I need help with a Nonpayment issue!!!! Please!!

Jay172
Level 2
Las Vegas, NV

I need help with a Nonpayment issue!!!! Please!!

HELP!! Anyone who can please direct me in the right direction would be tremendously helpful! Airbnb customer service has been completely useless and contributing to the issue. 

 

I received a "nonpayment" email from a long term guest who had paid the first 30 days of a 45-day rental 3 days ago with the big side note that says Airbnb is not responsible. As you can imagine, I contacted Airbnb customer service immediately. I have since made over 10 phone calls to Airbnb over the past 3 days. The first phone call they said they would need to transfer to the Trust and Safety Department and they would get back to me. After no responses, I called again and the rep was completely unhelpful saying, it's in Trust and Safety now and there was no way to contact them except through email. When I asked for the email, he said, sorry they can only communicate through email internally. I asked to speak with a supervisor and was told supervisor couldn't do anything either. What kind of corporation doesn't have internal communication between departments except through email? After 48 hours of waiting and making phone calls, I was told my issue was initially stuck at "normal" priority and they would escalate to "urgent." I asked them if a stranger was staying at their house for 3 days without paying, would it be urgent?? Of course it would!! I was told no case manager has even been assigned to my case after 48 hours and that it would be another 24 to 48 hours before somebody would get back to me. THIS IS SO UNACCEPTABLE!!

 

I have had a pleasant experience being a host since October 2017 but it's when there is an issue that separates a good company from a scammy company who only care about how to collect their portion of the fees. This issue could easily be remedied by reviewing their corporate policy:

 

1) I have a strict cancellation policy. On a 45-day rental, Airbnb should collect the first 30 days and then when 15 days in, they should attempt to collect the remaining 30 days. At least at that point, there would be 15 days of lead time to figure out the last payment or to kick out the guest at the end of her paid stay. As is, I'm stuck with an "existing" guest who is staying at my house for the past 3 days for free.

2) My guest has been attempting to pay and her account is blocked. Apparently, she has a case manager in Trust and Safety who isn't responding to her. She said the issue arose because there was fraud protection on her credit card. She tried to resolve by asking them to charge on a different credit card and now her account is blocked. And Airbnb is saying it's a "technical error."

3) No communication is possible between regualr customer service and their Trust and Safety Department. They say "As you are painfully aware, we can only communicate through email"...are you kidding me?

4) Why is the guest's case manager NOT the my (the host) case manager? I'm stuck in an endless case of she said, she said. Guest is saying she has tried to pay for the past 48 hours. Airbnb doesn't know what is going on other than it's in Trust and Safety Department and that they can't tell me what's going on other than it's a "technical issue."

 

At this point, I am holding Airbnb liable for any and all lost payments. When I received the nonpayment email, I asked the first rep if I need to evict my guest, and which point he vehemently said, no, we will handle it and have this issue resolved right away. It's now 3 days later and still no word.

 

Just got hung up on by the previous representative after waiting 20 minutes...and now I'm back to "I will call you back in 30 minutes after researching this issue..."

 

THIS IS LAUGHABLE AND RIDICULOUS!! HELP!!

3 Replies 3
Jay172
Level 2
Las Vegas, NV

I was finally helped by a Customer Service rep named McKenna who sent me to her supervisor, Mark, who immediately assigned me to a Case Manager in Trust and Safety named James, who immediately contacted the guest and all was paid up within 30 minutes...after 60+ hours of other reps chasing theri tail around...Thanks McKenna, Mark, and James.Airbnb needs to review their policies and procedures. 

Helga0
Level 10
Quimper, France

Flad you sorted it out, @Jay172. It’s a risk with longer than a month guests, but in most cases it’s a technical issue like a fraud protection on a card , especially when the guest uses it abroad without advising the bank in advance. 

I had a few payment problems, mostly with Asian guests, before booking. All of them sorted out after I contacted the guest and they contacted their bank. It’s faster than to run in circles through the levels of service. And T&S sounds so scary too 😉 

your case reminds me, that I have to tell my own incoming overseas guest to tell her bank that her card will be used in France and by the worldpay service, probably from Ireland. Two foreign countries, that’s enough to flag the card. 

Matthew27
Level 1
Washington, DC

In a case like this, of which I've had several, I found most success going straight to the source -- the guest. They usually realize their mistake and are trying to get payment to you, and I've found they will be much more willing to deal with the situation than Airbnb or banks. Usually, its a transaction issue that they can remedy with another form of payment. (I have never had a guest refuse to pay or a nonpayment for more than a couple of days)