hosts beware

[Miranda338]

I've hosted approx six guests in the past two months, four were great but two were nightmares. This is the second time now dealing with the "resolution centre" and, this is a warning to everyone, Air Bnb customer service for hosts is TERRIBLE. There is no way to maintain a conversation with a dedicated individual, and last time I had a claim I had to chase Air Bnb for three weeks, calling and emailing them multiple times a day, to get reimbursed for damages. It's an absolute waste of time, and not worth it. Things in the UK / Europe Air Bnb have become very shady. I am going to find a different platform to rent out my place. Air Bnb is not worth the stress and lack of support to hosts.  PS I am a superhost and had mostly positive experiences. But there are some nutcases out there. And Air Bnb provides basically no protection, and it is obvious they do not care and are not invested in making hosts feel secure, or dealing promptly with their problems. It's become a greedy company which feels anonymous at this point. 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Miranda338 I think Airbnb's marketing of Aircover (whether for guests or hosts) way exceeds the reality of what they provide. Hosts would be better off just making sure they vet guests as best they can and have their own insurance or self insurance in place (some hosts set aside a few $/£ form every guest night to pay for small losses)

[Miranda338]

I’m deleting off Air BnB. Is Vrbo better? Starting with them today. It’s literally not worth it with Air BnB. They have zero business ethics when it comes to hosts, and are doing nothing to prevent scams. They also wash their hands of any responsibility when things happen, due to their faulty process. 
I vet as best as I can. I don’t do instant book, and I only host on occasion. Been a nightmare almost every single time. Out of principle I do not want to give this company any more money off my back. 

[Elaine701]

@Miranda338 

I've been listed on all the platforms, and can assure you that they're all very similar when it comes to support. It's just the nature of the beast. 

I was on VRBO for three years, received a total of 4 bookings, 2 of which were not the most desirable guests. And in that time, I never received any response to any support ticket I opened. They just close the ticket without a word. VRBO also has hidden charges, such as their 3% charge for payments, and the still unexplained "trip insurance", which you won't find a single reference to even in their online help. Also, their calendar sync is notoriously unreliable, resulting in double bookings, which you have to cancel, so they relegate your listing to the bottom of the search results as a penalty.

Booking.com is pretty much the same. But it's even more like just a booking platform. You list, they get you bookings, you are obliged to accept them, and they pay you - but there's no recourse or support if the guest is a disaster.

However, unlike VRBO and booking.com, engaging with Airbnb support can actually be damaging, so it's best to avoid it wherever possible.

Having said that, Airbnb does 2 things rather well: Bookings and Payments. Airbnb keeps us booked year-round, and they're pretty transparent about commissions, charges and payments. But really, that's all you can expect from any platform, and all you should expect from Airbnb - regardless of whatever flowery marketing programmes they have.

Morale of the story: Watch your back. Regardless of what platform you're listed on.

Good luck and happy hosting!