AirBnB exposing hosts to potential fraud/scams

[Andrew890]

I've been a host for over a year and have a perfect guest review history (5 star average). I'm writing this post to warn of a loophole that guest are taking advantage of. Airbnb policy states that if a guest takes a picture of any condition of your home during their stay or even after they have stayed but prior to check out, they can take a picture of mess that they caused/created and airbnb will hold the host responsible if they (guest) makes a cleanliness complaint.

Airbnb will offer the guest between 50% to 100% refund, which means guests now know how to stay at your home for free. I'm considering litigating the matter based on principle even though i'd lose either way due to court cost.

Please also do NOT anger any of the resolution/ customer service agent that resolves disputes due to the fact that they are all powerful and can decide by themself to offer guest full refund without providing you with evidence of why this was done. What about escalating to a supervisor? well unlike most professional business where the supervisor or higher ups are independent of their subordinates, at Airbnb my experience has been very diffferent.

The precedent has been set and is well documented. Any guest can use your home, get it dirty and then take pictures and submit for a cleaniness claim, airbnb will then issue a 50%-100% refund to that guest.

Customer Service/ resolution agent name was ** and her supervisor was **.

Good Luck to my fellow Hosts.

Host for over 1 year.

**[Name hidden due to privacy concerns - Community Center Guidelines]

[Marcia210]

Hello. I also contact the guest within 24 hours to ask how things are, if they are comfortable, etc.  I also state in my house manual that guests contact me within 24 hours if there is anything in the home that is amiss.  So far, so good. Hope that I have not jinxed myself! Marcia from Santa Ana, California

[Rebecca181]

Here's my thoughts of how to improve this situation that leaves hosts vulnerable to scams and con-artists:

1) Airbnb needs to contact the host and find out the FACTS when a guest calls seeking a refund that is not deserved and violates the host's chosen Cancellation Policy

2) The host, especially a well established, highly reviewed Super Host, should be SUPPORTED by Airbnb Customer Service rep(s) if their report differs from the guest's report (especially if it is a guest that is new to the platform) and should be viewed by Airbnb Corporate as being a 'reliable reporter'

3) The Trust  & Security department should then conduct an UNBIASED (versus guest-centric) investigation, and while the investigation is occuring, the host should NOT have to relinquish any monies.

Until this sort of procedure is implemented, expect to hear stories like @Andrew890's with increasing frequency. 

Also: I am not sure why it is up to Andrew and other hosts to come up with ideas for 'improvement'; it is obvious what is happening; Airbnb needs to be appropriately concerned and act to protect host's interests to reduce the chance of our being scammed. Hosts do not have the power to change this; in fact, it would appear that any power we ever did have is being stripped from us in a systematic fashion, deliberately, by Corporate. I, for one, would like to know why, because it is not serving anyone to disempower hosts to the point where they question whether they should even remain on the platform.

[Maria-Del-Mar5]

Well said!

[Marcy10]

I am also becoming very disappointed in the way Airbnb treats hosts.  In response to this scam, we have other properties that we rent long term.  When a new tenant moves in we do a video walk through with them noting any problems/or as is our case that it is problem free when they get the key.  This is time consuming and we currently use a lock box for our Airbnb property but after reading this post and after some of the issues we've experienced this summer, I'm thinking of greeting guests, checking id and making a walk through video for future guests.  Or selling the property altogether.

[Anna271]

Marcy - for whatever it is worth I do actually greet guests and do a 10 minute orientation to show them how to operate certain things etc. When guests meet me they definitely get the vibe that I care very much about their comfort (AND my unit) and that I am detail oriented. I don’t think I would do a video walk through in front of them as most guests are great and they would think I’m nuts. Like you I own long term rentals so I understand the purpose of that in that environment but this is a very different business and is much more hospitality focused. 

I do think I may leave my camera on the counter as I orient the guest. Any guest who turns out to be a con artist will pick up on that subtle message. By the way, about 5-10%of guests are slightly put off by having to do a 10 minute orientation but most really appreciate it. It really cuts down on follow calls/questions about how to lock the door, operate the thermostat, etc.

All of that said a skillfull in-person greeting of the guest will not be an option for most hosts. So if these things are really happening Airbnb needs to come up with a more equitable actual PROCESS for protecting hosts from being scammed in this way. Again, any problems I have had I have found Airbnb to be very fair. It does take quite a bit of time - but that’s true in any business activity. 

[Martín12]

Hello@Andrew890,

If Airbnb works as you write, we should all look for other platforms to rent.


Because, this concept to solve the complaints gives, in the end, the power to the rats and will harm the honest ones.


When this happens, Airbnb will deflate and, end of story.


It is difficult to understand why Airbnb is intrusive in the relationship between host and guest, arbitrarily.
If the guest has a problem that could give him options to claim part of the rent paid, he has to complain directly to the host.
And, in case of not reaching an agreement, it would result in a complaint filed with the authorities, and resolved by the local courts.
It may be good for Airbnb's interests to promote an internal arbitration platform for the two parties involved.
For fair play, any claim should only be accepted if the guest leaves the property after the first night. Airbnb should offer another place to stay. And there has to be a way to eliminate hosts that receive more than one claim at a set time and can not offer coherent explanations.

