Escalate a complaint

[Kim376]

I want to know how to escalate a complaint,

I have a so called case manager- **, who is meant to be dealing with my complaint regarding a refund to my credit card, which is not happening.

Does anyone know where I can go from here are there any legal bodies I can approach, ombudsman, etc

[*Title and name edited]

[Mark3433]

Have just posted the following on the social media page run for my home.....

"Another unfortunate Airbnb experience. Someone from Greater Sydney wanting to come in last minute (tonight), only just joined & has no reviews. Appeared to get a bit narky when the request was declined.

Has prompted us to block future Airbnb bookings until the end of March or the dust starts to settle.

We will, as always, honour our existing bookings & will take enquiries via this page but we feel that Airbnb does not adequately protect Hosts & sadly appears to lack duty of care during this Covid horror."

[Kevin1993]

We have also been royally screwed by Airbnb! Christmas trip to Hobart cancelled due to COVID travel restrictions. Hosts agreed that if we cancelled before check in we would get a full refund minus Airbnb service fee. There is no facility in the mobile phone app to cancel but no-one from Airbnb advised this and despite numerous requests for Airbnb assistance, for 2 days prior to our check in time we had no idea how to cancel. Bottom line is the hosts refunded 50% and Airbnb have supposedly reviewed (the same person by the way! Reviewed and assessed her own performance!!!) the case and concluded that they stand by the hosts decision so no further action required on their part. Airbnb have never answered any direct question re the service fee or the fact that appalling customer service has cost us $2000. I want to know where to go next? Dept Fair Trading, Travel Ombudsman, Travel NSW? Has anyone ever successfully pursued a refund from these criminals. Is there a call centre in Australia, or anywhere not in teh Phillipines? They seem to have concluded that COVID travel restrictions are not extenuating circumstances! WTF? If the worldwide knock on effects of COVID are not extenuating I don't know what would be. Can anyone advise what we should do next?

[Sarah977]

@Kevin1993 Airbnb did give unquestioned full refunds to guests for COVID reasons back in the spring but the pandemic has been going on long enough now that if guests book a place they have to realize that travel regulations could change at any time and take personal responsibity by buying travel insurance, not just expect to be able to cancel for a full refund a few days or a week previous, leaving the host high and dry with no chance of rebooking it to a guest who is allowed to stay under current restrictions.

I've never heard of not being able to cancel via the app, though, and if you couldn't, why didn't you try on the desktop version?

[Kevin1993]

A refund from the hosts had previously been agreed with them on the basis that we cancelled on time. We tried for two day to do so and left voicemails, sent texts and spoke to an incredibly unhelpful customer services person in Airbnb Phillapines call centre. We were never advised to try the desktop version which is all they had to expain. You can't actually cancel through the app as there is no facility to do so. We are not being unreasonable, Airbnb are not addressing the issues we have raised and simply ignore our direct questions. They wouldn't escalate when requested and I had to take to their Twitter help page just to get someone else from Airbnb to look into the matter. I feel we have been treated very unfairly and are now being dismissed without satisfactory resolution. We feel our issue nees to be assessed independantly.

[Sarah977]

@Kevin1993 Well, you won't get any argument here about the terrible quality of Airbnb customer disservice. Often a host or guest posts here with an issue, that they have spent an inordinate amount of time talking to CS about, not getting any helpful answer, then another host or guest here explains it in 2 sentences and they say "Wow, thank you. Totally clear- why the Airbnb rep couldn't explain it like that is crazy."

As for feeling your issue should be assessed independently, good luck with that. Everyone who has an issue thinks that way. If you are going to try to pursue it, you will need to be patient and persistent. And may still not get anywhere. 

Have you asked the host if she would consider applying the money you can't get back to a future booking? And the host always has the option to refund you in part or full, if they choose. But they aren't under any obligation to do so nor are they a bad person if they don't. It sounds like your booking blocked this host's calendar for a busy and lucrative time of year, perhaps for many months, so expecting a full refund isn't really reasonable. 

[Helen3]

Yes you can cancel through the app I've just gone in and checked @Kevin1993 

[Claudia2279]

I understand your frustration. There’s no doubt Airbnb customer service is terrible, but unless you booked before Covid, it’s not an extenuating circumstance since while there’s a pandemic going on that everyone is aware of you should have realised that your trip might not be possible when booking. I think your host was very generous in this situation. After a year of constant cancellations, can you understand that it becomes pretty impossible for a host to keep their business profitable if they keep giving refunds. Personally, I’m sorry but my view would be if you didn’t have the wherewithal to log in and find the cancel button and do it well in advance to clear the host’s calendar for other bookings, you shouldn’t be requesting any refund at all. Just my opinion.

[Guy776]

Having the same issue regarding damage by guest. The resolution centre actually shows payment has been made but it has not come to my account 

when questioned why I haven’t received payment they tell me it’s passed the 30 days of host guarantee. Seems they have delayed payment till the 30 days has passed 

yes there needs to be some sort of legal case activated to prevent this from occurring.

