So the folks who broke house rules and brought 9 instead of 6 and got to stay but ended up paying more left a review that said our outdoor cameras are “creepy”. It has been clearly stated in our listing in multiple places that we have cameras to monitor our property outside. We turn them off after the guest arrive. We use them to count heads arriving too…that is how we found out too many people arrived and for our next guests as well. We have been suspended now without even any research on their part or asking our side of the story. I am shocked!! Why is no research done before suspension and now I am “waiting” for customer service to contact me back. Airbnb customer service is terrible…What are my options - does anyone know? Or do I just have to wait…until they get around to me…
I have recently read that you need specific wording in your listing about your cameras.
Something along the lines that they record audio and video.
Get listed with BDC and VRBO.
JF
This is standard Airbnb practice for reports about privacy and safety issues.
Of course its utterly absurd and rude that Airbnb wouldn’t take 3 minutes to look at the host’s listing info to see whether the cameras were disclosed or not, instead of shutting down their source of income, but this is how they do things these days.
You’ll just have to wait, but keep at them so they don’t put you on the back burner.
Wait it out and while you’re waiting, generate some leads yourself.
For future reference, take a picture of your cameras and post them along with other photos of your listing. Most guests won’t take the time to read details so it’s good to have visuals.
Along with written descriptions in my listing and tagged where it needs to be somewhere in the listing about cameras I also have this photo and description in my photo’s section.
I’ve seen this come up so many times. How the host is shut down without any way to communicated to the appropriate department at Airbnb. I would also like to say that Airbnb IMHO needs to contact the host prior to shutting down their listing. If this department took the time to see how the guest broke the rules and had to be charged more and was being vindictive, it would save a lot of grief and would show that Airbnb value’s it’s hosts.
Yes & how often
For example my ring doorbell wording is:
There is a Ring Doorbell at the front door. It will record sound & video 24/7 with motion activation.
Something is going on.
Today there are serval hosts posting about guest complaints about cameras including disclosed cameras on Facebook Airbnb related Groups.
Either Airbnb has a campaign or there’s some post telling people here’s a way to not pay
How crazy. Around here if you don’t have a ring type camera door bell of some kind its very unusual. Would AIRBNB suspend an account if that is not disclosed?
Absolutely! ALL audio or video listening/recording devices MUST be disclosed at time of booking. Read your Terms Of Service!
Yes, of course they would. A ring camera is still a camera.
It may be so for guests not wanting to pay. I have had cameras listed since the day I put the property up and I now have tons notes in the listing and the welcome letter about them. I had to do it to get relisted. Fast forward to today when a guest showed up with a dog. I am being accused again of watching them on the cameras to know they had a dog. My neighbor called to tell me she saw a dog go into the house and roaming the property. We state in the listing no pets allowed. So their bad…they are now trying to make it seem like I am fault. They didn’t read the listing…not my fault, I don’t want pets there, I don’t even bring my own.
And if they pull the ESA or Medical support animal….what will you do?
I have had 1 issue with someone saying they were bringing their comfort companion. I politely said we don’t allow pets. They cancelled and booked somewhere else. The lady today is supposed to take the dog to a relatives and let me know that she did. I guess her not reading the listing is my problem along with being upset that we have cameras. I don’t know how many more times I can say it in the listing. This all is leaving a bad taste…common sense is dead. Owning your mistakes is also dead…
There is now a box you tick when searching to say you are bringing a pet, so the search should only show pet friendly listings. She obviously didn’t tick that because it also allows a pet fee to be charged.
I had a pet bringing guest tell me that she only booked pet free listings because they were cleaner!
I have had one non disclosure guest with a seeing eye dog. She didn’t like the review I left her, as one of my team members had a major asthma attack due to allergies. I had no issue with the dog being there, it was just the entitled attitude and the enormous amount of fur and the emergency Capet clean afterwards. If I had been told I could have prepared better.