LISTING REMOVED

Peter6
Level 2
Barcelona, Spain

LISTING REMOVED

Hola,

 

I have received an email from Airbnb Customer Experience telling me the they are going to remove one of my four listings because I'm not delivering the kind of hospitallity experience to my guest.

 

I’m in shock ! There are a lot of work and effort behind this listing and I have never received a complaint about it….NEVER !!

 

Actually my rating from guest are great:

Last 3 ratings were each 5 stars. Overall, I’ve received 5 stars 86%of the time. On average, hosts near me get 5 stars 57% of the time.

 

My current guests are happy in my apartment and they are enjoying it.

 

Has somebody has some similar experience ??

 

All the best !!

Peter

120 Replies 120

Hi Robin,  No not at all inflamitory, or nasty  Just a fact.

 

Yes, there have been several similar cases aired via FaceBook and on Twitter.

 

Yes, evidently (from the users who have detailed their cases) some very trivial matters from when they were quite young, caused their AirBNB accounts to be terminated.

 

Also, I never said that a users past history had anything to do with me.  I just pointed out why this user's account was most likely terminated.  If you read what AirBNB sent to this user it is quite clear that they checked public records.  This is what the other cases I read about mentioned as well.

 

Some other resons that user accounts are terminated are if the users have any connection to the "sex industry".

 

By the way, I am not Ritsuko, I am her husband.  I am a verified and authorised POC on the account.  However, AirBNB do not differentiate bettween us when we post or when we report site errors etc.

 

My apologies, I should have made that clear when I posted.

 

John

Robin4
Level 10
Mount Barker, Australia

@Ritsuko0 Hi John, I still stand behind what I said.....We all have something in our past that would prefer stayed there. Whether it is fact or not, I am sure there are things in your past, just as in mine, that you would not want alluded to on a world wide forum site.

 

If you were going to be reasonable about your comments, and act in the spirit of the Community Centre, then you would have restricted your statement to that section of your last post.....'Yes, evidently (from the users who have detailed their cases) some very trivial matters from when they were quite young, caused their AirBNB accounts to be terminated.'....instead of simply blurting out, 'it's your past criminal history'!!

At least don't make Michael look like a serial rapist or some other totally undesirable!

It's how you worded it that got my back up John.....cheers....Rob

Julia0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

Peter,

It would appear that your listings are still live - would you caare to tell us the outcome of all this?

Jessa0
Level 10
Ngorongoro, Tanzania

Yeah what is the outcome? So this seems to affect hosts in Barca and in Amsterdam? Ams city laws only allow a person to rent out 60 days/year - so it could be that law enforcement is going after hosts there too. Either way what an awful response from airbnb - as if you're a bad host, the least they could do (aside from firmly fighting back city laws) is give a good answer. Trying local numbers should do the trick, there is a Dutch number and I guess there is a Spanish one too?

Mathew0
Level 6
Philadelphia, PA

Well, now I'm feeling more confident about moving somewhere cheaper so I don't need to host anymore...

Dania0
Level 1
New York, NY

Hi peter, did your listing get removed? Mine did, for no reason so I was searching to see if anything like this had happened to anyone else... No one will tell me why at airbnb, and it was a 5 star listing with raving reviews!

I have exactly the same problem. Trying to find answers since the 11th of December. Still nothing. Customer service always forwards to the quality team, but never hear back. My listing is 4 and a half stars, more than 150 good reviews, no bad ones. I'm a registered B&B with the municipality of Amsterdam and I pay taxes over the income generated. I'm absolutly clueless as to why my listing was taken down. I hope somebody can shed some light on the situation.

Thomas24
Level 2
London, United Kingdom

I got the same email, except in London. I can't figure out what the reason could be.

 

I've spoken to customer service twice today. The guy who I spoke to knew that this was happening to a lot of people. and said he would pass it on, but it seemed like he genuinely didn't know why it was happening. He said, "I'm seeing this happening to people with great reviews, so it's not a quality thing".

 

He said it was for real, though.

 

Has ANYONE got any CONCRETE answers about what is going on? 

 

Can I relist the place under a different title or name, say if it is a different part of the house?

 

I live in my place, it is five bedrooms and I let out the other 4 as one unit. (I used to live with 4 friends.)

 

 

Julia0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom
Maxine0
Level 10
Brighton, United Kingdom

This is really worrying. It appears not to be a hacker/spam but Airbnb genuinely de-listing without being transparent about why. Instead emails suggest that the host is not suitable to the 'guest experience sought' irrespective of those hosts - some with superhost status - having 4 and 5 star reviews and happy guests, no complaints reported.

 

It has caused mass confusion.

