Upgrade to AirBNB Plus - where's my narrative disappeared to?!

[Naomi152]

Hi all - I've recently been upgraded to "Plus" status but AirBNB took control over the narrative in my listing which has basically been shrunk down to 3 lines.  Previously I'd included a detailed narrative in my listing which contained a lot of essential information.  Since the listing went live, I've had 3 enquiries which, if my previously listing was still available, would have answered the questions and save time for both the potential guest and for me.  I've emailed AirBNB to ask if it's possible to reinstate the more detailed information, but I've not had a response (have been waiting for 6 days).   We're generally busy, but bookings have gone very quiet - not sure if that's just because of the time of year - we're still in our first year, so haven't experienced Autumn "volume" as yet.  I'm really considering leaving "Plus" - even after spending the money for the photos, inspection and making the suggested fixes (and waiting for months from the start of the process to the finish).   Don't want to jump ship if it's just teething problems, but I'm really disappointed with the listing and wouldn't have bothered if I'd know my detailed info wouldn't be included.  Has anyone else experienced this?   Thanks all.

[Stephanie766]

Any word from them about releasing your payment as they had offered the plus free to you?  I’ve yet to accept the free upgrade and what you’ve shared sounds awful!

[Destination-Byron-Bay0]

I was invited to plus in January accepted and had the three hour visit. They came back asking to fix a ceiling and bits and bobs that cost about $600 to change. These were all approved and I got the message saying your all ready to go. It’s now the end of May I’ve spent the last three months emailing and calling to find out why when it says I’m approved and I click on the next step button nothing happens it goes in circles. Got an email back last night to be told oh your no longer eligible and no reason given. I was fuming it’s taken time and money and basically they just gave me a shoulder shrug which I find pretty poor given my company has pushed over $700,000 with of bookings through Airbnb this year I would have thought that was a pretty good customer!! Now I’m reading what everyone is saying and I’m thinking maybe I don’t want this having someone else write your copy and choose pics. Do people think there incomes dropped because of plus? 

[Elizabeth24]

Yes my bookings had dropped as soon as I went on plus, however year to date even though I quit plus, my bookings are still down.  I went in as a traveler to search and went into what I thought were all the listings and after looking deep in there and not seeing my listing I scrolled to the top and noticed that my filter said 'plus only listings'.  I knew I didnt put this filter in, but eventually realized that when I went and hit the button to 'see more', it did an automaticly filter to show just plus listings!  Even being a seasoned airbnb host I could not figure out why this filtered this way, and it was hard to notice until I scrolled up. An average guest would never notice that this filter was on, and thus only see plus listings as options.  So then I back paged and realized that the first set of homes listed is 'plus' - with a 'see more button' (which I thought was see more houses of all kinds, but turns out its just plus) - Next came the 'activities'!! - and then 'see more'.  And then FINALLY, (equivelent to the 3rd page of a google search that non one ever sees) - were the NORMAL listings with 'see more'.  No one would ever scroll down that far to even see our normal listings unless they knew about this auto filter that was being applied to their search.  Its really awful and I have no idea how they are getting away with this.  Its so disrespectful and a slap in the face to normal loyal hosts to be put after ACTIVITIES!!  Im still shocked by this and its had a few weeks to sink in...  So Im not sure what to tell you, you're damned if you do and damned if you dont! 

[Annie169]

I am also very unhappy with my proposed new Airbnb Plus listing.  The have re-named my property and done a discription in such 'California -speak'  as to be un recognisable, who knows the property them or me ?  the profesional photographs are bleached out and distorted it is as if it is trying to look like a West Coast beach house not the small English country cottage that it is. 

I feel bullied and not appreciated for the years of work I have put in to running as a successful Superhost for many years. 

I would like to opt out and go back to my old listing but fear being burried behind every bijou garden shed that now seems to all you need to offer accomodation on Airbnb.

[Josef47]

I really feel with you!

[Josef47]

Yes, I completely agree @Naomi152 . Airbnb PLUS is extremely difficult. Airbn plus has developed into real stress for us. You hardly have any control over your own ad. Airbnb decides which photos are good for you. Apparently you have an "omniscient" marketing department. You're patronized and can't get the real character of your accommodation through the ad. The text you can insert is minimal. Many guests come with completely exaggerated expectations. There is a lot of trouble. You have no chance to describe the true character of your accommodation in the ad. Airbnb says that the photos sell the accommodation. But that is only half the truth and in my opinion excessive marketing thinking. Before a guest arrives there are many details to clarify. As an Airbnb PLUS member you can no longer show all this in the advertisement. What follows is an endless chat between guest and host. By the Airbnb PLUS concept the expectations of the guests are extremely screwed up. I operate another accommodation at one of the best locations on the holiday island Phuket. I have invested almost 1/2 million THB to meet the increased requirements. For a private house on Phuket I have a high standard, but nevertheless the guests give a mediocre feedback. That's strange, when I was Airbn Superhost, I always had a 5-star rating. Why please, has something suddenly gotten worse just because it's advertised higher? I notice two things: On the one hand the expectations of the guests increase extremely. They book Airbnb and expect a 5-star all-round service. Questions such as: "Is there breakfast available daily", "Is there a reception available 24 hours a day" or "Please clean my rooms today" are not uncommon. NO! I am no Hotel! I am a private person who give the best to make his guests feel comfortable. I often have to remind the guests that they have booked Airbnb and not a 5-star hotel.
And secondly, Airbnb means in my eyes, the letting of living space for guests when you don't need it yourself. That's how it originally started. As a "room share service". Unfortunately, Airbnb is pushing the system further and further into professional, i.e. offering standard rooms without extra services is hardly successful. With their system of the Superhost and Airbnbplus and the extremely perfect representations of accommodations, they make it very difficult for the private person to keep up at all. In addition, more and more professional accommodations, which are looked after around the clock, are romping around on Airbnb, even entire hotels are settling here. Which private person can keep up here?
What I mean to say is that the expectations of the guests are extremely high. It follows from this that they are often disappointed (disappointment folds from excessive expectations). The guests want a) something special, b) cheap and c) full service. 
I see this trend since about 1/2 year. The evaluations become worse, although one sets everything to become always better.
Yes, AirbnbPLUS is very difficult for a private person and in my eyes not what Airbnb once stood for.
I believe they will soon drop the private operators. They are developing into a professional portal like Booking.com.
This trend is already emerging today. Many guesthouses or professionally managed condominiums are taking over Airbnb. Private users will have it more and more difficult. And Airbnb PLUS is not a solution. it means only very much stress, very high investments and one is driven into a hotel business, which one did not want as a private person actually in such a way. What is your opinion?