Why Airbnb is starting to suck… Months before the pandemic, I am having problems getting paid on time to payoneer. We all know payoneer payments are instant, and I have on 6 or more occasions had a payment that in the transactions section says “pending be paid January 27th” and yet the date is the 29th. When I ask about it on twitter (because it the only way they even respond) I’m told a specialist needs to look at it , and one week late I am paid, with no explanation and sometimes even a complete denial there ever even was problem to begin with. Something like “we sent it, payments can take time blah blah blah” complete BS. Lets forget about the late payments even before the pandemic and fast forward to perhaps the worst management of a crisis ever in the history of management. Airbnb’s management of the COVID19 crisis. There is 3 terms I think we need to define before we go forward.
1. Disposable income. This is money that you are expecting and can spend or lose and not cause extreme harm to your family or business. This describes 95% of the money spent on travel and holiday. Travelers money is disposable income unless its business travel.
2. Up front investment. The money we as Airbnb hosts had to spend to get the accommodation ready for the travelers with disposable income. Paying workers, towels, cleaning, everything it costs to run a place when expecting travelers.
3. Revenue. The money we need to feed our families and pay our workers so they can feed there families. 4. Contract. What we had between Airbnb, the travelers with disposable income and the hosts. The contract which was violated by Airbnb. Why in the hell would Airbnb choose to refund money, against our contracts to the party with disposable income, and screw the hosts who need the revenue for feeding families and employees? Which party could afford the hit more? What they should have done is give us our 50% like they promised us, returned 50% to the travelers, and we could have offered the traveler the other 50% in a coupon for future use at OUR hotel. (Not money in Airbnb’s pocket by Airbnb giving the coupon and keeping the funds) everyone is happy, nobody loses any money that wasn’t gonna be spent anyways, travelers have to reschedule which they would have to do anyway.
And to make that worse, they offer us pennies on the dollar, 12.5% , and make a big deal about that being 250 million dollars. Well ya its a lot of money, but you know whats more? The amount you cost us hosts, which is 1 billion dollars , 4 times what you gave back to us. And just to stick it to us one more time, you announce that you are gonna give it to us then wait a month to do so… And and last but not least FU to your host, or at least to me, toady my payment of 12.5% was scheduled, and guess what? Please see my first complaint about Airbnb, it was not sent today, the day it says its scheduled and is not still pending and I guess gonna be late like all the rest of your payments.
I DO NOT TRUST YOU ANYMORE AIRBNB.