Air Bnb Fraud

Fredric-and-Eden0
Level 1
Melbourne, Australia

Air Bnb Fraud

Hi Guys / Girls, 

 

I would like to share my experinece with Air Bnb just after hosting 4 people in the journey. 

 

Everything was going amazing until I had a phone chat live with air Bnb then everything down on the drain this afternoon. 

 

Story: 

 

I got a question from a gentleman saying that he liked to book our room whtehr if its possible to check in late. 

I confirmed and messaged back to him with a booking request.

 

As I was planning to 1st person to have my place someone else booked my place instatly without my confirmation (which is called instant booking).

 

I coudlnt cancel the Instant booking as I had to call Air Bnb. 

 

Over the phone chat I have spoken to girl called THresa from Air BNB cancellation department. (they mentioend that phone chat will be recorded)

 

She mentioned that If I cancel the booking I will get charged with 50$. 

 

I said well there is no need to cancel it then as I didnt want to pay 50$ for cancellation fee. 

 

After 20 mins later Air Bnb send me a message that they cancel my booking - and charged me 100$ as well as cancel my guests booking. 

 

-------------------------

 

I was over the phone with them over 30 mins - and they still havent got a solution for it. 

 

They mentioend that I did wanted to cancel the reservation. I told them to check the recording. 

 

I will also post this blog in Google Adwords - in around australia with PPC budgetting so people are aware of this matter that it could be scam targetting protiable business for Air BNB and cutomer service team 

4 Replies 4

@Fredric-and-Eden0   This doesn't quite add up...when Airbnb fines a host for cancelling a booking, they also block the dates on the calendar and leave an automated review on the listing saying "The host cancelled this booking XX days before arrival."

 

What you described sounds more like a miscommunication than a deliberate act of fraud, so I'd recommend continuing to escalate the matter with customer service. However, there's also a learning curve as a relatively new host, and perhaps you went live with your listing before you fully understood a few important things - such as the fact that Instant Book is an optional feature you can deactivate. 

 

If you go all over the internet making accusations before you've absorbed basic information about how the system's features work, you'll only be amplifying your own confusion.

Linda108
Level 10
La Quinta, CA

I agree with @Anonymous  in that what you describe does not square up with the usual process.  If you get an inquiry about your listing and you approve the booking as a part of your answer, the dates are still open to instant booking.  So what happened in your case was that the first gentleman did not respond with a booking as quickly as someone using IB.  

You correctly went to Air BNB to cancel the IB guest but your reason for cancelling was not allowed under the rules, so you would be penalized for the host cancellation which include a penalty fee and blocking of the dates.

However, the $100 penalty is not correct if this was the first time you have cancelled.  I did not see any cancellation review which is also an automatic response to cancelling.  So is it possible that the IB was not cancelled and the auto message is in error?  

Helen350
Level 10
Whitehaven, United Kingdom

@Fredric-and-Eden0 Make life easy for yourself next time by EITHER just accepting an Instant Book that jumps ahead of an inquiry (after all, if the inquiry person just inquired, rather than booked, it's HIS/HER fault for losing the booking - an inquiry is tentative dithering!) OR, when someone inquires, you can 'hold' the booking for them, & stop someone else booking for 24hrs. I tend not to, cos many people inquire, then you hear no more from them! - Not even a note to say they've changed their mind!

Sarah977
Level 10
Sayulita, Mexico

@Fredric-and-Eden0  "

I got a question from a gentleman saying that he liked to book our room whtehr if its possible to check in late. 

I confirmed and messaged back to him with a booking request."

 

What do you mean you messaged back to him with a booking request? That doesn't make any sense. A host can't initiate a booking a request.

Someone sent you a booking request? You messaged him back. You accepted the booking request? 

It was for sure a booking request, not an Inquiry?