Western union Payout not released. Bug in airbnb ?

[Inamul1]

Recently i had reservation with $5492 amount. Normally i'm using my bank account as default payout method and this time i have selected western union as my default payout method. Guests are checked in feb 26 and I should have received the payout 28th feb. I have found out that if we select western union payout then our payout will be split in to multiple smaller payouts. 

• Maximum payout amount: The maximum Western Union transaction amount is $2000 USD. If your payout is more than $2000 USD, it’s divided into several smaller transactions. Western Union can’t process identical sums on the same day, so if you have a payout of $4000 or more, only $2000 can be processed per day.

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/195/how-do-i-use-western-union-to-receive-payouts

Like that   I have received 2 payout from western union each 2000 usd on 28  feburary. But remaining amount $1492 still shows in upcoming payout. First I thought it will release after day or two. but not released. 
Then i have approached support and had conversation with  few support staff.  they couldn't identify the issue.  as everything looks perfect correct. Finally one of staff handed over my issue to technical team and reported me back saying it was a bug in abnb and engineers are trying to fix it. 

**[Private conversation removed in line with the Community Center Guidelines]

and still the problem is not solved. I just want someone from higher authority to look in to my issue and release the payout as soon as possible. 
Please let me know what should i do ? i cannot wait more days as specifically i have selected western union because i needed the payout immediately.
I would be very happy if abnb can release my payout to bank first.

[Sybe]

Hi @Inamul1 , I'm sorry to hear about this! It's good to see you've already been in touch with CS. It's been a little while since you posted, has the amount been released into your Western Union account in the meantime?

[Inamul1]

Nope. I am contacting CS everyday now. everyday new person and still not released my payout. 

[Inamul1]

@Sybe can you please look in to my account and give me update ? 

[Sybe]

@Inamul1 I sadly don't have access to it myself but I'll send this over to the team. As soon as I have an update, I'll let you know!

[Summit-View0]

@Sybe @Inamul1 

Having had four totally legit and functioning AND VERIFIED payout methods on my account and seeing that no funds were sent to them because of true or imaginary glitches in the Airbnb system I opted to get paid by Western Union in the Republic of Georgia which is where I am at the moment.

I made sure to limit the payout by Western Union to only 2,000 USD and I noticed the payout method was altered by Airbnb to 1,800 USD (no idea why but as it is verified and set as my default method I don't wish to cause any confusion to the precious algorithm and robot souls that run the Airbnb website and left it this way). 

I will be happy to recieve 1,800 USD ASAP and a few hundred dollars owed to me some time later. 

Already ten days ago my default payout method by Western Union was verified but still no payment was sent.

I will appreciate if you ask 'the team' if after already waiting 6 weeks is it reasonable not to send money by Western Union for an additional month, year, perhaps a decade into the future?

I am really curious to know so I can better plan my financial future !

[Sybe]

@Summit-View0 I'm sending yours over as well. I'm glad to hear the new payout method has at least been verified, but I agree it's been way too long now. 

They'll be in touch with you though as soon as I have an update I'll let you know. 🙂

[Summit-View0]

@Sybe 

Thank you for taking the time to forward my case and to respond.

For accuracy sake ;

As for verification, it is not only the Western Union payout method which was verified 11 days ago.

I also have bank accounts for team members in India that were verified but the notorious system 'glitch' meant the funds were never sent because the system keeps reverting to the 'this region is under sanctions' which as far as I know India is definitely not else tens of thousands of Airbnb's in India would have not been up on the system...

Western Union was not and continues not to be my first choice but I am prepared to get part payment by it to at least have some much needed (and deserved) liquidity.

[Summit-View0]

Hello @Sybe 

I currently have three verified payout methods on my hosting profile ( I noticed two payout methods were verified yesterday morning ).

One of them is a brand new payout method, the other is a payout method that was already verified in the past but was accidentally deleted by my team member and immediately reinstalled so that particular payout method got reverified yesterday.

I have one open ticket but CS is ignoring me since almost 45 hours which ironically is a good thing!

Had they not ignored me they would surely repeat the standard line I heard from six or seven CS representatives since 5 weeks ago: 'there is a glitch which is why the payment due to you was not sent. Our I.T department is working to fix it but we can't tell you how long it will take them'.

Oh well, thankfully I am in good health so I have at least thirty five years more to live...

I am wondering what a person who wasn't educated in an English, French or German speaking country and found him or herself in my situation would do.

How would someone like that even communicate with CS let alone be able to comprehend the intricate nuances to an oh so delicate, rare and 'technical' matter (so technical in fact that a team of IT experts is working on it for 5 weeks already...).

I hope there are some compassionate and charitable souls in their vicinity who at least sneak them a donut and some black coffee every now and again.

I am confident they can't afford to take time out for a 6 hour sleeping session at night, let alone go on a lunch break for 15 minutes.

They must be working frantically for the last 5 weeks non stop to solve the  highly complicated problem of releasing a payment by Western Union to a name (a task so simple even a five year old in his/her first week of learning the alphabet could do it) or to one of four available and verified bank accounts...

[Summit-View0]

@Sybe @Inamul1 

Hello Sybe,

For the past 7 days Customer Service is ignoring me completely.

I had 9 CS tickets opened of which 8 were also closed and none provided a solution to the true or imaginary 'glitch' that prevents payment getting sent.

In desperation I resorted to contacting Catherine Powell at Airbnb headquarters.

I wrote her the following email ; 

Hello Catherine,

It has been more than a month and half since we were supposed to get paid for reservation HM2F3HC9QJ 

It was a 28 night stay and completed successfully.

Already 9 tickets were opened by CS.

They say there is a glitch in the system that prevents payment from going through despite we have 3 verified payout methods.

The only open ticket at CS is ignoring us for already a week.

I ask that you look into this matter.

Best regards, 

the team @ Summit View Villa.

[Inamul1]

Exactly same happened to me. I had warning from CS from opening multiple cases. I went for twitter and tagged all directors and engineers everyone saying my problem. finally they released the payout after week from twitter posting.

[Summit-View0]

@Sybe @Inamul1 

At this stage I no longer know if I should laugh or cry.

I am trying really hard to understand what Airbnb is to accomplish by ignoring hosts and not releasing thousands of dollars for more than a month and half.

I have 11 apartments (6 owned by me, another 5 by close relatives) in the heart of the capital of Armenia, Yerevan.

They are registered in the names of team members and if what is due to me isn't sent by the end of April I plan to cause as much financial damage to Airbnb as possible.

This will be done by cancelling reservations of guests at the last minute during the high season (it starts around mid May and continues till end of September).

Almost half of tourist stays in Armenia are from countries that are hit by numerous sanctions (Russia, Iran and Syria) so it won't make much of a difference to us as we have alternative methods of filling our properties.

It is a shame that in its arrogance Airbnb lost my goodwill and that of my close associates.

Perhaps our case is a microcosm and indicative of a much greater problem the US led Western World has and for which it will pay dearly in the coming months...

[Summit-View0]

At this stage I feel there is a grudge against me because I voiced my dislike of the Democratic Party and the senile geriatric patient in the White House.

I mean it isn't exactly 'breaking news' that Joe Biden suffers from cognitive disorders but Airbnb as a company that no longer even attempts to hide it is firmly positioned on the progressive 'left' wing of the Democratic Party, has no right to keep thousands of dollars owed to me for a month and half and counting for stating the obvious in my private written conversations with Airbnb Customer Service representatives.

[Inamul1]

@Sybe  My problem is solved. thank you for helping.