Abuse of Power, Airbnb Host have we had enough!

[Cormac0]

Hi Folks

I’m incensed at the latest post I've read, regarding a listing being trashed and everything stolen, the Host informs us everything was stolen, and apparently Airbnb have offered no practical help or communication other that the usual platitudes and then silences.

Has the time come for us Host to start lobbying our politician to regulate this apparent abuse of power particularly when Airbnb are writing contracts that essentially absolves them of any responsibility or culpability in the activity their administering and indeed giving them, the final say in a problems outcome, effectively giving Airbnb the status of Trial, Judge and Jury.

Airbnb are taking a sizeable Fee of circa 15% for effectively doing very little other that displaying your listing, the fact that they act as a fee collector works in their favour as their using our money as their working capital and this give them far too much control over us Host.

I wonder how much more responsive Airbnb would be if the fees were transferred directly to the Host and the Host remitted a fee to Airbnb, let me speculate that we’d have an efficient host centric complaints procedure and our ideas would be quickly adopted rather than being ignored and placed in room 101.

AIRBNB HAVE FAR TOO MUCH CONTROL WHICH THEY’RE NOT EXERCISING IN A JUST, EQUITBLE AND IMPARTIAL MANNER.

Has the time come for us to engage our politician in regulating the shared economy, Airbnb management will only have themselves to blame.

Regards

Cormac

The Explorer’s Club Krakow III

I pulled ECK VIII as the occupancy level and the nightly fee did not justify keeping it as a short-term rental, ironically, I had que of four people interested in it as long term rental because of its perfect location.

[Alice-and-Jeff0]

post a link to the conversation where the host had everything stolen please

[Cormac0]

@Alice-and-Jeff0

I would if I could find it again, mind you it is a curious request!

[Ken28]

Hmmm.... I'm sad to hear of this, (but also glad I'm not the only squeaky wheel anymore regarding the abuse of power). I'm also interested in reading up on this when you can find it again.

Regards,

Ken

[Cormac0]

@Ken

I don't regard myself as a squeaky wheel or an SJW for that matter, but I read the blogs, and I can see there are big problems that do not seem to be, being addressed by Airbnb.

I also noticed that if anybody seem to be in any way critical of Airbnb, one becomes a social pariah or you you'll even see the innuendo that you’re working to some sort of agenda or the perennial "Hosting isn't for everyone".

Airbnb is fantastic when everything goes well, you’re in a perfect location, your occupancy levels are hitting 85% and your fees bears no relationship to "Not So Smart Pricing"

Unfortunately, the real world does not work like that and that’s why we have the community, so Ken I wish you would stay as you can't fix anything from without.

I pulled one of my listings because it was not making economic sense to leave it as an Airbnb listing, as I'm mindful of the fact that November to March can be fallow months. and in the round, I'm making more money long term renting.

Some people are making lots of money

Some people think there making money

Some People are losing money

And some people don’t know wheather their making money or not,

But Airbnb are making lots of money and lots of acquisition with that money and forgetting about their core constituents.

Regards

Cormac

ECK III

[Viatcheslav0]

Absolutely believed you and agreed, because experienced the same unfair treatment. There is no way to get fair process of complaint, but obviously brutally one, one sided. It is no doubt in my mind that business is corrupted by local person or entity and that person favorite some hosts to help them with ongoing income. Initially, it was a problem on the website for listing to show up and I complained at the beginning that my listing is vulnerable and out of my hands, but no help was provided at the beginning.  It seems like local group is in control or maybe just one website technician keeps his grip over webpage for particular area in that program and keep it under tight control. Two con artists and liars got away easily and I was not heard. My listing got permanently closed after it was only one review for that particular room and three reviews for other room out of four totals. That particular last guest boldly lied and I easily was able to prove it in my complaint. Anyway Airbnb already deactivated my listing for 30 days based solely on his false accusations, and after I proved that he lied, my listing got closed permanently. It did harm me because I decided to go with Airbnb and now all students got their leases for school year. That guest wanted to get his money back after checked in and later the same evening did contact Airbnb behind my back, and was making false accusations in order to get his money back against the rule. Obviously, he and his friends got stay together. It was full big car of his companions, in which he jumped in after he took quick look at the room. We can only imagine that, because he did not book any different place. It was no availability on Airbnb website or at any hotel. He just took quick look at the room only, no negative comments at that time, but excitement that room is huge, and later that day he did not come back and silently contacted Airbnb the same evening for help to get his money back. He refused to cancel his booking to open it for desperate looking for place potential guests, and no Airbnb, neither hotels had no availability, no vacancies at all for that weekend. He refused to cancel, but demanded money back through Airbnb and used false accusations. His friends that brought him to look at the room already had one booked as he stated in his initial contact with me when he asked me for exact address instead of getting it from Airbnb. He refused to communicate with me, because he was making things up, prevented me to find another guests that could be no problem to get at all at that weekend and he demanded his money back me after words to harm me for nothing. He did not stay, he did not see the rest of the house, he did not look at the restroom, bathroom or kitchen, but he lied that he saw it and it was not good. He lied and misrepresented facts that were already recorded on website; like that it is a spacious master bedroom in the basement and five minutes to drive to the stadium. He said that he did not know that bedroom in the basement when it was stated on website and for some reason he mentioned that it was not walkable distance for him for almost 4 miles, when in reality it is 1,8 miles and 5 minutes to drive according to mapquest and was stated on website also. So, Airbnb does not care much about hosts who easily could get hurt by con artists in competition with other hosts. Airbnb obviously does not run business in good faith and does not have remedies to be liberally administrated. I was unfairly harmed by Airbnb. Please advise for some action against bad business together, if any you can think of. 

[Pete26]

I have been kicked out of airbnb without even hearing any charges, given any opportunity to refute whatever they may be, and given no appeal. I asked repeatedly what the issue was about and all I got back were threats and then kicked out without explanation. Since Airbnb is a non regulated monopoly I suggest their draconian TOU that give hosts absolutely no rights might be challenged in court. Is anyone interested in a class action suit contesting their unfettered power to act unfairly and illegally? 

In my case I have proof of my absurd situation with those bums and would gladly join a group of others who have been ripped off by airbnb. 

Pete in California

riki77@gmail.com

[Anatoli2]

O, Yes, Thank you. We gladly will join class action. It is another one entity and example of deep corruption. I did experience the same thing. I think it is controlled by local real estate managements and they use their power to control and get rid of competitors. 

Anatoli in California

Slava in Pennsylvania

slava.boiko3@gmail.com

aiv100@yahoo.com