I am extremely disgruntled with AIRBNB. I am a 4 year Host. They aren't following their own Policy!!
I am ready to pull my listing, tweet, go to friends who write for publications here in NYC, head to the offices I have been to for Host events and demand they follow their own policy.
This is not the way you treat loyal, extremely gracuois host who have attended city hall meetings. Law legislative discussions at the airbnb offices. NYC Community host, who is always promoting airnbn.
Someone who counts on every month to help pay my mortgage as well. I am a single mother.
This is what happened, and I have screenshots to prove what happened.
On Nov 15. My long term Guest who was booked to arrive 12/9-2/5 (who reserved in October 2016), decided to push her dates back until 1/13-2/11. which meant loosing income and a shorter stay. Drastically changing her stay from 60 plus days to 30. $3,000 reservation to $1700.
When she requested in the browser of the webpage I saw were 2 options. One said waiver the strict policy. The other said "enforce the cancellation policy". That is the message I get when I get a choice to accept. If I accept. I am accepting your new dates and accepting the enforced 1 month strict policy. There was a button to click either. There was a choice given to me because Airbnb, saw that her change was made with less than 30 days before arrival, so it was following policy.
The first request, I declined because her stay was changed to less that 28days which my management company won't let me book below because of the "NYC Roomate Law".
I contacted my guest with the messaging available on the site and made her aware the problem. Send her a link to the policy. She responded. "Ok, I understand It's my fault , I am not really familiar with Airbnb rules. Could you tell me how much for the first month? I want to make sure my account and they will try to me if it's the same price " I communicated with her the cost and told her I was enforcing the policy.
I also posted this problem on the community boards to ask other hosts how to handle this with screen shots.
After getting advice to click "enforce". I made sure to tell my guest I would be doing so.
I went back to the reservation which she modified. I saw the two options, waiver or enforce. I clicked "enforce". The options to say yes to those - were accept or cancel. I then clicked "accept" because it was "the only way both actions were to take effect on that page". As I assumed. (have screen shot)
Once I clicked "enforce" and "accept" it changed her reservation. DIdnt show me anyhting about my strict policy. I went to future payout and nothing is there. I called airbnb immedialty.
Spoke to someone named Stacie who agree with me 100%. She said she would foward this to the team experince. I knew that was a bad sign.
I don't her back in 48hrs.
I called back and send the screen shots. Also the rep doesnt quite agree, he is saying she just changed dates. She didn't cancel. Seriously? As far as I am concerend is she is now costing me more than $2200 in in income. When she changed her reservation. I had no choice but to change it or cancel. Which I wouldn't have cancelIed her trip. I had to open my calender asap to get a guest asap since reps were agring and disagreeing.
Thank god I had a new guest book the next day to arrive the day my last guest leaves until Dec 20th. But now (because of her date change) I have 24 days open with the inabailty to book the days because they are below 28.
I don't understand why there is even a problem. The guest agreed to the mistake.
I had this happen before but the girl told me less than 30 days before she has MS and cancelled a 6 month stay and had to get proof from her doctor. Airbnb agreed to pay me the 1 month, then renegged once she got a doctors note. SO I was left less than 30 days to fill 6 months.
I am bafflled how they rather upset me, than and do what is right or choose to not charge a guest because they are afraid she won't travel with them again?
I called back last wednesday 23rd of november and was sent this refusal to payout email. I then called back and when nuclear on the rep.
He told me staci would send my case to the Experinece Team again.
I told him what I would do. It is December, I have a mortgage, child and xmas to worry about. I cannot tell this community how upset and disgruntiled I am with airbnb.