A family in Chile has got nothing to eat

[Ute42]

.

.

In another thread a rather sad story has been developing over the past couple of days. This is a long story, I'm cutting it down as good as I can.

Monika in Chile is renting 3 places through airbnb in Chile but she doesn't get paid by airbnb. She started reporting about her problem on sept. 19, adressing  @Catherine-Powell  , to no avail.

Due to COVID she had to close her places on march 20 and reopened mid of august. Monika did get paid from airbnb untill the end of August, but ever since no payment. Monika says she and her husband have lost their jobs due to COVID, couldn't rent the flats and now she's not reveiving money for the completed stays.

Monika has listet a breakdown of outstanding payments for 19 stays, totalling apprx 2400 USD.

Monika has been calling and writing with airbnb every day but nothing. Unfortenately Monika's financial situation has gotten very difficult so in september she had to ask friends to lend her money to pay her bills. „We have two little kids - we can not sleep at night, worried about how to pay bills and buy food when you keep all payouts for 5 weeks“.

Meanwhile as it looks Monika has maxed out all financial resources:

• „Yesterday we were considering for me to go back to London (Monika lived there for 17 years) to find any job as here will be impossible now. We used the credit card limit and now we have nothing left. …. My 9-year-old girl heard this conversation and cried asking me not to go to London and leave them.
  
  It breaks my heart. Once while talking to airbnb , my girl took the phone and asked them, please pay my mum money“

• „Electricity bills, communal charges bills, internet bills etc etc . why, what we have done, please Airbnb pay us all money, we have nothing now, please“

2 days ago Monika received 72,000 CLS = apprx. 90 USD from airbnb. „At least I could buy some food today“ Monika wrote. But the remaining 2400 USD+ remain unpayed.

As I said this is a pretty long story, for details pls start reading here:

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Airbnb-Updates/Customer-service-updates-payments-and-more-in-the...

and continue to read there:

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Airbnb-Updates/Customer-service-updates-payments-and-more-in-the...

The conversation starts on page 10 and continous to page 11.

This is Monika's airbnb profile Picture: Monika , Domingo, Kyara and Maia

-----------------

I've been getting real emotional over this story. Obviousely I cannot contribute anything to all these payment details, but I have decided to send 100 Euros = 120 USD to Monika in Chile so she can buy more food for her family. In order to do so, today I have set up a Western Union account for international cash payments.

What I'd like to find out is:

• How hard is it to send Money to Chile in the 21st century?

[Super47]

@Helen3

 Monika already updated the thread on October 17th to state that she had  received all her payouts apart from one small payout of around $90 (of over $2400 that was originally missing)

She did subsequently receive the final amount, but still continues to receive her payouts via cash deposits through the Servipag system in corner shops, which in itself is a major issue. 

[Jorge1563]

@Monika-And-Domingo0, when I started to read this thread I was thinking about calling the PDI in Chile. I think it is the right thing to do. I am wondering what is the current status of your conversations with the PDI.

[Super47]

@Jorge1563

Yes, Monika did contact the PDI. Status - ongoing. 

[Eduardo670]

Hello everyone. I am reading the case of Monica and Domingo and I am going through exactly the same problem. I resumed my rentals through Airbnb at the end of Oct20, I have already had 8 accommodations and I have not received a single payment. There are already almost USD 2,000 pending receipt to date. I have raised my case on all Airbnb platforms and I do not get any logical or coherent answer. Simply no answer. Until March I received all my payments without problems, with nothing to claim from Airbnb. I have not made any changes to my checking account, it is the same one I have always used. There are simply no Airbnb payments and the worst part is that there are no answers. I always understood that Airbnb payments are made through an intermediary in Chile, in my case RT Services or Angon or something like that, with local transfers. For the same reason, I do not know if the problem is Airbnb or the intermediary in Chile. What can you recommend? I need help receiving my payments.

[Eduardo670]

@Lizzie

@Monika-And-Domingo0

@Super47

[Lisa723]

@Catherine-Powell 

[Phoenix14]

@Eduardo670

Unfortunately, this very serious matter is still ongoing in Chile (and elsewhere), with many more similar reports emerging in recent months of hosts being deprived of their payouts and left without income, while Airbnb typically stonewalls them. (Policía de Investigaciones de Chile, PDI, have been informed) Its a complex situation, but the issues lie with both the intermediary and with Airbnb/AirbnbPayments UK. Contact AirbnbWhistleblower on Twitter for further details. 

Another case from just today...

 

[Phoenix14]

The Times, UK. Nov 22, 2020

"The City watchdog is investigating Airbnb’s money-laundering and counter-terrorist financing controls ahead of the site’s multibillion-pound float.

The Financial Conduct Authority has been alerted to concerns that the UK division may be facilitating the flow of criminal money"

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/financial-conduct-authority-probes-airbnb-links-to-criminal-cash-...

[Eduardo670]

@Ute42 @Phoenix14 @Lisa723 @Super47 @Jorge1563 @Catherine-Powell @Lizzie 

It's been more than 15 days since I made my post on this forum. To date, I still haven't received my payments, not even a bank transfer receipt showing the alleged Airbnb payments. I have only received vague responses from Airbnb and internal proofs of alleged payments to me, but that do not include information about the source bank or account, or the destination bank or account, least of all my name. There are 8 accommodations between October and November, more than USD 2,000 in debt to me. Airbnb is conspicuous by its absence and lack of empathy with one of its hosts. A shame.

[Lizzie]

Hello @Eduardo670,

I'm so sorry for not getting back to you sooner and that you are experiencing this delay with you payment, I've been trying to track down the best person to speak with and I think I've cracked it. 

I understand there are a number of different moving parts on this one and so my colleague Maria in our Payments department has messaged you directly about this now, so you can hopefully get everything sorted.

