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Hello hosts,
I hope someone has experienced this before and can help me with what to do!
Around mid-July, I noticed that my listings were not online. I have full access to my ID verified profile, and the listings are shown as “live” on my end, but when I sent the link to a friend so he could book it, it redirected him to the home page. For these past two months, this issue has not been resolved, and my listing link still redirects to the home page, and it does not show up in a search for homes either.
I contacted support immediately, and received the response that my issue was forwarded to a Specialized Team. I have been waiting to hear back since then (July 26th).
I’ve reached out via phone, messages, emails several times to ask for an update, but am not receiving more than “your ticket has been forwarded and we’re waiting for someone to be assigned to the case” response, even after getting it upgraded to the “highest urgency” now almost 4 weeks ago.
Is it really too much to ask that I would appreciate a response to my listings not being marketed for the past TWO MONTHS?
By this time, my home has been sitting empty, I am close to bankrupt, and looking at having to give up my lease at the end of the month, all because Airbnb is not providing me with support.
Does someone have a way around to getting in touch on this issue and getting it resolved? Or is there another solution you’d advice?
Gosh I hate to not be supportive but this is a gross exaggeration. Airbnb is a listing service, not a guaranteed income.
Since this is all they do, one would think it’s not too much to ask. On the other hand since it’s a pay as you go system you also haven’t paid them anything for the nothing they have done.
You need to list the home on other websites such as booking dot com and VRBO and do some marketing yourself. Check this forum’s search function for other threads of other ways to market the home.
Finally, you might try tweeting about your problem, that sometimes gets their attention.
Strongly seconding the advice to market through other channels until they get this fixed.
My experience is that if your issue isn’t a) easy question a frontline CS agent can answer or b) part of an issue affecting large groups of users, as soon as they turf you to another team like technical or “trust & safety” you won’t hear back until it suits them.
Before resigning myself, I’d try building a new listing to replicate the one that’s no longer showing. Sometimes I think the asinine coders at Airbnb implement things that break existing listings. I’d try a new listing to see if that breaks the curse.
So you rent a place and then sublet STRs? I agree with @KKC on this. AirBnB isn’t a guaranteed income stream, you must market the space on other platforms, and is it legal for you to rent a place and then sublet?
Try
Agreed. Create a new listing and then remove the old one. Then market it elsewhere.
Try finding your listing just by searching for your city. Page through the listings to see if it’s there. If so, perhaps the link you’ve been using is inaccurate.
Only my opinion, but to have allowed your STR to be vacant for two months suggests you actually don’t need the money. If it was me, I’d have been on other OTA’s within a week.
Sorry if that sounds harsh, but I don’t get the attitude that Airbnb somehow owes you a living. They’re just one of many OTA’s, albeit one that started off a bit fluffy and host friendly.
Can you preview your own listing using the “Preview Listing” button under the “Listing”. Where did you get the link to your listing that you send your friend? Did you get it from the “preview listing” button? If so, did you trim off everything after your 8-digit rooms number before you sent it to your friend?
Since you have access to your listing as a host, can you create the “custom link” option? If you create it, does it work?
I have to agree with everything @JohnF said. If I was delisted I’d be pestering Airbnb several times a day - there’s no way I’d let things go on for more than a couple of days. I’m guessing of course, but is it possible that they’ve delisted you because your listing is in some way illegal? Please don’t bite my head off it it isn’t but it’s easy to forget to renew licenses or be late with paying taxes. Or is it possible that the fact that you lease your property rather than own it an issue?
As others have said, Airbnb is just a listing service so use another one - there are plenty more. And promote your property yourself - it’s better than relying on services that might delist or even disappear.
