AirBnB-is-trashing-its-reputation-Does-anyone-care/m...

[Genaro18]

Ghosting is something that has been happening within all departments since 2020 and COVID.

Due to sheer volume, short stays, and number of properties I observe that I have more necessary contact with agents and all the the system than almost any host I know. 

Here are signs, and suggestions

Some of this is unreasonable to expect of us, but I am just telling you what I've had to resort to, in some cases.

- Vague appearance of concern combined with the fake apology (it's definitely fake and part of a template response) and an implication that your concern is so genuinely important, it needs to go somewhere . . . (implied) higher, more important, fill in the blank.

++++ that is the ghosted step and no response

- Immediately upon the receipt of any communication either email or internal chat, skip to the end and note if it is signed with a name. If it is not, it is likely the last of any communication, they have broken the chain, and are free of you. (just try a one sentence test, assuming their name "must have been cut off, before you answer, could that give you their name?) You won't get it, or likely any response 

- "The I am going on vacation two days" template, but giving you to someone who will help you. Never real, you ghosted. 

- The system where the agents could be assumed to "not be allowed" to ignore hosts, and that you could imply "go to your inbox" and find unresolved issues as a sort of "to do" case list?. No, message entire threads in your internall abb in-box, can and often - fully vanish. the entire thread.

- The more serious? The more vigilant. You must create your own tracking system by incident - every situation where you require support, you must create your own "instant fingertips" system, where the the following information is instantly at your hand wherever you may work mobile (not easy) or OS - 

Confirmation number lead off with H

Guest name

check in date

the elusive, and they will ignore you and fight you and lie to not disclose the actual "case number" which is given above and beyond the reservation number.

**REMEMBER, if a cancellation or conflict happens, IT REMOVES FROM YOUR INBOX important information like this forever - 

Think of it as this - "if it's important, you need to rescue the data out of the Airbnb interface" using whatever business systems you use - 

ASSUME you will be ghosted, you probably already have been, their system of doing it is so smooth, it is MEANT for you to fade to black and lost track of it while you fight new fires.