Im cancelling my hosting and moving providers 

[Louise947]

@Guy776, I've had the same problem recently with thousands of dollars worth of damage. So much for their million dollar host guarantee! They are squabbling over a professional cleaning bill as I needed to get my apartment forensically cleaned after nightmare guests from hell!...I've done everything air bnb has requested and they are scrutinising the invoice. That's what the cleaner gave me and they want the cost of the carpet clean itemised. I told them this is what they've given me. They have so much info, never listen are rude and horrible to deal with. How can the matter be escalated? 

[Sam4416]

Hi.  I made my booking in Jan 2021 for a holiday stay in Sept 2021 and paid a deposit of $1326.  Due to unforeseen personal reasons, I cancelled my booking 4.5 months in advance and according to the "hosts cancellation policy" published on the site, I was due a partial refund of my deposit of $1250.  2.5 months later and still no refund.  I followed this up and the host has said that he has not yet received my deposit from AirBNB and that I should take it up with AirBNB and not to bother him again as he is too busy with this sort of problem and that AirBNB has told him that I am not entitled to a refund.  AirBNB have very nicely said they are very disappointed to say that the Host is uncontactable and there is nothing more they can do.  I have since contacted ACCC and A Current Affair.  I think this is disgraceful.  How does AirBNB believe that with this sort of actions and then publicity, that anyone will trust using their service?  Any other ideas on what to do?  Maybe if we all contact A Current Affair then Air BNB will start to be ethical?

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Sam4416 I am guessing that you paid 50% of the total holiday cost. I am also guessing that the cancellation policy was that you would lose 50% of the total price hence by cancelling you are due nothing back as per the contract you agreed to. Now many hosts might be willing to refund IF they get a replacement booking but as Airbnb hold the money then even these hosts would not refund until they actually get the money. You can contact as many organisations as you want but at the end of the day perhaps you should have taken out travel insurance.

[Sam4416]

Hi Mike and Jane.  Thanks for your message.  The host has confirmed that he has been able to fill the days - all but 2.  There is still another 2.5 months until the holiday stay date.  It is a school holiday period so... the chances are...the days will fill.  All with this said... I have been turned away.  So the host gets my deposit AND the new money too!  So wrong.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Sam4416 I agree it is wrong but it is what you signed up for when making the booking. Do be aware that the host is not holding your money and will only get it from Airbnb a few days after when you would have checked in. Perhaps contact the host again at this point asking nicely for your money back.

[Sarah977]

@Sam4416  You do not understand  the cancellation policy.  No one has mistreated you or scammed you. It is not "So wrong". The host is upholding the terms of the policy you agreed to when you booked. Which unfortunately most guests don't bother reading through or comprehending.

If the host had a strict cancellation policy, you were due back 50% of the nightly rate, not 50% of the 50% deposit you paid.

And why do you think you have been "turned  away"? If the host has told you they were able to fill dates, that sounds like they are planning to refund you something when they get paid.  They wouldn't authorize a refund now because they will not receive either your deposit nor the new guest's payment until after the check-in date. Hosts don't have guests' $ until after check-in. Airbnb holds it until then.

[Maley1]

I got Catfished and Airbnb customer service is unbelievably incompetent. I rented a gigantic luxury house on the water for a mom's weekend with our kids, but when we got there the place was disgusting. Rotting groceries, garbage bags taped to and blocking off the stairs, bedroom drawers full of food, stained pillows with no pillowcases, moldy towels, no sheets, stained and tattered blankets, and just trash trash trash everywhere. I am 9 months pregnant and spent hours taking out 6 bags of trash when we arrived. I called the host who apologized and said the previous guests had had a firework party with a DJ and destroyed her house. I said I was sorry that happened to her, but we had nowhere else to go and had tiny babies and toddlers who were trying to stay in an unsanitary environment (no space to put pumped breastmilk or kids food). Thankfully I documented all of this and took pictures, and have proof that the host was aware. 

When we checked out, I asked the host for a partial refund (total was $5000, I asked for half). Instead, she accused *me* of having a fireworks party and trashing her house. I went to Airbnb for help and have called them twice a day for two weeks: I've asked (1) for a refund (2) to ensure that the host doesn't leave me a false review and (3) to ensure that this host can't catfish further guests. Instead, Airbnb has done nothing, and the host just posted a review saying that I not only had a party with fireworks, but that I stole things (!) from her house and trashed it. I'm outside the window to reply to her review or leave my own. Ten minutes ago, Airbnb customer service actually hung up on me. The lady said "I can't help you," I asked her to put me in touch with someone who could, and she said, "no" and hung up. 

What should I do from here? The refund may be possible if I dispute with my credit card company ($5K is so much money!) but I also am actually MORE concerned with the host being a scam artist and lying about me on a public review.