Is airbnb going bust - if it can't pay hosts on time - it's technically bankrupt!

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Good point muddy - I have now located Catherine Powell’s twitter ID
Catherine Powell
 and I will send her a very clear message tomorrow morning.

However your implication that I am cowardly picking on the weak and feeble and ignoring the strong and powerful - is unjustified and false.

I had already - earlier this week - sent this message direct to Brian Chesky via TWITTER @bchesky - and I did indeed YELL - I did want him to get the message that I am very upset - he ignored it but since my tweet I was contacted direct by @airbnbhelp the same day but they are just a PR entity and provided no real help - just refered me back to the ‘do nothing but stall and delay’ support staff again:

"Is #AIRBNB GOING BROKE?
Brian - it’s about time your company came clean on its cash flow problems - the fact is you can’t pay hosts on time - I’m now two payments in default (one 3 weeks overdue and one two weeks overdue and both still unpaid) and your staff are still unable to give a definate future payment date - ‘MAYBE SOME TIME IN THE FUTURE’ AIN’T GOOD ENOUGH!

Paying AIRBNB support staff to lie and stall about these cash flow problems, and to pretend payments have been made to hosts, when in fact they have not - is not a good business partner strategy with Airbnb hosts!

NEW HOSTS - DON’T SIGN UP WITH AIRBNB - I’VE BEEN WITH THEM 8 YEARS AND THE PAYMENT DELAYS ARE WORSE NOW THAN THEY HAVE EVER BEEN.

The ‘we pay hosts within 24 hours of guest arrival’ is a false promise!

IN BOTH THESE HOST PAYMENT DEFAULT CASES THE AIRBNB GUESTS PAID AIRBNB THE FULL ACCOMODATION FEES PLUS AIRBNB’S NOW VERY EXPENSIVE SERVICE FEES - OVER 12 MONTHS AGO! - SO WHAT HAS AIRBNB DONE WITH THEIR MONEY?"

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Thanks zillacop - it’s important that other hosts know that these problems happen and can one day happen to them…

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I wasn’t implying anything of the sort. I was just pointing out that, as you said yourself, the reps are actually powerless to secure your payment, therefore I don’t see any good reason to yell at them and insult them. When we encounter these clueless, ineffectual responses from CS, I’d hazard a guess most of us would like to be able to vent our frustration by yelling at them, but we don’t.
Nor does it do any good to talk to them about you believing Airbnb is going broke, nor how their higher ups behave, or company policies, as they have zero interest in that or ability to change it.

It’s like yelling at a waiter because your meal sucks. The waiter simply took your order and delivered it to your table, they didn’t cook it, nor choose the quality of the meat or vegetables or other products that went into the meal.

If a CS rep sends you irrelevant responses, appears not to have actually read your message because they are sending you useless Help page links, or useless advice, or fails to understand your issue, that is the only thing you can really fault them on and I have done so myself in the past, but I try to do that in a way that isn’t offensive and that will encourage them to be more helpful or pass it on to someone who can understand my issue. I always thank them for their time, wish them a good day, and have even said I know they have a hard job, one I wouldn’t want. That approach has actually led to apologies from the CS rep (not cut and paste type ones) and them then working to resolve my issue as best they can. The whole point is to get them on your side and wanting to help you and you catch more flies with honey than vinegar.

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Thank God it’s not me!

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I’m sure you had that honor until @Alex08 came along.

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It’s not that simple muddy - the support staff are the only mechanism we have to resolve host complaints - this is what AIRBNB impose upon us - we have no other source to turn to resolve host complaints.

So we have no choice - we have to deal with this hopelessly inadequate complaints entity - Airbnb support staff.

You are saying - ‘just suck it up because they are poor people from the Philipenes’ - I am saying this is not good enough - how is that going to resolve my host complaint that affects my income - my basic means of support?

Voicing strong objection - indeed anger - in regard to AIRBNB support staff ‘lying - stalling and delaying’ and doing nothing to resolve the host complaint is not only justified - it’s necessary - otherwise we are pretending that we have a functional complaints mechanism when in reality - we do not - unless we object - it will never be changed!

If the AIRBNB complaints mechanism is dysfunctional - unfit for purpose - and it is - why not say so plainly and unequivocally - so perhaps one day word will get round to the higher level executives and maybe some day something will be done about it.

