Is there a Formal Complaints Handling Procedure at Airbnb, because there REALLY needs to be?

[Diana495]

 I have had on-going problems with Airbnb, as a host.  There software is full of bugs.  There 'customer service' handlers are often ignorant, simple, incapable of understanding problems, live in America and think that the system should be the same for everyone (not country dependent) and unable to solve problems.

Any organisation the size of Airbnb should have a clear, effective and transparent Complaints Handling Procedure for complaints against them. 

Airbnb misleds their customer base.

Airbnb misrepresents the service that they offer.

Airbnb incorrectly promotes Host properties by mis-placing their properties.

Airbnb incorrectly promotes Host properties in terms of pricing - they advertise incorrect prices.

Airbnb mapping software is seriously flawed - properties disappear from exact locatity map displays

Airbnb's algorithms for deciding which properties to display first (on the left in photo) is supposed to be random, but it clearly isn't

Airbnb is not what it purports to be and there appears to be no recourse.

Hosts are reliant on Airbnb's software working accurately and for complaints and problems to be resolved in a timely fashion.  Currently this is not so.  The risks of using Airbnb are significant.

Airbnb can not be relied upon.

[D58]

A bit difficult to follow this, but the essence is that Airbnb Customer Service are **bleep**.

Setting up an alternative to this **bleep** business would be so great, but lying, conning, manipulating, distorting is how they have carried on, people don't expect to be treated in such a way and it takes a lot for people to really catch on with what is gong on.  They are an unregulated business who are raking it in while they can.  They don't give a flying F....K

[Karen1449]

I being the customer cannot agree more with the discussion here.  I was so frustrated about the unreasonable policy set plus the most unreliable poor customer service staff that make us feel really bad about using the Airbnb platform to book for our next holidays.  I have been staying at various apartments which were all very lovely and great.  No complaints about the hosts. 

Until recently, i have booked an apartment and eventually would like to change to antoher one.. but when i have confirmed the second apartment and cancelled the first one, I was not able to get the full refund on the deposit i paid to the first one, reason given was these 2 are duplicated dates ! ! I have never experienced anything like this type of nonsense... and we called, the customer service staff is all pathetic, having a very bad attitude and extremely unhelpful !  Worse is we can't get a proper email address that we can send to so that we can let the respective management or relevant Consumer Council to protect customer rights. 

I do feel sorry for the hosts as we do like to book the apartments but the lack of complaint procedures, lack of management focus on customer service really pissed us off and lose all our confidence in this platform...!

[Helen742]

This is all true I am now a victim too of their money grabbing criminal businesd

[D58]

Okay, Helen - I am sorry that you have had a bad experience.  Yesterday I spoke to the European Consumer Office unfortunately just like the UK authorities they only have advisory powers - what this means is that consumers have no protection whether in Europe or in the UK.  The laws fall way behind what is required to protect people from these 'platform' organisations, meaning that they can do whatever they want.  At this point, the only advice that I can give you is not to use AIrbnb, there are alternatives, which may also have their own problems, but not giving Airbnb your money is the best way to proceed.  The Airbnb model only works if people use them, its only ,

[Tony134]

Hi Everyone!

I'm posting this message in a couple different forum posts today. Each one is a thread where we are unhappy with Airbnb, and that is still active (i got upvotes in each one of these in last week or two).

Airbnb is pretty rapidly turning from an excellent opportunity into a full on disaster.  This new head of customer service Laura Chambers is exactly the game player I told you all she would be.  All games and no results.  Her qualifications are literally in online reviews, not vacation rentals.  She literally knows nothing about our business, just about 'how to keep people happy.'

In the last 8 months, we have seen Airbnb reverse on exactly zero bad decisions.  They have not reversed the cancellation policy that most hosts saw as an insult.  They have continued holding payments longer and longer (sometimes I get paid 5 - 7 days after a listing shows up and checks in now).  They have done nothing about bookings being made with no payment method on file.  They have done nothing about their insane 'refund any guest, at any time, in any place' policy.  The worst part of all of this is they struck up a conversations claiming they wanted to listen on each of these issues, then ignored obvious and overwhelming feedback.

Everyday with guests checking in and guests in my home, at this point, I just feel taken advantage of by Airbnb over and over and over.  I see thousands of complaints here in this forum that basically sum up to Airbnb using us like cheap disposable employees that they don't have to insure, or even really pay in many cases.  I know many of you feel the same way, and have been frustrated by Airbnb's lack of response.

Point Blank:  If you feel this way, taken advantage of by Airbnb, deceived and tricked into being a min wage employee and donating your own house to do it, the only smart thing to do is start complaining with the justice department.  The Better Business Bureau has already been flooded with Airbnb complaints, but Airbnb stepped in and bought someone off for an A+, so no help there.  The last and best option is to flood the justice department with complaints until they finally stop Airbnb from tricking people into being min wage employees.

Please, I beg you, if you are having these problems, do not be complacent, they are getting worse, call the justice department today

[Jenny675]

We are guests of Airbnb and booked a reservation for two nights and paid in full.  We then messaged the host to ask if we could book a third night, he said yes and we were billed for the third night. We paid in full.  Now, we are told we have only reserved for two nights and there does not seem to be any way to resolve this.  I have been on hold for over an hour with airbnb and they are sticking to their guns that we have two nights even though I have receipts showing three.

