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This is laughable!!! You post a half baked story on a host forum full of helpful, intelligent and experienced hosts like Karma and then you think it’s acceptable to chastise her for replying, when you yourself have not given enough details to even make a coherent assessment.
OK! Now I really am turning my attention to Dancing with the Stars… Go Laurie!
Sandy, this whole story is totally not clear. I asked a question that was never answered. Its all very foggy. Not concrete.
Only once i accepted a person who could not book himself because he didi not have access to his phone, and he was at the airport. A girl asked me if she can book for her friend. SHe explained very clearly that it was a very unfortunate situation. She sent profile of her friend on Airbnb. SO, i could see who she books for.
SInce i did not get an answer from, i am assuming what happened. Father booked Airbnb for his troubled son. ANd since “baby” is all grown up and probably gave this father lots of grief, father did what he thought he should do and at least place his son somehwere. We dont know the story. May be son was on some kind of drugs, or some delinquncy, who knows.
It does not mean that father has a responcibility on what happened afterwards. Then 20 years old, ignorant how many of them at this age, helps himself to food, and probaly asks for a phone call from host’s house or other little favors.
I had a bunch of 20 years olds here and they might look like they know everything or act like this but in fact when something happens they ask for help. I did help, i gave them food and shared beer, and couple drinks, when this young couple stayed that had a bunch of things happened to them on their trip. There were other situations too, when 2 guys did not think and did not book anything, and were basically on a street with boat show in town, and ALL hotels sold out. They slept in my inclosed garage room in my sleeping bags, and then took showers in my bathroom in a morning…Then they told me i am an angel, hehehe.
It sounds like the father had enough with his son, but i dont think he meant for you to take care of him, or feed him.
Until we know the whole story with details, its impossible to determine anything.
That was my first thought too. WHat do people think AIrbnb is?
What a ridiculous thing to post on a public forum.
How ironic.
I hope that by 20 year olds you meant that they were in their twenties. It is illegal to give alcohol to people who are under 21 years of age. We keep beer in the refrigerator for guests. If they look young; I ask if they are over 21.
I know Ellen, I know.
I’m sorry to hear about your situation.
I have had many instances where I’ve had to contact Airbnb. Difficult guests, cancellations, problems with my page, Instant bookings where Air applied a discount I didn’t approve. And each and every time, I’ve been treated with courtesy. I agree that sometimes I don’t get a resolution as soon as I like, but I just call again and gently prompt them that I’m still waiting for a response. I’m not saying they are perfect, but I suspect that many of the young people who man the Airbnb phones and service centres are exactly that. Young. And if you get irate hosts, or desperate hosts and guests calling and pleading for intervention I suspect many of them are underqualified or trained to deal with that. I always ensure that when I call, I’m calm, polite, ask them to suggest a possible solution rather than telling them what I want, and it always seems to work out okay.
I’m not saying you didn’t request assistance well, I’m just using your post to state that I think it helps if hosts understand that some of the people on the end of the phone are probably underskilled in troubleshooting.
If the shoe fits…
This seems to be a classic example of Airbnb drama. Someone thinks they can make a bit of money and have a wonderful fluffy time skipping in clouds with their lovely guests. Reality kicks in, they can’t handle it, they call Airbnb who also can’t handle being told that they’ve “broken someone’s heart” and close the case down (shutting down the listing too, by the looks of it). A complete and utter MESS. The number of hosts that think Airbnb is going to nanny them through every little problem they encounter - that is a big problem. I’m not surprised that Air pulled the plug on CS a while back. “Waah, my guests are doing something I don’t like, waaahhh, what shall I do?” They should have put more resources into ensuring hosts were ready and had adequate listings. But then. how on earth could they feasibly do that? They should definitely stop selling the hosting side as an easy option. There are so very many flaky hosts out there. That’s my opinion anyhow. And yes, agree that OP’s hyperbole screams ‘there’s a lot more to this story’.
Thanks for all the kind words, and words of wisdom. As for everything else posted here, well you know what they say about eating the meat and discarding the bones. Not everything is able to do a body good. Wise bodies move on.
You know it’s funny, but I wrote to airbnb, posted in this forum, reported with the BBB, and …nothing. Then I made one last post. And every thing opened up. airbnb contacted me today.
The beginning of the happy ending mayhaps? I hope so.
Wow! That’s fantastic! And, nothing short of a miracle. Where did you post? Since this forum is all about information, it would help all of us know how you were able to have Air change a “closed issue” into an open one. So, please be specific – where did you post and what did you say? I look forward to seeing your property reinstated. Truly.
