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. 

[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.

[Max1814]

We have cancelled before but were able to prove extenuating circumstances, which Airbnb agreed with. How can Airbnb now say that we violated the policy without any due process or warning given? We have not changed anything for the 5 years we have been hosts so why is Airbnb now having an issue with us as hosts. Your hands are unclean. 

[Max1814]

@Mike-And-Jane0 looks like you have some duplicate listings as well for that ONE HOME you rent out so you're really one to talk. Our duplicate listings were not meant to circumvent any bad reviews, they were simply made so that we have a way to make revenue when Airbnb's rogue underworld department with no phone line decides to unilaterally suspend a listing without any follow up or discussion. Welcome to big tech. Also, @Mike-And-Jane0 there is no bait and switching going on. If there is a problem with one of our homes, and you should know just how much guests abuse homes, and you have other homes available, you can give guests the option to stay at another home. They have to accept the alteration request either way. 

If you look further into the reviews, you can also see how Airbnb allows guests to tear up hosts in reviews for enforcing their quiet hours policy. This clearly does not help enforce peace in neighborhoods since now hosts are incentivized to allow noise.

There was literally a swat team standoff and killing at an airbnb involving the host close to where I live. You can actually see it here: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=swat+team+clairemont. This host was not banned from the platform and in fact her listing is still active to this day. **

**[Identifiable listing removed in line with the Community Center Guidelines- Please note that is not allowed to post a listing link unless posted by a listing owner]

The fact of the matter is that Airbnb has a surplus of hosts and a shortage of guests. They are more concerned about the guest experience, which I get. But to simply boot off hard working hosts who Airbnb has been profiting off of for 5 years with no explanation prior is simply egregious. Clearly my account is still active so that should be an indicator that I'm doing something right. Can't wait to have my day in arbitration. We will be asking for $3 million in relief. Anyone interested in joining a class action lawsuit, please message me. To this day, still have not received a phone call from Airbnb. 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Max1814 Just for the record we have 3 listings. They comprise a 3 bed, a 2 bed, and a 3 bed flat all in the same building. None duplicate the others! Good luck with your arbitration but as you have admitted to circumventing Airbnb rules with duplicate listings to evade their policies I suspect you may not succeed. Finally you have agreed, by using the platform, to not bring/join a class action lawsuit. No idea if this agreement is legal in the USA.

[Max1814]

@Mike-And-Jane0 Do you work for Airbnb or something? Why are you trying to discourage class action lawsuits? This is the right of citizens and protects consumers. Do you know how much Airbnb has violated their own policies over the years? Do you know how corrupt they are? What do you think happened during Covid?  Oh yea that's right, Airbnb agreed to a massive payout for a class action lawsuit. There have been many others to follow. Airbnb is the epitomy of big tech bullies with a rogue underworld department that loves to cancel people.  After being enriched with millions of dollars, ** They don't care about you. They care about what benefits them. They adjust their terms and conditions unilaterally to basically let them do whatever they want whenever they want.  @Mike-And-Jane0 just wait until Airbnb kicks you to the curb too when the ** vibe you offer doesn't benefit their business model anymore. 

**[Content removed inline with the Community Center Guidelines- Please be respectful in your discussions with other members]

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Max1814 Stylish insult - Sadly I have no idea what a 'creepy grandma haunted house vibe' means so it is somewhat wasted on me.

And again, for the record

1) No I don't work for Airbnb

2) No idea what class action happened re covid but Airbnb did everything right in the UK including full refunds for those not allowed to go to the Airbnbs they have booked

3) As far as we know the house is not haunted - I guess any paranormal activity is limited to the much older church and graveyard next door.

[Max1814]

What's it like living in a country that's so friendly to short term rentals? 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Max1814 It feels quite good to me. There are laws in place in London limiting rentals to 90 nights per year to protect housing stocks and changes are being made re planning permission that will allow tourists to co-exist with locals. Hopefully as these develop a sustainable industry will be created that will allow hosts, locals, and guests to all benefit.

[Max1814]

So you don't feel guilty about contributing to the housing crisis over there? You're a human contradiction. 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Max1814 as I tried to explain elsewhere there is a difficult balance to be struck between tourist revenue for local people and affordable housing for local people. If there were no holiday accommodation then, in many tourist areas the only work would be in agriculture. Clearly if everything was holiday accommodation then there would be no housing for all the local people who service it.

In most Derbyshire villages the balance is about right but there are certainly pockets of concern. Interestingly, in our case, we are not actually allowed, by law, to long term rent our apartments so no I don't feel guilty at all about bringing visitors to the village.

[Max1814]

I hear it's a tourist hot spot

[Max1814]

@Mike-And-Jane0 so someone being murdered resulting from a Host's action on Airbnb doesn't even cause you to bat an eye but a host cancelling on Airbnb is a major issue for you? Makes sense! 

[Helen3]

Clearly @Mike-And-Jane0  dont have duplicate listings they have three separate listings  @Max1814