Account deactivation

Account deactivation

Hi,

Once account is deactivated because of www.airbnb.com/help/article/483

Does it mean its for a lifetime? 

29 Replies 29

Hi,  is there any chance to contact someone higher then support or support specialist? They didn't investigate case properly and without context. Based on that they deactivated my account and they refuse to make any further discussion. First time I saw company act with customer in that fastion, do they think they are US court or God? 

OK, it's seems to me like living in 1984. Airbnb completely ignores customers , deactivating accounts using sentences w/out contex just to don't have to solve anything. I am wondering what kind of ppl work on support, students? People without any skill paid with min. wage? Why there is no hierarchy like support  line 1, 2... Managers etc? So cases are enclosed by students? What is this platform about? If there is no issue all looks fine, if there is an issue one can't do anything. This is raeally unbelievable and traditional US model that is breaking EU rules/laws.

 

How can one deactivate account and keeps all my Pii data without prior ability to remove it from system? 

Helen3
Level 10
Bristol, United Kingdom

Hello @John2678 

 

It is rather difficult to offer you any advice as you haven't said what happened.

 

Are you a host or a guest? Why did Airbnb delete your account under it's anti-discrimination policy.

 

Can you start at the begining and tells us what actually happened.

 

And Airbnb can either put a temporary hold on your account or give you an outright ban for life.

Hi @Helen3 

I was 7+y with airbnb,  more then 20 bookings, spent more then 6 000 euro, had only minor incidents which were sold most of the time with Hosts directly or via support.

 

The last stay was (I was guest) was something which can be categorized as a law violation and had a massive impact on personal security etc.

 

1) I traveled to Italy with parents. Host forced me and sustain to take a paper scan of all ours IDs as part of the check-in procedure. I said its against EU law, breaking GDPR and migh have seriously negative impact on all three persons once these document get leaked/stolen/lost. Host was not compliant with any law regarding handling such private documents/information as such IDs number, birth numbers, place of birth etc. I told host all above she said without scan there is no chance to check-in.

Because I travelled with parents 65y+ age, we had other program (concert schedule etc) there was no other option as provide all IDs for scan to pass check in. If i was traveling alone i would rejected such a requirement and manage other place to stay. The Host and airbnb later on claimed that its rule of Italian police, I paid lawyer and no its not a Italian police rule, she is responsible to provide all the mentioned details above into the "online system" so she should bring laptop and fill all the forms from our IDs online (as during checkin in hotel). Taking Full photo scan is prohibited and agains the law if that person is not copmliant to do that (she is not a bank etc), of course she was not.

 

During all the support cases i opened/phone calls - Airbnb was trying to force me to accept and claiming that all what happened was my fault and they literally cant do anything about it as its already too late even they didnt try to solve anything during my stay, even I reported it maybe 6 times (separate support chats during my stay)

 

2) We checked in on Thursday and I contacted airbnb support on Friday about whole situation. Noone replyed, on Sunday evening i got a call from unknow number, someone who was not able to speak proper english introduced as a airbnb employer from customer support, i told her to call me next day in the morning because i had dinner etc. That call on next day never happened. I was constantly sending messages to airbnb support regadring whole situation but there was no response at all.

 

3) We checked out on Monday reached home late evening. On Tuesday I sent again messages to customer support why noone is replying or calling back regarding whole situation. I got a call from someone from india (i think same person) not able to properly speak english and she was constantly repeating that she cant help / cant escalate issue and she is sorry about that and thank you for a feedback.

 

4) I called US? number and described the situation, they said you have already checked out there is nothing we can do about it, its too late.

 

5) In paralllel I opened another chats - to support why they are not able to investigate whole situation, that we had to go to police block all ID;s reissue new ones etc... and all what Airbnb support people said its already too late to solve anything, we are sorry, thank you for your feedback. So even all these financial damage / time lost I had to reissue all IDs etc... they forced me again to agree that it was my fault and its too late to do anything about it.

