Cancellation Policy: Airbnb once again throws the host under the bus to fawn up to dishonest guest

[Gulay1]

Dear Community,

Yesterday I had an experience, where Airbnb customer service chose to punish the host (me) for playing by the book and rewarded the guest for lying to Airbnb and to me. While I'm used to Airbnb throwing the host under the bus in a different circumstance (https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Help/Guest-damages-apartment-customer-service-refuses-to-grant/m...), I was shocked how readily Airbnb disregarded their own policies snug up to a deceitful guest.

A guest made a reservation over two months ago for 5 guests —let's call her Eve. As Eve was going to check in within a few days, I messeged her to see when she was planning to arrive at the location, so I can meet her. She didn't respond to my Airbnb messages and it appears she disconnected the phone number she had listed on Airbnb. Three days later, I still hadn't heard from Eve and she was about to check in within two days, so I involved Airbnb. When she saw Airbnb's message she immediately called me on a different phone number. When I asked her when would she and her friends would be at the apartment, she craftily slipped it in that all SEVEN of them would be arriving at 2:00 PM.

The building management has policies for the maximum number of guests we are allowed to have. I explained to Eve that they had made their reservation for 5 guests and I would not be able to accomodate 7 guests, even if I had agreed to it. Eve said should want to cancel, then, and hung up.

An hour later I received this threatening message from Airbnb customer support:

————————————

Greetings Gulay,

My name is Tahji and I am a case manager from Airbnb Trip Experience. I am reaching out to you about your reservation with Cijie with the utmost of urgency. This is an urgent time sensitive case and I must hear back from you by 24 hours. As a reminder, if I do not hear back from you, I will need to take the appropriate actions by canceling the reservation and providing a full refund to this guest; host penalties will be applied in addition to this. 

Please write back or give us a call at +1-415-800-5959 to discuss this further. 

Many thanks,

————————————

Eve had called Airbnb and told the agent that I had full knowledge that there would be 7 guests total from the beginning. She apparently said that we had a phone conversation, in which I had confirmed to her that they can bring 7 guests. Of course, I denied this baseless claim and pointed out that I wouldn't confirm their booking for 5 guests, if this was true.

It is prime time peak season where my listing is located. This booking had been active for over two months. Tahji decided to cancel Eve's booking with no fees or penalties, because she wasn't able to "Neither confirm, nor deny that [I] had spoken with [Eve] on the phone and said that they could bring 7 guests." I received no reimbursement.

Good luck, fellow hosts. I hope you never have to deal with Airbnb customer service.

TL;DR: The guest disobeyed Airbnb policies by intending to bring more guests than declared on the booking. Airbnb disregarded their own cancellation policy, based on the groundless claim of a guest, who had already lied about number of guests, that I had told them over the phone that it would be ok.

[Lizzie]

Hello everyone,

Thanks @Gulay1  for sharing your experience here, I am sorry to hear about this. You have raised some important points and I want to thank you for opening this discussion here.

Reflecting on Guest Standards generally, as you may know I recently joined Laura Chambers (who has recently been appointed to support our Homes Hosts at Airbnb), on a Global Host Listening Tour. Whilst speaking with hosts like yourself, guest standards and the desire for guests to be more mindful of host's house rules were raised several times. It is also a popular topic here in the CC and so, it's clearly an important area and a concern for many hosts.

I want you to know that Laura and her team are working with an array of teams within Airbnb, to convey the voice of the host community and make improvements, and provide tools to help support hosts more.

Laura and her growing team (100 people expected by the end of the year) are currently synthesising all of the feedback and ideas shared (face-to-face, CC and other channel), as you can imagine there are lots of opinions and thoughts to consider, and are making sure they are focusing on the key priorities for hosts.

As for your case, I don't know all the specifics, but I want you to know I have also fed your topics back to a colleague of mine in the Support Team and I will also pass this feedback on to the Homes Host team.

Thank you again and I will make sure we keep you and all of our community here in the CC as updated as I can.

Lizzie

To add, as this was an open case open with Airbnb's support team, inline with the CC Guidelines, unfortunately I will have to remove the direct communication chain (& photos) shared here, but I want to reassure you that this won't take away from the points you are making and all of the other content/discussion will remain. Feel free to contact me directly if you want to discuss this more. 

[Gulay1]

Hi @Lizzie,

First and foremost, thank you for your reply.