While your saintly ‘smile, suffer and bear it and perhaps add a few more pleases’ - might suit your manner and temperament - it’s incompatible with my temperament and my expectations of a professional service from a large multi billion dollar publically registered company.

I have tried polite and pleasant - I have tried blunt and rude - and neither work with the dysfunctional AIRBNB complaints entity - although blunt and rude makes me feel marginally less frustrated.

The unfortunate reality is that AIRBNB hosts have no functional complaints entity - resolving 2-3 week old host missing payouts complaints should not require 50 messages - 5 telephone calls - 17 support staff - and still achieve nothing - any competent business entity should be able resolve a missed business partner payment in 5 minutes.

AIRBNB must come clean about why they pay an army of support staff to ‘lie, stall, and delay’ host missing payout complaints - we hosts should demand at all levels of AIRBNB - lower, middle, and top - proper professional treatment and respect and a functional complaints entity - as I will continue to do so - not just with support staff but also directly with AIRBNB shareholders and directors.

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No I’m not. When CS gives me poor service, I let them know that, I just don’t do it in a nasty way. People need to be made aware when they are falling down on their job description, and I’m not shy about doing that, but no one will be open to learning or changing their behavior when they are being attacked.

I can assure you I do not have a “saintly attitude”. My approach is based on getting the help I require- I do what is necessary to achieve that- it is calculated, you might even say canny. Giving vent to one’s emotions when dealing with CS isn’t a winning strategy.

You have to start with front line support staff. But I have gotten direct communications from Trust and Safety Dept. staff, Tech Dept. staff, and Financial Dept. staff after chatting with front line CS reps and asking for that. So maybe my approach works better than yours?

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In retrospect, I think if I were you I’d go to mainstream media. All of them! Present the story factually, without emotion & briefly. Maybe that’ll get you some results.

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@Alex08 I would further add that if you want to spend your time trying to force Airbnb to “come clean about why they pay an army of support staff to ‘lie, stall, and delay’ host missing payout complaints”, have at it. I fully support activists who work unrelentingly towards necessary change, in many areas of life. I just think you are wasting your time.

Most of us are aware that both hosts and guests have been ranting about Airbnb’s shitty CS and stonewalling behavior for years, both on social media, through directly emailing Chesky and associates, and through the media, etc., and nothing changes. The decision makers at Airbnb obviously don’t care. Sure, it may result in your individual issue being resolved, or they put out a damage control press release or video, but nothing of importance actually changes for the better in their attitude or policies or procedures. Personally, I have better things to do with my time, but if I was owed $11,000, I might feel differently.

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muddy - I also have got past the support staff - using my more robust manner of speaking - I was with “RESOLUTIONS” and they at least (after 15 lying and stalling support staff) have openly admitted that I have not been paid - but rather than get me paid they transfered me on to Earl at “ESCALATIONS” (CAPS can also be a useful grammatical device to CONTRAST and HIGHLIGHT a point) but unfortunately EARL at “ESCALATIONS” - while he also admits that my two big host payments remain unpaid by AIRBNB - doesn’t seem to know how to escalate and he has now sat on the file for three days conducting what he characterizes as a “deep investigation” and he isn’t in the slightest bit interested in remedying the two AIRBNB host debt defaults (one 23 days - one 17 days old) and so EARL (who should never hold a position in ESCALATIONS because EARL doesn’t understand what the word ‘escalation’ means) refuses to inform the AIRBNB HOST PAYMENTS SECTION of the two missed payments so they can process and send them even though he knows they are now 17 and 23 days overdue and that I have 5 new large AIRBNB groups arriving this month while I am struggling to cover the utility bills of these big AIRBNB groups.
Why - when EARL of ESCALATIONS knows that I have NOT been paid by AIRBNB for 17 and 23 days through no fault of my own (both guests, whose host payments AIRBNB defaulted on, gave 5 star reviews) - should I have to wait additional, indefinate, time to be paid while EARL conducts his 3 day long and counting “deep (“deep” here for sure means it is going to take a very, very, long time!) investigation” into AIRBNB’S gross incompetence in failing to pay me or its deliberate contractual malpractice in refusing to honour its promise to pay HOSTS with 24 hours of guest arrival.

