Very disappointed in AirBnB as a brand member

Very disappointed in AirBnB as a brand member

I turned from overly positive when I made an account on AirBnB and saw the app and possibilities to very, very disappointed in AirBnB in the last week I am trying to be a host for renting out.

 

I will try to keep this as short as possible although it became a long and frustrating story over the last 5 days. From 15th of June till the 18th there was a major event in my hometown. We decided recently to work hard to get a B&B done and rent it out through AirBnB. Especially as there was no hotel room or pretty much any B&B available anymore. So we worked and worked on the room, lots of blood and sweat the last few weeks. Put the room online just days before the event as we were finally done.

 

No booking was done on the dates 15-18 June and I didn't know why. It was online that I saw. Wednesday my gf thought lets see what happens if I go through the booking process. She ended up being able to book from the 22th of June and on. I never blocked the dates 15-22 June so I guess AirBnB locks the first week of a location being online for some reason. I unlocked all dates from 15 to 22 by hand in the app. I see this as my own shortcoming not checking it earlier but just never thought about a week being auto locked out from booking.

 

All now seemed good and ready to be booked last minute. Yet the 15th went by, room did not get booked. Friday 16th came, morning gave no bookings. Between Thursday 12.00 15th of June and Friday 12.00 16th of June I did not check the AirBnB site if the room was online because we were working on a 2nd room still. Friday at the end of the morning a family member called and told me that our 1st B&B room could not be found anymore on AirBnB already since late in the morning on Thursday the 15th of June. I was surprised, checked my AirBnB app, room was still there. I searched my city for available rooms, it was not there indeed. I went into my advertorial for the room and clicked example of ad and it came up. I clicked direct link and tried to open it in a browser and it said advertorial removed.

 

At this time I was lost. I called AirBnB on the phone. Employee then told me because of AirBnB picks out some room rentals for checks of pictures and info being correct or something and then the ad is offline. I was flabbergasted. One cannot check them while the ad stays online and bookings can be done? I asked how quick the ad would be online again as the most important event of the year or even in many years was ongoing in my town and the room we had done was not able to be booked. Employee promised me to speed up the process as I sound reliable would play it up internally. About an hour later the direct link worked again so I assumed all was right again.

 

How wrong could I be. I should have checked the search function by city to double check, but I did not. Saturdaymorning another call of a friend. 'Do you know your room cannot be found by city search on AirBnB?'. I checked the ad by direct link. It worked. I went to city search, nothing... We are 24 hours later after my initial call and it is still offline? Come on AirBnB! I am missing out on money and you are too for no reason at all!

 

Calling again... Employee checks and says its half way through the verification check if info and pictures are correct, that is why the direct link works but room does not come up at city search. Wait, what?! We are almost 48 hours aka 2 days on and my B&B room is still offline for random people trying to find a room???

 

Employee excused himself for not being able to do more. Hopes the advertorial is online soon. I already missed out the opportunity of renting out the room for 2 nights straight. The event has just 2 days left and 1 or maybe 2 nights of rental and some earnings.

 

I hope after the 2nd call its now fixed soon the same day. Nothing. I receive an automated mail from AirBnB if after the call my problem is solved... Noooooooooo it is not! I replied to mail as is asked with my utter disappointment.

 

It is now Monday 19th of June. The major event is over. Guests have left my town. The room still is not online and cannot be booked by city search. I missed out on 3 to 4 nights of renting out and about 240 to 320 Euro of revenue. I have not heard anything back from AirBnB.

 

I know I am just one of your million users, but as a new member you made me very disappointed in service. Also in the ability after two calls in 2 days and now being on the 5th day and nothing is solved.

 

I wish I had taken down the advertorial that was being checked by you for so long and put a new one up again but did not want to violate any possible rules off AirBnB. I think I am going to call you again today, but it seems nothing helps. Therefor this long cry out....

6 Replies 6
Cormac0
Level 10
Kraków, Poland

@Mart

 

Get some professional photo's immediately and give your listing a name like for example "The Happy Home" "Charming Oasis" or something like that, your title looks like a description from a parts manual.

 

oh, and make you price initially as cheap as is worthwhile for you to draw the Guest in.

 

 

Regards

Cormac

 

The Explorer's Club Krakow III

The Explorer's Club Krakow VIII

 

??? I have great photo's at the room that you can't view now. 

Second, the title is something that is not the question right now. Read my post.

Third, the price was due to demand the festival/event that was here from 15th to 18th. No room available anymore. Prices will go down again.


Aside of that, your answer has nothing to do with the fact that AirBnB took the entire advertorial down on the 15th and its still not back up as we speak, today the 19th of June...

Marit-Anne0
Level 10
Bergen, Norway

@Mart3

But your profile is not complete - there are zero verifications.  A fully verified profile is your first step.

I can access your listings from your profile btw. so they should be up and running.

Hello Marit Anne thanks for your reply.

 

My other locqtion can be found through search on city name (sailboat) with or without missing stuff in my profile. It even got booked for a night and paid out by AirBnB already to my PayPal. The main room still cannot be found. You should try to find it with Kampen in The Netherlands it will not show up.

 

Yes in my profile one can view it. By direct link too it works. Total strangers searching on town will not find it though. Last 4 days it was not at this big event. Costed me bookings and money. Already confirmed by AirBnB employees on phone it was missing and would be online 'soon' again when calling Friday and Saturday. Do not know the meaning of soon by AirBnB standards but for me that means within hours or max same say. Not 4 or more days later.

Whoops some type errors by typing on my phone right there. Can't edit anymore it seems so 'locqtion' obviously is location and 'within hours or max the same say' would be 'same day'.

I am going to call AirBnB again, as another day went by overhere (19.00 local time now). I want the room to turn up when total strangers search on my hometown. If it can't be fixed today, I will delete the current advertorial and put it back online in a new one.

Called in again, this time some useful info: all looks normal in the system, but it does not show up when searching on city name. It is still investigated what exactly goes wrong.

Asked if it would be any problem if I deleted the room and then re-enter all info and photos. That would not be a problem. So I will probably do that. It takes some work to redo it, but hopefully at least it will be findable online afterwards then... Fingers crossed. Will report back if it works, or not.