If Airbnb wants to offer the guest the possibility of recovering part of the rent in case of claim, to give security to the guests and speed up their response, they should pay it from a fund or insurance, destined for such purposes, never charge it to the host, and less without asking for his permission.

This overprotection of the guests can increase their number for a while, but, since most of the properties that can be found here, are also on other platforms, they should change their way of proceeding quickly.

[John1574]

@Martín12  @Andrew890

 You just spoke  a mouthful, Martin. 

 I am 100% unanimous in my agreement. 

 However, I am still wondering what prompted Andrew to begin this thread.  Did He experience this scam himself?   Or did I miss the details?

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

According to Croatian law we have to register all our guests. So we meet our guests and show them the apartment during check in. We have a form to fill with dates of stay, names, ID number etc.... at the end of the form we write down how many keys guest received, that he had read our house rules , inspected the apartment and has no complains. On the bottom he has to put his signature .

At least we have some proof everything was fine when they arrived.

Making photos or video before each guest arrival is not easy if you rent more than just a room in your house. And even then they could "find" a coacroach under kitchen cabinet... it is impossible to photo document each corner of the house.... and even if you do it is time consuming and you need to store it and keep it few months somewhere... it's just to much trouble ... our average stay is just 2 nights and we have 2 apartments.

[Maggie105]

It would be quite a straightforward thing to do to check in guests in this way here too - for health and safety reasons at the very least.  We really don't know who we are inviting into our homes.  my experience has always been very good - with lovely people - until the current guests who I am finding a bit worrying.  When I do a long term let of a flat I have here it is important to get identity details (photocopy of passport etc.) - Airbnb lets are very short term usually (although I have had people stay for 2 or 3 months - but it may be worthwhile to get identity details anyway - and certainly to sign that they are happy with the state of the room/s at the beginning of the let.

[Cassandra22]

We too have a form/Lease for guests to sign as you do, it is detailed, contains the House Rules because nobody actually reads them.

Lists many things and they must sign it at check in. most appreciate this but when i have come to use it with any dispute it's largely ignored by CS, in favor of guests.

[Barbie20]

hi,
can I actually have an example of your form.

[Roxana67]

hi, I airbnb-ed my property since last year and always had 5 star ratings. this year the last 2 guests have scored 3 stars for cleanliness. Despite the 3 stars on cleaning, the review was about how wonderful my place is. So the 2 don't go together.

We have a cleaning company that cleans the property and i go daily and check that everything is ok including asking the guests. So your post makes me question if they will try to claim against clenaliness issues as i haven't lowered my cleaning standards and spend a fortune with cleaning bills.

There are CCTV cameras for outdoors, but not for the indoor. I have taken pictures of rooms before check in, but that's as far as i went.

People are soooo weired. I really don't understand how and why would someone behave like that.

[Maggie105]

I am getting concerned that I am being scammed by my current guests.  They paid for a week having been in a hotel for 2 days which was 'too expensive' and 'noisy'.  Before they booked they asked for a discount but I refused saying there was already a built in discount.  They loved my place and started talking about staying two more week till they go to the US (but they haven't arranged their tickets yet).  It is very quiet in my place.  They have a whole floor for them and their infant, including their own bathroom.  Now 2 days in they are telling me there is a life threatening medical emergency with the guy's sister which means they have to stay at her place for the rest of the week and a bit after, but they will be happy to come back the week or so after that till they go to the US.  They appear to be asking me to make an adjustment for the remaining 5 days of the week to cover the days after that they propose to stay.  Their stuff is of course still here and they have my key.

As I'm writing this I can't help but think that I am being naive - they are telling me porkies and are trying to find a way for me to pay them back cash.  Otherwise if they really have a sister with a life threatening medical emergency, why are they immediately coming to me to ask me for an adjustment?  I have never had this with any guests before in the 4 years I have been doing this.  I have met and entertained the most lovely straightforward people who have been a pleasure to host in my house.  If I cancel the booking , mid-booking, presumably my calendar stays blocked.   Does it?  My response to their message was to say they should contact Airbnb.  Any advice from anyone?

[Letti0]

@Maggie105   DO  NOT  Adjust the booking dates they are trying to get out of your cancellation policy without paying and will not be coming back. They plan to stay elsewhere for all their remaining time. What you told them was the correct thing. They can take it up with AirBnB, I would have added that they will need to provide documentation to AirBnB from a doctor on his sister's life threating emergency. I would document it in the messaging system to cover your self, i.e. per our conversation you would like me to supply cash back to you rather than go through AIrBnB's refund procedure etc. DO NOT take calls or messages from this guest outside of the AirBnB system. My guess is you give them cash, they then do a chargeback on their credit card with AIrBnB and you not only lose the money from AirBnB, but the cash you gave them. TOTAL SCAM!

FYI for now and the future:

DO NOT CANCEL a reservation, DO NOT ACCEPT any message about cancelling, changing or refunding DECLINE it a loophole that comes back to bite you and gives guests back their service fees and/or voids your cancellation policy (changing dates) or the cancellation is now on you, not the guests (accepting cancellation). DO NOT REFUND anything until actual cash has been given to you by AirBNB. If you refund they will take the money from you and a lot of times guests get refunded from both AirBnB and you if you do this, then you have a fight to get your money back. Tell the guest you do not deal with the booking funds that is all on AirBnB's end.

[Maggie105]

Thank you so much for this Letti.  You are reassuring me that my instincts were correct.