I'm glad Airbnb is working on Guest Standards, but I don't know if it applies to this problem. We often read on these forums the horror stories hosts share about disrespectful and/or destructive guests. I'm sure you're well aware, however, that all this outrage is directed towards Airbnb personnel and their treatment of hosts. It sure is annoying when a guest breaks your lamp or puts a cigarette burn in your couch, but what really is unacceptable and so infuriating is Airbnb's hypocrisy, despotism, and unfairness when dealing with its hosts. If anything in this thread is to be addresses, Airbnb needs only to correct their own attitude, not the guests'.

Hosts are annoyed, at most, when the guest doesn't behave. It is infuriating, however, when Airbnb abandons all reason, and even its own policies, in order to allow and assist a guest to walk away with no consequences. All we hosts ask for is fair judgement and steady policies.

Tools that Laura and her group are working on can't hurt, but what we definitely need is fair and reasonable treatment by Airbnb personnel.

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@Lizzie wrote:

there are lots of opinions and thoughts to consider

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Upholding Airbnb's own policies should not be up for consideration! Enforcement of these policies are the backbone that us hosts hope to rely on. This is like living in a society, where all laws apply to you, but none protect you when you need them to.

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@Lizzie wrote:

As for your case, I don't know all the specifics, but I want you to know I have also fed your topics back to a colleague of mine in the Support Team and I will also pass this feedback on to the Homes Host team.

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I do certainly appreciate it, Lizzie, but we consistently see case manager using the same tactics to discredit hosts. I don't think this kind of treatment emerges randomly, but rather is orchestrated by the higher management of that very Support Team.

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@Lizzie wrote:

To add, as this was an open case open with Airbnb's support team, inline with the CC Guidelines, unfortunately I will have to remove the direct communication chain (& photos) shared here, but I want to reassure you that this won't take away from the points you are making and all of the other content/discussion will remain. Feel free to contact me directly if you want to discuss this more. 

---

So I'm not allowed to show how Airbnb personnel treats me? Is this a secret? I take this as a warning shot. What I’m hearing is: “Tread carefully.”

[Neal-and-Eduardo0]

@Gulay1 I have been with great interest following your thread and all the valuable feedback from you and the other hosts.

I, too, feel a total lack of support from Airbnb as a host! I have recently had to pause my listing until I receive adequate communication back from Airbnb CS over a situation that arose at my listing last weekend.

I had guests that violated my no drugs policy on our property. In fact, they were given a friendly warning by my partner the night before as he caught them in their car. That evening the two guests could hardly stand let alone walk even close to a straight line. Later that same evening after they went to bed my partner goes out back to straighten up after them and finds quite a substantial"stash" that they in their state left behind in the open.

My partner was smart enough to take photos of the find but the next morning as they were out back in the pool area prior to opening time stated in the rules; we discover that the prescription medication Tramadol for our 18+ year old dog is missing!

I immediately called Airbnb CS and was told we can only address the drugs issue as we had photographic evidence that was sent to the CS along with a copy of the rules which are provided in writing in the guest's room.

When confronted with the evidence and asked to leave the guest became very aggitated and lunged to remove the stash from my partner's hands. I became fearful of ensuring violence and called 911. In the meantime we are keeping our Airbnb CS updated on our situation and I clearly stated that I wanted a resolution that would not impact our Super Host status as they broke our rules. The sherriff arrived and everything calmed down.

I then recirece a call from a new Airbnb CS who now saw the frightening messages that the guest was sending me from inside the house. I told him that I wanted a resolution that would get the guest to leave and not impact our Super Host status. He calls the guest and I hear a heated conversation ensue. The guest exited the room only to go back to our pool area. The Airbnb CS calls me and suggests that the reservation be cancelled and they pay for the two nights that they stayed. I agreed and even suggested that they find them some accommodation for the balance of the days.

Well, after 4 hours from the time it all began they finally leave but not without a final blow; the guest's girlfriend called me a Fa$$ot as she got in the car!

Then I get an email from Airbnb asking me to leave a review as the guest now has the same opportunity to leave me a review!

I have been asking Airbnb to eliminate this process for a week with no reply except being told " sorry, that's how this works." I made it clear over and over again to Airbnb that I wanted no impact to our status! They assured me that there would be no impact but how can they say that if this guest can spouy the same negativity on a review when it was all clearly their fault. I've even had to buy a video doorbell and amp up my other security because of this frightening situation!

