Here is an sms I am starting to send out to my future iminent reservations. This is for reservations that are to take place over the next 21 days......
Hello ………….. This is Rob your Airbnb host for your up-coming stay on…………. Due to an internal error within the Airbnb organisation, Australian hosts have not received hosting payouts since the end of October. As there has been no communication from Airbnb as to the cause or the expected rectification of this problem I have to inform you, your upcoming stay with us has been compromised to the point where we are not in a position to honour existing Airbnb reservations. I love my hosting and will always continue to provide the great experience that has got us where we are, but, we do need to be paid for the service we provide, we have costs that need to be covered.
I suggest at this point you cancel your existing Airbnb reservation and I will direct you to another hosting platform where the financial transaction will be more secure. I have a flexible cancellation policy which means you will be fully refunded for what I should have been paid by Airbnb and I will undertake to cover some of the loss of any service fees that Airbnb charged on your reservation.
I am sorry to have to bring this news to you but, the total lack of any help or information from Airbnb has forced us into this! Please attend to this urgently and I will help in any way I can. Cheers……Rob
I am sending another sms to guest reservations in excess of 21 days to inform them of the situation and to tell them I will keep them informed over the next 14 days of any possible resolution that Airbnb may be able to conjur up but at this point their reservation is secure!
Gee whiz, and to think the payout side of this business was the main thing we could rely on Airbnb for....I have said it before....every day teaches me something!