 

Airbnb need to give a clear communication to all hosts - What is considered to be an illegal listing - e.g is it 

1. Entire apartment / house where host doesn't live there as their primary residence

2. Hosts that rent a room or own home or 2nd home on airbnb for more than 90 days -

3. Hosts in Cities / towns where their Councils set the rules and prohibit homeowners from renting their properties when they are not present, such as going on holiday and renting out whilst away

4. Hosts with more than one property listing

5. Commercial hosts with rental property portfolios

6. Commercial single BnB's

7. Realtor Estate Agents

8. Homes that do not meet health and safety rules (smoke alarms etc)

9. Homes and rooms rented in towns and Cities that require them to have a license

10. Anything else

 

Whatever the reasos are Hosts worldwide need to know

 

The obtuse emails being sent to hosts telling them they are being de-listed as they do not meet the standards expected by guests and then refusing to offer any real explanation or means to overturn the delisting decision by advising the host what the resason is and how they can make changes - is just unfair, distressing and disrespectful to hosts

 

I rely on my airbnb income and whilst this has not happened to me, I would be horrified if it did, particularly if I didn't know why and they wouldn't tell me.

 

I do own my own home and have a floor I rent out on airbnb with it's own street entrance, set up as an entire self-contained apartment but it remains part of the main house via an interconnecting staircase and door, where I live on the upper two floors.

 

I had a very busy year (until we hit Dec/Jan) and may well have had total bookings nudging or just exceeding 90 days - does that put me over the limit? When was this 90 day limit set and where can I find communication that details that limit? Is it a 90 day April to 6th April tax year limit or a January to 31st December limit.

 

Where is @Lizzie the UK Airbnb Community Manager - we need an explanation and assurances urgently.

 

Robin4
Level 10
Mount Barker, Australia

@Maxine0 God , it's a guessing game! See maybe I am fortunate in that I got  local government 'occupancy' (which means it conforms to the building code) before I listed, and I list as a private room rather than the self contained cottage that it is. There is quite a stretch of garden between the cottage and the main house....and there is no way a guest will ever run into a stranger on the way to the bathroom in the middle of the night but.....council told me to list it this way to keep within the regulations......so, that's what I have done!!!

Possibly a lot of hosts have put local government on the 'back burner' and you can't do that....You have to work with local authorities, they are not fools and they do have the power to stop the Airbnb scenario! Possibly that is why a lot of hosts are being shown the door....their listing contravenes local government regs. I just wish we new what was behind this Maxine!!!

 

Getting a bit off the thread, I bet you would kill for our weather at the moment Maxine....today was another 'century' day! It's been the hottest summer on record over here, which we are quite happy about really. In my working life I was an air conditioning contractor so, it stands to reason I would have the best air conditioned plot on the block!! Walking into the cottage, even on a 44c (109f) day that cottage is a lovely 20c...it's just like walking into a bottle shop carton room!!!....Oh no, hang on, you wouldn't know what that's like in England....you drink hot beer! Never mind, it is seriously cold!....Cheers.....Rob

Paula17
Level 2
London, United Kingdom

Hi Peter!

I'm in shock too-I just received the same message from Airbnb today; I've called them and no one will explain anything to me.

I've got great reviews, and loads of guests and I don't understand why Airbnb has done this, it's crazy!

The worst thing is that no one will explain anything to me!

Doreen1
Level 2
London, United Kingdom

Dear Peter,

 

I am glad to have found someone who has had the same discusting experience as me.  I have been with them since 2011 when they were'nt as big as they are now.  I received an email from them also saying that they were removing one of my listing because  'Airbnb guests needs to connect with hosts who provide local and authentic experiences that make the city a better place to live, work and visit.'    My overall rating is 4/5.  95% of my guests are happy with their stay, so I am baffled as to why they have removed my listing.  I sent them an email asking them to explain whats wrong with my apartment, and they havent even bothered to reply.  You would have expected them to at least inform you of any overlooked problems regarding your listing that needs looking at so that you can rectify it, rather than an email telling you that your listing will be removed and will never be allowed back on their site.  Very unprofessional for a well established company to treat their hosts who have help them get big over the years. 

 

I sympathise with you.

 

Doreen.

Robin4
Level 10
Mount Barker, Australia

@Doreen1 @Paula17....Doreen, I am so sorry that this is happening to you but read my posts above, I think they spell it out for you.

I agree 100% that to be kept in the dark the way you have, and then given this nebulous explanation about not conforming to hosting standards is a bit ridiculous.....But Doreen, you have to see what is going on here! The traditional hostpitality industry is hemoraging while "Home hosting" is going from strength to strength! Obviously they are going to fight back, and that is what is happening. Before this purge is over many thousands of hosts are going to be affected and I am just sorry that you and Paula and Hassam and Peter and God knows how many more are going to be casualties. To government authorities, and the community at large, you are not  'Home Hosts' you are boutique hotels using the Airbnb platform...and I am afraid, that's where the problem lies.

I feel for you because you are what has made this platform great, you have met challenges, solved them, and been successful, and you have given Airbnb the strength that it now has, and I do so hope that there will be a solution to this mess where the arm that has fed Airbnb for so long will still be able to contribute....and I am going to follow your progess.....I can't do any more than that....  cheers.....Rob 

Keith14
Level 1
Harrison, ID

There is no way to remove a listing that was posted incorrectly, fn site is impossible if you want to do something the nerds hadn't though of? Can anyone help me? there is a spot to edit but not remove and the edit doesn't work so well. Would love to simply talk to a human.

 

Frustrated