AIRBNB PLUS bad program

France45
Level 3
Montreal, Canada

AIRBNB PLUS bad program

I have experiment to put my apartment on AIRBNB PLUS. I have begin this process beginning of may and we are now end of September and the announce is  not in line.

All the process has been terrible difficult, very long, no support, impossible to join person who working for airbnb plus, even for the personnel who answer you at the phone. They apologize but answer you " we can not reach the airbnb plus team because they are too busy ". They were not ready to put this program on line, they did'nt have enough worker and I have loose my time because of that.

Thit program control all your information. You can not choice the picture who will represent your apartment in the new site. They control all your proposition with out letting you having a personal way to welcome your guest or present your apartment. If you don't do it as they request you can not go further in the process. If you are unhappy as I am, no way to be refund.

When you have problem to complete there request, there is nobody to help you,  no explanation and no tutorial.

If you thinking about join that program, don't do it. You will loose your patience, your time and your money and you will loose the possibility of changing your site as you want. Every thing will be control by AIRBNB  PLUS.

Tell me why having a personal apartment to rent if airbnb take all the control of your presentation and force you to accept all further reservation? and that for 180$.

For myself I have 4 apartement on listing and I will never join AIRBNB PLUS for the 3 other one I have.

 

75 Replies 75
Inna22
Level 10
Chicago, IL

@France45 thank you for taking the time to report to us! Hopefully at the end of the long road you will see better bookings.  I did read some article about the program being non sustainable. Hosts go through the rigorous process  initially , however Airbnb does not check in later so if the property deteriorates, there is no way for Airbnb to know and the guest experience becomes just the same Is any place on the platform. 

Letti0
Level 10
Atascosa, TX

@France45  I have been following the Plus situation closely since it started. It's a miserable failure. More host are opting out than in. They control everything from description to amenities to photos and price. It's not working for any hosts I know of. AirBnB is going to learn this lesson sooner rather than later the whole program is worthless to both them and the hosts that agree to join in.  

Pete28
Level 10
Seattle, WA

The biggest problem given the new longer review process and change to 4.8avg for superhost is the ever present danger of falling out of the plus prg again after going to so much trouble to get in. 

 

The user experience for plus is also somewhat overwhelming with multiple pictures from every angle and is so different from the rest of Airbnb that it feels dislocated. 

Robin4
Level 10
Mount Barker, Australia

@France45

You may wish to re-consider your desire to join the 'Plus' program!

 

1/. Any program in it's infancy is going to experience issue that may not have been thought out well to start with. As @Letti0 says, we are aware a number of hosts have found the Plus program is not living up to their expectations and are leaving to retreat back to Airbnb's traditional hosting program.

 

2/. @Pete28 has made a very valid observation. Guest who use the Plus program are going to have higher expectations....they are going to expect something a bit better and are going to be considerably harder to please and this will be reflected in the review process thereby causing the host to lose the ability to remain in the program, or even remain as 'Superhost'!

 

I was originally offered the opportunity to be in the 'Select' program as it was called when it was trialled a couple of years ago, but I declined because I could see it was going to make my hosting much more difficult because of the raised expectations of guests the program would attract.

 

@France45 do what you do well, and the good reviews you get will (in bookings) more than make up for any additional exposure you may eventually get through the Plus program.

 

Cheers.....Rob

Fred13
Level 10
Placencia, Belize

@France45 Airbnb Plus is one of those 'wild' ideas Airbnb comes up with every so often just to keep things 'interesting' and 'exciting' at their end. 

   Undoubtedly, they visited this forum after stubbornly  implementing it and they surely must have gotten depressed  after we pick it apart and reading our dire predictions. Party poopers that we are.

   Oftentimes there is a 2nd phase with these ideas, they very quietly axe the promising  'brilliant' program, and probably beat up the 'fool' who championed the not-so-bright crazy experiment

 

P.S. My opinion when it came out was:

1- It made many of their existing hosts feeling 'left out'. 

2. It stepped on the Superhost program somewhat, at a time they didn't what to do with that program.

3. The price range was too broad, duplicated most economic market levels.

4. It was too image oriented, lacking substance, fundamentals. 

5. It had incredibly high-maintenance written all over it on the part of Airbnb (and host). 

 

Wendy117
Level 10
Bexley, Australia

I am also following all the comments on Airbnb Plus closely.  Originally all 3 of my listings were offered the opportunity (maybe because it was early in the program and I was superhost?) so i selected the largest one to try.  At one stage i received an email stating the listing was not up to the standard required for Airbnb Plus - no detail.  My listings are in the suburbs, not the city, and my guests are typically budget conscious.  There has been a lot more airbnb listings in my area of late and prices are dropping because of this. My property is a renovated old character home and not at all like others i see on Airbnb Plus or even Airbnb so i believe it would not offer me any advantage to upgrade further and i like the Aussie home character over a magazine style (my guests say they do too). So if i have to pay to 'upgrade' and lose all control on the text in my listing, i am even more reluctant. If i go into edit i can see that it is labelled 'airbnb under review' and there is a button allowing me to leave the program but so far i am just reading all the comments here.  

