URGENT ISSUE WITH AIRBNB SAFETY CENTER - AMBASSADOR MERGING TICKETS AND CONFUSED - SU

[Jill914]

I have been a host for 2.5 years and hosted 50 reservations. This is clearly a sensitive and dangerous legal issue in the Safety department spanning multiple reservations.

Airbnb employs an Ambassadors  to resolve  sensitive legal issues, namely privacy violations.

I guest complain about I entered his unit  and quicly provided written permisson to enter the unit and the investigatin was close 

I came across and ambassador IVO  is not properly  trained and mixing up tickets from multiple  unit.    He does not understand the investigation process and communicating with hosts and guests acording to his own rules, of the process in bizarre manner.

This is dangerous  and I keep getting form responses that tell  me Airbnb will nor revisit an investigation -- but I am NOT disputing he investigation.  I am reporting and Ambassador that is a threat to the community and requires supervison

He accidentally merged two investigation tickets, one for mine and another guesit cam involving security cameras  He also created multiple tickets

.  My ticket was cleared quickly – just a guest trying to circumvent  the refund policy  claiming  someone entered his unit. I  quicky provideda response with written permission to enter the unit to change a bulb, and proof  that a delivery had been made to a common area. 

While communicating with Airbnb,  On Sept 3 Ivo accidentally merged a complaint about another host having security cameras with my complaint  and began asking me about this issue  with other host is (See attached file – support notes)  This ticket is still merged 

I have provided the notes on my portal and the attachments sent to airbnb  becasue it is serius 

IVO  stated in his email to me confirmed he had been confused and merged the my ticket with other hosts, and then did not know how to close out any tickets on the system so he is leaving them open and put in his own process.

The following occurred:

• August 29, 30, 31 – Sept 2 - aguest (20 years old, with no prior reviews) checked in

• Sept 2 – guest and  got fired from his job or the his client cancelled the work and he wanted a refund

• Guest  said he would contact Airbnb for extenuating circumstances abd   wanted a refund and to transfer the reservation to another guest.

• I offered him  a generous refund.  He wanted a 100% refund

• On Sept 2 -3  To get a full refund, the guest    filed a Complaint of a  security violation stating I entered his unit.  I cooperated with the Airbnb 72- hour investigation provided copies of   written permission to enter  change a light bulb and written permission, (attached)

•   The investigation was to be closed in 72 hours.  My accoint  was never suspended.   I received notification investigation was closed.  Airbnb,did NOT  cancel the guest reservation and was required to uphold my policy

• On Sept 13 –  the guest emailed lVO outside of the process  in an investigation that was supposed to be closed,  I promptly sent pictures showing the delivery of bedding was made to a common  shared hallway.   

• I received  duplicate emails from Airbnb the investigation was closed and thanking me for cooperating on the Sep  4, 8 12 and 17. My listings were never suspended

• If there had been a violation recorded, the reservation would show “cancelled by AirBnb” within 72 hours.

• Because I had not committed a violation, cooperated with the investigation and no security violation had been found.  Airbnb was required honor my cancellation policy and required the guest to cancel.

• On Sept 8, outside of the process, IVO emailed me to confirm the guest was in the unit on the 8th. This was irrelevant , since it was up to the guest to cancel and request a refund from me . 

• I cooperated in having someone go to the unit and knock.I wrote to Airbnb  guest appeared to  the unit unit until the 8th and did not return keys – the television was on,  , laundry was in dryer in the common area

• I could not enter the unit absent an emergency. I am not permitted to cancel as a host .  IVO’s involvement should have ended on September 5. Investigations are supposed to be completed in 72 hours .  The new complaint about the delivery was not raised until the 13th

• On the Sept. 17, I received notification the “guest cancelled” and I could rebook my unit.  This was properly documented as a cancellation by the guest subject to my policy

There is a difference between a cancellation by Airbnb 72 hours after an investigaton and a guest cancellation 20 days into the reservation when I was not allowed to enter my property

However without any communication with me or anyone at Airbnb, IVO called the Eesolutions department and told them to issue a full refund after 20 days and provided the reason the guest “never stayed in the unit.”

IVO objectively knew this was not true based on email exchanges between the guest and me on from Aug 29 to the 3rd and IVO either committed fraud or was not competent.

