Is this the Priority support a super host should expect?

[Phanita0]

Hi everyone.

I got my super host status two and a half years ago and have been kept it since then. I do work very hard and take care of my guests the best way I can. Here the other day I had a guest that had to pay me for electricity and they asked me if we could do it through Airbnb´s resolution center as of they was leaving Thailand and didn’t want to exchange more money to Thai currency. Of course I understand that and had no problem to meet their request and help them out. I have done this with other guests before with no problems. 

The guest paid as they promise and I got the mail from Airbnb that everything is ok. In the resolution center it clearly says that the guest has send the money, but when I check the Transaction History nothing is showing and I have not recevied any money. I did contact the help center ( where as a super host you are promise Priority support) I did get a message back from support where they referred to the payout for the reservation and told me that it was already paid out and that I need to check with my bank to see where the money was ?  Again I tried to explain that this had nothing to do with the reservation but an agreement I had with the guest in the resolution center. The same person answered me back that I needed to contact my bank. And not before I asked the person that I wanted his supervisor to call me then they came back and said that really understood the problem and that he was going to send the case to someone else. Since then I have not heard from them. I did go to the help center and requested a call back where they tell you to be near by the phone and they will call within 10 minutes!! I have tried 2 times now over 2 days and still that haven’t contacted me??? 

I did send them another message where they say that they will contact me within 24 hours??

The status of that message says «This support case is now closed.» with not even bother to contact me. 

Is this the Priority support a super host should expect?  

I do read the  in the community center frequently and lately I have see a lot of frustrating host that just had enough of the way Airbnb is treats their hosts. 

Who can I contact now? when they don’t give me a call back and just close the case with out answering me?

In this case I feel that no host need to be a super host to get help from Airbnb 😞 

 Thank you all for any feedback

[Syl11]

@Phanita0  I think its odd charging another bill about the electricity. This should be in the gross price for your listing. It creates unnecessary work trying to send seperate bills. Some guests are not use to this.

[Phanita0]

@Syl11  Maybe it is odd charging for the electricity? But I leave it up to every guest to choose on how they want to use it! ( I advise them to turn off the air con when they’re not on the premise) But not all of them listen to that and will run it 24/7 and some with the windows open! It wouldn’t be fair to the people that use it normal to pay if I integrated the electricity in to the price. It is very common that listings on Koh Samui charges for the electricity and it is written my description and in my house rule. 

But the problem here is not that the guest or me have a problem with it, It is that Airbnb has collected the money and hasn’t release it to me and now won’t answer me!

[Syl11]

@Phanita0  Yeah, i understand what you mean about the 24/7 AC, most of my guests have common sense they turn it off when out, but i had one that left it on 24/7 every day  even when never in the apt during the day which is 5 days a week/4 weeks. I charge a premium so it covers these incidents. You might have to forget this one and not let it bother you. have a nice day!

[Fred13]

" I have done this with other guests before with no problems. "

This 'side arrangement' has potential problems written all over it, and now you are experiencing it first hand. Time to work on a better solution, or expect  the same hassle to occur many times in the future.

[Phanita0]

@Fred13 I have done it many times to with no problem and I don’t understand why it is a problem this time? Airbnb has got the money from the guest who had no problem with paying it.  

The problem is that Airbnb won’t release it or answer me when I try to contact them!

[Fred13]

It has the high possibility of confusion and it may get Airbnb  'involved' - that in itself should give you reason to come up with a cleaner alternative - one that will never get Airbnb involved in the first place. My Litmus test with anything I do with Airbnb guests is that whatever I do, I don't want Airbnb's CS infamous department to have to be involved.  I am just not into unnecessary heart attacks. 😄

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Syl11 @Fred13

I understand why you would think @Phanita0 's arrangement strange but in Asia this type of arrangement for short term lets is actually fairly common because utilities are not only really expensive but homeowners can actually face penalties (extra fines for excessive use) if it exceeds a certain level. Getting people to pay for what they use would be the only way to make sure they don't go crazy with the ac. 

But I do agree that the abb platform is not great for securing additional payments from guests. Too many loopholes~

[Fred13]

I could see that. How to get them to pay perhaps can be imp[roved; via Airbnb is where it could get sticky. How about determining an 'average' usage figure gathered from past guests and charging that figure upon arrival, for a room with AC 'connected'? Would that work?