AirBnB exposing hosts to potential fraud/scams

[Andrew890]

I've been a host for over a year and have a perfect guest review history (5 star average). I'm writing this post to warn of a loophole that guest are taking advantage of. Airbnb policy states that if a guest takes a picture of any condition of your home during their stay or even after they have stayed but prior to check out, they can take a picture of mess that they caused/created and airbnb will hold the host responsible if they (guest) makes a cleanliness complaint.

Airbnb will offer the guest between 50% to 100% refund, which means guests now know how to stay at your home for free. I'm considering litigating the matter based on principle even though i'd lose either way due to court cost.

Please also do NOT anger any of the resolution/ customer service agent that resolves disputes due to the fact that they are all powerful and can decide by themself to offer guest full refund without providing you with evidence of why this was done. What about escalating to a supervisor? well unlike most professional business where the supervisor or higher ups are independent of their subordinates, at Airbnb my experience has been very diffferent.

The precedent has been set and is well documented. Any guest can use your home, get it dirty and then take pictures and submit for a cleaniness claim, airbnb will then issue a 50%-100% refund to that guest.

Customer Service/ resolution agent name was ** and her supervisor was **.

Good Luck to my fellow Hosts.

Host for over 1 year.

**[Name hidden due to privacy concerns - Community Center Guidelines]

[John1574]

@Andrew890

Thanks for posting this warning for other hosts.

Did this happen to you?  It's not quite clear from your post.

What type of guest whould do this? It looks like a total scam. Or some type of retaliation.

Do you have any advice on how to spot one of these before allowing them in your accomadation.

I'll be adding your thread to my Links Of Shame thread that collects CS information.

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/How-Do-You-Rate-AirBnB-for-Customer-Service/m-p/726754#M...

[Andreas-and-Anna0]

Thanks for this. Important to know that Host can and should take their own pictures of mess and damage as documentation to be used if necessary

[Susan17]

@Andrew890 You're absolutely correct. This is happening to hosts all day, every day. It's common knowledge amongst guests now that getting a free stay at an Airbnb is the easiest scam going. And it's getting worse all the time. 

Just for future reference - as per Airbnb's T&C's, hosts forfeit the right to pursue the company through the court system, and agree instead to mandatory (forced) arbitration, of Airbnb's choosing. 

[William589]

Hi susan in dublin

im from belfast and new to this air bnb thing.

   i've just put a spare room on the site. i live in bath england. here's my query if you can help...

I thought a profile pic from a user was a basic requirement of air bnb. Someone new to air bnb (this month) has just booked a weekend at my house (I have just listed on this site for the first time).

I'm a bit concerned there is no profile pic and no references for this person. 

How do I know this person is ok and not a weirdo or worse?

thanks

william

[Rachael-and-Pavel0]

There is a setting where you can require that every guest has a verified ID. I also put it in my listing in CAPS, that every guest is required to. But as you are already in the situation, I would call or text the guest and ask them to add a profile pic and a gov't issued ID. And, you can always set your listing to NOT take automatic bookings, but rather let you SEE the guests profile first. If you just add the gov't issued ID to your requirements, that will automatically stop anyone who does NOT have that ID, from booking automatically. It sounds like you need to look more at your listing SETTINGS. I would say start by doing the things I've suggested above. If you need help, you can actually CALL AirBnb and ask them to walk you thru it. Also, you are never FORCED to have someone in your home. You can always cancel the reservation, although it may have a penalty involved (you may not be allowed to be a super-host, AirBnb may close the dates you rented the listing to the guest you cancelled so that you can not rent those days, and also you will lose the money). But you should  never allow anyone to make you feel threatened in your own home. I would try to get ahold of the guest first by text, then by calling them. Apologize profusely and ask them to please put a profile pic up and add a gov't issued ID with photo. 

[Kim3205]

Can anyone tell me how we get a gov't issued ID from them?  Pictures are not an option in our messages.

[Susan17]

Hi @William0

So sorry I didn't respond to your question earlier - just stumbled across it now! Did you get everything sorted in the end? 

[Rebecca181]

Yep, it's obvious from reading posts here that word is 'getting around' that Airbnb hosts are easy marks. Make a mess, break something, bring a jar of spiders or a rodent of some kind (it can even be your emotional support rat!) and then photograph it and AIrbnb will give you a refund and strip the host of all of their compensation while you and any other guests you brought along enjoy a free stay.

This simply could not and does not happen with my other booking channels. It is unfortunate for Airbnb that they will no longer  be the sole recipient of the several thousands of dollars in service fees I generate for booking channels via my listing, like they were this past year. As property owners and home sharers, we deserve at least a modicum of respect - Not just the thinly disguised pretense of it. 

[Karen1176]

Hi Rebecca, what other booking channels are you using? I am new to hosting/home-sharing, and already have frustrations growing with Airbnb, and things I’m reading from other hosts have me wondering if the customer service is a one-way street. 

[Lily161]

Hi anyone and everyone - well I have been hosting for past year and it has been fairly successful and I am still learning alot about hosting. But I must say that I am incredibly frustrated with trying to "reach" out to make any complaints or to get help. I used ABNB when I, with my daughter and grandchildren stayed at an apartment in Spain in July this year. On arrival I was told I had to pay the cleaner £50 in advance.

We found Items of furniture were broken when we arrived, the bedroom was floor was not clean. On my return I recieved a complaint from the host asking for £175 for the broken items. I made a counter complaint detailing my concerns about the apartment. This was 3 weeks ago. I have not heard anything back. I did not want to put a review on until this was sorted out, I'm still waiting and then found that although ABNB states niether review will be shared until both are submitted I found the host had decribed me to be  "filthy" person. I was astounded. I have phoned, but of course the line is rubbish or a supervisor is not available. I have emailed so many times and phoned so many times I have now given up.

But since then -  in August I rented out my home for 5 days to 3 young women who left my home in a state as described by my cleaner. I have always given fair and helpful reviews but this time I just could not. I subsequently made a claim of £40 through ABNB as my cleaner had to spend another 2 hours cleaning which I paid her for. I have tried to submit a review and I have requested to be reimbursed I have not had a reply. Fron now on I have asked my cleaner to take photos. I will take before and she will take after they leave

[Susan17]

@Rebecca181 It's not even thinly disguised pretence now - they don't even bother to hide their contempt and disrespect for hosts anymore

[Cassandra22]

Rebecca,

Can you please say what other booking channels you use. Like many on here I am horrified at the treatment I have recieved in the past 12 months as a host, and now guests can simply scam us I have to leave AIRBNB. Just not sure where best to take my 21 properties to next.

Anyones advice would be appreciated.

Thank you

[Debra48]

I hear VRBO provides much better customer support. I built my listing there, and got excellent customer support on the phone at 7 pm on a Saturday night! I was just about to pist my listing with them when, lo and behold, a savvy and committed Indian support rep at Airbnb called me the next morning and, much to my amazement, refused to let go of my problem until he resolved it. In my case, it was a technical glitch that needed a workaround. But I swear, that rep worked on it for hours and then slept on it and came back the next day and had figured it out! So, it’s really luck of the draw. Each time I’ve been to the brink of throwing in the towel with Airbnb, they’ve done something at the last possible minute to redeem themselves. 

[Alicia-And-Travis0]

I’m hoping they pull through for me, I am dealing with this type of scammer situation right now and my story is similar to the one that started this thread.