Airbnb withholding Payout

Edgar408
Level 1
Los Angeles, CA

Airbnb withholding Payout

This happened today . I had a guest stay  from Aug 17 - Sept 17 total amount for booking  $1533 My initial payment was $895. I was told I would received the remaining balance after check out . I figured I could possibly receive the balance around 1pm the day off ; no payment . I checked on 18th No payment . I’m checking today and all I see is a Deposit for $47.43 .  I called Airbnb support I speak to and Agent about my Shortage was says I’m forwarding this to another team member and have them give you a call .  3 minutes later I get an Alert ; it was and message through the chat room . This person says the adjustment was made because we need to credit a guest ( name ) for a refund for her stay at your property.

 

I looked up her name in my previous booking , I see that that person had a booking from Jan 4- Feb 25th . I’m thinking what the hell 6mo later your taking my money away .  I looked at the conversations I had with this guest . This guest apparently claims that on Jan 12th someone try to break in to her car on the Street . She showed me fotos . I asked her did you file a police report , she says “no” 

She tells me that she doesn’t feel safe . I tell her my mom leaves in the front unit by herself and has lived there for 5 years and no one was ever broken into her car even if she forgets to lock her door. keep in mind my property is 6 min awayto the Las Vegas Strip She tells me she found another place to stay and she would like a refund . 

I told her “No” there is nothing wrong with the housing , your leaving without letting find a solution to your problem such as letting my mother know to give up her parking in the driveway for the guest that feels unsafe going out the residential street that has never had a break in century from what the neighbors tell me . I told her I have my 60 yr old mother park her car in front of our house instead of the guest .  Absolutely NO ! I’m not giving you a refund I’m thinking .

no only there’s nothing wrong with the housing and I found a solution for the parking situation but now I’m left with no one else being able to book for the next 32 days because it’s shows it as booked . 
On Jan 17 I got a call from an Airbnb Agent wanting to hear my side of the story I explain to him that my place is a safe place to stay; there’s no issues with the housing and the guest did not try to reach to authorities to file a police report . He believed a made some valid points . For Christ sake it’s Vegas anything could of happened , maybe they got drunk hit a car woke up and found their door damage , maybe they got into an altercation with someone and they damage their car .

that fact that they left so suddenly on the spur of the moment. They packed their bags and left in the morning and they reached out to me after they found another booking seemed so strange . Who does that ? Only someone looking to run away from something Or someone and they found out where your staying . 
The agent told me I would be able to keep the remaining booking balance . And Now 6mo later are telling me that guest is getting refunded $594 . That’s total Bull Crap . 
so Airbnb waited til a had a month long booking where they know I Have a significant amount coming back to me just so they can keep it and say we are keeping your money for an incident that happened 6 mo ago . That’s insane 

2 Replies 2
Emiel1
Level 10
Leeuwarden, The Netherlands

@Edgar408 

Both reservations are "long term stays". Guests can cancel, but 30 nights (or less if there are not 30 nights remaining) will not be refunded. A pending refund will not disappear after some time (it can be seen in Transaction History, did you check it ? ), so even after 6 months it can be used to deduct from new payouts.

 

Best regards,

Emiel

Janet934
Level 1
Chattanooga, TN

You wrote this 2 years ago, I see.  I'm having a similar problem with receiving TWO payouts.  One overnight guest has come and gone (no payout) and another long term guest has been here 2 weeks and still no payout for either.  I've spent 3 days on the phone with these agents, who say they'll look into it, then basically telling me they have to finish something with "Jonathan" (who the hell is Jonathan?) before the funds can be released.

I've been happily hosting Airbnb guests since 2016, as a Superhost, and closed down for 2 years during Covid.  The last guest I hosted left the end of March, 2020.  

I decided to re-open the room last month, September 2022, and it was immediately booked.  Meantime, it seems that unbeknownst to me, someone had "booked" a second room I have, in May 2022.   I have not relisted that room.  I saw a conversation between "Jonathan" and Airbnb where he  said the room was booked fraudulently -  he had never booked any room.  Apparently there was some back-and-forth because $500 was credited about 4 times. 

I know/knew nothing about any of this.  It has NOTHING to do with me at all, but Airbnb will not release my own money, amounting to roughly $2,000.00.

I'm really mad now.  As you said, this is major BS.  I've now told them that I will report this conduct to the Better Business Bureau and if it's not resolved, I'll call our Consumer Alert TV station and tell the story to the media.

In one of the generic "messages" I've gotten, the Agent told me to call the Hotline.  I asked for the phone number.  I didn't get it.  They're ignoring me now, as my checking account dwindles.

I'm not sure what to do next since they're not responding to me.

This frankly shocks me.  I'd never figure Airbnb, with whom I've had an ongoing  good relationship, to treat a host so badly.