Reservation doesn't appear to be legitimate

[Maureen-And-Cathy0]

Airbnb cancelled a reservation and refunded my guest the payment. They sent this notice to me.

"We monitor all reservations and user interactions on Airbnb very closely. We've noticed this reservation doesn't appear to be legitimate. As a result we have canceled the reservation and refunded the payment. If you feel this was done in error, please let us know. Otherwise we hope you understand that we do this to preserve the integrity of our marketplace. "

Has this happened to anyone else? I have asked them why they cancelled but they have not replied? It was a one month booking, so I am sorry to lose it. Especially since I don't know why or what we did wrong.

Any idea how I can contact Airbnb for an explanation?

Confused

[Clare0]

@Maureen-And-Cathy0 There must have been some kind of issue with the guest. Airbnb will never tell you the details due to security and privacy reasons.   I think you probably escaped a bad situation by Airbnb's cancelling the reservation.  I'm sure they would not have done this  if it weren't serious. 

You didn't do anything wrong.  Airbnb is protecting you.  And yes, I have heard of this happening before.  

I'm sure that you are disappointed with the loss of income, but rest assured Airbnb did this for a good reason. 

[K-Ristoffer0]

@Clare0but what about the earnings? the guest actually showed up and stayed in the property. the payout shouldn't be deducted since this is not the hosts fault.

[Lisa7]

This happened to me once when a scammer tried to book my place. I noticed actually and flagged to Airbnb, and they responded with the same message. 

It happened when a host's account was hacked. (She probably clicked on a spam/phishing link and entered her username/password thinking it was a real Airbnb link.) Then the spammers were able to instant book my place, gaining access to my email address and mobile number. Then they started texting me spam links. This went on for a few months.

Bottom line, just be grateful that you don't have to deal with this person, and hopefully you will get replacement guests.

[Clare0]

@Maureen-And-Cathy0 and @Lisa7  Coincidentally I found this message to a guest yesterday on twitter.  I imagine, Maureen, that your guest got something similar. Note that this person's reservations were cancelled too. 

[Maureen-And-Cathy0]

Thanks Lisa and Claire,

You have taken a weight off my mind. Especially that tweet, I am hoping that if I did something wrong AirB would send me a note saying I had messed up. If the fault lies with the guest then I don't want to know his business. But I keep thinking I did something wrong, because it was such a complicated booking and the young couple seemed so cluless about how Airbnb worked. They couldn't even tell me how much money they had paid for booking my place (rent plus Airbnb fee).

The young couple wanted to rent a room in my house but I pointed them to my kids' house which has a private bathroom and no one else in residence. They liked that place but then we had to transfer the booking from one property to the other, and I had to send them a special offer because my kids place is listed a little more expensive than mine. When I sent the special offer I calculated it too low, but I just left it because they were a young couple on a tight budget, also we had had so much back and forth and so many changes that I didn't want to put them through another one. I was wondering if Airbnb cancelled the booking because I was renting a $30 a night place for $22 and they figured I was cheating them of commission.

This listing has been so hard to rent. It is a lovely place but not close to the sea. About three miles away from Crane Beach. The house belongs to my kids and they want me to rent it out, but I haven't had a single query in nearly three months listed. Only guests I have in that house have been people who have asked to stay at my house and I have suggested they take the kids' house instead. This is such a disappointment to my sons because they worked so hard to paint the house and I make them clean it for guests and do all the garden work. They are 13 years old and have worked like troupers.

Oh well I will drop the price again to see if I can get any one interested.

Shameless plug. Beautiful two bedroom, two bathroom, house couple of miles from Crane Beach available for $25 for two people or, $50 for up to six, eight if you don't mind a squeeze.

Disappointed in Barbados 

[Kathleen109]

I just had the same thing happen. 

Hello Kathleen and Kenny,

We monitor all reservations and user interactions on Airbnb very closely. We've noticed this reservation ZQ3H8J doesn't appear to be legitimate. As a result we have canceled the reservation and refunded the payment. If you feel this was done in error, please let us know. Otherwise we hope you understand that we do this to preserve the integrity of our marketplace.

