Blatant Host Guarantee Scam

Stephen1120
Level 2
Ellicottville, NY

Blatant Host Guarantee Scam

Here's the story. My cleaner shows up at 10:00am immediately upon check out. She notifies me of damage to my favorite piece of furniture - a one of a kind green velvet bench. I contact the guest. The guest says the bench was in perfect condition when they arrived, but did not damage it. "It must have been my cleaner."

 

The next guest is checking in at 5:00pm that day even though my check in time is 4:00pm. I quickly run to the house after work to see it for myself and take photos. I call airbnb at 4:30pm to report the damage. He tells me it will all be ok. The next guest arrives and I show them the damage to make sure they know it was not them. 


At 6:00pm I submit my resolution center request with a ton of evidence. 

 

3 days later airbnb rejects my claim because I "submitted it too late." Claims must be submitted before the next guest checks in. I made the phone call 30 minutes late and now they are not compensating me for the damages under the guarantee. I was there when the next guest arrived and they even confirmed that for airbnb. Airbnb did not care.  How is this possible? Why don't they care about hosts? I am out hundreds of dollars now. Disturbing. 

6 Replies 6
Lisa723
Level 10
Quilcene, WA

@Stephen1120 sorry this happened to you. You're not the first. Not to blame the victim, but all new hosts should read all the rules and regulations before going live, in self-defense.

 

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/767/what-is-the-resolution-center

Thanks for responding. I get I should have read the rules and regulations, but the expectation is unrealistic. I submitted the request 30 MINUTES LATE!!! 30 minutes. AND I have confirmation that the next guest had not checked in yet which means I technically did not violate any of the requirements for a host guarantee. They are literally screwing me over a technicality even though they acknowledged that they knew which guest caused the damage. It wasn't a day late. It wasn't a week. It was 30 minutes. 

 

Anyone with 1 iota of common sense knows this is a scam meant to protect airbnb from covering host damages. 

@Stephen1120 yes of course it is.

 

Also, even had you met the constraints, there is no actual guarantee. Whether Airbnb pays a contested claim is always a roll of the dice.

@Stephen1120  It can't be a scam because it is a clear, easy to understand rule.  Yes, a common sense approach when a host can prove conclusively that no guests were in a unit subsequent to damages and a very short 30 minute delay would be to waive the rule.  But, never expect common sense from Airbnb.  And any time Airbnb is able to cite one of their few clear rules as a way to avoid doing anything, they will do it. So, consider it a lesson learned. 

Fred13
Level 10
Placencia, Belize

"my favorite piece of furniture - a one of a kind green velvet bench" in a rental to constantly coming-and-going total strangers? Perhaps temporarily replace it with a tough-as-nails, bomb-proof Ikea piece of 'furniture'.

Robin4
Level 10
Mount Barker, Australia

@Stephen1120 

When I started hosting Stephen, a wise man said to me..."Don't put anything out there in your listing you aren't prepared to lose"....and that is one of the best bits of advice I ever got.

 

Airbnb are not accepting host claims with welcome arms Stephen. The host guarantee is not an insurance policy, you don't pay a premium for it and there is not a defined set of circumstances under which you will be compensated. It is an adjudicated system, and obviously Airbnb want to limit their liability in any way they can. 

I am sorry you are in this situation but Airbnb adhere to the letter of their claims procedure and if you miss any of their deadlines or requirements by even a second....you are dead meat, you have left them an out!

 

Take that 'favourite' piece of furniture out and do as @Fred13 suggests, put in something that you are prepared to lose!

 

Cheers........Rob