Sure - one option is to give up the fight as systemically ‘hopeless’ and just meekly submit to AIRBNB’s illegal and fraudulent exapropriation of its members payments meant for hosts and say goodbye to my hard earned $11.000 host fees - but thats not me and so this battle will continue until I am paid.
Today I plan to publically contact the HEAD of HOSTING (thanks muddy for the lead - Catherine Powell @capow14 Airbnb Global Head of Hosting) to ask her if she could be so kind as to escalate EARL!

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Thanks mollimac - there’s a fundamental legal principle that before you seek the aid of third parties that you must first exhaust your internal remedies - which of course I almost have now that I’m stuck with EARL of DESCALATIONS - and if they fail then for sure the whole file with - with its MONTY PYTHONESQUE 23 days of ‘lying and stalling’ host complaints service messages - will be sent to mainstream media.
Alex

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Catherine Powell, AIRBNB, ‘Head of Hosting’, you received $9,601,996 in compensation in 2021- $600,000 in salary, $650,000 as a bonus, $4,656,420 in stock options, $3,683,302 as stock, and $12,274 in “other types of compensation” - congratulations - what a PAYOUT!

Speaking of PAYOUTS Catherine - how about helping me - a hardworking and loyal AIRBNB host of 8 years experience - get my PAYOUT.

For 23 days AIRBNB SUPPORT STAFF and now EARL of Airbnb ESCALATIONS - have lied and stalled me over my PAYOUT. To get paid I have had to send in 50 written requests for payment - all ignored - 15 different support staff have ‘managed’ my two missing PAYOUTS complaints - all have lied and stalled and refused to help me get paid.

Last week I was with “RESOLUTIONS” - and they at least (after 15 lying and stalling support staff) - openly admitted that I have not been paid - but rather than get me paid they transferred me on to Earl at “ESCALATIONS” but unfortunately EARL at “ESCALATIONS” - while he also admits that my two big host payments remain unpaid by AIRBNB - doesn’t seem to know how to escalate and he has now sat on the file for three days conducting what he characterises as a “deep investigation” and he isn’t in the slightest bit interested in remedying the two AIRBNB host debt defaults (one 23 days - one 17 days old) and so EARL (who should never hold a position in ESCALATIONS because EARL doesn’t understand what the word ‘escalation’ means) refuses to inform the AIRBNB HOST PAYMENTS SECTION of the two missed payments so they can process and send them even though he knows they are now 17 and 23 days overdue and that I have 5 new large AIRBNB groups arriving this month while I am struggling to cover the massive utility bills of these big AIRBNB groups because AIRBNB refuse to honour its contractual obligation (not just to me but also to its members who have prepaid these accommodation fees on trust to AIRBNB) to pay me! Why - when EARL of ESCALATIONS knows that I have NOT been paid by AIRBNB for 17 and 23 days through no fault of my own (both guests, whose host payments AIRBNB defaulted on, gave 5 star reviews) - should I have to wait additional, indefinite, time to be paid while EARL conducts his 3 day long and counting “deep (“deep” here for sure means it is going to take a very, very, long time!) investigation” into AIRBNB’S gross incompetence in failing to pay me as host or its deliberate contractual malpractice in refusing to honour its promise to pay HOSTS within 24 hours of guest arrival.

@airbnbhelp
have all my file details and my host number - they are in fact more a PR entity and powerless to help and just refer it back to the dysfunctional support staff that your company pays to lie and stall hosts - please go through my complaint file regarding my two missing PAYOUTS - any sane professional - particularly one earning an annual $10 million dollar + PAYOUT - would be appalled to see what a MONTY PYTHONESE HOST COMPLAINTS service your company impose upon its essential business partners - your hard working and loyal HOSTS!

At the end of the day - this dysfunctional AIRBNB host complaints system is your system Catherine - you are head of hosting - your head will be on the block if nothing is done about it and this continues to drive hosts - particularly fraudulently UNPAID hosts - away from the platform.