 

6) another guy from the support said Ok i might give you 50e cupone as an copmpensation, I said thats all what you can do? Only to reissue of IDs costed more... So he immediately said Ok i canceled cupone - bye.

 

7) The chat with Indial employer was still active but she was not responding at all, even I messaged her multiple times to make another call / or to escalate issue if she is not able to proceed with it ... no call/ no reply - maybe 4-6 days passed and I was really out of any energy as all my queries was simply ignored by airbnb customer service so I wrote "something as you are idiots". Woala they Won, ignoring customer, unwilling to provide any help just closing support chats, with the conclusion - its all your fault.

 

I also messaged host and all what I received was: I dont understand. So Italian who provided all the check in instructions, fluently speaking english wrote one sentense: I do not understand, bye.

 

😎 after 6 days? I received email that because of sentense "you are idiots... " and rule www.airbnb.com/help/article/483 they Deactivated my account.

 

9) basically 6 days of customer ignorance, and they luckily pick up one sentence and deactivated acount as noone has infinite nerves therefore i used these rude words.... which i already emailed them i am sorry about that.

 

My question would be, I had 20 booking so why such a behavior never happened before? If they try to create an idiot from their customer what else they can expect? Each Action has its reaction. The most unproffesional customer treatmet I have ever seen. All that sabotage - no replies, delayed replies, its your fault, we cant do antyrhing about it beause you already checked out even the issue was reported few hours after check in ... all these seems to me like a  pure scorn and then at the end you poor customer used rude words so you should no more abuse our portal and we will ban you forever.

 

Wonderful end of the story.

 

 

 

 

Ana1136
Level 10
Ohrid, Macedonia (FYROM)

@John2678 in Europe we must report a temporary place of stay for each guest to the police and we keep books ( we must by law) with all the info from the guests. If we don't do this the fines are enormous. Do you think we like explaining to every guest why we do it, buy paperwork, fill it out (takes a lot of time) and wait in line in the police station? Than fill out online tax forms and waiting in the bank because we pay taxes monthly.. No we don't but it is the law and we must abide. What difference does it make if you scan the id or the host fills all the info at that moment. We still have all the info no matter what. If that is so much trouble for you you should search what Europian countries have these laws and avoid visiting them. That said, I don't know why Airbnb deleted your account because of this, were you continously contacting the host after you left? 

I don't think you have to wait in line at police station. This might be done online, once done online she doesn't record these data in case she has keyboard logger which is illegal.

 

In that case you hosts and airbnb are violating law as you hosts are not compliant to handle such personal information. I have no issue to provide these details to official hotel but not someone who can sell all these copies to black market immediately after check in. 

 

The airbnb deactivate my account for that I used Rude words. If the support was provided profesionally such a behavior will never happen from my side. I had 20 stays and Zero negative feedback. 

This is not true, if so please provide link to the law. I am EU citizen and I had more then 15 bookings in EU. Never provided ID for a scan. 

Helen3
Level 10
Bristol, United Kingdom

I am sorry you had a difficult experience @John2678 but from what you have said, much is this is down to you not realising you were visiting a country which requiress hosts (by law) to check and collect copies of  their guests ID.

 

It is perfectly possible to do this and remain GDPR compliant. There are similar laws in many other EU countries who all are required to collect ID.

 

So it appears that you  were mistaken and had no basis to complain to Airbnb as the host wasn't doing anything wrong.

 

It sounds like you then got  very frustrated because Airbnb wouldn't do what you wanted i.e. to investigate something that didn't investigating (the host was simply following the law) and that you then insulted one of their customer service staff (would that include a reference to their nationality and or insults/sweating?) and Airbnb as a result cancelled your account?

 

And I can imagine that where @Ana1136 comes from you may well have to wait in line.

