AirBnB refuse to pay via Host Guarantee for damaged product - saying it is wear and Tear

Hi All,
I need your advice here.
I had a guest that put electric kettle on the stove which cause a damaged(burned plastic) to the kettle and also caused the microwave above stove to stop working (due to smoke probably).
For the Kettle , the guest admit the accident and paid for a new one , but for the microwave fix he refused to pay, so I involved AirBnb - AirBnB refused as well saying the microwave issue is wear and tear. I wonder if there is something I can do here as also technition who fixed the issue wrote on the invoice that this is due to smoke residue on the board. I found it hard to beleive that on the same visit when the accident happend my microwave all of a sudden decides to malfunction.
I wonder if some hosts had similar experience with AirBnb and if there is a way to appael.

Thanks,
Liat

How old is the microwave?

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Not more than 3 years.

Some only last for two or three years. (Ref. Google) So wear and tear. Use your STR insurance?

This is in your home or apartment where you live, not a detached space?

Yes, Air is going to call it “wear and tear”. You have no tangible proof, just supposition. “smoke residue on the board” could come from a hundred things, not just this one incident.

You simply cannot depend on Air to reimburse you for everything that happens, the Host Guarantee is no guarantee. You cannot depend on the alleged 1 million dollar liability insurance either. If you do not have homeowner’s insurance that covers your Short Term Rental activities you could some day be in for a major shock when a guest sues you for injury or something major like that!

You can try to appeal, but I’m afraid it will not be worth you time.

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In the US microwaves are so cheap it’s not even worth your trouble. Just buy a new one and deduct it from your expenses when you do your taxes. If you aren’t in the US it might not be as cheap but as had been pointed out it’s hard to imagine a guest consenting to pay for something that he really doesn’t think he broke and there’s just not substantial evidence.

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I know this is basic but sometimes we can use reminders—Did you check to confirm the microwave plug-in wasn’t loose? Did a breaker trip? For the microwave to stop working could be a coincidence. Also if the microwave was bumped or door slammed may have jiggled something loose.

Yes indeed. I had decided my new (<12mo) $2000 gas electric Smeg oven was no longer working and had rung them up to get it fixed. I was in the middle of an argument with the CSR about needing the original receipt from the retailer when she got her supervisor who said “Look at the clock display” Me: “what’s that got to do with anything!?” Her: “Is their a flashing ‘A’”. Me: Yes, what of it the oven doesn’t work!". Her: “Try pressing the two left buttons together”. Me “Okay but what’s that got to do with…oh the ‘A’ has disappeared…and the oven is now working…thanks.”

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I want to stay at your place—SMEG has amazing nice small & large appliances. I appreciate your story. It sounds like something I would do!

Hahaha that’s MY oven not the mini one the guests get! I’m not that generous.

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@Annet3176 - The OP said the tech that fixed the microwave noted the cause was “smoke residue on the board”.

I’ve read that the over-the-stove microwaves need extra maintenance and their filters changed on a frequent basis. While it’s quite possible that the kettle incident was the “straw that broke the camel’s back” on the microwave, it probably was not the sole cause. The microwaves that are designed to be over the stovetop should be built to withstand a single issue of smoke.

So, @YomanChic-cottage, while I sympathize with you that the damage the guest did to the kettle may have contributed to the microwave’s death, I find it hard to believe that it was the only reason, and it does not surprise me that AirBnB would say it was normal wear-and-tear.

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I’m sure AirBB does not handle claims from members, they have an external insurance company that handles those claims and that is who denied the microwave damage. We just bought a nice new microwave to put in our place, and it cost about $175. (Wish ours was that nice) If someone messed up our new microwave we might write it off our taxes, with a receipt for the replacement, but for$175 we would not make an insurance claim. Best to save your insurance credits for larger items. Insurance companies keep records of how many claims you have and drop your coverage if you have too many and/or they are frivolous. For 12 years I WAS an insurance adjuster for several of the largest insurance firms in the US–they have data going back a LONG time about EVERY claim you ever made and when I say every that is an understatement a property insurance company has info from every policy you had and every claim you ever made. If they see you have only had a few claim they look at your present claim a lot differently and pay the claim, while if you have lots of claims they will fight you for a few dollars.

Using the same logic it’s possible that Airbnb does in fact handle some of the claims paying out of their pocket then files with the external insurer on the big ticket problems. Several people have reported getting messages from Airbnb that say, in effect, because you haven’t had many claims and this is for a small amount we’ve gone ahead and approved it." I have no doubt that hosts who cost them less and/or bring them more get treated differently than hosts who are constantly asking Airbnb for help.

Like us, AirBB would have to reach a deductible before their insurance would accept the claim. So you are probably correct. On the insurance topic, but a little different, the insurance inspector was here this week and turned in his report to the agency–hoping I got a clean bill of health. As a former adjuster, I jumped through a lot of unnecessary hoops to make sure there was nothing he could cite me for. He was not as thorough as I thought he would be. Insurance inspectors only make $25 or $30 per inspection and are not required to be licensed. Guess that is a good thing in OUR case.