Escalating a truly unacceptable experience as a Guest.

[Jimmie8]

Thanks to outstanding and top-notch resolution skills, as well as what must have been the best possible support team for Kaye in your support center, this past weekend I was shown first hand that Air BnB standards of excellence are in fact up what I had hoped .  Your support agent worked tirelessly, with confidence and indisputable dedication to the "customer" to resolve an issue that occurred on a reservation dated 25th - 29th.  It was because of Kaye's amazing support that I feel very strongly in reporting to you ad your management team the unacceptable and still in my mind UNRESOLVED issue on the reservation dated Feb 18th and 19th.  I am very happy to know that you can refer to the dialogues between myself and Scott the host (to an extent), as well as the resolution agent and myself.   Please review the capture messaging and my following additional information below.  Once completed my hope is that someone will have a manager contact me to #1 acknowledge how badly this situation was handled, #2 properly assess, recognize and take action on how to properly make me and partner whole for this really bad it was handled issue #3 Ensure that reimbursement for additional expenses incurred to due this issue that were never offered to be reimbursed that I know should have been based on my experience with Kaye and her support team.

Host's unsettling request:

1. After successfully booking Scott’s listing in Rino I took and Lyft to the property and my partner took light rail from his family’s place downtown to meet me at the Scott’s property.  On the way to the property, I receive a panicked text from Scott 7:52 pm stating is apologies that his property was not available and I should never have been able to book it. 
2. Scott then earnestly requested that I cancel my reservation and that he would make sure to reimburse 100% of my cost.  I had no idea why he was asking me to cancel the reservation since he was not making it available and I had nothing to do with it being suddenly unavailable?  So I asked and he responded that it would be ideal if I initiated the cancellation? 
3. Luckily, I went online and referred to your help take which clearly stated that if a host cancels that I should not cancel for them, that the host should facilitate the cancel so that I’d have the option to find a new place.  I then sent Scott a copy of the reference, and tried to call him.  He stated via text that he could not take calls at this time.  So, I respond via text and asked that he following Air Bnb policy and cancel the reservation. 
4. At 8:12 pm he responds stating “Working on it”.  Then at 8:21pm he replies saying, “I am sorry, they just have me on hold?”  At 8:35pm Scott replies stating “The reservation has been cancelled and refund issued.  I asked them to call you but they said have to call them”

Not so great support from Air Bnb Support:

In addition to being asked to complete a cancel on his behalf which was outside Air BnB policy, I then began my very exhausting, journey with a member of your support team.  And, to this very moment, I do not feel Airbnb has made me and by partner whole for this experience.  We did not enter the alternate property until after midnight.  And the loft was such a bad experience, I refused to rate the stay, the property or the behavior of the host because when I reviewed her guide book, and got to the property and saw all the nasty post it's all over her property, it was very evident how negative and overly controlling she was and therefore, felt terrified about giving her a bad review and the consequences that would follow?  Finally, I couldn't help but feel that  her ad on here is what I feel is a misleading listing description, I simply could not handle spending anymore time being aggressively attacked or experience any more issues.

The agent who assisted made some really bad calls, between her choices to address my issue, Scott’s choices and my actual experience that night once we secured an alternate location, and the host and actually property that we stayed at, my partner and I were:

1. Left feeling so exhausted and outraged
2. Really disappointed that we could not get the support agent to understand that we were not made whole?  That being forced to navigate bad directions and addressed like we knew and understood how your procedures worked to resolve issues, as well as the issues with the new host and her venue. – WE WERE NOT MADE WHOLE.
3. Unlike Kaye who helped us this past weekend, this rep never offered to reimburse us for unplanned expenses related to the bad situation.  Additional Uber and RTD transit rides, my partner standing and left waiting for your support team to address the situation, as well as the treatment by your rep on the 18th – all unacceptable. 
4. Again, unlike Kaye, that rep NEVER called the following day to ensure that all was resolved and was there anything else they could do?
5. So, thanks to your host Scott, your support rep and her support team, the actual experience of spending an unplanned almost 4 hours working with your rep, while my partner was left in limbo at Union Station, then incurring additional expenses that should never have been spent, and an eventual arrival at a listing that was significantly misrepresented on your site, to having us cringe at the property and the volumes of threats from CLAu, the host, we had the worst possible experience one could wish on an enemy!!  The next morning my partner made the following comment “I can’t believe I’m saying this but we would have been much better off to have just booked a hotel!!” This debacle of an experience would never have occurred.”  I completely agreed with him. 

FYI, at 3:19 pm,  I called your 415 Support Number to open case/issue report on what I have shared above.  I got Charlie on the phone who was pleasant.  I asked to speak to a manger, he came back and stated, I’m so sorry Jimmie, I was told they were busy and that will have to call me back in no later than 10-15 mins.  It is now an hour later and no-one has contacted me.   <Udate as of March 3rd at 10am MST:  Still no response from any AirBnb member, let alone a manager? >

In closing I will request that an appropriate level manager review all this information and get back to me with their findings.     Unfortunately, when I had the pleasure of Kaye’s support of the issue on the reservation dated 2/25-2/29, she set the bar very high for your company.  And made me realize I needed to escalate and be PROPERLY Made whole. 

I look forward to hearing back from SOMEONE?  I have documented all the texts messages and other facts I’ve reference in this message.

[Helen3]

Hello @Jimmie8 

You know you have posted on a forum for hosts and guests not monitored by Airbnb?

If you want to share your complaint with Airbnb you will need to do so, as you did in the case of your other booking.

Why not give them a call?

I do hope you left an honest review for the host that cancelled on you at the last minute. This is completely their fault and I am appalled there are hosts out there that a) don't bother to manage their listings such that they didn't know they couldn't host a guest until the evening of their arrival and b) lie to guests and say they should cancel to avoid penalties when they know all they need to do is hit the cancel button on your booking confirmation. The host didn't need to call Airbnb to do it.

[Mark116]

@Jimmie8  That sounds like an unfortunate experience, but perhaps 'being made whole' is a bit of an exaggeration, since we're talking about having to change your accommodation at the last minute and then not liking the 2nd place.