Airbnb supervisors in other the Resolutions Department  readily saw the erro and wrote to IvO the Safety Team to “take the loss” on behalf of Airbnb.  One  Resolutions  Ambassador comment IVO did not follow policy and was biased toward a male guest and kept communicating with the guest and for weeks after the investigation was over,

, without me involved, coaxing him to provide  for additional   false information after the reporting deadline .   ( I cannot see these communications—the Resolutions team told me about them)

The Resolutions team could not address the issue because the Safety Team had the ticket and had to “take a loss.”

I requested IVOs supervisor and IVO refused to contact his supervisoand had another ambassador call me and pretend to be a supervisor.  The  Resolutions Department escalated it.

Today I received a  auto-reply  message saying I cannot dispute the results of an investigation

I explained I am not disputing the results of an investigation resolved in my favor, but rather the call by IVO to issue a full refund on a “guest cancellation” 20 days into the reservation.

I have no idea what tickets the supervisor is looking at .

]

I have lost a month a revenue.  My unit is damaged.  The shower head was ripped off the wall. r A television remote appears to have been against a wall.  I did not get keys back and had to have the locks changed.   I have $611 in damage receipts,  but cannot file a claimt because an Ambassador at Airbnb falsified records and said the guest was never there. St

It is undisputed that the gusst was in the unit Aug 29, 30,21, 1 and 3 by his own texts – long after the 72 hour reporting period    I have hosted 60 reservatins. I have two identical units and a third unit occupied.

It is also important to note that  the refund IVO issued was for more than the payout, after I lost access to my locked unit from August 29 to September 17 until the guest finally cancelled so we could enter the unit

I have hosted more than 50 reservations without incident   I will not be paid for the next month because you are now withholding those payments

I do not want to host for Airbnb until I know there is a functioning Safety Team, and I imagine guests would not want to stay without an audit of IVO’s tickets to see if the merged tickets were investigated.

[Helen3 · Accepted solution]

@Stephanie  could you help @Jill914  with this issue please?

[Jill914]

Thanks

I am filing  a Demand for Arbitration after four days on the phone so this has to be addressed. 

This Ambassador will do a lot of harm in the meantime if Airbnb does not get them to follow policy

[Jill914]

NOTEL  I am NOT asking to revisit an investigation .  The investigation was resolved in my favor 

This should have closed been done Sept 6 as i was told it was,

20 days later your Ambassador called the Resolution Department and issued a full refund   on the basis the guest did not check in -- he enored a week communication between the guest an and me-- a

I am attaching the arbitration demand and communications showing the Ambassador LITERALLY   mixed up/merged two investigations, never closed  documented how they were resolved .  The Ambassadr= made a  random improper call to Resolutions 20 days  later for a full refund 

I have three identical units and could not book one for 20 days until the guest cancelled.  It is trashed . 

Doesn't Airbnb audit these critical tickets ???  What about real security issues?

**[Private conversation removed in line with the Community Center Guidelines]

[Jill914]

Thank 

[Jenny]

Hi @Jill914 

I'm so sorry to hear about what's happened.

I have raised your concerns including all the detail you've provided, and someone should be in touch with you about what you've reported here.

Thank you for letting us know.

Jenny

[Jill914]

Jenny

No one called me back 

Airbnb took control my property for 20 days, punished me for a violation Airbnb acknowledged I did not commit  after I  cooperated  immediately with and   , refunded $3500 and  and  will not call me. 

I am single parent with three kids in college, working full time and hosting  three other guests 

 Airbnb is not above the law and cannot cover up an ambassador's mistake and problems in their communication system.  Is this to save revenue?   They must abide by their advertised policy, communicate and correct errors. 

I lost out  my payout i need  for my child's tuition and put it on a credit card at 29% interest.

After I did  not get a call back, I decided to  intiate  an arbitration under the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act 

Airbnb needs to be accountable for ths  for a call back on  acknowledged  accounting error.

I  had to give Airbnb  thirty days notice before I could begin file the Arbitration, but it is underway, I

I am going to post everything publicly  as the cas eand look for other people that had erroneous refunds paid to guests in violation of Airbnb policy as well as some other cruel issue.   

