AIRBNB WITHHOLDING PAYOUTS

[Charles183]

I strongly advise hosts go into performance > earnings > transaction history > upcoming payouts and see if there are any payouts that haven't been processed. 

I have found over $4,000 in payouts that haven't been paid to myself and client's accounts I manage, some two years past due. 

Is anyone else experiencing the same issue? If it's common they could be with holding millions, hundreds of millions or more to hosts. Which is a bit sus before an IPO.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Charles183 I am not defending Airbnb but if you are truly managing your clients accounts surely you shouldn't let the payments go 2 years overdue.

[Charles183]

@Mike-And-Jane0 I just cohost the accounts and don't have access to their earning reports or bank accounts to verify every payout. I wouldn't think it'd be too much to expect that the reservations be paid out reliably as it should just be automated. But thank you for the constructive input! 

[Colleen253]

@Charles183  Missing payouts are nothing new. Just have a look around on this forum. The issue is massive, and probably the single biggest issue with Airbnb. Extremely suspect. And I think how long yours have been overdue is quite beside the point.

[Charles183]

I had no idea this was an issue! It definitely seems like a common problem. Any idea if they are good with honoring payments? Or the timeframe they pay after it has been brought to their attention? Will be keeping a close eye on this in future. 

[Heidi588]

@Charles183 

"I have found over $4,000 in payouts that haven't been paid to myself and client's accounts I manage, some two years past due."

How many clients? 

Sorry, but this just feels like a sticky mess. 

Yes, $4,000 is a big deal overall, it points to a much bigger deal, bad Airbnb.

But the rest...

@Mike-And-Jane0 made an astute observation. 

I add how many clients? How much were you personally not paid and how far back? And for each client, without naming names, the same?

I don't mean to offend but to be blunt and honest, I'm a bit German that way. To be blunt, this post is as fishy to me as the guest who didn't have hot water for 24 hours of a hour stay and then, before the second day was up, posted on the forum for backup and wanted to pile on every missing lightbulb and promised cooking utensil and the host's body odor (a small exaggeration, she was offended by him) to calculate while still at the stay what percentage refund to ask for. In other words, what I see is you posting about an emotionally charged subject and trying to use that to rally support from hosts (though I don't know why because you've said nothing about a complaint about the payouts or trying to stop the IPO), and then adding fuel to the bonfire with an amorphous number of clients and the total amount. I don't smell honesty here, I just smell a smoke screen. Your response to @Mike-And-Jane0 came across to me as an evasion and firing back in defense, not the heartfelt words of an honest victim.

So what's that actual story? What are you trying to achieve? I don't respond to emotional appeals but just a tiny bit, I respond to facts and a whole story. Then I might jump on your bandwagon if it all seems legit, I'll be glad to lend you the power of my voice. Of course, I'm a guest and not a host, so maybe my voice wouldn't have as much weight for your case if you are presenting one somewhere, but I am a fellow regular user of the  hosting platform, and I know from personal experience that Airbnb pulls some b.s.

In short, if you're wanting folks to pick up torches and pitchforks...for what purpose?

[Charles183]

I don't mean to be blunt either due to my nationality but this reply smells like someone who doesn't have better things to do. 

Simply surprised to find approximately $4000 in unpaid reservations from 2 of 10 accounts. It doesn't take a brilliant mind to think how much might be owed to millions of hosts who use Airbnb. It's been a financially challenging year for most and the payments would surely be appreciated. 

Only asking if this is just a fluke or if other hosts are experiencing the same issue.

[Karla128]

@Charles183 

I found a payout delay at oct. From old booking on April 2020 ended in July. But last payment was never issued.  I called nov. Dec. Feb. No result. 😞

Now find out over 50 hosts posting or maybe more. 

About to go news next! 

[Super47 · Accepted solution]

@Charles183

This has actually been going on for years. Airbnb likes to refer to them as 'frozen' payouts - but they never really come up with any credible excuse as to how the payouts just happen to become 'frozen' in the first place. (Nor are hosts ever notified by Airbnb that they are holding funds belonging to them, let alone informed of why Airbnb are retaining said funds) 

Airbnb have a treasure chest of excuses they trot out in these instances. Sometimes they'll use the old 'amendment glitch' chestnut (also been around for years, but somehow never gets fixed), sometimes they'll use the 'couldn't collect payment' tale, other times they'll just go "Oh wow!! How did that happen?? That's a mystery!" And so on, and so on.. 

As soon as the host twigs their payout(s) are 'resting in Airbnb' s accounts' though, they'll usually release them fairly pronto. That's if the host ever twigs the missing payouts, of course. It goes without saying that the majority of hosts would simply trust that a 'reputable' company like Airbnb could be trusted to pay them out on time, every time, and wouldn't dream in a million years that this is far, far from the case, and they need to watch every penny due to be paid to them by Airbnb like a hawk. One can only imagine how many 'frozen' payouts slip through the net, that never make their way to their rightful owners (hosts)

Every so often, a host will come across this issue and post it on one of the many STR-related groups or forums, then hosts will run to check their Upcoming Payouts tab, and invariably, several will come back to say that they discovered some missing funds also.

So no, its no fluke. It's a regular occurrence in the magical world of Airbnb. 

[Amanda2952]

@Super47 I also have payouts that have been withheld and zero feedback from Airbnb. 

Surely there should be someone that can take this case on? 

I have informed airbnb that I will be taking away all my business after this and redirecting to booking.com as I have not had any issues with them.

[Andrew3673]

Air B&B are useless. I have reported issues of non-payment which initially was some documentation issue. That was eventually resolved after around 30 or so phone calls to their help desk which is an outsourced company that has absolutely zero ability to assist in anyway. They just say they will report it to the specialist team. 

The documentation issue was resolved. Then the payments were sent but didn’t come into my account. They said delete the account and add again. All this now takes 10 business days. I did it again and I have exactly the same issue. Still no funds. 

I called the help desk again and they cannot provide me with a reason and tell me to delete and add again. 

This company should be reported and investigated. They should not be allowed to withhold funds without providing a reason. Remember this money has been paid to them already. I have been waiting now over 4 months for rental income earned from my property. They do not pay any interest either. 

Air B&B should be investigated for fraud. We as the hosting community should not allow this to happen. 

[Super47]

@Charles183

Here's a video from just a few days ago, where another host discovered $39000 in 'frozen' payouts. He's obviously in a bit of shock and quite hyped up about it (as I suppose anybody would be if they'd just uncovered nearly $40K that they hadn't been paid out), and he seems to be labouring under the misconception that this is a relatively recent phenomenon. I can assure you, it's not. It's long-term, widespread and ongoing.

"Airbnb is HIDING A Mountain of DEBT And Not Paying Hosts" on YouTube
https://youtu.be/LkyqU6YVcEQ

[Super47]

 

[Super47]

I could post dozens of these, but I'm sure you get the picture... 

 

[Karla128]

@Super47 

Thanks for posting.i just learned that my lost of delay is nothing to compare it. 

Time to get news involved. 

The stock market is just another fake way to get money from host. Sad! 😥