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I have a problem with AirBnB Support.
On 5-July (15 dayus ago!) I opened a ticket (via email) with a problem I have.
The only answer I got was on the same day that my problem will be transferred to another team member.
Since that day no reply, no answer, no nothing.
I asked some days for any reply …nothing
So I opened a new ticket on 8-July that I did not get any reply and maybe the support analyst is sick.
This ticket was closed immediately with the comment that I already opened a ticket with that problem.
So, today (20-July) I opened a new ticket … hours later … no reply at all …
What can I do ? What are your experiences with Air Support ?
Many thanks for any suggestions …
My expectations is that AIRBNB takes your money, uses its hosts, and really, could care less even if your house is burned down by a guest. I waited 2 months for an URGENT reply on a guest whose refund did not work out as they wanted (they did not meet the deadline for a full refund) and put up with horrible threats from a lawyer (the guest, I looked him up) and he said he would come after me personally, since he had my address, he could. Airbnb gave me no back up, no guarantees, they did not say that they would help or provide legal assistance, and they did not take this awful person off of Airbnb; if he did this to me, he will do this to others. I asked them if I had to be physiically threatened on my property before they would actually do anything, the reply was “well have you been”. Their one and only annoying and repeated answer “block the messages”. HOw utterly stupid; I want to see what this man is capable of and if I deem it necessary I will get a lawyer. AIRBNB DOES NOT HELP OR PROTECT ITS HOSTS. All you will get from the so-called “support team” is a run around at best; they are there to appease hosts, not to help them, it is nothing but aggrevating and a huge waste of time and your anger as well. You will be lucky if you get someone who even has a decent command of the English language.
Ok. It is a special thing … I am German with permanent residency in Mexico and my property is in Mexico (Cozumel).
The problem I reported is following:
AirBnB should collect VAT (16%) from the guests.
AirBnB withholds this and my income tax (4%), which is directly paid to the government without my / hosts interaction (via facturify).
(hosts have to provide the tax id - RFC, and than this should work).
This worked ealier for my account, but not anymore.
You can see that, when you check the price breakdown of the property in the line
Occupancy taxes and fees
This should be 3% (Occupancy taxes) + 16% VAT.
If the VAT is not paid from the guests, I have to pay it. And I need a tax consultant to do the paperwork.
And I need to increase my price. 16% more or less is a lot of money …
For some hosts in Cozumel it works, for some not.
I have provided all information that it should work for me …
First is to continue to harass the CS at Airbnb to fix the issue, but I’d also check under your account settings that you have provided all the necessary information. Airbnb has a habit of losing previously entered data, for everything.
You could try flagging it up on their Twitter and Facebook pages, anecdotal evidence suggests their social media team are a bit more pro active than CS.
Second is to register for VAT and deal with it yourself.
In my experience with Airbnb support, they have been useless. I try to deal directly with the guests and leave Airbnb out of it since they have not been helpful in the past. If something was broken by a guest, and if it’s under $50, I just think of it as the cost of being in this business. If it’s more than $50 then I send the guest a request for funds through the resolution center. I have only done it twice and both times the guests paid so I know I was lucky.
I don’t understand why you need Airbnb support to do that?
I don’t know what the legalities of the situation are but it used to be that it’s the business owner who is responsible for VAT and other taxes. You might want to check if that’s the case in Mexico?
Incidentally in many years of using Airbnb I have only contacted support twice. Once was some technical thing about the website and I can’t remember what the other was so all I can say is that in those two instances they were very helpful - although I realise that two instances aren’t indicative.
Part of the Airbnb agreement for both guests and hosts as I understand it is that they agreed to arbitration in California so your lawyer guest is threatening you but without recourse… If I am wrong I’m happy to learn more but the arbitration clause is inherent in the agreement that we all accept… air bnb having the final word always… Maybe this is just for cases where people try to sue Airbnb but I believe it pertains to all lawsuits…
A little update: Still no feedback from support. So forget Air support …
But I found a solution (hopefully not only temorary …):
I logged into AirBnB, changed language to espaniol (Mexico) and currency to MXN (scrolling down), which directed me to the mexican AirBnB Website (and that is the important thing!!) and then changed in my account info / profile (global preferences) everything to mex. Peso and espaniol (Mexico). Seems to work. If someone has problems with tax, try that …
