The new criteria for Super Host ratings is a cruel thing to do to loyal long time SH!

[Ann10]

I will have to focus on the wrong things. Spend more time vetting potential guests. Maybe have to decline more people. My focus will shift to making sure I don't get some crazy who won't give me a bad star rating because I wouldn't run out and get them laundry detergent, come in the middle of the night and work the TV remote even though instuctions are there, or because they didn't read my listing and expected something else. This is really wrong. Richard on youtube said a new era of treating host like people on Airbnb is finally here. No, I think he didn't get the memo on this one. This is crazy. If some Boardline Personality person tells me everything is wonderful and then gives me a 3 for Overall Experience right before the end of the ratings period, how am I supposed to get all the bookings I need to get back up to 4.8?  Please don't do this on top of it! I know a lot of people agree w me. This is no way to thank your loyal hosts. Also, if someone is going to give less that a 5 in any category, they should have to explain why, like we have to explain why we don't want "Smart Pricing" or why we are declining a guest. I can assure you, I will be declining a lot more if you implement this new system. And for Value if they give less than a 5, they should be warned they will never be able to book the property again, even when the price goes down. They should be told to look for cheaper properties. As for Location, same thing and tell them to read the listing.

[Ann10]

@Zappa0-The 1st time I did Instant Book, I got a nut case who yelled at me almost immediately when I picked up the phone, was a complete nightmare, and gave me a 1. However, when she found out that Libel has legal consequences she got the review taken down. I don't know why I didn't call to cancel her. We never cancel anyone and I was so shocked, it didn't occur to me. So, I stopped IB after that. They try to say IB people will give you good reviews. HA! Well, the next guy who was also IB gave me a 5, but I had turned it off before anymore IB people could book. Do you do it? They were offering $300 for awhile for hosts, but when I clicked on it it was $240. I'm not going to do this to anyone. Besides there is already too much downward pricing pressure.

[Zappa0]

No, I don't use IB. I considered it after discussions on here but it seems from other hosts that there are a lot of restrictions (in practice, not in their jargon) on how many times the host can cancel and for what reasons, and given my listing type (boats that you need to kayak too) I have serious safety issues I have to consider. With IB I will get everyone who can't swim, kayak, or are afraid of the water. There are also times when I have something going on and can only do a morning check in, etc.. which I communicate to guests in advance before accepting bookings.

I have had to cancel guests during the hurricane or other major storms for safety and Airbnb was very understanding. It depends who you get on the phone (or what call center you get).... in that one call center They just read from a script.  Useless.

So far my method is working so I'll stick with it, but if I lose SH I'll be in the bottom of the barrel again, and at that time I will go to another outlet that allows me to talk to guests and accept or decline on my own vs using IB to get to the top again.

I also think Superhost should take into account how many people a host has. I think the current requirement is 10 bookings? I mean, you could have a really awesome first couple weeks right before the rating time and get SH for the next three months and then ignore your guests. Meanwhile I host 5 groups/reservations every day so I feel like consistantly offering good service for that long to that many should count too. But not count against people who just have one room...I mean that was the whole point of Airbnb to begin with - they stole Couchsurfing and monitized it. There has to be a happy medium here..

[Lizzie]

Hello everyone,

Just to let you know, to make it easier to keep this discussion going, I have moved this from Host Voice to here in Hosting. 

I hope this is fine with you all.

Thanks,

Lizzie

[JoãoPedro6]

Being a superhost gives you no advantage.

Due to property damages caused by guests and travel issues related with the same reservation, I was forced to request assistance from airbnb customer service. After more than a month, with no efforts shown to really mediate the issue (the guest agreed to pay the amount of 64€, but airbnb transfered to me 35€ regarding the travel issues.

Then started my nightmare, to claim a compensation for the property damages.

After being requested to send documentation for 3 times which attempted always on time, trust and safety team made a resolution that considered part of the damaged items with no value (specifically an heater from the 70's) and forcing me to accept their resolution within 24H (under te risk of getting nothing) they paid to me an half of the budget I've sent to them.

Meanwhile, I was contacted by the trip team asking me to justify 1 star given to the guests.

I've talked with more than 10 agents, none of them was able to do anything except saying "we undertstand your frustration".

The agent who made the resolution, was informed that their resolution was violating the article 3 of the host guarantee, as per advise made my lawyer. All my concerns were ignored and the case was closed with the case manager refusing to give a supervisor consult.