AIRBNB have allocated 17 support staff to lie - delay - and stall me over two missing payouts - not one of them has lifted a finger to remedy the admitted, UNDISPUTED, host payment defaults - I have had to re-explain the two missing payout problems to 15 successive support staff - as soon as I have briefed one staff member he or she is replaced with another - this can only be a deliberate stall and delay tactic - I have had to send over 50 messages - first politely and when that doesn’t work - increasingly blunt and robust messages - it is immensely frustrating - and this all in relation to missing, undisputed, host payments that any normal, responsible, public company would resolve in 5 minutes. AIRBNB guests run up massive utility bills in my 6 bedroom air conditioned harbourside home - how am I supposed to pay these bills when AIRBNB refuse to send me the money their members have already entrusted them with to pay to the host. Hosts should not have to beg for 23 days for a promised overdue contractual payment - it is a contractual entitlement and if denied it is legitimate to demand it as I do now - not just on my behalf but also on behalf of the AIRBNB members - my guests - who entrusted you with the host fees they prepaid to stay at my home!

YESTERDAY - your company again dishonoured its promise to pay hosts within 24 hours of guest arrival in regard to my current large group of AIRBNB guests - so that means I am now missing 3 AIRBNB GUEST PAYOUTS - over R$16.000+ in total value.

Perhaps AIRBNB directors could consider paying host PAYOUTS within the agreed contractual time frame to be a more important business priority than paying its senior HOSTING staff $10+ million in annual PAYOUTS?
Thank you.
Alex
https://airhostsforum.com/t/is-airbnb-going-bust-if-it-cant-pay-hosts-on-time-its-technically-bankrupt/57858/19…

@bchesky

@airbnb

@capow14

@airbnbhelp

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@Alex08

Seven months ago your first topic posted was on the issue of not getting paid. In April, your 3rd topic ever posted was about not getting paid. Your fourth, and possibly final, topic is about not getting paid.

I have neither time nor interest in combing through all the excruciatingly long and repetitive posts to discover what the problem seems to be. However, there is a saying, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting a different result.”

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Yes thats correct - this is the third time I have had to complain to AIRBNB about missing PAYOUTS - THIS YEAR!
The other two were eventually paid by AIRBNB - though without any apology for the long inexplicable delays - so the lesson I drew from that, KKC, given your apparent interest in productive outcomes, was that there is purpose and value in persisting with my complaints and so I shall persist with this one!
In fact airing my complaint here has been most helpful - not all members just sit back and issue snide comments - muddy most helpfully informed me the person is who is responsible for global hosting and I have now complained directly to her and posted her twiter contact ID here in the event that it might be useful for other hosts having the same MISSING PAYOUT problems in the future.

In fact - something seems to be happening as EARL of ESCALATIONS has just now ‘apologized’ to me and accepted my demand that his file go to a SUPERVISOR - lets see what happens this week but I think I’m just about there. I have been asking for a SUPERVISOR for the past 23 days - the last two missing payouts were only resolved once my complaints got to a Supervisor - but you never really know with AIRBNB.
UPDATE:

Alex10:50 AM

EARL - This is a copy of my complaint to CATHERINE POWELL @capow14 Airbnb Global Head of AIRBNB Hosting - regarding their, and in particular your, incompetence and malpractice, in managing my complaint regarding my two 17-23 day old missing PAYOUTS.
Given your incompetence and malpractice - I DEMAND THAT YOU NOW REFER MY COMPLAINT TO A SUPERVISOR - SO I CAN FINNALLY GET MY TWO ( now 3) missing PAYOUTS paid.
Alex

Message from Airbnb Support

Airbnb Support11:04 AM

Dear Alex,
I apologize on what happened, I’ll escalate you now to a Supervisor. Thanks.
Best,
Earl

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@Alex08 This is the third time you have had to fight with Airbnb for your payouts? If that happened to me, I certainly wouldn’t be doing business through them anymore, once I got what I was owed. I would find other marketing venues and if that didn’t bring me enough business, I would sell the place, get out of the hosting business and come up with another source of income.

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I’d advise people to ignore Alex. Something is off.

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I suspect he just has a grudge against Airbnb for some imaginary or possibly invented reason. Maybe his motive is to bob around the internet as much as he can slagging off the company.

That is hardly going to do him any good and it’s certainly annoying most of us here.

I don’t see any reason why we should put up with this any longer.

Furthermore, although the site owners have a disclaimer that members’ opinions are their own, Alex’s blathering and shouting and ranting can’t be allowed to bring this forum down to his level.

Time to close this thread and I hope that other moderators will delete any further rantings of this nature from Alex.

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