Terrifying situation yesterday. I am located in the mountains of Tennessee. I've been a superhost for all five years I've been on the platform. I was booked for ALL weekends (only do weekends after May) through July, with several in August, October and November. After being asked to 'update' my information (never was asked before in 5 years), address, link to my listing, name of my listing, AND my coordinates...then was told to go to a link they provided for my longitude and latitude , type my address, then the coordinates will be there, copy and paste to enter it on the Airbnb 'update' form. Did so. Then, a few hours later ALL my bookings were suddenly cancelled AND I got an email from NYC stating my listing was being removed because i 'didn't comply with their regulations'. WTH??? I was frantic. Then the angry and upset messages started from guests while I desperately tried to reach someone at Airbnb. I finally got a message from the 'representative' that had asked for my update, she told me I had 'given the wrong address' (??) AND wrong coordinates!..I said no way! and I told her in a panic what was happening. She tried to blame it on me, saying I entered the 'wrong data' for longitude/latitude. I am ashamed to say say I came unglued and told her I just cut and pasted it from the link she sent me, and I had double checked that the address was correct, so how could I have been at fault??.and that they had BETTER fix it NOW..said 'she'd fix it'. I finally reached someone at Airbnb, and after a ten minute hold they said they would correct it...and get the listing back up.
BUT I had to be the one to contact EVERY GUEST and ask them to rebook! Because they had already been refunded.....13 reservations! AND all the dates were now open so the guest could lose those dates! I was sick about this. They finally got my listing back up. Took me a couple of hours to contact everyone and calm them down and ask them to please rebook, although 6 have not responded with a re book. So that's about $1500 in lost bookings so far. And the guests said that when they called, Airbnb would not tell them why they were cancelled. So some assumed it was on me...Can't blame them. I tried to explain it all to each, but I can imagine how insane it sounded.
This is totally unacceptable. I've been a superhost for all quarters of all 5 years. I've had nothing but good things with Airbnb UNTIL these past few months, with several issues, mistakes on their part, allowing un vetted people to try and book, pulling my superhost status 6 months after my ONLY host initiated cancellation in 5 years, etc etc.
Just got a note from one of the guests, she is booking elsewhere. Goosy about trying me again! Two more said they decided not to re book.
It doesn't matter if this was a technical 'glitch' on Airbnb's part. I was certainly NOT my doing!
Then, when I posted this on the Superhost Facebook page, found out TWO other hosts had this happen...and amazingly BOTH were relocated to.....wait for it....NYC! what are the chances of THAT being an 'accident'?? That ALL the 'wrong' longitude crap was NYC for all three of us? I'm heading to twitter soon if these 6 guests are gone for good. NO host deserves this. Disgusting. And I'm tagging Catherine Powell, not that it will help, but this company is going to the dogs...I'm just torn up. Any suggestions on how to proceed? I've gotten 8 of the 13 bookings back, and one poor guest lost her dates that were a special mother/daughter celebration. I feel so bad for them. No notice, no explanation, just cancelled...