Host protection - Resolution team

[Antony36]

Can anyone help with this? (i just posted a long question here but again there was a convenient error)

I want to complain about the dreadful service i receive every time i have a problem with a listing and need to claim the host protection service. I am a host and this is the 3rd time i have had damage yet every-time i deal with that department it is a nightmare.
First of all it takes months to get my money back for work i need to pay.
Also the department itself is terrible, they do not have a number to call them and they literally take a week to respond to a single email and the worst of all they NEVER answer the actual questions i ask them, they are completely ignored. Of course no one else knows what i happening at it ONLY that department dealing with claims, yet they never respond.
The last two times i have had the misfortune of dealing with Lexi (if this is even a real person, i cannot tell as the responses i get a robotic and normally bare little relation to the email i sent). It is impossible to deal with her, she never sends what i ask for, the resolution she says has no relation or does not show on my account. I literally have no idea what she is referring too.
My last claim with her took about 3/4 months, which is a joke as i supplied everything in 24 hours.
This one i am waiting on now has already been a month and her responses make no sense at all.
I have asked to complain to her manager or speak with her manager but that request is just flatly ignored every time, same as many of my other questions.
Overall, as a host this is unacceptable. Damage to our places is the worst thing that could happen for us and the service from Airbnb in this instance is also the worst of all.
This needs improving.

[Antony36]

Does anyone have any way of contacting them other than email? As they are simply ignoring me.

I know they have no number but surely it can't be this bad.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Antony36 I would suggest a couple of things. Firstly 3 claims for someone with 28 reviews seems excessive. Perhaps a more rigorous screening process of guests is needed. Secondly you really need insurance to cover damage as Airbnb's damage cover is not insurance and notoriously difficult to claim under.

[Sarah977]

@Antony36 " I know they have no number but surely it can't be this bad.".

Yes, they have phone numbers. There is a pinned post at the beginning of this Help section on how to contact them.

And yes, customer service is, sadly, that bad. You really shouldn't be relying on them for much.

As an aside, I'd have to agree with the other poster- it seems you have an excessive amount of damage claims for the number of reviews (although I realize not all guests leave reviews, so it doesn't necessarily reflect the number of stays you've hosted).

Seems as if you need to beef up your vetting process. I can understand Airbnb not being particularly responsive if a host is regularly filing damage claims.

[Antony36]

Excessive? I mean i am not sure what that is suggesting. I cannot control damage.

But i think 3 claims in 5/6 years or so of using is not so bad. Also as you sat there are many who have not reviewed. All of which guests have agreed with and accepted. 

As for Airbnb not responding in a situation like that, that makes it even worst.

Thank you for pinned number information, i will try and check that out.

[Sarah977]

@Antony36  How you control damage is by vetting guests, asking the right questions, being aware of red flags, and writing up your listing in such a way and having your settings such that it discourages low lifes and house trashers. For instance, last minute one nighter bookings are prime suspects for partiers. Or someone booking a 3 bedroom house for 1 or two guests is suspicious. 

So we're talking prevention as opposed to damage control after the fact.

There are certainly hosts who have been hosting for 5 years and never made a damage claim. It can have a lot to do with the nature of the listing, the location, the max number of guests. A listing for 10  guests with a pool and a hot tub in LA is going to be more of a party magnet than a cabin for 4 in the backwoods of Vermont.

That's not to say that there are always warning signs- bad guests can sometimes sneak through your defenses.

And I don't know what sort of things you are claiming for-major or minor damages. If they are small accidental damages, or things like stained sheets or towels, some of that just has to be   written off as the cost of being in the hospitality business. We can't expect to be reimbursed for everything.

[Jacob594]

I'm with Antony on this one, the whole concept of having to request payment from the guest first (before AirCover will even consider helping the host) is..... disappointing

[Sarah977]

@Jacob594  It's mostly the having to ask at all that's the problem. Airbnb should just take a real security deposit from guests that gets paid out to hosts with proof of the damages- photos, repairmen's quotes, etc.  

Guests caused the damage, guests have to pay for it.

That's the only thing that makes logical sense.

If the guest does so much damage that it exceeds the damage deposit, that's when Airbnb should dig into their coffers to cover it.

Good responsible guests who are decent people will fess up to damages, apologize and offer to pay. They don't need to be "asked". And the type of guests who do wanton damage are certainly not the types to be likely to say "Oh, okay, sure, I'll pay for that". 

It would be interesting to know what percentage of guests willingly agree to pay when "asked". I'd be surprised if it were even 25%.

[Jacob594]

@Sarah977 

You're missing my point, though. The policy and process is flawed because the only option is to blame the guest for any and all damage, and you also have to find it and complete the "request for money" within 15 days for it to even have a chance.

[Sarah977]

@Jacob594  I didn't miss your point at all. Of course their process is flawed, but why shouldn't the guest be blamed for any and all damage they did? 

It should be as straightforward as it is if a long term lease tenant leaves a filthy or damaged house when they move out- the landlord simply doesn't return the damage deposit that the tenant paid when they originally moved in.

[Jacob594]

@Sarah977  @Mike-And-Jane0 

It's not always straightforward. If you agree the policy is flawed maybe you should be trying to help raise the issue.

Why does Airbnb make promises about their $1M insurance policy if they aren't actually able to help hosts when they need it?

I'm sure you both have some brainwashed responses to give, but just think about why you're here in the community center if not to listen and help other community members. It's pretty arrogant to think you know what other people have had to deal with, or to tell someone there are better way to host which would've avoided issues.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Jacob594 You haven't answered my question. so I'll ask it again. Why do you expect Airbnb to pay if the guest didn't cause the damage?

[Sarah977]

@Jacob594  Brainwashed responses? You appear not to have understood anything I wrote.

I just love how hosts post here for the first time, and if the responses aren't exactly what they expected, they accuse other hosts of being some sort of Airbnb shills. Not a very good way to get advice, help, or commiseration, by insulting people.

How you managed to extract that I was somehow defending or approve of Airbnb's tactics for not covering damages is beyond me.

Airbnb completely misleads hosts who assume they'll be covered for damages. Where did I say that was okay? 

I agreed with you that it's absurd to have to ask guests to pay for damages. Did you miss that?

What I said is that they should take a real security deposit (not a fake one, like their fake million dollar guarantee) from guests, that they pay hosts without some lengthy rigamarole and deadlines for submitting photos and repair quotes and receipts. And that if the damages exceed that amount, Airbnb should dig into their coffers to reimburse hosts. 

[Antony36]

So you are referring to me then Sarah @Sarah977? How very strange. I don't see in anyway how i have insulted anyone.

I find your responses very weird, like Jacob said, almost brainwashed by Airbnb responses.  

Looking at your listing (single traveller in a secluded area) it is very very different to mine that is in the city centre of a big city so i feel yours and Mike's comments are very short sighted, somehow suggesting that i am lying about my claims as they are excessive, how very rude for as you say "A first time poster". 

I never actually asked four your opinion on my amount of claims or my vetting process, unfortunately Sarah we can all not be a picky as you and we sometimes have to accepts guests in order to pay the bills.

I wouldn't like to make the patronising suggestions you and Mike made to me but i am pretty sure there is a better way to "help" people than this. 

Anyway you clearly have too much time on your hands, i simply wanted a way to contact the Host Protection Team as i have been waiting over a month for a proper answer. I certainly do not want to waste time on pettiness like this.

[Sarah977]

@Antony36  Referring to you? No, I addressed that response to Jacob, as you can see. He is the one who accused me and the other host of giving brainwashed responses.