Ps i have just had two 4 ratings (yes from very happy but confused guests) and expect to lose my superhost status this quarter and will be interested to see if the Airbnb Plus invitation is withdrawn.

Peter11
Level 2
Fitzroy North, Australia

I have had similar problems with 2 listings for which I paid A$200 each to join AirBnB Plus.

 

It all started badly with both inspections and photo shoots. The inspections were only 50% completed at both apartments (both photographers said they hated inspections) so I had to spend hours going backward & forward to AirBnB with photos to show that I had knives, detergent, the apartment was clean etc etc. Eventually the photos came back for Apartment 1 .... a total disaster .... the quality was very poor so I ask AirBnB for another shoot. I'm told NO so I suggest we use the original professional photography from a couple of years ago and again I'm told NO. I'm then told I can't add any photos showing the local area, local sights etc..... in fact I'm tod I can't add any photos.

 

Things get worse when I'm told I can't continue to use the existing property names ..... we have 3 very successful properties with +90% occupancy rates , get lots of referral/returning guests and have property titles which highlight the hip area and what is unique about the inner city apartments .... we'd be crazy to make a change.

 

Moving on, AirBnB tells me I need a second photo shoot for Apartment 2 (I didn't request it) as I'd implemented their requested changes ..... all good. Anyway, 3 weeks later the images are made available for Apartment2 .... but the are from the 1st photo shoot!!!!!

 

This is all very frustrating. I have repeatedly asked AirBnB to address the issues above or refund me ..... I'm sure you can guess the response. Anyway, I support the AirBnB Plus concept but from my experiences I wish I hadn't expressed interest ..... for my folly I have lost A$400 and wasted a lot of time.

Dan151
Level 2
Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Hi Peter, DId you get any resolution from Air Bnb on these issues? Ive got my Air BnB plus inspection booked for this Friday.  Im in similar situation with 90% + occupancy and id hate if they change the photos, title and description to something less attractive or original.  Reading some of these comments is making me reconsider...

Hi I had similar experience with Plus inspection. What a palaver! I wasn’t there so the woman who manages my place when I’m not met with him. The “fixes” were a joke! Repaint vintage chest of drawers - scuffed! Um yes that’s the point! Clean vintage metal desk “this looks dirty” - That’s a scuff too. It’s old. It’s part of it! It had been raining and they took photos of windows - these windows look dirty please clean them. Yes it’s rain-marks it just rained! Usually cleaned! Have to take photos of just cleaned windows to send in. Also pinpointed exposed copper piping in part of copper towel rack - took a close up photo of one part of it saying this looks old and rusted and needs to be replaced. I couldn’t stop laughing. I sent a bathroom photo from my listing to say this is the area where he took a photo it does not need “fixing”. They replied this must be another area of your place please remedy. Sent the photo again - this is the only part of the flat with this. It does not need replacing etc. Finally they accepted and passed it. Similar with 5 in total of claimed “fixes” that were a joke! Wasted my time and theirs. Months back and forth. ABB Plus approached me as soon as they came to my area- UK - I’d barely started and only had a couple (great!) reviews. So clearly it is all about the look. Though in listing I say I want people to feel at home and it’s important for me they’re comfortable etc. They wanted me to fix a bathroom window, slight paint cracking over putty,( in one corner! I’d never noticed) but this part is a fixed pane. It’s old! Upper opening window works fine. The pane needs to be properly fixed/replaced soon as outside frame is old and getting squidgy. Can hardly see it though. I wasn’t in position to do whole window yet so I said no I won’t repaint as it needs to be repaired. Left it at that. Honestly it all rather annoyed me. I felt if people are going to complain about that they can stay elsewhere! It’s a beautiful old building! They kept messaging me. Felt a bit desperate. I’d used an ABB photographer for my photos - she’d done Plus photos previously, loved my place, said they’d ask me for sure she’d take them as though it was a Plus listing. Loved her photos! Did such a lovely job. I asked if I could still use these photos. They said no. I didn’t want to have to pay again. Then couple months later message from ABB & offered a $150 (I think) to go towards fixes. I wasn’t in UK and had guests staying fairly consistently so no time for that. Maybe it’s been too much for some people and they’re not doing it either? I did stay in a Plus not in UK to just see what it was like and wasn’t that impressed. Stayed in far better places that weren’t Plus. So yes maybe it does increase expectations? Spoke to that owner and she wasn’t impressed with Plus either. Had not increased bookings or revenue and she was one of the first. She didn’t like the photo they chose and she couldn’t chose or change and didn’t like that inflexibility and lack of control of her own listing. Another Plus owner she knew in a different place hated being in Plus for same reasons. It all seems a bit muddled! Agree it should just be Superhost! Or places like castles etc. I did see they’ve now got ABB Luxury too. It all left a very bad taste in my mouth. I’m just happy my guests all love staying in my place (so far!)

