Scammer???

[Dean26]

Hi All...

I'll try to make this short. I have two "Tiny Houses" I rent out in a nice section of a high end RV Park on a Creek.

A "Guest" arrived to check in and the ladies at the office contacted me and said they had no record of "Erik" arriving via the Airbnb website (they have my login) and wondered what to do. I had received no Reservation request or confirmation whatsoever. I contacted him the next morning and he was nice and when asked, sent me a copy of the email from Airbnb with his Reservation. It looked real.

However, I had receive nothing whatsoever about his reservaiton and later that night (last night) it showed "Cancelled" on is Reservation which NEVER SHOWED prior to the "Cancellation". 

His "sister" had booked him for a few lays two months ago and all went well. He is a returning Guest. However, at that time they had to modify the Reservation and pushed it back two days later. I did so gladly and all went well. No problems. No drama.

I had a good and long conversation with Airbnb last night. They seemed to take it seriously and gave good Customer Service. They were a bit upset it appeared. Paul Jordan was my contact person. He acted as though this was a new syle of Scam.

Just minutes ago Joe, my Co-host and Manager of the RV Park just called me and said he had just received notification of a Payout from Airbnb for this person's stay. This is the same person who's reservation was "Cancelled" on the Airbnb website!!

He is going to forward it to me but I wonder if the Payment Notification was REALLY from Airbnb or a fake email to make Hosts think they are being paid until they realize the Scam but only after the stay is complete.

Joe just went to the Tiny House and "Erik" is still there! He was still in bed and said he would stop in at the Office and pay via credi card.

We'll see.

Anyone else heard or experience Scams like this?

Dean

[Jann3]

First things first (and I'm not saying you did this BUT): NO HOST should rely on email notifications, NOR simply click through on the links in any email notification and ASSUME it is from AirBnB without checking the site it takes you to. If the email link that you tap DOESN'T GO to www.airbnb.com AND have a lock symbol in the browser OR it doesn't launch the AirBnB app, do NOTHING from that point except launch the app, go to your reservation listings and see if you have a request. At this point the app is the only thing you can trust because ANYone can craft emails that *look* like AirBnB and that take you to another site.

This could be a scam but as all business-owners must, we have to take control of certain aspects of "sales." One of them is assuring that we are not giving away "money" or "reservations."

 Second thing is... NO Erik cannot pay the office w/a credit card IF his stay originated through AirBnB. This is against AirBnB's TOS.

[Dean26]

Erik DID pay at the office as he had ALREADY stayed at my place for three nights... and THAT DAY he left, the "Cancellation Notification" arrived ON the Airbnb's website. I had never received notification of his Reservation nor any Payment.... ONLY "Cancellation"...

HELL YES I'm going to charge him. I don't give a **bleep** what Airbnb says. It was AFTER THE FACT and they STILL have NOT replied to me even tho' I have replied to them THREE TIMES.

I'm glad I did catch him and require payment because I'd be out $330!!!

Airbnb is VERY disappointing. I was put oh "Hold" for about 30 minutes before anyone answered. A "Paul Jordan" answered and was very nice, listened and sent it up the line... all to NO AVAIL. I've had NO FOLLOWUP from him nor ANYone else.... except the Form Letter... "We've not heard from you.... ":

"Jamaica C, Aug 9, 08:08 CDT:

Hello Dean,

I have sent you an email asking for more information, so I can proceed further on your request..but no reply.

Please be informed that ill close this case for the time being and feel free to contact us for any issue that needs immediate action.

Thank you and best regards,

Jamaica
www.airbnb.com/help"

First of all who the HELL is "Jamaica"???? What happened to "Paul Jordan"????

I answerd "Jamaica" THREE TIMES... did I say THREE TIMES???? Yes.... THREE TIMES.

Airbnb SUCKS.

Dean