Dumbfounded at case manager response

[Catherine232]

Ooooweee! I am beyond furious right now, but have complained and don't expect to be able to go any further. So I thought I'd post here to you guys to make myself feel better.

We are superhosts. We have a strict cancellation policy, but we try to be nice. We have already issued three full refunds this year, 2 to guests who were careless (seriously, can't people read?) and one to a sad situation whereby a wedding was cancelled and the parents were left holding the expensive bag of multiple bookings.

So, the most recent one involved a rather fretful guest who sent multiple messages about this and that, all of which I answered to the best of my ability. Among other things, the dude wanted two separate bookings, one of a single day, but didn't want to pay separate cleaning fees or reservation fees! I was patient, and he booked eventually, on behalf of his parents and another couple.

So yesterday I get a message from him which opened with, "I made a mistake". Basically he needed the reservation for this year, but had made it for 2019!!! How do you even do that? I use Airbnb myself and you get multiple confirmations. I had also said, at one point in our conversation something about it being a long way into the future.

I got the message at 9:00 pm last night but couldn't answer immediately because my eyes rolled back so far in my head.

But this morning I got up, put on my Superhost hat, and responded kindly but telling him he had to initiate the cancellation and get in touch with Airbnb, because I, as Superhost would be penalized if we cancelled for him. Regardless, we were happy to support his request for a full refund of his booking.

Fine. Then I get a ridiculous message from a case manager asking about the request (didn't the manager read our conversation) and going on about extenuating circumstances, that they were waiting on documentation etc.

I responded that we had already agreed to refund, but that I thought it was extremely disingenous of him to frame it as extenuating circumstances when the guest himself had admitted it was his error. I said it was my understanding that extenuating circumstances were for situations out of the guest's control, as in when we had a cancellation from a Texan family trapped by last year's floods. I mean seriously, extenuating means mitigating, not **bleep**.

Case manager wrote back telling me I was rude to tell him how to do his job!!?!?!!?!?! Colour me stunned. I phoned Airbnb and said, again in so many words, "We suck up so much **bleep** from guests, and we smile sweetly, and keep repeating ourselves. I was within my rights to insist on keeping the funds we were entitled to, but we were being decent. In the same light, I am sure Airbnb staff have plenty of crap to deal with between guests and hosts, but seriously? a) it was completely disingenuous, and I stand by what I said and b) surely they too know part of their job is to deal with the crap".

I could tell the woman I was talking to could care less, but hey, I had to get it off my chest. I also said if there was any further dialogue required, that I would not be having it with that case manager.

Long and short of it was they gave me a $25 credit. Woopee...I'm sure I can stay at a high end listing with that!

Bah humbug. Rock on hosts, I bow down to us all. Keep smiling! Indeed I feel better for having poured out my woes 😉

[Robin4]

One of the main....well, the main reason I gave CS away was users like @Kenneth12!

What on earth is the point of trying to help someone who comes to me with an attitude and perception that I am ...un-professional, dis-courteous and incompetent!

Some times users would do well to remember that old saying 'you reap what you sow'....and on reflection I can fully understand why Kenneth has that perception!

Ken, you have made some great contributions over time, cut them a bit of slack and you may just alter those ideas you have about them!

Cheers.....Rob

[Victoria567]

Hi Victoria,
When I booked in July, it did not say anything about a cost of laundry. I was looking specifically for places that had free laundry facilities and, had you told us last night about the fee, we would have waited to do our washing. I understand your reasoning for requesting guests pay for using your machines, but I feel that the fee needs to be communicated clearly with guests before they use the machines. We really enjoyed our stay with you and plan to write an excellent review of the room and breakfast.
Julie and Amanda

Response today from two young “ladies” who think it’s ok to use my washing facilities and not pay to use them.

Particularly galling as I waived one nights strict cancellation fee for them, reducing from 2 nights to one nights stay,so I lost a whole nights booking fee into the bargain.

Pattern emerging and Im finding that my trust in human kind rapidly diminishing, particularly as in the photos on my listing of the laundry facilities states a fee has to be paid and to ask on arrival.

[Victoria567]

Any suggestions from the community in what sort of review I should be writing?

 Victoria 

[Noel63]

Hello @Victoria567

It is frustrating when guests don't read the entire listing. You may also need to put the laundry fee in your rules (if you haven't already). I don't think all guests look at all of the photos.

Sorry, I've just read that it is in your rules.

With regards to the review:

Guests were clean and tidy but did not read the rules.

[Victoria567]

This is what I intend to post,

Hi Julie

Thanks for reaching out!

I love feedback whether it is positive or negative. I especially like feedback like this so others can see the “entitled” guests I sometimes have to deal with.

There is a large element of trust in being an air bnb host and I feel that trust has been eroded by a guest who does not care about honouring the £10 fee clearly stated in my air bnb listing for use of my laundry facilities in my family home.

Yes.....it’s my home, not some hotel or large corporation such as Hilton or Google who can forgo the odd Ten Bucks.

In fact it is the home of a retired senior, a woman in her sixth decade.

