Scratching my head. Bad representation by Customer Service.

[Paul154]

I've always been impressed with the Airbnb system. We are a club of people interested in travel.

I've always understood Airbnb to be savvy business people who always have a logical business reason for their policies.

However, I've just had a bad Airbnb CS experience.

Guest wanted to pay for another guest - a 3rd party reservation. I explained to guest that Airbnb does not accept 3rd party reservations.

I told guest to call Airbnb, believing Airbnb would try to put the reservation into the correct guest's name.

Airbnb called me to explain that Airbnb accepts 3rd party IF the guest is transparent about being a 3rd party. Huh???

What about the review system? (I can't review the non-reservation holder guest)

What about the phone number? ( I am not provided the non-reservation holder guest)

Here's the thing that really bothers me - Airbnb is asking me to house a non-Airbnb person!

This makes NO business sense.  Airbnb should be forcing people to become Airbnb members so that they can make future reservations.

I'm disappointed.

[Colleen253]

@Paul154  I have found, almost without exception, that I know more than all of the ABB service reps I've ever spoken with. And I've been a host less than a year. Did you refer that rep to this helpful article in the help pages? https://www.airbnb.ca/help/article/427/can-i-book-on-behalf-of-a-friend-or-family-member

I can't fathom why CS reps aren't trained.

[Paul154]

Thanks  , your words make sense. 

To make matters worse, this CS agent threaten me with cancellation fees if I did not accept this 3rd party, non-airbnb guest.

Airbnb Support8:16 PM

I would like to discuss this to you because if you will not be able to accommodate the guest I would like to assist you on that. When the account holder was able to inform you that she was not the one that will be going on the listing and you will not be able to accommodate the guest it may fall on a cancellation by host.

@Colleen253

[Patricia55]

@Paul154 

Whut? This makes no sense whatsoever! Please tell this customer service rep they're wrong and threaten to report them for incompetence! (as Colleen mentions)

I get the occasional request for a 3rd party booking and I decline, politely, saying: it's not viable, for good reasons; please ask your mate to register with Airbnb and book on their own account. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. I don't really care.

[Luana130]

I think they need to check their manual again, third party reservations are only allowed for businesses. I had someone a couple of weeks ago that wanted to make a reservation, talking to her I found out that she was using her mother's account to make the reservation. I told her I would be happy to accept, but she had to make the reservation using her own account. Never heard from her again. I'm I sorry I lost a guest beacause of it, no... If she couldn't make a reservation under her own name there was probably something wrong with it. Better be safe than sorry. 

And I think that if there was a problem during the stay it might have been a difficult to get help from airbnb because she was not the guest in the reservation.

[Sarah977]

@Luana130  And there are reportedly often problems with 3rd party reservations, because the person who booked didn't pass on any information about the listing to the person they booked for- none of the house rules, that breakfast wasn't provided, or that there was no kitchen usage. 

[Marie82]

@Paul154 I accept many 3rd party booking, mostly businesses but also family, I honestly don't mind if the person is straight forward about it I usually ask the staying guests full info (email, phone etc..) and always enter in contact with the arriving guests by sending check-in info on both the system and also on the email of the arriving guests and document it all on Airbnb system

They are many cases when a daughter from the UK living in Melbourne would like to book a stay for her mature parents to spend a few days in Sydney. I see nothing wrong with it when I am aware.

I have a company in Sydney booking for staff coming from India or Asia for a length of time, I always receive email and phone number from guests who will be staying. Many companies do that way also as the person whose books will use the company payment card to avoid endless transaction issue and over budget dealing.

The only thing I hate if I am not aware of 3rd party arrival.

[Susan17]

The issue here is - as always - Airbnb's deliberately vague and contradictory guidelines, which allow them free range to flip-flop on their own policies, according to their whims...

From the Airbnb Help Section

Can I Book On Behalf of a Friend or Family Member?

We require Airbnb reservations booked for personal travel to be booked by the person who's going to stay at the listing.

From the Airbnb Terms of Service..

Article 14.1

In connection with your use of the Airbnb Platform, you will not and will not assist or enable others to...

unless Airbnb explicitly permits otherwise, book any Listing if you will not actually be using the Host Services yourself;

So basically, third party reservations are expressly prohiibited for non-business bookings... unless Airbnb arbitrarily decides that they're not. Either way, they have themselves covered.

[Helen350]

@Susan17  or anyone: When we receive a 3rd party booking from someone booking for their employees, is there any way of knowing if this is a business account where 3rd party bookings are allowed, or just an ordinary account where they are not? - Or are we just to assume that if someone books for an employee who's working, it's OK? 

[Cor3]

Hi @Paul154,

Indeed, they do have double standards.

This summer, I had something similar: A guest with multiple accounts (even confirmed, by the guests themselves).

When a problem arose with this guest, I also reported this in.

And the Airbnb CS representative told me, it was absolutely fine to have multiple accounts.

Article 4.4 in the Airbnb Terms of Service for European Users:

You may not register more than one (1) Airbnb Account unless Airbnb authorizes you to do so.

[Paul154]

Continuation of the sordid story - 

I did accept the reservation, with Airbnb's assurance that all was good and I would be insured.

Guest came on time - good. Showed ID - good. His name was XXX.

Guest told me he was living at YYY's place. YYY was the person who made the reservation.

YYY did not tell me this fact. In other words, YYY was pawning off this guest to me, because she did not want to deal with him any more. 

YYY also told me that XXX was going to stay at my place, because his apartment was opening up in 28 days.  Fortunately, the honest guest told me that there was no such apartment.

So there I was getting sloppy seconds with no chance of getting rid of him.  Very unpleasant.

[Lawrene0]

How awful, @Paul154 ! Just a note that the booking guest deserves the staying guest's negative review. Don't hesitate about that.

[Robin4]

@Paul154 

Paul, until this past year I have always had a good professional relationship with Airbnb support. It has been quick and positive and I have regularly praised it here on the CC.

However, on almost all occasions I have had to contact them over the past 12 months their advice has been incorrect, and their help limited to the point where I feel, it is not worth involving them in my issues any more. It's a waste of time contacting them

Support staff are not receiving correct training and in many instances are not aware of recent changes to the platforms programs. They give information which, to them, sounds correct but is definitely not company policy and will definitely not help the user. They are shooting from the hip with information rather than actually researching it. I have even had case managers give totally inaccurate advice to me!

When I was a part of support we were provided with a daily running sheet of program alterations and Beta tests that were taking place......patently that is now not the case. 

I think Paul, these days we need to take control of our own destiny and not consider that 'our backs are covered' any more.

Customer support ain't what it used to be!

Cheers......Rob

[Cormac0]

@Paul154 

It’s all about their imminent stock market listing, and this is fed by their desire to drive income/turnover.

Besides if it goes horrible wrong, they'll say they do not support third party bookings in complete contradiction to the CS representative statement.

What do the T&C say...

edit:

@susan17 covered what the T&C say, which as usual the T&C are as clear as mud.

[Suzanne302]

@Robin4 @Colleen253 I have found this to be true as well. I am better versed in Airbnb policies than some of the CS reps. There is definitely lack of training.

@Paul154  I had a 3rd party booking this past summer. A mother booking for her daughter. The CS rep I spoke with told me they treat 3rd party bookings in a "don't ask, don't tell" manner. They don't condone it, but they are happy to look the other way if the host is okay with it. I accepted only after getting the daughter's cell phone number and written confirmation that the daughter was aware of all the rules and would provide ID at check-in. I had no issues and the daughter was a good guest.

The rep who told you it should be a host cancellation was flat out wrong but I'm glad everything (kind of) worked out for you.