Airbnb Suspension and Account Ban

[Max1814]

Airbnb punishes us for cancelling reservations by cancelling 256 of our upcoming reservations, suspending our account, and notifying us that our account will be banned after our last guest checks out on September 30, 2024,  leaving our guests stranded. They then try to block our guests from being able to re-book their stay at our property. Not a great business model. Way to treat hosts who have made millions for you and helped build your platform for the last 5 years as superhosts with over 25 properties. Disgraceful. 

[Lorina14]

@Max1814 

What happened for you to get suspended and banned? Did they cite to you what rules you broke as part of the agreement with Airbnb? Did they allow you to explain your point of view? I know that if you continually cancel on guests they can suspend your account.Was the cancellation due to an unforeseen event like a pipe burst or something else? You should not have been penalized for things like that. Did you speak with customer service or the team to figure out what went wrong. 

@Bhumika @Paula @Rebecca could you help out Max?

[Max1814]

The rogue phoneless underground department who handles these issues sent us an email 10 days after our listings got suspended. They told us that our account will be removed after our last guest checks out and that we cannot create any new accounts, nor can our associates. Of course they cited their claims, which we disagree with, but gave us no option to appeal. Again, we never even received a warning about anything before this happened. We've been superhosts for 5 years with about 25 Airbnb properties. Our account has a 4.9 star review average across our whole account and I have devoted my whole life into making great guest experiences. They wiped out about $850,000 worth of future bookings. Would have been nice to receive some sort of warning before essentially wipiing out a business consisting of about 40 people. Luckily we're going to mention this to every media outlet that we can find. Gibbs Law Firm has been extremely helpful and let us know that luckily there are legal remedies available, but it shouldn't have to come to this. I would recommend anyone going through an issue as a guest or host reach out to them. Please also message me if you're going through a similar situation. 

[Max1814]

Was able to find out the man making this decision's name is Roger **. You can find him on linkedin 

**[Sensitive information removed in line with the Community Center Guidelines]

[Max1814]

Wow the guy just called me and told me if I paid a $25,000 penalty, that my account would be reinstated! Absolutely corrupt!

[Christy305]

what exactly happened to get your listings suspended?  

[Max1814]

It wasn't a suspension, it was a lifetime ban. Apparently we had "too many cancellations" which makes no sense. How would we be able to acheive super host status for 5 years in a row with too many cancellations. This all seems fishy especially after we received a call from ** with the Trust team asking for a payment to clear the account. Has this happened to any of you?

**[Sensitive information removed in line with the Community Center Guidelines]

[Lorina14]

@Max1814 

Too many cancellations? Is there a set number per year of cancellations we as hosts are allowed? Is it if the hosts cancel the guests reservations or is it for any cancellations (including guests initiated cancellations). I mean I’ve had guests book and two minutes later cancel, I’ve had some book for a week then cancel and others book months in advance then cancel a month prior. People’s minds and plans change so how can you get penalized for that?

If you had 5 years as a Superhost and a 4.9 rating overall, I don’t know how you get a lifetime ban unless you seriously broke their terms and conditions. But it appears you didn’t and they didn’t even give you a chance to appeal or a warning before suspension of your listings that you have consistently gotten good reviews for?

I also don’t understand why if you paid a penalty you could get reinstated from a lifetime ban? I have never read if anything like this but you could search the community center and see if there were any similar cases in the past. Search the posts at the top and let us know.

[Max1814]

@Lorina14 do you have the ability to get in touch with the people who make decisions? It seems that Airbnb is hyper focused on guests with there being such a surplus of hosts in the community these days, which I get. Just makes no sense to slap a lifetime ban on a host for an alleged violation without even reaching out to them first. Complete double standard to punish a host for cancelling by cancelling all of their future reservations. 

As far as asking us to pay a penalty, that completely blew me away, which is why I reported it to Airbnb. This guy, and the whole Trust department in general, seriously needs to be investigated. I heard that one of the major Trust and Safety call centers in the Phillipines recently got shut down for Fraud. 

[Helen3]

I very much doubt that Airbnb told you that @Max1814 unless they are cancellation fees for cancelling multiple bookings.

Why did they suspend your listing . What claims did they make?

I'm sure with a sizeable STR business you're listing on other platforms/marketing through direct bookings so perhaps focus on growing your business through these channels @Max1814 

[Max1814]

@Helen3 you should be a business consultant with your wide range of knowledge

[Helen3]

I'm quite happy with my day job as Head of Communications. No interest in changing careers @Max1814 😀😀

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Max1814 Whilst the method may be flawed your reviews do suggest that you have operated a bait and switch policy across your listings and let many people down in just the small number I read (back to June 2024). You say you have 25+ properties but your account shows 84 so my suspicion is that you have relisted those with poor review scores. I was particularly saddened by the review from the people (with young children)  who ended up in 2 small house as opposed to the one large one they booked. IF these reviews are true it demonstrates to me that big hosts should be avoided and, where they exist, it is absolutely right that Airbnb holds them to account if they behave badly.

[Max1814]

Where are you seeing 84 listings?? That particular situation had the guests getting an upgrade from a two bedroom condo to two houses. Sometimes you need to cancel as a host, just like guests can pretty much cancel whenever they want now. Do guests get kicked off the platform for cancelling reservations? The good thing about it is that we were actually able to set them up with a new place. There is no "bait and swtich policy" as you describe. Either way, how about giving hard working hosts some due process.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Max1814 Look at your profile. It says 86 listings although they are blanked out as suspended.

No guests do not get kicked off the platform for cancelling as they are allowed to per the cancellation policies. But hosts should get into trouble for cancelling unless there is a real extenuating circumstance. The damage it does to Airbnb's reputation is extreme and if it were allowed more easily then no guest would trust Airbnb and ALL hosts would lose out.