Airbnb is not understanding and not at all at this point in time providing me with any understanding or support!

[Gulay1]

Hi @Neal-and-Eduardo0,

Wow! I'm so sorry you had to endure that. Listing in Miami, I've come to accept that most younger groups book my apartment to 'have fun and run.' I see that you're in Daytona Beach. I assume you have a similar situation.

The review system is just another method Airbnb uses to allow guests to have their way. Once a guest checks into your listing you're stuck. You need to do whatever it takes to keep them happy, even if they break house rules and/or the law, they can always smite you with a 1-star review.

I had a similar experience as you did. I never made an individual post for it, but I mentioned it briefly somewhere in this thread. A guest, Chris, had a party in our apartment. Music blasting through the night, abundence of marijuana, the usual... The security office called me on two different nights to tell me that the neighbors are complaining about the noise and that I have to control the situation. I texted Chris to ask them to keep it down in the balcony at nights. He left me our first ever 1-star review. It's still on the very top of our listing. I called Airbnb CS to explain. There were videos the neighbors recorded and several signed reports at the security office. CS didn't care. They said guests are entitled to leave whatever review, no matter the circumstances, unless it violates their guidelines (https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/546/what-is-airbnb-s-content-policy). They said the review doesn't even need to be truthful in any way, because truthfulness or honesty are not in the guidelines. Airbnb doesn't care about our side of the story, they just want us to do whatever the guest wants.

[Gulay1]

Hi @Neal-and-Eduardo0,

Wow! I'm so sorry you had to endure that. Listing in Miami, I've come to accept that most younger groups book my apartment to 'have fun and run.' I see that you're in Daytona Beach. I assume you have a similar situation.

The review system is just another method Airbnb uses to allow guests to have their way. Once a guest checks into your listing you're stuck. You need to do whatever it takes to keep them happy, even if they break house rules and/or the law, they can always smite you with a 1-star review.

I had a similar experience as you did. I never made an individual post for it, but I mentioned it briefly somewhere in this thread. A guest, Chris, had a party in our apartment. Music blasting through the night, abundence of marijuana, the usual... The security office called me on two different nights to tell me that the neighbors are complaining about the noise and that I have to control the situation. I texted Chris to ask them to keep it down in the balcony at nights. He left me our first ever 1-star review. It's still on the very top of our listing. I called Airbnb CS to explain. There were videos the neighbors recorded and several signed reports at the security office. CS didn't care. They said guests are entitled to leave whatever review, no matter the circumstances, unless it violates their guidelines (https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/546/what-is-airbnb-s-content-policy). They said the review doesn't even need to be truthful in any way, because truthfulness or honesty are not in the guidelines. Airbnb doesn't care about our side of the story, they just want us to do whatever the guest wants.

P.S. Sorry for the repost. When I try to reply I get consequent messages that the action cannot be completed, then that I'll be notified when the post is approved and I can't see the post when I reload the page. Also all of my notification feed disappeared. Not sure what's happening.

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Gulay1 (pointless tagging you - I know? )

Our Notification feed disappeared yesterday, 20 hours ago whilst posting on the "How to improve the Community Centre Forum" 

You couldn't write it could you. lol. !!

[Sarah977]

@Ian-And-Anne-Marie0  Yes, my notification feed was non-functional yesterday, as well. Probably for everyone.

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Neal-and-Eduardo0 

I'm sorry to hear about your ordeal and as you rightly say this situation over reviews needs serious attention.

I would suggest a change in the review system and that a fair policy would be that any Guest breaking house rules forfeits the right to any review.

A superhost doesn't change their spots over one guest and their proven track record should be enough to warrant that change.

[Neal-and-Eduardo0]

@Ian-And-Anne-Marie0 

Thanks so much for your reply and understanding of my complaint and disappoinment with Airbnb CS.

Yes Airbnb has complete verification of the house rules being broken by the guest through recorded phone conversations, photos sent to them and messages sent to us from the guest. Per my request they arbitrated a settlement but by my agreeing to refund 4 nights and and being paid for the 2 nights stayed and it was not explained to me that now the review process would be implemented. In reality, I compromised from my strict cancellation policy because I trusted that Airbnb would aribitrate an equitable solution that would not impact my superhost status and provide some kind of compensation to a very angry and aggitated guest!

From the beginning, I expressed my fear that our Superhost status would be impacted and was reassured that would not be the case! That's in a recorded conversation!

