Missing Payouts, Has this happened to anybody else?

[Susan723]

Any other hosts experiencing missing payments from Airbnb? It first happened to me earlier this year. It was just one payment that time and only a few hundred dollars. After 3 days and receiving no notice of payout I called and spent hours on the email and phone with airbnb. They finally acknowledged their error and issued the payment. For my hours of trouble they sent me a coffee mug. This time the missing payouts total nearly $2k. I have already spent much time trying to get it corrected. So far I am just getting the "we are checking into it" email message. The original rep I spoke with acknowledged to me that there was a mistake made. So now I just get to sit and wait for them to hopefully correct their error again. I wonder if I will get another coffee mug. Frankly I would rather just timely get my payouts and without having to waste hours of my time to get them. Anyway just wondering if this is happening to other hosts and also a heads up to other hosts to be sure to keep track of your payouts.

[Michelle2167]

@John1574 I absolutely agree with your comments, however most of our business comes through Air bnb our bookings through other platforms like homeaway, trip advisor and booking.com are nowhere near as plentiful. Is there any other platforms you would suggest to replace the huge percentage of bookings we get through airbnb ? or how you can improve your booking numbers via other platforms, I think a lot of us are beholden to air b n b because the model itself works really well, its just when something goes wrong like this they don't seem to have the infrastructure to support the size of the business. 

[Robin4]

@Michelle2167 

Michelle it's a case of availability! Your situation is similar to mine in that most of my bookings come through Airbnb. I also host on another platform (Stayz) and they are responsible for about 20% of my business but, when someone from Stayz searches my booking calendar all they see is a plethora of blocked nights, so they go and look somewhere else that is more available!

My feeling is it is always going to be that there is one dominant booking site for each host.

Airbnb have been very good to me and I haven't had a lot to grizzle about but, I am only here as long as they show me a bit of loyalty and do the right thing by me.

I do have other hosting options and, if put to the test, I am prepared to use them!

Cheers......Rob

[John1574]

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@Michelle2167 @Bez2 @Cynthia714 @Robin4 @Susan723 

I wish I had a good answer for Michelle. I only use Airbnb, and that is the only one I've ever used in my year and a half of doing business in this field. Maybe I was echoing sentiments that I've read here from many commenters that there are multiple platforms and one should never rely just on one. As I've never had any trouble with Airbnb whatsoever I thought I would rely on them until they started causing me problems, and then I would leave the platform. That is still my plan. I find this problem of payouts to be unconscionable, and I cannot tolerate it, and I would have to find another way to replace the income. Some of the stories I've been reading lately are shocking. And it rends my heart to read what they are putting people through.

Michelle, read Robin's post. Is it possible that, like Robin, Airbnb is most effective because they are blocking dates from the other platforms . Maybe you could unblock the dates in order to transition. or bite the bullet and move completely off Airbnb and eventually the businesses May pick up from the other platforms. I wish I had more and better advice for you but I don't.

I do find the quote below from a post on page 14, that is there for everyone to read, how @Ella54 handled her problem, and she seemed to get pretty **bleep** fast results.

This would be my exact approach right now, with what I know, if payment was withheld from me. I would really do what she did in preparing to cancel my upcoming bookings and transition to another platform. It would seem that faced with this, they quickly found Ella's pay out.

I know this can't work for everyone. Everyone has to make their own decisions on how to handle it, but once payouts are being withheld you're in a lose /lose situation.

I usually favor a quick, decisive, but well-thought-out approach to handling situations using all the tools of probability and critical thinking I can bring to bear on the problem. 

I definitely would not let Airbnb customer service string me along for very long: that is totally the wrong approach, and I'm sorry to have to tell anyone who's been strung along for weeks or months that you took the wrong route. That approach can put many people out of business. Unfortunately airBNB is putting people out of business with this problem, and that is something to think about.

We still don't know how and why it occurs.

We still don't know where the money is and what it's doing while it's not being paid out.

We need the best and brightest among us to get this out to the financial media or to upper management in Airbnb to draw attention to this. With my situation I can mostly offer empathy and support.

I am really, completely flummoxed by how there is such lack of detail as to what exactly happens to cause the missed payouts: how much culpability is on the host, how much on their banking platform, and how much is on Airbnb?

I'm not much of a conspiracy theorist, but I can see how this would be grist for the conspiracy mills

ELLA'S APPROACH.  Page 14

@Ella54 

"In my case it took a little bit over 24 hours of it the being late. I did give hell, was more than willing to take it public and to the media if needed, and I have stated that since they not honoring their agreement/terms when it comes to collecting AND releasing my money, I will not honor my agreement and not allow next guests to check in. I was told that there would be consequences, but since obviously they are in breach of agreement with you when not releasing your money why should you uphold your side of it?? They're more than capable of paying you what they OWE you. They obviously collected money from guests."

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[Laura2592]

@John1574  we are seriously considering it. I have a meeting with our business manager this weekend and we are talking about our yearly plan for all of our properties. We are exploring moving this cottage to VRBO and taking it off Airbnb altogether. Every time I think about this missing payout it just depresses me and makes me want to stop hosting. 

[Tum86]

Does anybody know what to do when Air BNB are just refusing to make a payout? 

[Cynthia714]

Hearing your stories made me even lazier to continue hosting in Airbnb. 

Why airbnb make it difficult for us host? Bad cs, insecurities, DIFFICULTIES getting OUR payout.

I'm agree about moving to other rental site or just rent out the space for long term. 

Chasing after the supports every day really DOESN'T WORTH OUR TIME, not to mention the possibilities this missing payout issue WILL HAPPENED again in the future.

I'm planning to post this matter in many social media until i get my payout. 

[Judith581]

Hi all,

Sorry to hear about your experiences!! After the effort and sometimes issues with tenants, you do want to get paid..