As I reported that airbnb told me they are not allowed to do that as my ID is stored in airbnb platform. After few days they said its because of country law. I am saying it can be done online so no hardcopies are required are they? Could you provide ref. To that Italian law where they said its required  And if so then airbnb should manage that host is GDPR compliant - the host was not and as I said might sell it afterwards after check in on black market or someone might steal it on his way back home.

 

Yes, I got frustrated and if airbnb customer service has at least some profesionalism they could wrote /explain all of these instead they first claim that host was not allowed to


@Helen3 wrote:

I am sorry you had a difficult experience @John2678 but from what you have said, much is this is down to you not realising you were visiting a country which requiress hosts (by law) to check and collect copies of  their guests ID.

 

It is perfectly possible to do this and remain GDPR compliant. There are similar laws in many other EU countries who all are required to collect ID.

 

So it appears that you  were mistaken and had no basis to complain to Airbnb as the host wasn't doing anything wrong.

 

It sounds like you then got  very frustrated because Airbnb wouldn't do what you wanted i.e. to investigate something that didn't investigating (the host was simply following the law) and that you then insulted one of their customer service staff (would that include a reference to their nationality and or insults/sweating?) and Airbnb as a result cancelled your account?

 

And I can imagine that where @Ana1136 comes from you may well have to wait in line.



do that, then they changed their stories that's by law, then again its my fault even its by law I should not provide it etc.   Its like on some weekend market....and yes insulted so what? Is airbnb US Court or God? I said I  Am sorry about that so they can do whatever they want to with customers? They cancelled my account and all my Pii data is also there which is also illegal. Because of their inproffesialialism the customer has carry on all the consensequences even I emailed them multiple times that I am sorry about that?

Ana1136
Level 10
Ohrid, Macedonia (FYROM)

@John2678 oh and hotels can't sell your info? Yes they can! And yes we do have to wait in line in a hot narrow hall with many others hosts. Don't offend anyone you are expecting help from, that is probably why they canceled your account. 

@Ana1136oh my goddess,, you must be really smart girl, hotels can? But you can start a lawsuit against the hotel which is compliant with handling such information. And you Ana is surely not you are just random person and sorry I don't provide scans of my IDs random people that I meet on the street every day.

 

It's your fault that you don't have or use Internet in your country, as I said it can be done online in Italy.  And if you have to wait somewhere in the line then its your issue  not mine  you are getting money from renting houses noone is forcing you to do that  so if you have issue with waiting in line ls then stop to adv on airbnb and find other job. 

 

I don't offend anybody if conversation has its standard and I am not 15y old kid who can anyone treats as he/she  wants to based on the weather. I paid for the service so I am expecting some prodfesionalis on the other side not a student who has no idea what is ID, gdrp, law etc. 

Ana1136
Level 10
Ohrid, Macedonia (FYROM)

@John2678 yes I am, thank you for the observation. We don't use the internet here, I am sending this as a letter to Airbnb to post it here. How is it my fauls that the police does not provide that type of service. And I am standing in line as a favour to my guests so that they don't loose hours at the police station. By rule they have to go personaly but since this is a tourist place the authorities make an exception. You can start a lawsuit for "random people" as you call us too if that is the problem. I understand you, I also don't accept random people in my home that don't abide by the law. Maybe if this is how you feel about homeowners you should stay in hotels. 

@Ana1136 @@ I opened this discusioun regarding to the account deactivation and airbnb customer service unprofessionalism, and not to  lament how you host have to wait in queues. It happened in country where such a service exists so please don't mix here you country where it s not working like that. I personally don't book such a room where I have to go to police etc. S

 

And you also don't fly by company where pilot has not a proper training so please stop that unconstructive discussion. 

 

If you have anything to say to that topic then you are wellcome.

 

I was trying to sum up how unproffesionaly airbnb support team acted in that case and what was a result of it. 

Helen3
Level 10
Bristol, United Kingdom

@Ana1136  you have been more than helpful to @John2678  who has continued unfortunately with his rude tone and remarks. Please don't feel the need to respond further.