This forum is dedicated to connecting hosts with other hosts. Sign up to get the latest updates and news just for AirBnb hosts! Note that we are not affiliated with Airbnb - we are just passionate hosts!
Hi All,
I am writing to all of the aribnb community host and guest user and seeking your advice opinion about my the nightmare ordeal which I have gone through.
the details of my case are as follow…i am hosting on airbnb for last 2 years
Around 10pm on the Friday night i received call from airbnb customer care asking me if i have my flat free to host 4 guest whose accommodation got cancelled . I have 2 property where I host and on the 11th I had ongoing booking .so on the said date i had my other flat free but i was blocked my date caused I offered my other property to my existing guest as they were staying for 2 weeks hence I blocked my date on the other property .so I informed them yes I do have my other property free but its not going to be the same flat which they are going to book .
there was an endless amount of communication sent and received from Airbnb support team the guest and me via mail and calls .i was at my work so i informed clearly about the situations , accommodation and what i will be going to offer. Asked the guest consent if they are ok than only book my place. the whole communication took for nearly an hour and half and around 11.30 after receiving there consent I unblocked my date and they finally booked the place.
finally they arrived around 12.15 am in the middle of the night I have shown them the flat given them required information and let me settle down as it was really late.
next morning i got wake up by noise and loud talking which was obviously coming from the guest room so i went out to check if everything okay or not. upon my inquiry came to know that they have broken the shower tap .which was perfectly working fine until night before, the couple lied it was broken and its fell off. i was in utter shock to hear her lies as they used everything night before. So gently declined there claim that it was broken and I manage to put the shower tap in place.
They stayed another night and next morning they checkout and than after day or 2 i received call from Airbnb that the guest is asking for the refund. I mean I have no word to express my feeling, the amount of effort i put though to offer the emergency accommodation, instead of appreciation i received not only the bad review, lies, denial, broken shower machine and icing on the cake done by the resolution team they deducted my 100 ponds by overlooking all our communication, situation and what i offered. I wish I had never picked up that call.
I am feeling really not comfortable the way Airbnb resolution department work they refused to look into the case .one guy who phoned behaved like an ultimate authority, his word is final. He called once and concluded the case in less than 24 hours, during the call I felt resolution guy even don’t understand proper English. and Airbnb resolution guy refused to explain to me how he has made his decision? so my question is can you pls guys advise me what to do? where is my fault?
any help I will appreciate. Am posting our message exchange which took place between us to understand everything clearly.
thank you
nile
message exchange between me and the guest.
Sorry which is the house number? 9 or 19?
11 May 2018
Sent from a mobile device
On street you can but you have to look for the space and also have to move by 6.30am in the morning. Or use the paid parking space just a mint away from house
11 May 2018
Already replied pls check the message
11 May 2018
Is there any parking space near by? Even if we need to move the car at 8pm
11 May 2018
Sent from a mobile device
Ok no worries cu soon.
Thanks
11 May 2018
Ok, we are finishing our dinner and we will come in 20 aprox
11 May 2018
Sent from a mobile device
Pls come my address is …deleted… it just beside the job centre plus or the opposite side of the …
Thanks
N
11 May 2018
Place is ready you can come.
Address you have.
Thanks
11 May 2018
RESERVATION CONFIRMED 11/05/2018
Yes you can just a 1 mint walk away there is a paid park service called prince’s exchange parking lot .
11 May 2018
Can we park near by?
11 May 2018
Sent from a mobile device
Can you accept it? So we can have the address and your contact details?
11 May 2018
Sent from a mobile device
Ok
11 May 2018
Sent from a mobile device
Cool cu you around 11.30ish
11 May 2018
Ok done
11 May 2018
Sent from a mobile device
Pls compete ur booking
11 May 2018
Have unblocked the calender
11 May 2018
Ok then
11 May 2018
Sent from a mobile device
It’s in the same locality postcode is .(deleted)…very close to job centre plus or the opposite side of the…
11 May 2018
Is this in center of Edimburg? Can you sent us direction?
11 May 2018
Sent from a mobile device
Hi …,
Wait am unlocking the date but just to let you know that the flat you will booked is already occupied but I do have my other flat where we have private double bedroom free and living area we have comfy sifa double bed plus you have your separate bathroom.our flat is very quite so no noise problem etc.let me know if you are ok than I will unblock the date and you will complete the bookings.
Thanks
11 May 2018
No, still blocked
11 May 2018
Sent from a mobile device
Ok yah
11 May 2018
The guy says that you need to check your calendar
11 May 2018
Sent from a mobile device
Ok pls wait let me have a look
11 May 2018
I have texted the guy of Airbnb, but can you do anything?
11 May 2018
Sent from a mobile device
I cant book, I have an error saying that the dates are not available
11 May 2018
Sent from a mobile device
Ok cool so pls go ahead and complete your booking .and cu soon
Thanks
Nile
11 May 2018
I guess that someone fromairbnb has contacted you
11 May 2018
Sent from a mobile device
The Airbnb is hidden your phone number but yes we are interested
11 May 2018
Sent from a mobile device
Hello my number is … pls confirm. Thanks
11 May 2018
My contact number is…pls contact me directly.
11 May 2018
Hi …,thank for your interest yes I do have the space but I need time to prepare my flat as am at my work.i can be ready by 11.30pm.let me know if that suits you.
