Guest damages

Josh-and-Emilia0
Level 1
Torrensville, Australia

Guest damages

Hi All

 

My current guests broke our timber trundle bed in our hosted apartment. I'm wondering whether Air BnB themselves offer hosts  insurance coverage to replace items that guests have broken or whether I would need to seek reimbursement from the guests themselves?

 

Regards

Josh

4 Replies 4
Josh-and-Emilia0
Level 1
Torrensville, Australia

I lodged the enquiry with Air BnB support on the day that it happened but no response so from them other than an acknowledgement. I've since followed up with a couple more message to see where it's at and spent 20 mins on hold to their support line but nothing back from them so far...

 

Has anyone else experienced a similar issue? How did you handle it?

Robin4
Level 10
Mount Barker, Australia

@Josh-and-Emilia0 

G'day Josh,

There are two paths that you can possibly choose here! 

 

1/.....The first thing you must do before the next guest arrives is photograph the damage and get at least two written quotes on the repair of this bed, dig out that receipt for the original purchase of the bed so you will have it on hand when Airbnb want to sight it....as they will. You must have all these things on hand because Airbnb will give you a very limited amount of time to respond to their correspondence and if you don't reply within their time-frame they will simply close the ticket.....goodnight **bleep** to that claim! Remember you have 14 days, or before the next guest arrives to send a damage claim request to the resolution centre.

The Resolution Centre  will tell you to send a damage claim to the guest, and the guest has 72 hours to respond to that damage claim. If by some fluke of nature the guest says..."yeah, that seems reasonable, I will pay it, take the amount from my credit card", Airbnb will do that and forward the agreed payment on to you.

 

Now Josh, that's where the 'pigs might fly' bit finishes....ok!

 

The guest will reply to your message with a very abrupt comment that the bed was in that condition when they arrived and you should be more vigilant in checking your listing between guest arrivals, and they in fact have a counter claim against you because the bed was so uncomfortable due to the poor condition it had been maintained in and they require a refund to the value of your claim as compensation ....... stalemate.

The other option is, they will simply ignore your claim and have no further contact with you! But you have to wait out that 72 hours!

 

After 72 hours you will click the help tab in the message stream with that guest and the resolution centre will become involved. They will then duplicate the process and send the guest a request for the claimed amount and Josh, you guessed it, the guest has a further 72 hours to respond to the resolution centre communicae.

Now, if once again by yet another 'fluke of nature' the Resolution Centre says to you...."So sorry this has happened to you we will make an offer of compensation, can you please forward.....(Now remember I said keep these things handy) all your receipts and estimates to make this bed whole again"

 

They will at that point go down one of two paths.

A/......They will say because you could not provide sufficient documentation about the history of the bed or the precise events that lead to its demise, they will reluctantly on this occasion reject your claim!

B/......They will actually accept the claim but  you must remember in the Terms of Service it quite specifically said that all claims would be assessed on a 'wear and tear' basis and the loss department has assessed the amount of liability in this instance to be 5% of the initial purchase price!

Sign here and we will attend to it!

 

2/.......Second option, Josh, you are at Torrensville mate! Zip over to Ikea at the airport and grab yourself another trundle bed for 120 bucks, put your cleaning fee up $5.00 and in no time you will have the bed covered , but the big thing is......

You will be ready for the next guest!

Don't expect too much from the Resolution Centre Josh.....then you won't be disappointed!

 

Cheers.........Rob

 

Nakayama0
Level 8
Oyabe, Japan

How about fixing it for yourself and let them sleep other room or so to make understood your effort to make your premises clean and tidy?

My guest brought wash bowl, washed their clothes with it in a RESTROOM, then spill all the water over the floor!

I took a fan to dry it up, close the restroom, saying 'No one wash in a restroom with a bowl in this country, this floor is NOT waterproofed. We are restoring, it is no use till it dries. Please go near shop to rest." They understood what they did.

Robin is 100% correct. 

Airbnb support is absoluetly the worst. They didn't notify me till 5 days into a guests stay that Airbnb didnt collect funds and that I can cancel the reservation with out penelty before the guest arrives. Well, 5 days late! The guest abruptly some how cancels the reservation. 

Here is where the fun begins. Airbnb blames me for allowing the guest to arrive. Say what!? The guys cat literally DESTROYED the entire headboard and footboard. Smoked in the unit, left drugs out, etc and airbnb hasnt responded in 2 weeks. I call them... well the ticket is set as URGENT someone will reach out to you. 

I have sent photos 3 times to Airbnb and to the guest, and nothing. The reservation shows that the guest never arrived because they cancelled it. We have been super hosts from the beginning of time and this is the first issue we have ever had, but we are a little gun shy now. You'd think since we have 49 units with them that they would care and respond. Nope. 

You arent getting anything from Airbnb.