Basically the trust and safety team made me to lose all confidence in this platform, feeling insecure every time I open the door to a guest.

Today, I am aware that I have my property listed on a platform that has refused my assistance and has excused itself from taking responsibility, forcing me to accept a resolution that violates the article 3 of the host guarantee, as well the Portuguese protection laws to the consumer.

The case is being examined by my lawyer.

[Rebecca181]

@JoãoPedro6  SO many hosts are reporting this same sort of treatment. I do not understand why Airbnb is allowing their hosts to be treated so miserably and unfairly in regard to claims made under the Host Protection Guarantee. It is creating bad press, ill-will, and causing good hosts to leave the platform in justifiable anger and disgust. Why are they allowing this to happen?

[JoãoPedro6]

I imagine this happening because they just don't care about you as an host.

Airbnb is profitable platform so their concern is only about how mush money they earn. I do not mind about it, unless if it represents extra expenses from my end.

Since the moment an airbnb agent refuses to accept that is violation the terms of his own platform, deciding without even the respect the law of the countries, I fell like having a partnership with Mafia, as usually they create their own rules which are respected according to their convenience. I've decided to list my property on other platforms and for now I'm quite impressed with the attention paid for all my inquiries. 

Regarding the resolution mentioned on my post, advised by my lawyer, I've cancelled my upcoming reservations. My first request was to make them to assist the guests searching for another listing. Unfortunately, I was awiting for an email for more than 6hours and nobody contacted the guests who started sending me messages asking me to welcome them even paying outside the platform, which was refused my me. To be sure that the guests would be assisted, I was forced to call to airbnb 2 times more. It was my co-host (superhost since 5years without cancelling) who called them and even with him saying that we were cancelling the reservation advised by a lawyer because airbnb is unable to assure the safety of my property, they were unable to inform him  if it would be applied penalties for the cancellation.

I look to airbnb today as an huge iceberg floating...there's no control.

[Ann10]

@JoãoPedro6- Great post! Can you pls tell me what other places you posted on? You can email me at [personal information hidden for safety reasons]

Lisa Ann aka Lisa

[JoãoPedro6]

Hello Lisa, You just to google it and I'm quite sure you will find alternatives. Then you request them assistance to check if your listing is ok. Depending on the way they provide to me the support needed, I decide if I want to work with them or not. I know this could quite subjective, but I really believe in the experience of hosting as the cheapest way to find other cultures. What I would expect from Airbnb is exactly the fact of supposedly being a community, which is not. Airbnb is the most known platform, however I believe they want to be in the market as being the cheapest one. A kinf of ryanair 😉 That's the main reason why they just don't care about the host...

[Ann10]

@Lizzie

 Lizzie - Can you please give us a link to the new thread. I don't know where to find our discussion. Also, is it possible to inform the people who were involve in the discussion in the thread that got shut down where they should go? You said you were shutting it down because we were going off topic. A lot of us were discussing this issue in the 48 hours cancellation thread. I think it was that one. Marcus was involved in the discussion.

[Amy38]

@Ann10 It is hidden...hit Discuss at the top of ths page and you will find it...go and like the posts!

[Ryan111]

Just a note in case anyone from @Airbnb4 is reading this.  It would be VERY helpful to put the star ratings in the emails you send out when a guest completes a review so that we know immediatley what they have rated without clicking through to the site.  

[Ann10]

@Amy0-How do you know it is hidden? How did you find it? I know they don't want the math publized!

[Ann10]

@Amy0- How can I start a new thread regarding the math? One that will be seen? 

[Ann10]

@Andrea0- We all cried bloody murder about the new "strict" cancellation policy and they went through w it anyway. I don't think they care what we think, say, or feel. However, I noticed if you never switched to the new "strict" then you still have the old strict. So, never switch it. I was going to pull all my non 30 day cancellation listings today, but they were not changed to the new "strict" so party on. 

[Ann10]

@Rebecca181- I have had guests commit crimes against me. One of them may have done something similar to at least one other host. Both of them are still using the site. An ABB rep told me she would look into it. I told her fine, but they won't do anything. This was in writing. Suddenly she stopped responding and the case was closed. I call it the ABB disappearing act. I don't think they are going to kick any guests off the site. The only way will be if they are put in jail for life.