Forgot to say - You have no control over photos, title or description. It is all decided by ABB

Rebecca181
Level 10
Florence, OR

It's really a shame. Airbnb could have simply focused on Super Hosts who were performing at the highest levels and made a 'Plus'-type tier without all of the fuss and expense rather easily, while still allowing these super hosts to control their own properties, since it's the host that knows how to best feature their property and offer their guests the best possible experience. But I guess that sort of practical approach wasn't exciting enough for the think tank at Corporate. 

 

 

Cor3
Level 10
Langerak, South Holland, Netherlands

Hi All,

 

We’ve been following the discussions around Airbnb Plus with great interest too.

When it was first announced back in February, our first thoughts were: We have to be on this too!

But now: 7 months later, We’re certainly not that sure anymore.

We expect, the introduction of the program in ‘our’ area, to be announced any day now.

There used to be a button in your listing, and when you pressed it. It would come up with the message: The program is not yet available in your area.

Nowadays, you seem to have to request an invitation to be on the program. And when you press that button. It’ll tell you, the Plus team is too busy to on-board new requests.

 

From what we have witnessed this far:

  • Airbnb had a very slow start (the original number of Plus listings actually went down from about 2,000 to some 1,600 – in Spring 2018).
  • The number of Airbnb Plus listings do seem to start growing steadily now, Including in cities/areas, which were supposed to be in the second or even the third ‘batch’.
  • On-boarding the program seems to take at least some 3-4 months (from request to join to publication of a Plus-listing. Or could take even longer).
  • Hardly any text left in the listings itself (Is Airbnb recognizing the fact of guests not to read anything?).
  • Some photos are quite small.
  • Various hosts did mention, they no longer had any (or hardly any) control on their pictures and/or listing, after joining the program.
  • And especially Letti (can't tag here) mentioning, Airbnb will also control your price. That’s an absolute no-go area for us (Please also bear in mind, Brian C. mentioning a typical Plus listing would cost less than $ 250 a night. And we all know what it means, when Airbnb is mentioning certain thresholds 😞 ).
  • The program seems to have been welcomed with mixed feelings. As we’ve seen comments here where only a few hosts were happy to be on the program. But quite a large number of hosts, want to either opt out or at least had negative feelings on the program (such as @France45). Obviously the program is still somewhat in an infant state.
  • The Plus team seems to be overwhelmed with requests and does not seem to be very well organized. As in: On-boarding and follow-up certainly does not seem to be a smooth process.
    We’ve even seen comments, where it was mentioned: The project to have been restarted some months ago.
  • Financial impact: What value is in there doubling your page views, and cutting down your bookings (that’s been witnessed too)?

 

For now, we will most likely wait to join the program, when it comes to ‘our’ area.

And we will keep a very close eye on what our competition does (the problem of course: Throughput time). I.e.: For quite some time, nothing will seem to happen. And then all of a sudden and in a couple of weeks’ time. You will see them popping up, all around you.

 

It’s funny to notice that potential guests would value a listing higher, when having been ‘verified’ by an external photographer. Whom did not even sleep there, to begin with. Just walking around with the camera and the 100-bullet list of Airbnb. Obviously most guests won’t know this. And will tend to think that Airbnb management has stayed at the place and carried out the inspection themselves.

But maybe guests just want to be fooled, by marketing 🙂

Cor3
Level 10
Langerak, South Holland, Netherlands

Well, the first Plus-listing has popped-up this week in ‘our’ town.

The host is a competitor of ours, and they opened this listing only pretty recently (as a regular listing).

A nice studio, but at outrageous prices!

But nevertheless acquired quite a number of reviews in a relative short period of time.

 

So I will just sit back and watch, how they move on with this listing 🙂

They keep moving the goal post with our listing. There were two areas initially to fix; bedroom and lounge.

 

Bedroom feedback was to buy an artwork from society6. It then turned into buy a more expensive artwork, add more plants to the table (Its an workdesk with plants, stationary holder and books, any more plants and there will be no space for a laptop)

 

Lounge room feedback was to get a table or rug. We got a table. Their response was then to hang our artwork 3 inches lower, buy a rug still oh and now buy a new dining table/chairs setting.

 

I am going to investigate this and potentially make a report as this seems like a terrible scam. Anyone else in this boat?