Regards,
The Airbnb Team

It is crazy because Airbnb says to contact them but there is no way I can find to contact them. The guy called me and was upset becasue he has a flight booked for tomorrow and nowhere to stay. He seemed legit... am I crazy to do a cash deal with him?

[Lisa7]

Don't do it. The guy can find a hotel if he needs to. Or he can call Airbnb and get it sorted on his end. The risk isn't worth it for you. 

[Ellen93]

This just happened to me, but I am the guest? I have a reservation at the end of April, but I am a completely normal person?! Not spam or trying to hack anyone! Has anyone else ever experienced it from a guest point of view? I assume it means they feel something is dodgy about the host

[Lisa7]

@Ellen93 - Don't worry, but contact Airbnb customer service - either through Twitter, or search this forum for the contact numbers - and just talk to them about it. They can help you find a replacement booking or let you know what more info they need fro m you. 

[Lauren307]

This just happened d to me and they are due to check in 16 hours. I already paid cleaners

and all... very angry that there is so little explanation or communication about this being cancelled. 

[Teresa414]

I have a perfectly normal reservation from a perfectly normal young lady and her spouse.  Out of the blue Airbnb cancelled it with the same email stating it is not legitimate. There is nothing at all wrong with this young couple nor my home so I still suspect that airbnb has software designed to look for flags and it occassionally flags WRONG. I had another issue last month where airbnb gave me some negative personal feed back that a customer complained about size of house. (I don't rent the house, I rent a Room) Spoke with the guest who loves to return and stay in my room, (gave me 5 stars) Found out the guest was thrilled with the room that I rented and NEVER gave any negative feedback to Airbnb, I read their feedback and it was all positive. They made a positive comment about how awesome the house was and airbnb flagged it as house being too small. I found another complaint of other people with the same thing of house too small when they were not even renting the house. I had another where the guest gave a private postive comment on the beds being super nice and airbnb flagged me on cleanliness but the guest stated that my room was immaculate and gave me a 5 star.  WHen I call customer service they have no answer as to why I have the odd flags coming up. I have only one legitimate where a spider got in the room with a guest who had a great sence of humor, called himself a city boy and he made a comment about him being afraid of the spider but still gave me 5 stars and told me that I couldn't help that and he laughed it off but air bnb gave me a reprimand for bugs. I understand how the computer would flag me on bugs for that but the other feedback I can't find any keywords that would cause me to get flagged or for a good reservation to be cancelled. This young lady and her husband are not scammers and neither am I.

[Mickey18]

Airbnb just cancelled one on us too.  so wonder if it’s because I sent the couple a bunch of hints on how to shop for houses.  They are relocating and coming into town for a few days and to shop for their house - weird, because these guys were the only ones I ever had a conversation about their visit.  I asked questions because they booked a few week days instead of a weekend.  I normally am a vacation (weekend) rental.

Hi, Mickey and xxxx,

We monitor all reservations and user interactions on Airbnb very closely. We’ve noticed this reservation HMNCFECQDN doesn’t appear to be legitimate. As a result we have canceled the reservation and refunded the payment. If you feel this was done in error, please let us know. Otherwise we hope you understand that we do this to preserve the integrity of our marketplace.

[Mickey18]

so - after i got my email from airbnb for their  

monitor and cancellation, i did contact them using the “contact us” button and asked them.  they got back to me and told me they had to cancel the guests account and reassured me that it wasn’t something i put in my posts.  i was so worried because i was helping the guests prepare for their move by sending them real estate links and thought that was what got the red flag.

[Pesona-Air0]

this just happen to me the messeage contain

Hi, Pesona Air and Gretchen,

We monitor all reservations and user interactions on Airbnb very closely. We’ve noticed this reservation HMAHB93XNP doesn’t appear to be legitimate. As a result we have canceled the reservation and refunded the payment. If you feel this was done in error, please let us know. Otherwise we hope you understand that we do this to preserve the integrity of our marketplace.

Regards,
The Airbnb Team

but where is the call number??? who to contact to?? 

its 6-8 hours before their arrival. and the chat center doest reply yet and its already 4 hours since i chat them 😞