HELP - My Superhost account is temporarily suspended

Nikoleta12
Level 2
Sofia, Bulgaria

HELP - My Superhost account is temporarily suspended

Dear community exerts, 

 

I need your urgent help and advice please! I've been hosting as a full time job for a few years already, my rating is almost 4.9 with ~500 positive reviews! Last month I had a last minute reservation from a guest (also a host) from Israel, he asked for an early check-in and my co-host was able to prepare the room on time and accommodate the request without any issues! Since we manage a large hostel, we also have a reception and common areas like kitchen and so on. We always play music at the reception on low volume (expect the quiet hours of course - 22:00 - 8:00) to create a better ambience and atmosphere for all the guests. This has never been an issue until now and I really need your help and advice on what to do with the following situation! The said guest was able to check-in very smoothly, however he was quite stressed and nervous on arrival and my co-host even made him a free cup of tea to make him feel more comfortable! When my co-host was cleaning the rooms (around 16:00), he got a message request from the same guest if it's possible for the guest to go behind the reception and turn off the music. My co-host immediately replied he will go back to the reception himself and lower the music more and that's what he did in 2 minutes after the message request. He found the common areas mysteriously closed (kitchen and reception) without any notice or something. After he did what the guest asked for and after opening the areas again (for all the current and upcoming guests), he continued with the cleaning of the remaining rooms and went to the toilet for a few minutes. When he decided to go back to the reception he found again the same areas closed (music was already on super low volume and you can hardly hear it even when right next to the speakers)! He then decided to knock on the door of the guest and ask politely what's going on and why the guest is continuously closing the areas without any notice or permission. When the guest opened the door, he acted very arrogant, saying he is closing the areas as there are no people there and they should be closed in such cases! My co-host got shocked by the answer and explained politely that the guest has no right to do this and he does not work at the reception or own the property. After this answer the guest lost his nerves (to me for unknown reason) and started shouting, yelling and insulting my co-host with the F*** you word many many times! He doesn't want to calm down and keeps threatening my co-host he is now checking out immediately, canceling his reservation and he will contact AirBnB for a full refund and will leave a very bad review and 1 star! My co-host, still in shock, stepped back to the reception until the guest calmed down or left the property, however the guest was still following him with the same aggressive behavior, yelling, shouting and insulting with the same F*** you word! My co-host was afraid he might get attacked physically as obviously the guest was out of his mind, so he decided to wait passively until the guest calm down or leave the property.He heard loud noises and bangging from the room and in few minutes, when everything was quiet he went to check the room and found out that the guest already checked out. He found blood on the floor and a broken mirror (my co-host made also pictures)! Right after he called AirBnB to report the situation in detail and also called the police in case the guest comes back! The AirBnB agent was initially very supportive and assured he will help the co-host immediately. However after the phone call there was only a quick message from AirBnB that the case will be forwarded to another department (Trust and Safety I believe). Few days later I got an email from the AirBnB Trust and Safety department that my account is currently suspended and they want to talk to me. The next day I explained everything in detail again and I was told my account will remain suspended till the investigation is completed. When I submitted a claim for the broken mirror, I got a very weird message from the guest, declining the request and saying he was threatened and kicked out by my co-host!?! The guest reported the same fake story to AirBnB and now my account is still suspended for about 10 days already! On top of that, there was another guest in one of the rooms, witnessing and listening to the situation but I don't think AirBnB is trying to get an objective view and listen to me and my co-host about the real story now! 

 

Could you please help and advise as it seems the guest is now fakely claiming he was a victim, he was threatened and kicked out by the receptionist which is a complete lie! AirBnB is not answering my mails and all my reservations are currently blocked and my listings are not visible on the platform! This is my main source of income and I can't believe after such an aggressive and abusive behavior, the guest is now trying to fake the story and get my account removed! 

 

Please please please, any advice and help will be really appreciated! As you all know, during the COVID times we all have lots of struggle to keep the business running and without any reservations and income, I can't keep the place for too long :(...