Aibnb is not permitted to take my property , make me follow extensive rules abut response times withhold and refuseall  phone contact after acknowledgin a $3500 error 

ch 

 I stupidly invested in hosting four units and put my property at risk and truste airbnb 

 Under the Consumer Protection Act in every state, hosts  entitled to three to five times the amount  owed when a large, business misrepresents its advertised policies .

It is not not level playing field.

 A week ago I was airbnb's fan.

Now they alienated a good host , and protected a bad ambassador and paid my earning to dishonest guest without a profile 

Mostly I am upset that i bought into the "community " thing like an idiot and my trust is violated and I have to sue and stop hosting  because it is too much risk.

I really 

[Jill914]

MANDATORY PRE-ARBITRATION DISPUTE NOTIFICATION
.
Date: 09/21/22
TO:Airbnb, Inc.
C/O **[Content removed in line with the Community Center Guidelines]

FACTS
I am filing this arbitration because an untrained   Airbnb Ambassador has violated its policies and it accidentally merged  tickets for multiple hosts, errors and hid the error,.   I am sure his supervisors would provide additional training  so he does not confuse and accidentally merge e ticket!

My guest  got fired and wanted a refund. I agreed to negotiate after  his complaint was cleared on day 5, and I got confirmation my policy would apply

But the T&S Ambassador mixed up tickets and totally violated Airbnb policy, and needs trainng 

The T&S Ambassadaor  called Resolutions and  statedI i agreed to a refund, including the first week before the guest t left .  Noone from Airbnb will call me back.   Obviously I did not agree to a refund .

Resolutions did not call me 

This  a MONTH OF REVENUE 

Other Departments  at Airbnb keep trying to hlep keep calling Trust & Safety after verifying my documentation, but they will not resond 

FACTS

A guest checked in on August 27 2022 and cancelled September 17, 2022 employee erroneously refunded a guest in the a approximate amount of $3, 420 days twenty days after he checked- in
There is of considerable correspondence he was in the unit,
On September 2m The guest got fired from his job and wanted a full refund. To avoid the cancellation policy, he filed a privacy violation claiming I entered his unit .
I had provided Airbnb permission to enter to change a light bulb. On the 4th other Items delivered to the guest were left in a common hallway and I provided a photo of this as well
After 72 hours I was cleared and received an email from airbnb thanking me for cooperation

