Extremely poor service and help from AirBnB

[Ben502]

Last Thursday I had serious problems with my guests, I contacted AirBnB by phone, by mail/chat they thanked me for calling, understood my problem, were very sorry with my problem, would give it to an accountmanager with high priority but that was all. No help, no advice, not returning my mails and calls. Now it's Monday and still nothing.

The following happend, my guests checked in last Wednesday, the next morning they called and wanted  a (cash) refund otherwise I would get a bad review. I refused, I don't want to be blackmailed. After a short while I received a list of complaints: there was no stove and microwave (true, is not advertised nor offered), the sheets are nor soft enough, the outside, woodburning fireplace/bbq was not clean enough. Clearly fabricated complaints, but I offered to change the sheets. They agreed to that. An half hour later (Thursday morning) they cancelled the booking and AirBnB refunded half the rent without consulting me first or asking me what was happening.

Because of their cancellation guests should then leave the apartment before noon, THEY REFUSED TO LEAVE AND RETURN THE KEYS. At that moment I started to contact AirBnB, they were understanding but NOT helping.

What should I do? Kick them out by force? Call the police? I did not know. Decided to wait for AirBnB to get back to me, as they promissed.

Friday morning still nothing and the cheating guests still in my house. I live 1500 miles from the house so I asked my caretaker to go there and tell them again they had to leave or if not, we would go to the police. Then they left.

Host and guests everytime need to review each other and AirBnB constantly is pushing us to get better and we are getting better. 

Now it's time that AirBnB reflect those same standards also on themselves, because there is a whole lot to gained there.

Shame on you AirBnB.

Ben van Zadelhoff

[Ana1136]

@Ben502 yes, contact the police and have them removed immediately, you have proof of extortion and Airbnb will remove that review according to their policy. You shouldn't even wait for this long.

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Ben502

Airbnb will never be able to provide "immediate" support when it comes to kicking guests out. Hotels have security personnel for those types of situations. The best any host can expect is to get Airbnb to cancel the booking (penalty free for host) then threaten to call the police for trespassing if the guests refuse to leave because no valid reservation means those people are trespassing as they no longer have the right to be in your home. 

Airbnb is just a booking site - if there's a problem between guest and hotel for a booking made on booking.com site, it would still be between the hotel and the guest. The hotel would not expect booking.com to get involved in evicting a guest. No matter how Airbnb tries to spin it, in the end, all Airbnb can really do is just connect hosts and guests. Airbnb takes a service fee, and also holds onto what the guest paid and then relays the payment to host when the reservation takes place. This is it. 

[Linda108]

@Ben502  As @Jessica-and-Henry0 have posted, Air BNB is a booking platform and therefore the response you need from them is related to the cancellation and any guest refund.  Any guest management is up to your local resources.  Good call to have your local rep threaten to call the police.

You should be sure to have proof of the guest actual check out date to ensure the refund reflects the actual check out date.  Guests have the right to cancel for any reason even if you believe the reason to be false and the refund is based on your selected cancellation policy.  Hopefully you have a communication thread on the Air BNB messaging system.

[Mika8]

@Ben502 .. as the guests have cancelled but won't leave they are overstaying

this are the airbnb terms for overstaying  .... you have the right to charge them the double of the nightly fee (plus any legal expenses incurred by you to make them leave) .. so they should pay you at least 2,5 (if it troubles up another booking .. or let a friend book for tonight..) .. (double from overstaying plus 1/2 from cancellation) .. but I guess it would be difficult that airbnb really charge that .. although this are their terms.

8.2 Booking Accommodations

8.2.1 You understand that a confirmed booking of an Accommodation (“Accommodation Booking”) is a limited license granted to you by the Host to enter, occupy and use the Accommodation for the duration of your stay, during which time the Host (only where and to the extent permitted by applicable law) retains the right to re-enter the Accommodation, in accordance with your agreement with the Host.

8.2.2 You agree to leave the Accommodation no later than the checkout time that the Host specifies in the Listing or such other time as mutually agreed upon between you and the Host. If you stay past the agreed upon checkout time without the Host's consent (“Overstay”), you no longer have a license to stay in the Accommodation and the Host is entitled to make you leave in a manner consistent with applicable law. In addition, you agree to pay, if requested by the Host, for each twenty-four (24) hour period (or any portion thereof) that you Overstay, an additional nightly fee of up to two (2) times the average nightly Listing Fee originally paid by you to cover the inconvenience suffered by the Host, plus all applicable Guest Fees, Taxes, and any legal expenses incurred by the Host to make you leave (collectively, "Overstay Fees"). Overstay Fees for late checkouts on the checkout date that do not impact upcoming bookings may be limited to the additional costs incurred by the Host as a result of such Overstay. If you Overstay at an Accommodation, you authorize Airbnb (via Airbnb Payments) to charge you to collect Overstay Fees. A Security Deposit, if required by a Host, may be applied to any Overstay Fees due for a Guest’s Overstay.

[Linda108]

@Mika8  Thank you for publishing these terms.  I have never had a reason to research this issue, but it is very helpful to know.

[Patricia1190]

The customer service from this air bnb has to be the worst on the planet. Recently airbnb did not confirm three bookings to us. I only noticed the first one on the airbnb calander. After that i checked every message , calanders etc, and found they carried out this practice twice more.  I notice now that they are back confirming bookings again. The customer service even accused me of mis management. All airbnb guests should get a confirmation message from the host, and should never trust these internet companies