help needed

[Claire2017]

@Airbnb No matter how often I contact Air BnB support I'm ignored daily. When I call they tell me there is nothing they can do because the ticket is open with another agent and all they can do is escalate it to the agent's supervisor but still after several days....nothing! I asked them to close the ticket, reset my status so I can start again but apparently they can't do this due to their policies (clearly broken policies as my payments are being held to ransom) even though the error is with Air BnB and not me. I can't update anything if the link does not provide a button to update anything? Basically, they have frozen payments to me for almost a month now because they want me to change my hosting type which I have done repeatedly. The new link they have sent on several occasions asking me to update this has no option to update anything anywhere but still my payments are frozen and I simply cannot get them to respond or help in any way, despite calling and messaging on a daily basis. What should I do? How can I complain or escalate this as I've done everything I can, and I'm really at a loss on how long this will continue. Any help would be greatly appreciated! 

[Pat271]

Try contacting them through social media (FB, Twitter, etc.). I have seen some hosts have success doing this.

[Claire2017]

@Pat271  This is really helpful and appreciated! Thanks, we will try this today.

[Helen744]

@Claire2017 what do you mean about your payments being held to ransom ? There are three listings Claire and two are relatively new so you would be under the early payment system still I imagine  for those two, which means you could be waiting up to a month for payment  . Also Claire the differences between  the listings is not clear . I would add different pics and clearer discriptions . Your listings are still available for booking so you are not suspended in any way .Check your online bookings and payouts and compare them with your bank accounts. also Claire check the new co host requirements as they may affect you and may make your co host job easier . The system will recognise that you are a co host and not just an agency. also , is the listing only acessible via plane?... H

[Claire2017]

Hi @Helen744 ,

Thank you for taking the time to reply but none of the listings are new and have been active since 2021. I've been a super host for 5 years and have never had a situation in which Air BnB did not respond or support me with our listings or hosting etc. I never stated the listings are suspended, only that they are with-holding our payments despite having regularly received these in the past and up until we changed our identity verification from individual to our new business we set up recently. When I said our payments are being held to ransom...I mean this quite literally since I have verified our identity and because Air BnB decided I had to add the second name ultimate beneficiary in our business...they froze our payments until this was added despite the fact that the error lies on their side because there is no functionality for me to update anything. They sent me the same automated response earlier this month with a link but there is no where I can update the information and now my money is trapped because they are not responding nor resetting the information in order for this to be corrected. The point is not about the listings themselves but the fact Air BnB are refusing to support, even when I call them and message them daily...ignoring all messages and telling me over the phone that as per their policies they can only escalate but can't help or support me? It's incredibly frustrating and simply not customer service at all! I find it highly unethical that a company of their size and calibre can do this to hosts when they themselves have already been paid by us hosts for the service and they offer no support whatsoever when things go wrong!

[Helen744]

@Claire2017 I can only surmise that it is changing from private to a business that has  upset the apple cart. It does seem that there is a major backlog in those areas of Airbnb... H

[Claire2017]

@Helen744 oh really...that's interesting but I still think a month is a very long wait and completely ridiculous. I understand from the Air BnB team when I call them that the ticket is locked with another agent unfortunately and unresponsive. The compliance team sent the same link several times weeks ago which as stated previously did not have an option to update. I do not have any issues updating our identity and ensuring we are compliant but I do have a huge issue with the fact that the error in this particular instance is on their side, yet they still have the power to with-hold our payments until for over a month and refuse to respond.  That is what I find highly unethical and I've decided not to extend our Air BnB account after this season as I just can't pay a company that would do this to a small business. I wish they had more flexible policies and enough resources to support the hosts that are essentially keeping them in business. Really disappointing to say the least! There is no override or flexibility on their policies despite their own team telling me on the phone that they know it's their end but are powerless to support. The rigid policies tie the hands of their own support team and should be revised. Appreciate your comments anyway so thanks!

[Bhumika]

Hi @Claire2017, Sorry to hear about your frozen payments. Did you manage to have it resolved? 

From your post, it seems you were asked to update certain information. Were you able to successfully change as required?

[Claire2017]

Hi @Bhumika, 

As per my post, I had been trying to get Air BnB to reset the identity information so I could complete the update due to the fact the link they had repeatedly sent did not allow me to do it. Furthermore, they were not answering any communications from me for weeks and when they did contact me, it was frustratingly the same link that did not allow for any updates. I presume it’s no coincidence that your message coincides with the fact that they finally sent the correct link with the information reset to allow me to complete the update. To answer your question it has now been successfully updated but I still have not received my payments. Who knows when air bnb will get round to releasing these….no doubt at least another week or two! Overall, I am completely dissatisfied with the shocking lack of customer service. Filed a complaint, posted on air bnb Facebook and messaged every day in the customer support thread daily and called every day for weeks and to no avail. I guess persistence is the key with air bnb. 
Thanks anyway, 

claire 

[Helen427]

@Claire2017 

Here's a list of Airbnb Payments officers.

Please write to them and let them know the problems you have encountered as they need to know where these ongoing problems are arising from.

The more people who do this then MAYBE Airbnb will do something about addressing 'Internal System' AI / Artificial Intelligence generated problems.

Customer Services/ Trust and Safety and Payments Teams must also learn to comply with our Legislation in our Jurisdictions and respect our broader rights to be paid promptly in accordance with Laws.

I understand there's issues surrounding Chapter 21 Late payments that are mentioned also in this forum that you may like to raise with them.

There email addresses are readily available online.

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