I didn’t really expect to get a reply and there are many more recent threads on exactly the same issue I could have commented on (ie the completely blatant dishonesty of Airbnb using the carrot of payments to current hosts to recruit new hosts that they have clearly no intention of paying out on. You only need to put ‘referral scam’ into the search box in the community chat to see how many people have fallen prey to this scam.
I could bore you with all the details of my ongoing grievance but it would be lengthy. Incidentally the referral bonus is no longer my motivation in exposing this - I feel the friendly, easy going, collaborative image that Airbnb presents is in stark contrast to the hard nosed, disingenuous and frankly contemptuous business practices with which they seem to treat the community through which they have built a multi billion business.
I would have liked to believe that their failure to pay out a bonus in my case was a one off but clearly the evidence to the contrary is there for all to see in the chat room.
@Jenny if you are genuinely interested in taking this further then contact me. I feel it is an interesting story - another angle on Airbnb which would of interest to a wider public.