Airbnb Customer Support

[Izman0]

I am a professional in the travel industry.

Recently, I recommended her Airbnb for accomodation and had sent a referral link to a friend when she seek my advise on online booking for her family trip.

The next day, she called me and said I was a liar and a cheater accussing me of benefitting from her bookings yet she did not received the 45$ OFF for first user. I was quite shocked by the allegations. When I tried to probe further what happenned, she refused to talk about it and told me off that I had cheated her and benefitted from her purchase. She no longer answer my calls or messages now. It is very bad as my professional reputation is at stake.

I wrote in and after 3 days of non-reply via the Airbnb messaging app, I contacted Airbnb support (Anjali /Jotika or Jolene). The support staff was unhelpful and detached about my issues. They shrugged it off saying they can't do anything about it. I was like ...Duh????? I experienced a Bad unpleasant issues that broken my friendship as a result of Airbnb Referral program... and now they are telling me there's nothing they can do. Airbnb refused to take  responsibility on this matter. 

Hence, I am very very disappointed. 

[Ryan455]

Hey there Izman,

I would love to provided my personal insite on the situation at hand. First off, I am so sorry to hear about the problems that you are working through. If I remember correctly, the booking has to be over $75 USD to qualify for the $45 off. Id like to hear more, and maybe I can help further. Did you receive your host credit already? 

Best Wishes,

Ryan

[Izman0]

Hey Ryan,

I have no idea how much she paid for her bookings and also no idea about the amount she need to spend in order to qualify for the $45 OFF. If there is such a clause, then Airbnb is doing a good job of misleading its users into sending out referrals such as in this incident. As a result, the end users ended up argueing and quarrelling. Why not state the qualification you state usd75  minimum together with the offer? As a user, we know upfront that a qualification of usd75 minimum purchase or whatever. 

My issue is the allegations thrown at me 1. Liar 2. Cheater 3. Loss of friendship . All I requested from AIRBNB support was for them to contact my friend and explain whatever the issues were. And also enlighten her that I did not get any benefit from her booking/purchase which is the truth. Is that too much to ask? It is after 3 days that I didn't received a reply from Airbnb, I call them directly over the phone that they search for my feedback and responded just like a machine not using their brain and heart and missed the bigger issues of my concerns which is to stop her from repeating her negative experience after being lied by me and the so-called gains that i gets to her friends and relatives which would damaged reputation I have work to bulid and uphold all these years.

In the last 07 years, I was in 02 start-ups specialising in travel technology. In totalled, I had rolled out almost 100 reservations/ booking systems online. And I came across requests from quite a number of clients requesting additional steps/ features to be integrated like the one Airbnb  is doing. I will advise them all to think again of its implications if they have long-term plans for the company. If short-term, yes they make the money which is not illegal but A Grey area that can be exploited, and presently exploited by many. 

At the end of the day, if we put our hands to our heart and ask ourselves, our very own conscience will give us the true answer to such practice. What I am undergoing now is the implication of such a practice. I gain nothing but pains now. And where will this pain and negativity be directed to? Who is the victim of such business practice?

Thank you for your help and listening ears Ryan. 

Warmly,

Izman

[Izman0]

ummm... I don't get it. Nothing is being resolved yet. How come my feedback had been resolved? By who? How was it resolved? I was not even informed of follow up actions. It's getting weirder and weirder. Please don't cause more upsets for me Airbnb. I am a technologist too.

[Izman0]

What happened to my earlier reply?

[Izman0]

Why it suddenly disappear?

[Izman0]

Why is my counter arguement being blinded?

[Izman0]

Hey Ryan,

You can't handle a bit of truth? This is no ways to resolved my issue dude. You replied and I responded to you yet now my response is blinded. So much for the credibility of this so called AirBnB Community. No hard feelings and nothing personal here. But it was AirBnB referral feature that is getting personal with me. I am just trying to get your help to clear this misconception.

[Izman0]

Please let me know what happenned to my first reply?

Anyone care to advise?

[Izman0]

[Izman0]

[Izman0]

At least you guys took up my suggestions about the misleading thingy and corrected it. Thank you. That was fast. Good work. Now I am back to where I am ... to fix and clean the mess AirBnB Referral feature had created.

[Izman0]

See the first screen shot? How misleading it was? It gave people the assumptions that the discount was meant for new users going for their first trip. 

Just compared with the new version in its place.

[Izman0]

By changing this is AirBnB acceptance that it has err. But by now would have substantially benefited for this stunt. I had been a victim of this stunt have to beg and beg repeatedly .. still no help forthcoming. Have it your way then.

[Izman0]