How do you file a complaint against a host?

[Tammy37]

Had a confirmed booking, had already paid, then the host said he wanted $100 in cash on arrival as a surcharge.  We disagreed, but eventually cancelled, since we knew he would eventually cancel us out so he could gouge someone else.  

Because we cancelled, we have to eat the service charge.

Two questions:

1) how do we file a complaint against this host?

2) How can we petition to get the host to eat the service charge?

thanks,

Tammy

[Sarah977]

@Victoria1440  If you are open to outlining here what the issue is you are trying to have dealt with, maybe other posters could offer some helpful advice. Contrary to what some guests might assume, if a host has acted poorly, that reflects on Airbnb as a whole and other hosts in general, so hosts won't simply defend other hosts if we feel the guest has good reason to be complaining or upset. Plenty of hosts also travel as guests and are aware that not all hosts behave ethically.

[Brian2036]

@Victoria1440 @Sarah977 

Apparently posting complaints on this forum can elicit a response from the Almighty Computer also.

A few days ago I mentioned that a guest’s dog ate my wool hearth rug and shortly I received an automated message giving me explicit instructions on how to file a claim.

 I wasn’t really complaining, and I also mentioned that the guest told me immediately and paid cash for a replacement, but apparently the Computer On High was not programmed to consider mitigating factors.

And, incidentally, I am also aware that there are hosts who are greedy, unethical and unprincipled and I would like to see them removed from the platform.

That sort of thing is devastating to legitimate hosts.

[Alina866]

@ sarah977

Airbnb does not really care about the guest! I saw twice how it favored the host over the guests.

I have a neighbor who has an Airbnb. His guests had a party with many cars. The guests parked on our private driveway impairing the access to our house.  We called the host (the neighbor) and tried to reason with him, but we couldn't. The guest continued to limit our access to our property. We contacted Airbnb and explained the situation and also provided pictures. It was not only illegal, but it was also unsafe! Our driveway is very long (a property with large acreage), the emergency vehicles could not get through because of all the cars of the Airbnb guests who were limiting the access. Airbnb did NOTHING!!! 24 h later the situation was the same. If something would have happened, we would have sued both the neighbor, but also Airbnb.

Ridiculous enough, Airbnb proudly talks about the "community consideration" on their pages... Honestly, I just look forward to Airbnb getting on the first pages of the media for these practices!

[Sarah977]

@Alina866  I can certainly sympathize with having an Airbnb next door with a host like this. I hate these types of Airbnbs. 

One thing to realize is that Airbnb didn't necessarily side with the host, altho it sounds like the host has a bad attitude. For one thing, Airbnb will never tell anyone what action they have taken against a user, be it host or guest. So for all you know, they could have flagged the host's account and if he gets more complaints of this nature, perhaps suspended.

And what happens with parties or unruly guests is this: most hosts are actually distraught to find there's a party going on, or that neighbors are being disturbed. Unless the place is a total dump to start with, no one wants their house trashed.

When hosts have this scenario, they often call Airbnb, expecting Airbnb to do something about it. But Airbnb doesn't have field agents who are going to come to the house and read the guests the riot act, or boot them out, that is up to the host to handle. 

So when you have a host who doesn't seem to care, that's unfortunate.

What exactly did you expect Airbnb to do about the cars blocking your driveway, though? It's one thing to report a host who runs his Airbnb in a way that disturbs the neighbors, but what do you expect a lowly rep in a call center on the other side f the world to be able to do about cars parked in the wrong spot? If it was illegal and unsafe, why not call local law enforcement to tell the guests they have to move their cars? 

[Peter3200]

I’m having a similar issue. After an argument automated confirmation and charge, the host called and explained that she was not hosting because of Covid, and that I’d get a full refund. It’s now the next day, and the reservation is still active, I’ll still be charged, and the host isn’t responding to either messages or phone calls over a period of over 12 hours. I’ve gone through abb to resolve this (last night) and they said they’d resolve it with the host. So far, no response sine then. Can the host simply defraud me out of a charge by stonewalling and failing to cancel or respond to abb management?

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Peter3200 No they can't just stonewall you - It will get sorted eventually but may take time I am afraid. Whatever you do don't make another booking until the first is cancelled otherwise you won't get the service fee back.

Ideally all communication should be via the system so that you have a record of what is being said.

[Ben4289]

Anyone else affected by Airbnb's covid extenuating circumstances policy no longer covering things like travel disruptions or country specific covid rule changes?

We booked a pre Christmas trip to Morzine, first time we've used Airbnb and didn't spot the host cancellation policy when we made the reservation (because it is right at the very bottom of the listing way beyond where you'd need to scroll to make the reservation). 

