Hello everyone,
This is my first contribution, but unfortunately, my introductory message isn't exactly illuminating.
We recently had our villa well and truly trashed by an Airbnb guest, as the evidence we provided in our claim clearly shows. The guest flagrantly broke house rules and caused verifiable damage, costing us hundreds.
He even admitted it in his rebuttal, though unsurprisingly, doesn't agree with the cost of damages, but he admitted the violations and the mess they left.
We contacted Airbnb support literally on the same day of this guest's checkout, and were promptly given advice on how to proceed. We even asked about any time limits. 60 days is what we were told.
We had no security deposit. It is not security deposit related. According to Airbnb's own claim policy, which the support bot keeps repeating to us, the technicality used to justify declining our reimbursement request (we failed to file the claim before the next guest arrived) doesn't even apply in this case, as it is not a claim against a security deposit.
Nobody in Airbnb's support department has ever indicated there was any such limitation. 60 days is what they told us. We finalized the claim in 4 days. We filed the claim as soon as we had the final bill, as instructed by Airbnb support. We did exactly as we were told.
But Airbnb host guarantee dept closed the claim, with the justification that it was not filed before the next guest arrived. Despite that being contrary to the directives given by Airbnb support, and contrary to Airbnb's published policy.
Airbnb are always encouraging hosts such as us to be better at what they do. As a superhost and ambassador, with a highly desirable offerings, well booked year-round, with consistent 5* ratings for nearly a decade, I believe we have been exemplary in that regard.
Would Airbnb have us leave the house filthy, smelling like a night club for the next guest? In fact, had the next guest's booking been only one day later, it would have not only been equally impossible to file the claim beforehand, but we would certainly have had to cancel the next guest's booking. Surely Airbnb must understand the implications to our business, and ostensibly, Airbnb's as well? We spent 3 full days cleaning up this mess, and it was a major rush-rush, to avoid subjecting the next guest to it. And we spent far more than what we asked in compensation.
Now, as a result of Airbnb's inexplicable refusal to pursue this well evidenced claim at all, we're stuck with all of the consequences and costs, while the offending guest gets away with impunity, on a nonapplicable technicality.
Now, we are being completely ignored by both the host guarantee department, and every support request is closed without any reply.
As a long time Airbnb host (amongst the first in Mallorca), and a long time superhost with year round bookings, consistent 5* ratings, and niw being elevated to "ambassador" we had become one of Airbnb's most dedicated evangelists in Mallorca. Long ago, we dropped all other booking platforms, and have been listed solely on Airbnb, and for years, and it's all been very successful for both of us. We are perhaps the very icon of the character of host which Airbnb has always encouraged and promoted.
However, this is no longer the Airbnb that we started with, and as much as it pains us, we feel compelled to begin migrating away from it. I have to suspect this change may be related to the recent IPO, as the character of the company becomes more and more enslaved to the needs of the shareholders rather than hosts and guests.
I'm under no illusions that I can expect any better treatment from any other platform, but it's really a shame to see Airbnb begin a descent into mediocrity. It was such a great company and we were really proud to be part of it.
Anyway, I felt compelled to write this. Sorry that it had to be my first contribution.
Saludos - stay safe. Watch your back.
Elaine Harrington
Proprietor
Villa Son Gat Mallorca
