AirBnB is Unavailable and Unresponsive

[Jason22]

I've been a so-called superhost for a few years, but I also get roughly half of my reservations from HomeAway/VRBO. I have decided to switch my loyalty to HomeAway/VRBO due to AirBnB's lack of availability and responsiveness to issues and common-sense solutions, or even having any semblance of a customer service department. Why should AirBnB collect service fees from me and my guests when their operation is inferior to their competition (who, for example, is easily available by phone or e-mail 24/7)? In most basic terms, I will block my AirBnB calendar until a month or two in advance to ensure that HomeAway/VRBO gets the vast majority of my business moving forward. I encourage anyone else who feels similar to do the same. Perhaps they will begin to be available and responsive once they see a difference in their revenue stream.

[Martin82]

I totally agree with this person's comments about airbnb being unavailable at times.

I am a superhost so when I'm in UK I just pick the phone up to call them which suits me just fine .....when I'm in the UK. Airbnb in it's wisdom (control freakery/time & money saving/lack of transparancy so we will create forums & have some of our own paid people on there but not be open about it) then responds to confirm details/follow up with an email. How nice of it to email us when we cannot email them !!!???

When I am travelling however I do not always want to call them up due to cost of call and where do I find the number for Croatia help anyway ? SO how do /we contact the Support Centre to answer the question we have as individuals and maintain our own individual privicy & discretion without posting on an open forum ?

[Anna446]

I am new to this service as a host and have not collected payment yet. All my bookings are done for the coming summer. I need to know how they pay you. I have given them my bank account as I live overseas. My neighbor uses them and she is very happy, however, after reading a few posts I wonder if they do pay you as the guesses arrive. What if the guest does not notify them of their arrival? 

[Merrill0]

I've always been paid right as they state: the day that the guest is due to arrive, they transfer money to your account and a few days later, voila!, there it is. You don't have to notify them that the guest has arrived. In fact, in one case, my guest never showed up, didn't answer phone or email messages and I was still paid. Of course this is rare, but since she booked the room, no one else could do so and she was responsible for the cost. 

[Jennifer314]

They pay you the day the guests arrive.  For those of us who have a place that we use as a vacation rental year round, with seasonal guests, this is not a good way to run our business.  We have bills to pay all year, so being paid 1/2 when booked, and 1/2 30 days before arrival is optimum.  I wish Airbnb would consider this option.

[Roz4]

It's interesting because I've always found them helpful. I've rung twice and they have followed up with emails. I've never had any major issues, so I guess I've never tested the whole insurance side of it et . I wonder if the service differs, depending where you are? I'm in NZ. 

[Ronda4]

@Roz4*

I couldnt agree more.  

I found Airbnb's contact details easily through searching on google 'Airbnb contact UK' and I have contacted them several times over the past three months without any issues at all.  They answer my calls quickly and I have found them to be sympathetic, reasonable and helpful.  After each call they have followed up with an email asking if the matter is resolved.  I am based in London.

I just wonder if all the complaints on this thread are self-generated by hosts who expect to be hand-held through the process.  There are a number of posters who have already said to tighten your listings and your house rules to avoid problems.  There will always be the occasional issue, but that is the same with any business; take responsibility and stop blaming Airbnb.

As for all the conspiracy theories, these hosts really need to get out more!

*mentioned updated

[Roz0]

I'm not sure where this has come from. I certainly did not agree that AIRBNB is unresponsive and unavailable. I think you may have the wrong Roz. I have never posted anything untoward about this website. 

[Ronda4]

Apologies wrong Roz but it wasn't a post against Roz but one to support her. 

[Lizzie]

Hello @Roz0, 

I think you were accidently tagged in the post above, rather than Roz who replied a few posts ahead of this. 

@Ronda4, I hope you don't mind, I have just edited your reply above to reflect this. 

I hope this is all fine with you both. 🙂

[Ronda4]

Thanks Lizzie, clumsy fingers!

[Roz4]

ah, sorted now

[Amy38]

@Ronda4  Austalian and UK hosts seem to have little problem.  I assure you that is not the case in the US.  Probably many issues could be explained by a thourogh reading of rules, but I have had to resort to posting on Facebook to have three different computer issues resolved. 

The girls at the other end of the phone really did not have a clue how to either fix transfer me to someone who could fix the problems.

Here, their soft ware seems to go in and out of conciousness and it is a challenge.

[Millie3]

I am thinking the same ways. I rang Airbnb more than 3 times and waited more than thirty minutes 

in the previous three weeks, but I was never got anybody answer my phone. How horrible services that Airbnb provider to their host 

[Russell28]

I am a first time host and I started first with AirBnB and I could not believe there was no response to any of my requests for help through their message center nor a phone number to talk live with someone. After getting completely frustrated, I started using VRBO and could not believe the difference. I will probably be dropping AirBnB real soon.

[Spencer10]

Tend to agree.  It is IMPOSSIBLE to contact Airbnb directly.  For example, my guest has completed payment several months ago and Airbnb has not arranged or released payment to me yet.  The guest has already completed his stay and checked out!  And the only option for Help on Airbnb is to Request the Guest for money??  How do I contact Airbnb to release payment to me when they've screwed up here....