You might imagine my fear that the first review that a prospective guest might see now on our listing page is a negative review by this guest who broke the rules that they agreed upon when making the reservation to stay with us. How does that make sense or seem fair to me, the host?

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Neal-and-Eduardo0 

You might imagine my fear that the first review that a prospective guest might see now on our listing page is a negative review by this guest who broke the rules that they agreed upon when making the reservation to stay with us. How does that make sense or seem fair to me, the host?

It's not fair. Thats what we have to put up with and its plain and simplywrong.

Guest breaks rules, no review, problem sorted.

If it does result in being displayed as a first or early review, remember you do have an opportunity to reply. Use that wisely.

From the beginning, I expressed my fear that our Superhost status would be impacted and was reassured that would not be the case! That's in a recorded conversation!

Too many times this happens. Not just with Airbnb but many of the call centres who record conversations - 'for training purposes'. If you as the subject of the recording ever need to rely on that conversation 5 out of 6 times (personal experience) the recording goes missing. What with the requirement of CCTV and video entrance cameras to collect evidence of transgressions we'll be needing to add telephone recording equipment as well!

[Ron267]

Hello Lizzie, welcome to this forum.  Your response looks very promising and positive until you mention that this chain communication will be removed !?!? Why ? There’s no A case here, the only thing that need to improved is Airbnb policy , customer service with the hosts  and many other issues  that were mantion here that happened many times . By shutting down this communication you area not going to solve  anything . 

[Giedre-and-Andre0]

@Gulay1  Can you help to understand?

You wrote:

"...The building management has policies for the maximum number of guests we are allowed to have. I explained to Eve that they had made their reservation for 5 guests and I would not be able to accomodate 7 guests, even if I had agreed to it. Eve said should want to cancel, then, and hung up..."

Your accomodation is listed for 7 guests???

[Gulay1]

Hi @Giedre-and-Andre0,

If you keep scrolling you would also see on the very top of the listing description you would see:

"We can host up to 4 adults & 3 children (up to 17 years of age), per apartment management policy."

This, however, is beyond the point, and doesn't prompt any guest to bring more people than they had declared.

[Giedre-and-Andre0]

@Gulay1  OK, thanks for clarification...

Perhaps you want to consider for a next time a guest hangs up on you, to recap the conversation in a Airbnb message and to call CS immediately (BEFORE a guest will put in a case against you)... 

From past experience, dealing with CS, I know that if you have crystal clear

house rules and you able to point them out during a complain...

CS is willing and able to provide great help to hosts. They don't want to decide

on "he said/she said"...

Here my (relevant) house rules to prevent a case like yours:

- ONLY with full name registered guests are allowed on the property (ID check at arrival).
- ALL guests have to TRAVEL (from outside NYC) or fly and check-in/arrive TOGETHER.
- We are NOT HOSTING NYC LOCAL'S without explicit written agreement.
- NO MEETUPS, VISITORS AND/OR OVERNIGHT GUESTS that are not previously registered/booked and agreed by host in writing (STRICT: Breaking this rule will be handled as trespassing, the booking will be terminated immediately).

- Changes or adjustments of listed "House Rules" and/or your initial booking has to be agreed by host in writing via Airbnb App. It is mutually agreed that any violation of this house rules will terminate the rental contract and the host can/will takeover the guest-space. In this case, the guest(s) will get a refund as of Airbnb policy and waives all rights to stay.

In my case (I make it short):

- 1 guest booked for 1pm check in

- 2 guys came at 11pm with alcohol

- I called CS that I have trespassing going on on my property and advised to cancel

- I submitted screenshot from surveillance cameras and relevant parts of my house rules for clear evidence

- I confronted guest and told that I just terminated the rental agreement

- 5min later thy where out

- Guest was not allowed to leave a review

[Gulay1]

Thank you @Giedre-and-Andre0. Other hosts (Cathie and @Linda108 —I can't get Cathie to link right, sorry Cathie!) here also have suggested to be the one to call CS first. I cannot believe that this how it works. Nevermind the tangible evidence, being the one to call first might be matter more... I was skeptical at first, but I keep reading the same thing. Is this really how Airbnb operates?

And thanks again for sharing your experience with CS. I will try to replicate your method, starting tonight.

From what I've gathered, I need to be more aggressive with being the one to call Airbnb first in future.