Banned for life - Absurd reason - Can't reach managment

[Ban777]

Airbnb banned me for life for offering to pay cash to a host.

Low level management did not consider unique circumstances to see no rule was broken.

Even if a rule was broken, it is excusable due to once in a lifetime pandemic circumstances. 

At the start of the pandemic Airbnb blocked reservations until June 1 2020.  I had a ten day stay in Mexico City starting May 27.  Airbnb platform would not allow me to book the full 10 days.  I booked the 7 days I could. 

Airbnb does not claim a right to tell any guest that they cannot stay with a host even if Airbnb refuses to book it through their platform.   Since Airbnb would not allow me to book those days it should have no objection to other arrangements.

This was the best course from a health and safety standpoint.  During those chaotic times there were no clear right answers.  A hotel was and still is far riskier.  An Airbnb would instead be sheltering in place with just one other person.  Airbnb customer service was unreachable.  I waited on hold over an hour. The send email button disappeared from the website, clearly related to the overwhelming chaos at the time.    I was on my own to arrive at the most reasonable and safest course of action.  The vast majority of your customers would agree I took the most reasonable course of action.

It would be safer for everyone … me, the general public, and my host, even Airbnb company (less Covid19 exposure), if I were to stay in the Airbnb for the full 10 days.  It was more profitable for Airbnb to earn a 7 day stay instead of zero day stay.   

Staying in a hotel 3 nights until the Airbnb website allowed me to make a booking would cause unnecessary Covid19 exposure.  Airbnb has punished me for taking the safest course of action at time when news broadcasts showed people collapsing in the street like a Zombie Apocalypse.  Airbnb continues denying me a safer course of action because of Airbnb’s monopoly on the home share market. 

I did not offer cash “IN LIEU OF” an Airbnb booking.  Airbnb was not offering bookings in May.   I broke no rule at Airbnb.  It is impossible to “circumvent” what isn’t offered in the first place.

It’s not surprising that the manager on the phone who sounded and responded as if 20 years old would mechanically apply a rule.  What’s surprising is the difficulty getting real management at Airbnb to look at this. The “appeal” just re-applied the rule against cash payment again giving no thought to the circumstances.  There was no appeal. 

I understand that Airbnb must receive many requests for reconsideration, but this is truly a very simple case.    I must persist indefinitely to every reachable manager at Airbnb until I receive an intelligent response.   

 Any suggestions?

[Sarah977]

Which of your posts have I take issue with, John? I'm not at all aware of having done that. Like many other posters here, I simply voiced what I do as far as taking any bookings that don't go through Airbnb. I've never tried to get a guest to book offsite when they've sent me a Airbnb inquiry or request.

@John5097

[Ann72]

@John5097  No, I didn't read it, and agree with @Lisa723 that it's okay to take bookings from other platforms or directly but not to ask a guest who has messaged to go off-platform to complete a booking.  I have some upcoming off-platform bookings and had a couple this year and like you, I don't like them.  They take more effort and I feel more exposed.  Someday I may have to do everything through a dedicated website but not really ready for that right now!

[John5097]

@Ann72 I was just making a point that making direct bookings on facebook or a blog does carry higher risk, as the original poster said. This wasn't someone making another reservation on VBRO. In this case the guest reservation originated on ABB and even though the reservation was canceled, the subsequent reservation through direct booking caused him to be banned for life. From what I have seen and read a lot of host don't use very good judgement and tend to take situations out of context. I like ABB because it helps keep kooks from getting wacky. Thankfully I don't have to deal with a lot of wackyness, but am proactive on that too. I'm still booked all the time. I like ABB to make bookings and I like to deal with guest directly, so little things don't blow up. I'm not sure why so many host have such a negative experience. Sorry I can't help more. 

[Sarah977]

I don't list on any other platforms, or have a direct booking website. But pretty much all my home share guests have been lovely, trustworthy people and before they leave, I usually exchange email addresses with them and tell them if they ever want to come back, or have friends who would be interested in booking (because I can tell they aren't the kind of people who would have loser, disrespectful friends), to just contact me directly.

I think one of the results of Airbnb's increasingly guest-centric attitude, lack of host support and terrible CS reps is that more and more hosts who used to feel quite loyal to Airbnb, no longer do. 

@John5097

[Ban777]

What I am trying to stay focused on is finding a way into ABB's Ivory Tower to send them a message that REAL management can digest.  The "girl" handling my case sounded 20, a little bit power happy, and mechanically applying a rule against cash payments.  The appeal guy sounded 24.  Please let's not go on a tangent about age, I am just trying to convey they sounded like interns, not management.  

My main points are that anyone could have made the same 'mistake' I did.  If you are with ABB long enough, the stars line up, a pandemic hits etc, one will EVENTUALLY break a rule by mistake without knowing it.  THAT DOES NOT DESERVE A LIFETIME BAN. 

I am seeking a backdoor to reach ABB.  I emailed Aisling Hassell but got auto reply she no longer with company.  Any other suggestions?  I will try to persist on every airbnb community board and hope they take notice.