As a guest, I will NEVER use airbnb again!

[Sam125]

I've now read all 76 comments (to date) and in my experience - it seems quite obvious that AirBnb favours guests by default. 73 hosts and 3 guests posted - we had one response from admin to a particularly sad case from a guest so that pretty much says it all - this isn't unintentional - there are far too many disproportionate handlings of cases and stories of discontent (I have more than a few myself). Their thinking must be that while you have the demand (guests) you maintain control over supply (accommodation/hosts) - and therefore they must adhere. It's not difficult to see that there is a clear pattern of neglecting higher level complaints or unresolved issues from hosts in favour of satisfying the guest experience at almost any cost. I'm not saying that there aren't unresolved issues for guests or very valid reasons to feel aggrieved but this doesn't seem like coincidence. I genuinely don't think that Airbnb will exist in 10 years - it's just not a sustainable way of operating or treating customers (hosts are customers too!). The concept of community is a good one but this now just seems like very good marketing. People don't want to make friends - they want accommodation (admittedly in a safe, comfortable setting). And everyone can be friendly when things are going well but if you host for any amount of time (as I have - over 3 years) then you will require AirBnb to mediate at some point. And when this happens; there isn't any clear procedure for deciding on the correct action to take. It really depends on who the case manager is and how they feel that day, the documentation is vague and open to interpretation, it can be impossible to speak directly to decision makers (despite multiple requested callbacks). Airbnb deals with hundreds of issues per day so I would have thought that they were more organised, learnt from their experience and allowed themselves to set precedents - as is done in the judicial system - training employees accordingly. But you can have one case manager say one thing one moment and another the opposite - it is quite vexing to say the least. Some case managers call you to hear the details of the issue and others just make decisions and send a mesage that the judgement has been decreed (as if by a higher power). Unfortunately it has the same bitter feeling as despising your boss and ultimately it becomes a toxic relationship. You would think that with the marketing funds allocated to attracting new hosts; they might want to think about actually keeping them. There are stories that I could share - some good, some bad .. but it is usually the unpleasant ones that stay with you longer. Anyway if you agree with this post - please upvote it - in the slim chance that anyone in the Airbnb inner sanctum is listening or cares. More power to you!

[Diana495]

I am the original poster - I am predominently a Host but have used Airbnb as a Guest (pretty much always a bad experience).  I confirm that I find the relationship with Airbnb toxic.  Airbnb is omnipresent, demaging for your well-being.  Guests too are so often simply inconsiderate and think that they are booking a 5 star top class hotel.

I have so much experience, some apparently good, but then you find that they downgrade you because you don't have locks on your bedroom door - they just don't read the listing but base their decision simply on price.  The whole process is toxic.  Why are they so slow to improve their platform??

Airbnb is toxic

Airbnb is toxic

Airbnb is toxic

Airbnb is toxic

[Tristan-and-Angela0]

they clearly have have no interest to adopt fair and transparent policies. I posted by own thread today to highlight our awful experience. 

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/Fraud-against-Hosts-and-biased-Case-Manager/m-p/958748#M...

[Diana495]

Airbnb are Toxic

Airbnb are law breakers

Always ask for an AUDIO copy of your telephone conversations (give them dates & times) under your Data Protection Rights, to substantiate your claims for negligence, their lies and incompetence.

[Tony134]

"Airbnb is toxic."

You are 100% right, and I'm going to tag all my posts with this at the bottom from now on. 100% correct !

[Diana495]

🙂 Airbnb is Toxic

[Sarah977]

@Diana495   "Why are they so slow to improve their platform??"

Because they don't agree that it needs improving, except in ways that they themselves deem great. Certainly not in ways that hosts need and recommend. Deaf arrogance would be their model. 

[Paresh3]

I am totally with you on this. I am new (last 12 months) as a host on airbnb, and have recently had to make minor complaints / issues. I totally got the same feeling about airbnb customer support, and their attitude is found to be lacking. It is strange that they take this attitude as it is alienating their hosts, and in fact unnecessarily creating bad feeling. It is also strange as many hosts probably also use airbnb for bookings ( though to be honest, I do not normally), and so they are probably damaging their business model by putting off the very people who are generating their income. I guess due to their lack of intelligence they probably have not cottoned on to that fact, or they just don't care. I am also an investor, so I am equally appalled at this, and saddened to read so many people with the same experience. I was not aware of this forum, and would not have even looked for it, had it not been for the latest poor support I received. They are just driving more dissatisfied hosts to make life difficult for themselves in the long run, leading to 'authorities' clamping down on them. I believe airbnb are looking to go public later in the year. Investors should be alerted to the growing dissatisfaction amongst the current airbnb community, and airbnb need to take note and make some drastic changes, beginning with employing suitably qualified staff perhaps. I will not be investing in the meantime, unless things improve, and I will consider my options regarding my current and future listing (s) with airbnb. They seem to be violating their own policies / guidelines and misinterpreting them.

[Diana495]

Airbnb are Toxic

Airbnb operate Unlawfully

Always ask for an AUDIO copy of your telephone conversations (give them dates & times) under your Data Protection Rights, to substantiate your claims for negligence, their lies and incompetence.