Particularly galling, as this gullible senior, also waived her Strict cancellation policy and let you change your booking from 2 nights stay to a 1 nights stay ( at your request, a couple of days prior to your arrival) FREE OF CHARGE and this senior also lost £62.50 in payment into the bargain!

I appreciate any guest who chooses to spend their money in my family home until they act like cheapskates, and tries to make it up to me by promising to write me a nice review.

You can pen whatever review you wish  and I won’t lose a second  of sleep over it.

The only thing I have lost this season, is trust in the “ entitled” guests that seem to be increasingly using the air bnb platform for a cheap deal, rather than being genuinely part of the sharing economy.

I shared my home with you but Im afraid I do not wish to be part of any deal!....whether bartering down a price for my accommodation or getting your money’s worth or even getting a good review as quite frankly I’m quite appalled by your attitude.

Enjoy the rest of your holiday in Scotland.

[Victoria567]

This is the private message received from Julie via air bnb this evening.

I will not be entering private correspondence with Julie and have gone to the resolution centre saying that Id like my £10 back in a cash payment and not as as voucher for air bnb services 

My response is what I intend to post as a public review as I feel as if I have been really taken advantage if and it’s the thin edge of the wedge as far as Im concerned now, particularly after waiving my strict cancellation policy into the bargain.

Hi Victoria,
When I booked in July, it did not say anything about a cost of laundry. I was looking specifically for places that had free laundry facilities and, had you told us last night about the fee, we would have waited to do our washing. I understand your reasoning for requesting guests pay for using your machines, but I feel that the fee needs to be communicated clearly with guests before they use the machines. We really enjoyed our stay with you and plan to write an excellent review of the room and breakfast.
Julie and Amanda

[Noel63]

@Victoria567I sympathise with you, but I feel that long reviews run the risk of being removed. Was the laundry fee in your rules at the time that they booked?

[Victoria567]

Yes the fees are stated below the photos of the washing machine and tumble drier, that guest can preview before booking their accommodation plus further mentions on the notes to my  house rules / house manual.

Resolution centre have resolved the issue and I’m getting my tenner back.....now wishing I had stuck to my strict cancellation  policy and then offer them 50% discount 

[Amy-And-Gin0]

I simpathise..The Case Managers are trained to automatically side with guests regardless.  I had a last minute cancellation from a guest who booked a room in my apartment for gbp65/night for 2 people and complained that the living room was not available.  He cancelled on the arrival day and Case Manager issued a full refund.  Please tell me that I do not have a valid point.

I know I am probably fighting a losing battle.  Hope hosts unite and fight for fair treatment..

[Alexandra316]

@Amy-And-Gin0 Are those seriously messages from Airbnb? I just can't believe how unprofessional they are. That is shocking.

[Amy-And-Gin0]

@Alexandra0Yes they were sent to me today..they sided with the guest automaticaly.  The first case manager I spoke to told me that my position was safe and that I "had nothing to worry about" and the 2nd one just reversed everything and issued a full refund without considering the points I made.  Other Case Managers heard the story and sided with me but they can do nothing because this Celia is a level above.  A judge would treat me more fairly than Airbnb would..venting my frustration here and hope that the good hosts out there will unite and fight back!

[Sarah977]

@Amy-And-Gin0   I think it's outrageous that they'd give a full refund to someone simply because he didn't have living room access. Also outrageous that they can't even assign case managers who are fluent in English to communicate with English-speaking guests.

However, as I understand it, if you list shared spaces in your listing, you can't arbitrarily tell a guest that you have friends staying there, so it won't be available- if it was listed as a shared space when the guest booked, it has to be available as a shared space for their stay, unlesss you mention it in a message between when they booked and when they arrive, and they confirm, in writing, that that won't be a problem.

Many nice guests wouldn't make any issue of it- "Oh, you have friends staying, no biggie". Too bad this guy pushed the issue, thought he had rented an entire place (just gotta love those non-readers), and demanded a refund.

[Amy-And-Gin0]

@Sarah977 Thank you for your sympathy. Its happened a few times over the last few years that I have had nasty encounters with bullying Airbnb case managers. I'm not perfect but this is not fair.  The guest paid £65/night + cleaning for 2ppl in Central London.  The rate should tell him it's just a room and not an entire apartment as this is cheaper than hostels where they cram 8 in a room.  Most guests understand that's it's a room to sleep in and don't even use the living room.  My place is very Central and its not the type where guests hang and stay in.  I don't know where they find these case manager as they are savages.  My cleaners have better manners 

[City-Limits-Ranch0]

If the living room is listed as a shared space then the guest can come into it and share it with you and whomever else is present.  The guest does not have exclusive use of the living room BUT NEITHER DO YOU.  I think a full refund  here is ridiculous but you indeed denied the guest access to an amenity they had a right to utilize.  You are actually in the wrong here.

If you want to exclude the guests from the living room at times then you need to take it out of the shared space amenity category and list it as "living room may be available for guest use at the discretion of the host and with prior arrangement."