Join me in class action against AirBnb for fraudulent promotion of host guarantee

[Jeffrey119]

We recently had a guest trash our house. We sucked up the extra cleaning etc but they broke a piece of furniture. We made a modest claim, we provided AirBnb with all of the documentation but they continually stonewalled usand finally said they were stopping communications. I turned this over to legal. They have reviewd everything and feel AirBnb misreprents to potential hosts their guarantee. We are looking for others with similar experiences. We are willing to pursue this alone but if we show this is a pattern we can not only get damages but prevent AirBnb from making claims to potential users that they have no intention of honoring.

[David126]

I am sure Hosts get paid occasionally and a few times in full.

However not something to be assumed, think of it as a bonus, a lottery win.

[Valerie324]

I had a guest stay in my house for seven weeks. They turned off our automatic sprinkler system and as a result the whole lawn in history “fried”

Airbnb turned down my claim saying that is excluded, but it looks to me like it is included in covered property.

Valerie

[Ma0]

if you had taken security deposite you could ask to be compensated and paid from guests security deposit

and i have no doubt Airbnb will pay for the damage from guest deposit. 

[David126]

@Ma0

You can ask but unless the Guest agrees you are unlikely to be successful

[Rene-and-Zac0]

@Ma0 Do you ask for the security deposit when the guest arrives?

Or do you mean the security deposit that you make up on your profile? 

[Ma0]

1. get security deposit 2. write detailed house rules 3. take a copy of guests ID in checkin and have them sign your printed house rules.

[Matthew285]

@Ma0 how exactly on Airbnb do you "1. get security deposit"?

Airbnb does not collect the security deposit up front.

Hosts can specify an amount, but any collection attempt only happens later, and only through the Resolution Center.

What are you trying to say to do here?

[Sherry107]

So the security deposit posted on my rental is something I need to take at move in?

[David126]

You can not do that, well if you use ABB as your booking service.

[Fara6]

@Ma0    just to clarify, when you said you "get security deposit" is this outside the AirBnb booking processes, ie. you have them mail you a check to hold, or otherwise?   This seems to be the only way to protect yourself as a Host here, going outside Airbnb itself..

thx.

Mike & Fara

[Matthew285]

@Fara6 it is expressedly against the Airbnb rules for a host to ask for any money from the guest outside the Airbnb payment system, so please be careful with that.

This is the advice Airbnb gives the guest:

https://www.airbnb.ie/help/article/199/what-should-i-do-if-someone-asks-me-to-pay-outside-of-the-air...

(Exception: It is OK if it is for something unrelated to the lodging, like if you rent them bicycles or they are reimbursing you for buying something at the store for them.)

[Fara6]

Thanks for the insight @Matthew285    Not really sure then how we're supposed to feel comfortable as Hosts knowing that no one has our Back's.  I just have gotten an offer from airbnb of $900, After I got their CEO and Aisling Hassell, Global Head of Customer Experiance involved.  Before that, they were offing nothing and had gone completely silent after weeks of sending invoices, receipts, etc.   This $900 is better than alot I've read about, but far from the $7800 in damages this guest caused.

And I guess that's why this tread spun up, @Jeffrey119  is experiencing what so many of us Hosts have experienced,  a company that leurs new Hosts, like myself in with the promise of protection from these kinds of actions, to complete turn their eye to it and make use feel like we've done something wrong.  

As far as asking for money for weekly renters insurance, I'll probably just increase weekly rates and purchase it on their behalf. kind of a Pain, but better than being put in this situation again..

[David126]

$79 to cover $3000

Keep it and will be many bookings before you have that in your slush fund.

[John764]

I reviewed the Host Guarantee when we signed up and soon after dismissed it as valueless. We have our own commercial insurance that covers short stay accommodation as general home policies won't usually cover short stays here. 

[Rene-and-Zac0]

@Jeffrey119 I also remember seeing a case once where a lady in payroll was skimming odd cents off of everyone’s paycheck.

Nobody ever caught on because it was .07 cents here and .39 cents there and all of a sudden she has a nice bit of change. 

Airbnb also “kept the change” in host’s payouts and only until recently was that changed. 

So where did all that “spare change” go? 

Thats a much bigger case should it ever be pursued. Probably in the millions.