AIRBNB'S FLAWED RESOLUTION SYSTEM

[Seun52]

Hello Everyone,

This is a case about a fraudulent and deceitful act by a guest (Dorianna *personal information hidden*) and Airbnb's flawed resolution system.

The above guest booked my place for 33 days and checked-in Fri 13th of March 2020.

Just before her check-in date, I refurbished the whole apartment with new furniture all through, new solar power system, and the whole place was also repainted, costing me over 3,000 British Pounds.

She contacted me only once although her stay which was 16th of March to ask for help on how to operate the new power system and other appliances in the flat which immediately we helped her to resolve.

• 3 days to checking out, she sent me this message below

‘’Jairus, you have made this stay horrible. You still owe me 2000 Naira. I have been all over Lagos: and you have yet to show your dirty face during or before this lockdown. Please contact me ASAP 8165332751 (Not Via Airbnb Message)” using a derogatory word’’ (this was after the housekeeper had gone to help her with some chores)

• 2 days to checking out, she reports to Airbnb about cockroach infestation without any communication with me first (when I was contacted by Airbnb, unlike them, I put 2 and 2 together and wondered why the guest didn’t communicate with me first but chose to report directly to Airbnb 2 days to check out? Which I made my concerns known to them immediately.
• Check out day, she did not check out as I had suspected without communicating with me nor did she extend her stay. I reached out to her, but she ignored all modes of communication and she stayed for an extra 5 days making it 38 days in total.

When I requested for my money for the extra 5 days she stayed, she came up with all sorts of claims about how horrible my service and my place was and also left a damning review without any evidence whatsoever just because she doesn’t want to pay me my $155 for the extra 5days.

I have given Airbnb resolution center a plethora of evidence, but they have chosen to ignore it all claiming that a guest providing "feedback" (irrespective of the content), is not in breach of their policy. This has shown how vulnerable the system is.

Airbnb seems to be supporting this fraudulent and deceitful act by the guest to defraud the host as they have chosen to exclude the PROCESS they set up themselves to resolve issues, overlooking glaring proofs provided by me – the host.

Her CLAIMS/ LIES as follows:

1. That the apartment was infested with cockroaches from day one without any evidence (but she stayed for 33days + extra 5days unauthorized making a total of 38days) – mind you, photos (which I have already provided Airbnb) which shows how she kept the kitchen in a filthy state.  
2. That the generator leaked, and it affected her health, again no evidence of a leak or how it affected her health (but she stayed for 33days + extra 5days unauthorized making a total of 38days)

Ladies and Gentlemen, please follow this, all these claims were after she ‘’checked out’’ and none of these claims was reported at any time during her stay to me or Airbnb (my Airbnb portal is and Airbnb support are my proof).

Unlike Airbnb, I suspected 3 days to her check out that she had something up her sleeve as she had planned NOT to pay me for the extra 5days. I made my concerns known to Airbnb immediately and this has been Airbnb’s response below:

1. They claim the guest is not in BREACH OF THEIR POLICY by continuing to stay my apartment after the expiration of her initial booking and making false claims
2. That the guest gave an honest review of her stay (with any evidence to validate her claims)
3. That it was Ok for the guest not to pay me for the extra 5days she stayed without authorization
4. That I should provide a document to a LIE (which is her claim about the leaked generator)
5. Finally, Airbnb blocked my listings based on the above LIE (No. 4) without presenting me with any proof and threatened to continue to block me until I present evidence that the generator has been repaired(I can't believe that they will ask me to present evidence to a lie).

So, the question I have been asking the team at Airbnb resolution center which they are yet to answer any:

1. During her stay whilst she was receiving free WIFI, free electricity, etc., why did she not complain then?
2. If the stay was truly miserable, why did she choose to remain in the same infested place for another week? why didn't she move out or make complaints then? why did she spend 38 days in the same apartment?
3. If her claim is that she reached out to me using another medium other than Airbnb's portal to make complaints about all these issues and I did NOT respond, so how come Airbnb support does NOT have any record whatsoever of her reporting all these issues to them during her stay? 

I have been a host on Airbnb for almost 2years, I’m shocked on how weak and vulnerable Airbnb is and this is a big letdown  – In the name of ‘’customer is always right’’, which I don’t dispute, as I am also big on customer service; however, it is not right for any guest can come and make claims and all Airbnb will do is to accept it hook, line, and sinker, leaving the ‘’hosts’’ susceptible to all sorts of malicious claims. They (Airbnb) forgets that as much as the guests are important, the hosts are equally as important to the business.

As I write this, I am yet to be paid the $155 for the unauthorized extra 5days spent and Airbnb is doing nothing about it rather they have chosen to look away.

[Jenna356]

This is a serious issue that has me considering whether or not I want to be involved with Airbnb going forward. The entire system is deeply flawed, and as this point advertising Aircover to hosts is starting to seem fraudulent. I had a guest cause over $8k in damage to my home in August. I filed a claim, with an estimate from a contractor. It has been over two months and my “case manager” takes weeks to respond to a single email. He is being dishonest, blowing off scheduled phone calls with the contractor and there’s zero way to hold him accountable. I finally got connected to a resolutions “supervisor” who is also zero help. So i guess i’m stuck with the damages? because airbnb is pretending this case just doesn’t exist? at this point i would strongly urge any prospective host to skip airbnb and head straight to vrbo 

[Megan99]

Yup, I am a superhost. A guest rang up $2K + of damages to our home. I filed the claim immediately, called about 10 times, got the runaround, and today they said I am denied because I put in the claim 30 days after check-out. Just to be clear, it was 5 days. This is total BS and has me questioning if they have reimbursed anyone.