Turns out the host has a strict cancellation policy where you lose 50% of the reservation price plus the service charge unless you cancel within 48 hours of booking. Due to recent Covid testing rule changes in France and the UK we worked out that to go on holiday for a week as a family of two double jabbed and boosted adults and 2 UK kids aged 12-15 we would have had to have taken 24 paid for covid tests and not been able to be out of isolation once back in the UK to guarantee being able to travel to see family at Christmas. The trip became very impractical although not strictly impossible so no insurance cover from own insurer or cover from Airbnb covid extenuating circumstances.

The host was sympathetic but not financially forthcoming and Airbnb were just a bunch of bot replies or annoyingly unhelpful replies from 'humans'. Upshot is we are £1,300 out of pocket and won't be using AirBnB again. They need to make cancellation policies way more visible especially for first time users! @Airbnb 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Ben4289 I realise this is unfortunate but it is, after all, a pandemic. To give the other side of the coin we have had a guest cancel his long-standing Christmas booking due to the Swiss travel regulations for which we gave a full refund. We have less than 3 weeks to get a replacement booking so will almost certainly be down £700 or so with all the usual bills still needing to be paid.

Perhaps ask the host if they will refund you in the event they get a replacement booking. It is unlikely they will but you never know and they might be willing to offer this to you.

[Sarah977]

@Ben4289  I'm sorry you are out this money, but the cancellation policy isn't hidden. Yes, you have to scroll down the page to read all the listing information. Where it says quite clearly House Rules, Safety, and Cancellation Policy. Which would mean you didn't read the House Rules section either.

All the information you need is there on every listing, but no one can force guests to read it.

[Carol6876]

 I rented this property in error using Euro costs on September 21, 2021. When I realized my error, I contacted the landlord and requested permission to cancel the first reservation and immediately rebook using US Dollars. He approved that transaction. Reviewing the costs of trip, I realized I have paid rent for this unit 2 times for the same days. $749.53 on 10/4 and $659.46 on 9/21. Landlord has refused to return the balance of my original reservation in the amount of $550.82.  Federal  laws governing rental property do not allow for a landlord to collect twice for the the same property during the same time frame.  Airbnb protects their landlords from having to comply to federal laws by assuring them that once rent is collected it is not subject to any dispute.  This may apply to AirBnB policy, but it is not good ethical business practice.

[Sarah977]

@Carol6876  When you book a property, the money you pay is collected by Airbnb, not the host, and is not released to the host until 24 hours after a guest checks in. 

And a guest is free to cancel whenever they want, hosts do not "approve" guest cancellations. Although I understand why you would have explained to the host what was going on.

If you realized your error right away and cancelled, you should have been refunded automatically without any involvement of the host, as you have 48 hours to cancel with full refund, unless it was a long-term booking, which it doesn't sound like it was for that amount of money. And the dates you were charged don't make any sense in the context of you cancelling and rebooking right away. The money would have been charged the day you made the bookings.

Are you sure you didn't choose the pay-half-up-front option and those 2 payments represent the 2 payment installments?

It is Airbnb you have to talk to about it, not the host. If you cancelled the first booking right away, I don't see why you wouldn't have received a refund. Something doesn't add up here.

[Sapna14]

Hello,

I have been victim of fraud by a host in Dubai.  Have called her but she is been very cheeky and asking for extra monye.how do i go about 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Sapna14 raise a case with airbnb complaining about the host. go to 'help' to see where to do this

[Tigerlilly0]

Airbnb allows the host to cancel paid confirmed reservations to pamper their host making the mistake, of acting likely the shelter for the Airbnb host. try to fool the complaint their host is using another platform, shame for Airbnb is a dishonest illegal business, even lies front of the truth with witness and evident

[Dave-and-Deb0]

Hi @Tammy37,

I am really sorry that this host is behaving this way and the classic bait and switch is not allowed and is not tolerated.

In Airbnb's terms of service for hosts, it states,  “You understand and agree that once a Guest requests a booking of your Accommodation, you may not request the Guest to pay a higher price than in the booking request.”

I would recommend you flag this host's profile and listing and provide the details you shared above. The appropriate department will then review this host. Please visit the following link with instructions on how to flag this host. https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/4

You can flag the host's listing by going to his listing and below the "Wish List" box there is a link to "Report this listing"

To flag the host's profile, click on his profile photo and you will be taken to his profile page.  Under the description of the host, there is a link to "report this host".

Finally, you could also flag any messages in which you think are inappropriate by scrolling over the message and there will be a flag that pops up on the right.

In terms of getting your service fee back, please contact Airbnb as I am sure they will refund you this fee and also hopefully treat it as a host cancellation and force the host cancellation pemalties on the host.