The rudeness of Airbnb, the lack of cultural understanding is appalling!

Say what ?? I don’t understand what guns?

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Her distrusting way of approaching me and the rude, disrespectful attitude is my grievance. If it is not clear please tell me because in that case I need to reword it.

Guns in America are a sign of mistrust. Gil Scott Heron, ‘When other folks give up theirs I’ll give up mine.’

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It’s my observations also that Europeans in general are more trusting .
Regarding Airbnb. If you have any of these unpleasant incidents in a future just contact another case manager. It’s very true that these guys are young and don’t care. But…often you get someone really well trained and then you see a totally different result.
By the way I love Danish people and it’s very true they are the happiest people ever.

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You are not alone :slight_smile:

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First of all, I understand what you are saying. I’m American and would emigrate to Denmark in a heartbeat, if it were feasible in terms of jobs, finances, passport and schools.

Low social trust and lack of civic sprit are some of my biggest pet peeves, and one of the main reasons I no longer enjoy traveling in certain parts of the world where they are even lower than the US.

That said, keep in mind that the US a large country with many different types of communities and people. I grew up in a small New England town where people didn’t lock their front doors. We also spent a few years in Alaska where you needed to worry more about the wildlife and harsh climate than other people.

I’ve also lived in apartments and houses in New York and Baltimore. I’ve never had an alarm and I’ve never been burgaled. I did lock my door in those places, though.

Isn’t Copenhagen quite safe for a large city? Do you really need alarms and security cameras inside your property?

I ask because that seems to go against the trust you are talking about.

A doorbell camera seems reasonable, of course.

My understanding is that Airbnb guests don’t read the details. It might be easier to get rid of the alarm system, or get the kind that doesn’t involve a camera than trying to get guests from all over the world to grasp the details.

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You are as right as can be …. im basically umping a whole continent into one group and generalizing on that basis … not fair ……
Copenhagen is safe, but being a ground floor apartment with direct access through a small garden area, I have had 2 break-ins in 10 years. I just like to have an alarmsystem and it is actually a super clever one, as it is combined to a key pad on the door so that once you key in your personalized code, the door unlocks and the alarm turns off in one motion, no need for keys! The camera part is really nothing anyone should worry about it is the size of an iPhone sitting in one corner of the livingroom - facing the door. But I guess all this talk about privacy and the abuse of data and so on, has made people jumpy. I have had made 2 mentions of the cameras a year in the private part of the feedback form …. and the last month I have had this major complaint case and 2 private mentions… So something is definitely changing. I think maybe I need to get a letter from the alarm company on their letterhead explaining it and including this in my welcome letter / manual. - I have not done this before because it feels like acting guilty …. If you see what I mean……

We have had this topic of indoor cameras before. Unless the camera is pointing at the front door and showing only people entering and exiting, that is, it is not showing the whole room, it’s not a good idea. If someone wants a surveillance of their own space that’s their business but most guests are not going to like the idea. Airbnb had made it sound like another complaint will result in your removal from the platform. You should get the security company to reposition the camera.

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I was just joining in. I didn’t get what he wrote, so was asking. Did he really reference a dance company mid cctv rant?

I think it was either a typo or a glitch with Google translate?

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I can’t and I won’t and it only points at the door and if they do remove me for this totally reasonable thing they can go right ahead… as I said I can’t access the footage anyway… :slight_smile:

Ok, well, best of luck.

Guests are notorious for not reading the rules and other details of the listing. Many don’t even read the in home guidebooks, apparently.

What they do look at is pictures. You could include a photo of the security camera with text over the photo that says something like, “Don’t worry, the camera only turns on if the alarm goes off.”

Do you have any guests from non English speaking countries? If so, you could also put text in those languages over the photo.

I believe there are people out there who are otherwise decent but revert to childhood when they travel. The longer the trip, the more this happens.

Imagine: they are exhausted from a long flight, stressed from being in a foreign environment and show up at your place.

They see the camera and, because they didn’t read the details, the first thing that pops into their tired minds, “Camera?? EWWWW. Creepy!!”

They don’t think rationally, but instead get on the phone to Airbnb and start ranting and raving.

