Kindness Cards - These have been sent out

[Yadira22]

Hello All, 

Hope you are well. 

Just been notified that those "kindness cards" airbnb proposed to be sent out several months ago, have been/are being sent out. 

If you do not want any part in the receipt of donations from previous guests, you need opt out now. 

Thanks, 

Yadira 🙂

[Lawrene0]

Oh no! How were you notified, @Yadira22 ? And thanks for this.

[Lisa723]

@Lawrene0 I received a solicitation to send one to a previous host yesterday. Plenty of chatter on Facebook about it as hosts not active on this forum learned about it by receiving them. Haven't seen anyone who is pleased.

[Yadira22]

@Lawrene0 my thoughts exactly. I saw it in a family member's inbox, once I get a screenshot will send it over ( @Lisa723 maybe you can post it (please)?)

I opted out from the donation part and have written to all our guest to kindly please avoid sending any donations our way- any received (if at all) will be returned to donor or sent to a charity (of their choice) as a donation from their end or used as a "deposit" for future stays with us. 

COVID-19 has created a LOT of hardships for everyone and no one has come out of it unscathed- of the 15-20 or so who responded some have lost loved ones, their jobs, their businesses, some are going through very hard emotional times, some are in "survivor mode" and some are ok. Considering the general responses I had and where I know I stand within my economic situation, I cannot in good faith accept this but appreciate that not everyone has the luxury to do this.  Anyway- stay safe!

[Lisa723]

@Yadira22 

[Yadira22]

Thank you @Lisa723! 

@Helen350 sorry for the misread- have been running on about 4 hours sleep these days. 

If anyone is close to a guest who has stayed with them and has personally opted out, it would be great if we could get some clarification of the remainder of this process. Because I have opted out but not sure if my previous hosts have (not) so unless I ask them, it could be a tad awkward. Thanks 🙏🏻 

[Helen350]

Aaaaarrrrrgghhh! - I've RECEIVED a card! - (I'd opted out!) - Now I need to think about my reply! - Don't want to be ungracious, but dying to know IF he was asked to send money... and to tell him that we hosts feel awkward about this....

@Yadira22 @Ian-And-Anne-Marie0 

[Yadira22]

@Helen350 

send this

Dear xxx

Hope you are well.

Our time at your AirBnB was beautiful and we are beyond grateful to have been able to have stayed with you, so from the bottom of our hearts thank you! Sending so much love your way, please stay safe and remember that better days are coming.

Helen. 

It's a bit inappropriate to mention the money section.

Good luck 

[Helen350]

You misunderstood @Yadira22 .... I RECEIVED a 'kindness card' from an old guest, the last one before lockdown, 2 days before, in fact....

(I've just messaged him, to say thanks, but we hosts think it's a tacky marketing ploy, & was he asked for money, cos i'd opted out, - hope he wasn't!)

I've never stayed in an Airbnb, never been a guest, only a host!

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Yadira22 @Lawrene0 

You cannot opt out of having your details included in these ridiculous begging cards, only opt out from receiving any donation from a guest EXCEPT - the guest doesn't know you have opted out and any  donation intended for you will go to charity. Airbnb are using hosts to defraud cash from guests.

I received a donation invitation today for all the hosts I've stayed with over the last few years. The reality is, any sincerity in these donations would have been at the point the guests were screwing hosts by overriding their cancellation fees with Airbnb's help, not 3 months later.  The most recent host seen on the card is the one which is featured on the sent email. After 3 months, that's highly likely to be a recent cancellation.

Suggested text for guests to enter in the cards include; "you're a fantastic host", "I've been thinking about my stay at your beautiful place", "You're one of my favourite hosts on Airbnb and I appreciate all you do" 🤢 No suggestions included " Sorry we screwed you over...", "We hope you can pay your mortgage and utility bills...", "We hope you don't lose your home..." - as so many hosts have and will.

Recent guests to our place would never have met us, never have visited us, never have seen our place - as, for the last 3 months - they all just cancelled.

Airbnb are abusing our privacy with this promotion and despite being warned, continue to anyway.  Corporate abuse is a serious issue and warnings are never given lightly.

What of guest @Trace386  who came to this forum to express DISGUST as a guest receiving such a card - she couldn't pay for food for her kids, was going to be evicted and then, her post being deleted! DELETED - CENSORED - REMOVED. A definite recent occurrence across all the forum.  @Airbnb you are despicable.

'Discussion' and 'Listening' thread:

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/A-new-way-for-guests-to-show-you-appreciation-and-encour...

@Lawrene0 @Eileen0 @Joan23 @Robbie54 @Sarah977 @Mike-And-Helen0 @Robin4 @Susan17 @Louise0 @Donald28 @Katrina79 @Juan63 @Colleen253 @Ute42 @Helen3 @Andrew0 @Jennifer1421 @Helen350 @Jean-François73 @Yadira22 @Jessica-and-Henry0 @Melodie-And-John0 @Sandra126 @Trace386 @Brisas-Kukulcan0 @Ian-And-Anne-Marie0 @Alba160 @Gordon0 @Paul60 @Alex1425  @Joan23 

[Helen350]

Hang on @Ian-And-Anne-Marie0 , I'm confused.......

- Are you saying that when we opt out, the guest will STILL be asked to send us money? And the money they send will go where? Charity? Airbnb coffers? Will the guest think WE received their donation? Or will the guest think the money went to a charity which WE authorised? - Or will the guest just send the 'kindness' card, knowing we chose not to receive a donation?

Can the moderators please explain whether guests are asked for money when hosts opt out? @Stephanie  @Lizzie @Nick @Liv @Quincy 

I know it was discussed ad nauseam before, in the post you referenced, Ian, but I'm still confused ....

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Helen350 

I went through the whole process today Helen to the point of clicking the 'Pay' button. My credit card was there already selected.

At no point in that procedure was there any notification that 'the host' might have opted out and that any payment would go to charity. WHATSOEVER.

[Helen350]

.... but likely the host had not opted out, as most hosts don't read CC posts, @Ian-And-Anne-Marie0 .... I''d like to know what happens when you start clicking on those who HAVE opted out......

I've opted out, cos I don't want my old £20-30 a night guests to be asked on their low budgets! 

- But if I thought they would be asked anyway, & might THINK they'd sent money, well, I'd rather receive it than have it fall into a black hole! 

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Helen350 

I'd rather my name and details not be used to defraud cash from any guest. No opt-out button has been provided for this, and in the sending a card and paying a donation - automatically selected at £50 - there was no notification that ANY host would have opted out, or that monies might divert to any charity or black hole.

As yet @Airbnb @Stephanie  @Lizzie NOBODY has provided any financial reports on where ANY charity payments have ended up when collected by AirBnb. Many members here have requested that information - but no information has ever been provided. @Susan17 requested it, @Sarah977 has requested it and I have requested it. Where do charity payments go and where have they gone over the last 5-7 years. There should be a corporate accounting report available for viewing of these charitable distributions. Where are they?

[Suzanne302]

@Ian-And-Anne-Marie0  Slow your roll for a second.

I am not a fan of Airbnb sending the cards on our behalf, however, the email sent to @Trace386 was NOT from Airbnb. And her thread has not been deleted, either.

So in the interest of honesty, please don't portray it as that. She received an email from a specific host asking her to donate to Paypal. It was not sent as part of the Airbnb "kindness cards."