Almost 2,000 USD hasn't come through. According to the 'Transaction History' it should have hit my bank account just before Xmas. The website refers to contacting 'International Wire' in case of issues, but I cannot find anything on that.

Any advice on the next steps?

Many thanks!!

Judith

[John1574]

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@Tammy317 @Judith581 @Tum86 @Cynthia714 @

It's a mystery to everyone involved including Airbnb. But how can that be?

No one can get an explanation for exactly how it happens and how it's resolved.

But hosts missing money is free floating somewhere - I guess we are supposed to believe - but it is in in someone's account and that account is earning interest.

Earning interest for whom? Your guess is as good as mine. My guess is Airbnb. Thousands of accounts totaling

millions of dollars = substantial interest.

This thread below now has 15 pages worth of posts on missed payments and no resolutions, no explanations for why the problem keeps happening.

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/Missing-Payouts/td-p/743496

People who have trouble getting paid should be leaving the Airbnb platform for another short term rental platform.

This missing payment problem needs to be taken to the financial media  ––  large scale fraud leading up to an IPO could be devastating for this company.

Posters should copy that link and send it to financial journalist in all the major news outlets.

As of now I think Airbnb is keeping wraps on it. 

When word gets out to the financial media all over the world they're going to take a look at it they will discover what the heck they are doing.

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[Susan17]

Thousands of reports of lost/delayed/missing payouts on this forum alone. Hundreds upon hundreds of examples below. The next major Airbnb PR disaster - and deservedly so... 

Very Slow Payouts
https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/Very-slow-payouts/td-p/386055

Missing Payouts
https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/Missing-Payouts/td-p/743496

Guest Stayed And Didn't Complete Payment - No Payout For Hosts https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/Guest-stayed-and-didn-t-complete-payment-No-payout-for-h...

I Haven't Received A Payout
https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Help/I-haven-t-received-a-payout/td-p/20133

Delayed Or Missing Payments To Host
https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Help/Delayed-or-missing-payment-to-host/td-p/217974

Australians Having Issues With Payments
https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Help/Are-other-Australians-having-issues-with-Payment-this-week/...

Payout Delay
https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Help/PAYOUT-DELAY/td-p/226163

Problem With Payout Method
https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/Problem-with-Payout-method/td-p/858638

Payment Not Received
https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Help/Payment-not-recieved/td-p/305170

Plenty of proof in those threads that complaining to Airbnb is, and always has been, an exercise in frustration and futility. If you're being denied earnings by Airbnb that are rightfully yours - tweet it, report it to the regulators and financial conduct authorities, take it to the media. It's the only way. 

[Vojtech2]

I'm host since 2 years ago with 7 properties. Airbnb doesn't provide my payout since 6 November 2019   today is 9 January 2020. Right now I have stuck with them more than 12000 Euro. I contact the help center daily but help not coming. The help center always sends me the same form to fill out then waiting patiently  5 days but after a 5-day process starts totally from the beginning. My situation is day to day worse. I cant cancel my upcoming guest because Airbnb charges me the cancellation penalty. In the absence of payment, the power and water were turned off from central. Property cleaning service terminated contract with me. I already lock my calendar but upcoming clients I still must accept and from Airbnb, I don't get any urgent help until today the only a lot of promise but nothing more .

[Susan17]

@Vojtech2 

Sorry to hear this, what a nightmare for you.

So they're witholding 12K in payments from you and  threatening you with penalties if you cancel upcoming bookings, while your utilities are being cut off and your business/income is at risk of being destroyed?? As usual, unconscionable, unethical and downright inhumane treatment of hosts by this company. 

You need to report to your national Financial Regulators, and take this to the media, @Vojtech2. The US media, too. (This applies to everyone else who's being shafted also) As you've found out to your cost - and as the thousands of comments on these threads prove beyond question - trying to deal with Airbnb is a complete and utter waste of time and energy. A global media outcry on Airbnb's financial irregularities will soon focus their attention. 

Best of luck to you. Hope you get sorted soon. 

[Laura2592]

Man I would cancel my bookings and lawyer up. That is holding you hostage in your own home! I wonder if your local newspaper would be interested in covering the story or if there is a travel blog writer who might take it on? I see a lot about Airbnb online. If the media got wind of how many hosts were stiffed on payouts, it might be very interesting. 

[Susan17]

That's the most egregious  part though, @Laura2592 - hosts like @Vojtech2, who are still grafting their arses off, trying their best to eke out a living on the platform (because there ain't nobody but the commercial entities and corporate mega-hosts like Sonder, Stay Alfred, Vacasa, Duomo, Lyric et al, making a killing on Airbnb these days), simply can't afford to just cancel their bookings. In many instances, it's their primary - and only - source of income. And even if Airbnb didn't have their farcical T&Cs to hide behind, the cost of lawyering up - for what would undoubtedly be a long, protracted and stressful battle - is prohibitive in many jurisdictions (and what are you gonna pay for it with, when your income has been cut off?)

So yes, at any given point in time (and many of the comments on these threads date as far back as 2015) incalculable numbers of hosts are literally being held hostage by the company - making money for "The Firm", while getting stiffed themselves. This abusive, exploitative, unlawful behaviour by Airbnb has to stop - or be stopped. Whatever it takes. 

[Cynthia714]

Update : after 1.5 months, many CS, FINALLY i've received my payout.

I hope there will be no 2nd time. Pay attention to your payout guys. Keep chasing the cs. Message. Phone. Post on social media. Airbnb make it difficult for us, so don't be easy on them too!

This suppose to be mutual, not only gain for airbnb. 

[Michelle2167]

Was your payout received by you chasing them or did they just eventually process it and send you it? I am waiting for one from 28th December and just continually fobbed off that its being looked into...