They are not going to go to the guidebook and read a letter from your security company, which they might even understand if they don’t have good English skills.

Best option is to make sure they know about it before they get there, when they are thinking clearly. You might even mention in your check in communication.

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Barns, I dont know if you are intzntionallytrying to offend? It is of course a translation mistake … It was meant to say, “Danish company, Dansikring Direkte”

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Not at all, that post has sat here for days, making absolutely no sense. I query it, and you go on the attack.
Howabout you learn to proof read? You can clearly speak good English, yet post ‘google translate’ drivel.

I can see your modus operandi now! "help, I’m being attacked!’

dear Jacob,

At least they told you what the issue was… They told me there was an issue, made me guess what the issue was, and when I was not able to think of anything anyone might have complained about, they threw me out 48 hours later… Like you, I was a superhost. I am now on Wimdu and Flipkey, and soon to add a further 3rd account. I am done with AirBNB, it is corporate maffia…

So many things going in this thread. My oh my…
Culture, sociology, security cameras, disappointments, social norms, violations, drama, crime and dance companies or bad grammar and/or Google translate.

So, basically a guest flagged the listing because they didn’t understand the cameras inside the house, Airbnb then took action, gave a notice and you went on a dramatic rant. Ok, noted.

Danes do indeed practice the wonderfulness of trusting each other and crime in Copenhagen’s centre and different blocks often has lower crime-rates than the suburbs.
Copenhagen’ers have very few security cameras inside regular apartments. Some have them outside the building (door-bell-camera) but the majority don’t as it’s not apart of the culture nor is there a need for it. Copenhagen is very safe compared the rest of the country and of course compared to many other cities. Northern countries are usually pretty safe statistically and people do indeed practice the art of trusting each other -at least for the most part as there are clearly always exceptions.

I don’t understand cameras inside Danish homes unless it’s a million-dollar-listing outside of Copenhagen but that’s just my opinion and I respect people’s different needs.
And yes, you’re being ridiculous mentioning that you didn’t receive a gift from Airbnb. What’s the deal with that? And what has it to do with this anyway?

I think you were overreacting and your response to the CS-person was rude and just weird.
That being said, I do hope you’'ll have a better time hosting in the future now that the issue has been handled and I hope that your guests will carefully read your listing.

Perhaps consider as part of a welcoming-message to write about the camera using a standardized template where you touch base with them in order to avoid another misunderstood flagging of your listing.

If you need to vent, this forum is the perfect place to do it. I’ve done it myself a couple of times and people in here are willing to listen, give feedback and exchange experiences and give their perspective on things which are often very useful, especially when things easily can become rather emotional leading to (sometimes) erratic responses and actions from oneself.
If you post your issue here beforehand, you’ll get help from wonderful fellow hosts who are experienced and ready to help, or just here to listen if you need rant because, in all honesty, who doesn’t like a good rant? :grinning:
Best of luck!

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I think you summed it up perfectly.

Well Christian for the most you are right on point - except:

Having an alarm system from either Falck, G4S or Verysure alarms is becoming increasingly normal. Those are standard fitted with the mentioned camera. Thats not an option, that is how it is.

People have to accept that the cameras are there and to click yes that they accept it before they book, and there is further more a note inside the partment again stating that I cant access the pictures and that they are only recorded in case the alarm does go. It is actually rather useful when the alarm goes as it does from time to time because some guest activates it by mistake - the company called me and says " there are 3 people in your hallway with suitcases" and I can say “thats ok, stand down” …

Yes I got angry, very angry, because AirBnb did not simply aske me politely what it was about, when a guest flagged the problem, but assumed I was in the wrong and blocked me pending investigation. I am after all a super host.

So my problem was not with the questions at all - its always fair to ask -even if they (Airbnb as well as the guest) should have known, simply by reading the listing, my problem was with the incriminating way it was dealt with.

Forget about the dance company :slight_smile: bad translation, thats all!!

The gift thing was just a side bar … I was as you so nicely state it “on a rant” and I felt humiliated by the way they handled it. I often hear about hove some super hosts get this that or the third pressent from Airbnb and it just newer happened to me. They write how they appreciate the hard work of hosts and so on… well im just not seeing it. Im not feeling appreciated. Thats all…

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