My policy was to be upheld; Airbnb did not cancel the reservation
The guest cancelled the reservation September 17, 2022, consistent with Airbnb Policy but  then  the airbnb misprresenteed I agreed to a refund.
For no apparent purpose , IVO, the Airbnb Ambassador called the Resolution Department, issued 17 days the guest a full refund on the basis “the guest never stayed on the property.”
Obviously this is not true from communications between me and the guest.
The Ambassador made and errror and violated Airbnb policy
IVO has refused to escalated this to a supervisor for 4 days, even had another ambassador call posing as a supervisor.
There was $611 of extra cleaning and repair damage to the unit. As of 9/22 I cannot get it back on the market, and I cannot file a claim because the fraudulent record shows the guest never stayed there,
FRAUD
IVO has committed fraud to conceal the error. He was required to correct the error by sumitting the matter to the supervisor, but instead sent emails and had another ambassador call me to say I did not have a strict cancellation policy and did not send the matter to a supervisor as of 9/21
I am offering the following evidence:
• Airbnb investigated his complaint and notified me within 72 hours that I had not committed any violation accordingly, my strict and long term cancellation policy applied
• In error , IVO accidentally merged my ticket with another host ticket involving cameras, and opened three tickets on the same matter
• IVO does not understand the guest cancellation policy . If an investigation is resolved t, he should not have communicated further and the Host cancellaion policy appleis the applie
• Second, IVO did not understand the guest had the obligation to cancel. The matter was treated as a guest cancellation rather than an Airbnb cancellation
Third, IVO breached AIRBNB poliy and called Resolutions and gave the guest a refund in seventeen days after the investigation in violation of Airbnb policy instead of telling the guest to request one from me since there had been no privacy
Ivo he was confused that it left on the September 2, even though IVO received copies of text messages from the guest he was present on September 3, and as of the 17 th I did not have keys . The television was on and laundry was in the dryer
Airbnb acknowledges the error, as responsible Airbnb Ambassador has not taken the required action.
I now filing a Notice Demand for Arbitration for $10,500 plus $2,500 in attorneys’s fees pursuant to the Wisconsin Consumer Protection Act if Airbnb does not fix this
This claim pertains to Reservation No
The chronology is as are as follows:
1. The guest checked on August 29, and was new to airbnb and had not prior rating.
2. On Sept 2 he told other guests d h got fired from his job, or client engagement did not pan out.
3. Per Airbnb policy I have both a strict cancellation policy. Both the strict cancellation policy long term policy apply
4. The guest was required to contact me for a refund, and I woud have offered a generous refund.
5. Instead, the guest called Airnb September asked Airbnb for a refund, and was refused
6. The guesti originally called to get out of his reservation by lying about a “ privacy violation “
There was due to a maintenance entry with written permission and a delivery of additional bedding to a common hallway.
7. I immediately cooperated with the investigation and provided documentation and screen shots of text asking me to change the light bulb and confirming permission to enter, and that the delivery was to a common hallway
8. Airbnb resolved the privacy investigaton in my favor and I received an email. If irbnb resolved the investigation in the guest’s favor, Airbnb would have cancelled the reservation and issued a refund after 72 hours
9. During the investigaion the Ambassador (“Ivo” madetsan error and sent me communication he meant to send another host and accidentallymerged the tickets. In light of this, made sure the Airbnb resolved the privacy investigation in my favor and I received a second email the investigation had been resolved in my favor on September 8th.
10. The guest remained in the unit until the 8th and cancelled on the 17th but misrepresented left n=n the 2nd . The guest did not return the keys or anwer calls from me or Airbng and finally cancelled on the 17th so I could rent my unit. However, this is irrelevent . The guest was responsible for contacting me for refund.
11.On the 17th , the guest contacted the Ambassador IVO who issued a full refund in violation ofAirbnb policy plus and additional $400 to be charged against my current reservations. (I havethree units) and I annot this huge loss
12.Airbnb management has repeatedly confirmed that the polic is for IVO to “take a loss” and makesure I am paid .
13.IVO will not contact me or take the required action; he did not direct his supervisor to call e andhad another ambassador call to try to convince me the guest was paid per my policy. Theambassador posed as a supervisor
14.I got an email telling me I was not entitled to have a supervisor “review” the decision, implyingthat I was disputing or appealing the result of the security investigation.
15.I wrote back explaining the decision on the security investigation was in my favor and not disputed;accounting error had been made
16.I was asking to correct an error resulting from the , the Ambassador IVO issuing a guest a refundoutside of Airbnb policy
17.IVO needs supervision and training. I complied with all airbnb policies. I cooperated with aninvestigation over a 72 hour period, and had documentation of permission to enter to change alight bulb at the guest’s request
18.AIR Bnb retained control of my property for 20 days without payment. My account was restoredimmediately after the investigation, without action or cancellation of the reservation by Airbnb.19.IVO is engaging in deceptive business practies under Wis Stat Sec 100.20) 2hidh prohibit"unfair" business practices, and I am entitled to recover three times the amount ofthe reservation or $10, 200 .
20.If IVO incorrectly reported the results of his investigation and effected my listing (eg by confusingtwo different tickets for additional hosts ) I am entitled to lost revenue and rserve the right toamend my demandcu
21.I am able to provide additional document provided to airbnb documenting permission to enter, andthe erroneous communication I received from Ivo regarding another host accou

[M199]

@Jill914 

This is the incorrect way to file an arbitration, this is a membership discussion board. No one here can help you.

[Gwen386]

@Jill914 You need an attorney

[Jenny]

Hi @Jill914 

Just a quick note to let you know that I've merged your new topic from Saturday into your existing topic, as it's helpful to keep it all in one place.

Just so you know the Community Center isn't a formal branch of Airbnb Support, so although it's totally fine for you to post here about your experience, the responses that you receive are going to come from other Airbnb hosts or one of the CC Online Community Managers.

As confirmed last week, we've passed along the information that you provided, and we'd ask you to bear with us while Airbnb look into this and get back in touch with you.  I'll provide them a link to your most recent update so they've got the full picture.

Thanks

Jenny