11 Replies 11
Emiel1
Level 10
Leeuwarden, The Netherlands

@Nikoleta12 

Sorry to hear about your bad experience with a guest, resulting in (temporary ? ) suspending of your listings. Although i see now your listings are still in the search system, you are mentioned in it as the co-host,  and to me it seems the rooms still can be booked. (?)

https://www.airbnb.com/s/homes?host_id=148478870&map_toggle=true

Thanks for your reply! The rooms you see are my co-host rooms, not mine, they are all suspended due to the fake story reported to AirBnB. Is there a way to contact a manager from the Trust and Safety department or anytning else I can do to get this solved quickly?

Emiel1
Level 10
Leeuwarden, The Netherlands

@Nikoleta12 

 

So the Trust en Safety team still does trust you as a co-host of other listings,  but not as a host yourself....

 

The ways you can contact Airbnb are listed here:

Contact Airbnb - Community Guide [Updated]

 

But I fear you will need to wait until their investigation is finished.

 

 

I know all the normal contact channels so I was asking for another solution of the problem...

Nikoleta12
Level 2
Sofia, Bulgaria

May someone else help and advise here please?

Cameren1
Level 2
Oakridge, OR

Nikoleta,

I am not certain what you should do, however, have you thought of networking your facebook link with local business? 

Nikoleta12
Level 2
Sofia, Bulgaria

This has nothing to do with my suspended acocunt due to a fake guest complain...

Marit-Anne0
Level 10
Bergen, Norway

@Nikoleta12 you are at the mercy of airbnb here, your account will be suspended until the case investigation has finished. Hopefully, the investigation will be in your favour and your account opened again shortly.

Nikoleta12
Level 2
Sofia, Bulgaria

Thank you! I hope it will be a fair decision in my favour...

Kimberly178
Level 3
Oklahoma, United States

Airnb is a bad business decision, they allow hosts to abuse the system and then they too abuse you too for it, a double jeopardy.   From Superhost most of six years to suspend due to terrible guest during these corona times.  Taking your income with no warning or contact -nor contact by a supervisor no matter how many times you request and are promised one is plain wrong- add thievery.  And an enemy to hosts and your business.  Given n to chance to know why, no chance to have a say, no change to remedy,  if anything was true at all,  just wiped out.   

 

They also have new workers who give wrong information and a whole lost of bad decisions are being made.  Like so many workers around the nation who took the unemployment from the gov't to not go to work, they have new inexperienced and incompetent workers and chaos with all- probably short-handed.

 

They set up hosts by not interpreting "for lies" via the inbox conversations where guests clearly say each time lately how their "plans have changed" and want a refund.  They allow them to make it about the house loophole to get your money.   "it can be something minor" about the house, "minor"  and "some people are just pickier than others"  is their excuse of stealing your income.  Never mind, the true reason in the inbox plain as day. 

 

This has happened several times; either wanting to leave early due to "their plans changed" or "the other people were suppose to come didn't come" and want a refund.   And Airbnb allows never stayed write a bad review.  And if they did not get what they wanted, a partial refund for leaving early, to write a bad retaliatory review.   

 

Then,  double jeopardy; complaints over past few months during this bad corona times and the bad guests; ad they do not actually vet them, that is for insta book hosts only. I had people with fake IDs, drug addicts with all kinds of wild behaviors, and young people using other relatives ID.  Then, Airbnb jumps in and suspends the host for it on top. Like a gang mentality.  Block your calendar and then suspend.  And steal your income from you and reward these deceotfi; people with your earned money.  And Airbnb do not take proof, because no one ever contacts you back. Nor "infer from the inbox" the conversations that prove what happened.  Other travel company sites advise there is a lot of changing reservations and cancellations at this time.  

 

There No possible way to use Airbnb It is not a sound business practice. They have way too much control of a property they have never seen, never will, who do not know you, have no relationship with you- nor ever seen or know the so-called "guests".  And cities all around the country are banning short term rentals  completely solely due to Airbnb- not other long term established companies.  I hired them for advertising, they have abused it all.   I fired them.  

Lyn5995
Level 1
Mississauga, Canada

My account is being suspended for same false claim . Airbnb business investigation team is a joke . Their help line is really doing nothing . I have to wait for their person responsible for my case to wake up .