Thanks
N
11 May 2018
… ENQUIRY 11/05/2018
hello, do you have place for 4 people for today and tomorrow?
We’ve had a number of people who pop in to complain and it seems that Airbnb is very unfair. However, I only know your side of the story. Just because you went out of your way to help doesn’t mean they might not be entitled to a refund. The conversation leading to the booking is very confusing. I don’t know why airbnb is contacting you if the place is blocked. It all sounds very suspicious to me. But the guests sound quite clueless and they were probably just seeking a free nights lodging. Maybe you and Airbnb were taken by professional scammers.
I don’t see any messaging about the broken shower tap or request for refund. I hope you kept a record of all communication on the platform.
But assuming you are legit and were unfairly treated you might try contacting Airbnb via twitter or facebook and see if a different CSR will respond.
hi K9KarmaCasaLeader,
Thanks for your prompt reply, well to your questions the entitlement of the refund when you informed the guest about the place ask their consent before letting them book your place means they are making well-informed decisions. am i right or wrong?
I have no idea either why Airbnb guys called me up when my dates are blocked but call was from Airbnb numbers.
for sure these couples have scammed me but I can see her profile on Airbnb don’t know what to do or how to differentiate.
yes i know there is no messaging about the broken shower tap as am still in shock and anger cant believe what i have gone though.but last week i have sent the request for the money to the guest which she declined and lied and blamed me that it was already broken. finally, I have envolved Airbnb for the broken tap case but I have no clue whom to contact for this unfair refund which has been already deducted from my next payment.
and more damaging thing i received 1-star review and white lies and blaming me for providing them wrong information, am feeling so frustrated and down at the minute so decided to stop using Airbnb and snoozed both my listing.
do you think sending the message on twitter will be any help.?
thanks for your time
regards
n
I am going to be brutally honest. Your communication in the thread posted is baffling and confusing. Was this on the AirBNB platform or were you texting? I don’t feel great today, so maybe that matters, but I can not follow a train of thought anywhere in there.
That doesn’t mean a refund was deserved or undeserved, but I can imagine misunderstandings with such a series of exchanges.
hi smtucker,
yes this message exchanged on airbnb platform only i have deleted my and guest personal details and address.
i think you need to reread the whole communication from bottom to top as i have copied and paste our message .
any help or suggestion i will appreciate ofcourse when you are feeling better.
thanks for your time.
n
That’s a good idea until you can get your wits about you.
I don’t know. Some people say it is effective.
LOL. I just had a good laugh at this. To be clear the Leader designation is just something designed to show that some of us are moderators on the forum, nothing more. It kind of makes me sound like a tinpot dictator or the President of the United States. LOL.
It makes more sense if you read it from the bottom upwards. But, yes there is nothing about the tap so not sure why @nile has included it. We offer people bookings in order to make money, there is nothign inherently virtuous about that.
Are you saying that you have been trying to get them to pay for the broken tap while they were there and accusing them of having broken it and covered up? Taps break, it happens. Unless they had done something obviously stupid like ripped it off the wall while having sex against it I wouldn’t have charged them./ Maybe they were upset about this and hence were inclined to seek a refund for other things?
Speaking of whom, i was driving in my car yesterday listening to NPR and they had a piece on how the volcano was effecting tourism even though it was only in a small area, due to media coverage. It seemed dire with summer bookings down 50%. If I had the time and money I’d be over there as it sounds like less queuing. The last piece was from Kona Interrnational Airport, your local?
Yes, KOA. They are correct but I think it’s wose than that. I always drop like a rock in the summer so I cannot tell if my drop is seasonal or due to the volcano.
We are all watching this unfold on the live streams too. You can’t get near the flows even if you wanted to. Only verified residents can get in past the checkpoints.
hi jamjerrupsunset,
I never got the chance to ask money for the damage instead i received call from the bnb for the refund.tap breaks happens i got you but only when you are using and not ripping them off .its a high quality mira excel thermostatic shower machine its robust and easy to use .so until and unless somebody being rough it will not fell off.
but my main questions are why airbnb prosecuting me and the guest who is proving wrong information being rewarded .why?
where is my fault?
thanks
n
Unfortunately Airbnb does tend to be arbitrary in how it deals with these situations.
I don’t understand why there was nothing on the message thread you provided about the broken tap?
Anyway - all you can do is appeal to Airbnb and say that the shower was definitely working properly before the guests arrived (can you get previous guests/your cleaner to confirm?).
That you are disappointed that when Airbnb asked you to help with these guests regarding a previous cancellation that Airbnb have behaved like this, even though you confirmed that this was guest related damage.
That there was no reason to refund the guests as everything in the listing was as described and that you quickly fixed the shower once the guests let you know it wasn’t working properly.
And that if they decided to refund the guest in these circumstances, they should bare the costs.
I do have a pass it is still going! You can see the glow from my front porch, and I’m 25 miles away from it. Really, I don’t understand why more people aren’t booking, it is absolutely spectacular!
I have bought the unfair behavior before here but most people said they had good case managers. It seems they have a few million cases and only 3-4 staff members looking at this. I’m not even sure what makes them the case manager like qualification. Their customer service stinks. They care more about money and that is all that matters. Get the case reopened you can do that after final decision is made. You will have to fight. If you act like you’re ok with the decision they just move on to the million cases that they have so I would suggest talk to them strongly. If we let these case managers get away with this they will keep doing what they want. Sorry this happened.
