Escalate a complaint

[Kim376]

I want to know how to escalate a complaint,

I have a so called case manager- **, who is meant to be dealing with my complaint regarding a refund to my credit card, which is not happening.

Does anyone know where I can go from here are there any legal bodies I can approach, ombudsman, etc

[*Title and name edited]

[Amy38]

Kim, are you a guest or a host? Your post is not clear.  What actually transpired?

[Robin4]

@Kim376

Kim posts like yours concern me! My name is Rob, I am an Australian Airbnb superhost and proud to be a part of the Experts group.

All we want to do is help Kim....everyone who comes to our level of support has a problem, most are angry and simply want validation of something which cannot be validated.....they want us to bend the rules to suit their circumstance.

I can assure you every compaint, every claim is looked at thoroughly. None of us go out of our way to penalise a guest or a host!

We understand that every now and then something will fall through the cracks, and a case can always be reopened if that is appropriate. 

The pressure that a company agent is under, for every legitimate issue there will we eight that are not! They will be because a guest made a hasty decision and now wants a full refund for an indiscretion they made....a host cancelled a reservation because they forgot to block their calendar.....a host is claiming $7,000US for an outdoor setting a guest damaged with a cigarette butt, that cost them $450 in Paddy and Morgans trash and treasure sale! 

The company do their best to be fair, but you cannot begin to imagine the pressure they are under.

Kim if you feel you are being hard done by use this link....

https://www.airbnb.com.au/help/contact_us#/

If you 'Message Us' it will come to my group...and we will do our utmost to sort out your issue! If we can't we do have a 'hotline' to God!

Please don't be too hard on us Kim...we do try!

Cheers.....Rob

[Tessa48]

 Robin please help me contact you. I tried that link but don't see message us. I called airbnb and got told I would get a 50 percent refund if the guest did not want to follow water restrictions guidelines. the guest cancelled tgey confirmed my pay out on the phone then I got another message saying ggey won't pay me the 50 percent. but I followed their instruction and if they had been unaware of their own extenuating circumstances policy and had not informed me either why should tgey not uphold their own advice? the case manager Catherine refuses to call only email and no other case manager will deal with it. Please help  

[Myles10]

I'm dealing with a very similar situation and the caseworkers have been the most rude and frustrating service people I've ever come across. I had to cancel a long stay after 10 days as my grandmother was dying of cancer. 4 months on my refund has still not been made. I have been told conflicting information on every occasion and now the caseworkers manger is just being as rude, argumentative and is also refusing to provide details on how I escalate my complaint. Having worked in service industry management for over 10 years I can assure you that Airbnb support is one of the poorest out there with no skills on dealing with escalations. Non compassion specialists. 

[Rosetta5]

Same experience. I also work in the customer service industry and cannot beleive how rude the case manager was.

[Michael2477]

Same problem here. Thugs using our money, interest free.

[Mike-and-Bianca0]

A hotline to God?! This platform never ceases to amaze me.

[Mona858]

hi Rob, would you have an escalation for the US?

thank you

[Cairo3]

I have an open case with AirBnB - I don't know how many times I have visited that page, had phone calls etc. The case is with legal. I've heard nothing for weeks despite very specific requests to manage my expectations around timing and next steps. No one will answer my question on the possibility of a refund. The first level support people are hopeless and the mystery 'Emma' at legal and I are only permitted to correspond via email. Any suggestions? I am super frustrated by the experience.

[Bob1067]

I think they just talk you round and round with very poor grammar to the point that they hope you will just give up.  We had the same problem - host promised a full refund and Air BNB refused and then closed the case - corresponded for over 6 months and then gave up - now trying to book using the credit and they have taken more money, will never use them again thats for sure

[Sarah4456]

There should be someone who can assist locally that understands laws in Australia. Law is pretty black and white .. I have an issues that air bnb also caused due to a system error, which not only cost me my time away but I lost $250 as a result. Air bnb are not providing any information other than they have credited my account 

I want my money back so I can close my account. I think air bnb is a dodgy set up. The help desk is not helpful and not based on any law 

[Alexander26]

Kim I'm a super host also with 10 Airbnb's and I have to admit I cannot express how incompetent the customer service is at Airbnb.  We have had situations where guests are smoking marihuana in the listing and left the apartment smelling terrible and Airbnb wouldn't do anything about kicking the guest off the platform.  We have photo evidence of all the residue they left and Airbnb provided a refund of $200. 

But the guest was allowed to continue renting on Airbnb and also to even comment on their stay.  I'm sorry but this is just a complete slap in the face to us Super Hosts.  To not only allow people like this to continue renting on the platform but also to even comment on their stay.  We could have called the police and had them arrested.  The way in which Airbnb defends the guest at all costs to the Host is just utterly outrageous.    

[Margaret536]

Robin if the help link was useful do you think myself and all these poor people are at their wits end with the ridiculous answer that they need another 48hours. I am waiting simply for the guests payment to be released and I’m the manner they claimed it would be. 11 days and counting no payment received no update given unless I ring even though I have a case manager. 48 hours 48 hours 48 hours. If I could physically go to their Office I would stayed there until they released my money not their’s. Your comment was not helpful. I wouldn’t get involved if I was you when of course you do know nothing about the claimants circumstances. God won’t help either. That’s bloody ridiculous thing to say to a person owed $1100 for doing their job. Nothing more. 

[Rosemary141]

My husband and I have encountered a similar situation regarding our leaving an airbnb, as it was advertised as a "waterfront cottage", it was neither waterfront nor a cottage, but a 100 foot drop to the dock below - try walking down 10 flights of stairs and then back up again, if you forgot your sunscreen.  Treacherous when wet (we walked down after it rained), very steep and slippery.  Extremely tough climb back up.  Seniors beware!!  None of this is mentioned in the host's ad - it says "many steps".  LOL!  Yes, about 1,000... We have had no luck with a refund and we are looking to esclalate this - please advise if you know how to do this if you know.