Good for you! I’m very happy to hear that you are on the road to resolving this issue.
I still don’t know what they did to begin with and what they did to reinstate it. Sigh. I give up.
I appreciate that the post was meant to be a warning to other hosts. But it sure would have been nice to know what the warning was.
How did you find out the guest was homeless?
Was it the next morning that guest left and Air didn’t payout? You mention the father was refunded, so I take it Air stopped your payout?? Maybe?? Or did they say they would witthold future monies from you?
It sounds like you agreed to allow the father to book on behalf of his son? The father did not tell you that his son was broke and homeless. Son shows up (and like Yana mentioned) - somehow you find out the son is hungry and he discloses he doesn’t have any money to feed himself. You contact the dad and ask him to give his son money.
(This is where it gets confusing) - you said the dad insisted that you feed the son, and give him extra priveleges. Are you saying that the dad asked you to do things to take care of his son, and he made a promise he would pay you later on??? I ask this because I cannot imagine a person saying “feed my son and do his laundry, and I am not going to reimburse you.”
So…you do not feel like this is your responsiblity so you now you decide to call Air to see if they can give you money to feed him. Air refuses. You don’t feel comfortable in your home, because - let’s face it…hungry people are going to do what it takes to feed themselves. So you tell Air you are not comfortable with your guest, and ask to have him removed. They tell you to sit tight. They never get back to you. In the meantime they have told the guest who knows what but that he needs to leave.
Air closes the case and just refunds money to dad, as that is easiest solution for them. They felt there was nothing they could do since you said were not comfortable with the guest staying with no money to even feed himself, etc… I too would be concerned the son would start taking my things to the pawn shop. So Air felt there was really nothing to investigate, and canceled the reservation.
Since the son wasn’t technically breaking your house rules, bringing extra people, behaving disorderly, etc. - Air couldn’t use that as a reason to cancel reservation on your behalf and pay you out. They overlooked the third party booking part…since it was agreed upon.
What I am not following is why you would not have at least been paid for the first night?? Or for the number of nights the son did sleep there.
Oh well…I will probably never know. Sigh…
You know i think its pretty disrespectful to come on this forum, make people read your post, and then not to answer any additional questions people have. To make your post so vague, that everyone have to waste their time and guess what happened. Not a single question was answered. Not one. All is not certain, feels like almost on purpose OP plays around facts and confusing everyone.
ANd then the mysterious “last post” toAirbnb, and then Airbnb 'did something" finally good,and noone will never know this also.
Jaquo, thats ok too not to know and make mistakes. I did a bunch of them myself, and even now after 19 months of hosting i am sure more are coming. We all do mistakes , more in a beginning, less further on. Thats a learning process when we need to keep open minds, listen to others, get more information, make conclusons and learn.
To blame without any knowledge and keep blaming is not going to improve anything or help anyone. I know its terribly frustrating to find yourself with a certain guest that you cant not stand or some awful situation where you dont really know what to do, and you dont see the way out. Lizzy is a good example when she had a squatter who caused her unbeilvable “hosting grief”. I still dont know what was the end of her story.
It will take me a very long time to list all my “adventures”, and though i tried bravely to deal with them myself, there were times when i called Airbnb and cried. Not once i had someone rude and not sympathetic on a phone. I actually was quite pleasantly surprised to see how well employees were trained in sympathy department, when i was having problem as guest and host.
You know @kandiMegahan, I was willing to overlook the theatrics and lack of detail and cohesiveness of your initial post and give you the benefit of the doubt. Sometimes people hosting on Airbnb find themselves in some mighty odd situations. It’s well known that Air CS can be hit or miss, and emotionally sensitive people might characterize such an experience as “heart breaking”.
Assuming you are a more emotionally sensitive person, I also understood your dismay when some posters framed their help in a you-brought-this-on-yourself manner. They were right, by the way, but I certainly understand how some of the advice you received could have been presented a bit more gently.
However, I’ve joined the you’re-story-is-BS camp because, as others have pointed out, you refuse to answer a single direct question or provide anything other than the most vague information. We can only assume this is because your story, if it’s real at all, is overblown and half made up.
If I’m wrong, prove it by answering the questions we’ve asked and posting the messages from Greg at Air. Otherwise, stop wasting everyone’s time and get off this forum.
Yana for President!!! She’s the best!!! (Oh wait, you have to be born here…but she should run for city council or something!!) She just has a way of getting to the heart of the matter diplomatically!
Five stars! HIghly recommend! 