I am closely following this and will be checking in daily to ensure that the issue is all sorted and you get the money you are expecting. 

Hope to speak with you soon.

Thank you,

Lizzie

[Lizzie]

Hey @Eduardo670,

I hope your week has gone well. I just wanted to follow up here to check how things are going with your payments. I've just sent you a CC direct message, so let me know if you need any more help. 

Fingers crossed this is all sorted now.

Thanks,

Lizzie

[Eduardo670]

@Ute42 @Phoenix14 @Lisa723 @Super47 @Jorge1563 @Catherine-Powell @Lizzie @Julieanna0 

Unfortunately my case remains exactly the same, with no solution. There are 8 accommodations from October and November that Airbnb has not paid me even though they have already made all the charges to the guests; and at this time from Airbnb they only give me vague answers and so far they do not give any proof of bank transfer. Personally, I stopped working with Airbnb until they fixed my payouts, since I couldn't keep doing it for free. Today I am working with other applications and without problems to keep my business running. In social networks there are many claims for Airbnb payouts, both from guests and hosts, making it clear that the problem is massive. I can only tell you that I will not be quiet until Airbnb recognizes my payouts.

[Julieanna0]

@Jason1350 @Monika-And-Domingo0

 @Super47 

Things are getting worse @Airbnb.  The pandemic has not CAUSED them to out and out lie.  This is a conscious choice they are making.  The latest occurrence that has alarmed me is it appears they are keeping 2 separate sets of records.  I was just recently promised over and over verbally that a payout would be released on the 23rd of December, (after being blamed for no payouts due to kindly refunding a guest out of the goodness of my heart), and indeed, I was sent an email, dated the 23rd of December, stating the payout was released.  However, I noticed the amount never moved from "Upcoming Payouts" to "Completed Payouts."  As I have battled and fought all year long to be paid, I called again and asked why the amount had not been moved to completed.  After going through the usual excuses that it was my bank, etc., I persisted in asking the question, "Has my payout actually been released?"  After another hour or so of getting nowhere, (and for NINE days I had requested a supervisor contact me), the CS rep said no, although I had received an email with a Payout ID number, the payout had NOT been released.  I was crushed as I knew what would happen.  There would be no money for Christmas.  I called early on the 24th and was sent a screen shot by the CS person showing me that they had just released the payout on the 24th.  What this did for Airbnb was it gave them the use of my money for an additional 5 days due to the Christmas holiday and weekend and left me with nothing for Christmas.  I was LIVID.  I had been PROMISED that no matter what, my payout would be released on the 23rd.  Also, I had been trying during  the previous week and a half to get a supervisor to respond.  Nothing.  My case was continually closed until I would call again, at which time it was reopened.  Then, on Christmas Eve, I was suddenly contacted, (NOT by a supervisor), and warned that I needed to respond if I didn't want my case closed.  There was a bunch of messages sent to me on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day which  I dutifully responded to,--taking away time from my family.  When I got to the point of tears, I finally asked the CS rep, "Are you a supervisor?"  The answer was "No."  I then asked, "Why are you engaging with me?"  This seemed to stop the maddening, unending and repetitious questions.  

I demanded that the refund that I authorized to give to my guest be reversed and paid back to me as they have blamed this for the lack and delay of all subsequent payouts.  They said they cannot do that,--I will have to take that up with my guest.  I said I will be more than happy to show my guest all of the screen shots and let them know EXACTLY what has happened and why I am asking for the refund back.  I was then told that a supervisor would reach out to me.  I am STILL WAITING.  

I keep seeing guests who aren't being refunded at all or their refund is being delayed; hosts who aren't being paid or their payments are delayed and wonder how a company that is supposedly so successful and valued at over a billion dollars can't afford to pay a host $300?  Again, something is very, very wrong!  It reeks of a Ponzi Scheme.  One previous Airbnb'r sent me a link in which the Head of Airbnb Ireland, Aisling Hassell, who is also Head of Global Customer Experience, actually uses the words "fantastic Ponzi Scheme" during her interview.  

https://www.rte.ie/radio/radioplayer/html5/#/radio1/21353807  Is it possible this was a Freudian slip of the tongue?  

I'm exhausted emotionally and physically.  VRBO doesn't seem like it's the best platform to transfer to for just a guest suite and homestay.com appears like it has a ways to go in terms of safety/verification for hosts and guests.  If anyone has tried this, I would love to hear of their experiences; good or bad.  

After reading "A Family in Chile Has Got Nothing to Eat," (https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Help/A-family-in-Chile-has-got-nothing-to-eat/td-p/1357935), it has left me wondering how Airbnb is still in business.  🙁  I've noticed as time has gone on, they are becoming much more brazen about not caring what is being said about them.  I hope this leads to a very good thing,--as in I hope some other enterprising startup will create a platform that will operate on an ethical foundation built with honesty, trust and respect.  A company that won't permit large hoteliers and corporations to join, but rather one that is made up of homeowners opening their hearts and sharing their homes.  ~JC

[Sharon1014]

Airbnb has to report company earnings for Q4 2020 to the market in January 2021.  Wouldn't be in the least surprised if payouts to hosts are being withheld to plump up the profit/loss sheet.  The next lot of earnings for Q1 2021 will need to be reported in April 2021 and that lot of numbers won't be pretty either.

@Eduardo670 @Julieanna0  @Ute42 @Trude0 

[Katie]

Hi @Julieanna0, thanks for your message and I'm so sorry to hear you've had this issue with your payment. I checked in with the team for you and they asked me to advise you to check the previous messages sent by the Support Ambassador - can you take a look? They confirmed that the issue has been rectified and they have communicated with you about this. 

If you have any further issues then please do send me a DM 😊