Book Online or Call 1-855-SAUSALITO

Sign In  |  Register  |  About Sausalito  |  Contact Us

Sausalito, CA
September 01, 2020 1:41pm
7-Day Forecast | Traffic
  • Search Hotels in Sausalito

  • CHECK-IN:
  • CHECK-OUT:
  • ROOMS:

Major Flaw in Airbnb Customer Support Process Causes Havoc

By: Issuewire

North Port, Florida Apr 28, 2021 (Issuewire.com) - This is the story of how a single fraudulent complaint from a scammer to Airbnb triggered Airbnb to ruin a Superhost's business overnight and suddenly leftover 30 vacationers with nowhere to stay. Airbnb provided no "fair hearing" or appeals procedure. That decision was final.

Anecdotal evidence indicates that the practice is widespread, with many other Superhosts having suffered similar fates at the hands of scammers. This shabby Airbnb policy needs to change.

The victims wish to publicize this unsatisfactory Airbnb "customer support" process in the hope that pressure can be brought to bear for a change in the company's internal processes. As a global brand that delivers joy and happiness as its product, Airbnb should strive to correct this darker side of its operations.

Who were the victims?

  • A successful Airbnb Superhost with over 150 reviews and an average rating of 4.9/5 stars.
  • 30+ guests booked into other properties whose bookings were summarily canceled by Airbnb.

What happened?

A guest booked Airbnb accommodation through the Superhost and checked into a top-rated Maui resort, ranked 4.2/5 stars on Google. The Superhost had previously booked many guests into this resort, all of whom expressed delight with it.

The guest immediately became troublesome, complaining about things that no vacationers to the resort had ever complained about before. For example, that the couch was of different color shades than pictured on Airbnb, that she saw a cockroach on the property, that there were cars going in and out of the parking lot on the property disturbing her peace.

After leaving the resort a week later, she left a nasty 1-star review for the Superhost, who then reached out to talk through her issues. She demanded a FULL refund to remove her 1-star review, despite having vacationed in the property for the full week.

The Superhost suspected that the guest was trying to work the system and take an unfair advantage. However, he offered a $100 refund, which she accepted and agreed to remove her review.  

However, having received the $100 refund, the guest did not remove the negative feedback. Instead, she then claimed she had been provided with inadequate housing and demanded a full refund of $800.

This observation contrasted so starkly with feedback from previous guests that it led the Superhost to believe the guest was attempting a fraudulent claim.

The Superhost responded accordingly and informed her he would post a website warning to alert other hosts about her and also file a lawsuit to recover the $100.

This prompted the guest to change her mind. She immediately refunded the $100.

Airbnb duly contacted her regarding her request to withdraw the feedback. She declined to authorize that action and instead informed Airbnb that the Superhost was bullying her.

Airbnb immediately closed the Superhost's account, canceling all bookings made through it. That included 32 reservations worth around $28k, 8 of them last-minute within 3 days of check-in. Guests who already made their travel plans suddenly had no accommodation.

Commentary

The Superhost in question is Mr. Reed Green, who is happy to provide the evidence to fully validate this occurrence.

"It's unlikely we ourselves will be compensated or be able to revive our business," summarized Mr. Green. "While that does matter to us, what's more, important is to alert consumers to the apparent fragility of Airbnb bookings - and to educate Superhosts about their extremely insecure standing with Airbnb. The trap door beneath their feet could open at any time."

Mr. Green adds, "This Wild West approach to customer service is reminiscent of the early days of PayPal. Any complaint by a buyer would cause a seller's funds to be frozen indefinitely. It took years for PayPal to mature into the highly respected and efficient organization it is today.

How long will it take Airbnb to arrive at the same destination of trust and respectability? What damage will this flaw cause to the Airbnb brand?"

What happens next?

Mr. Reed welcomes contact from other similarly affected Superhosts and from genuine media outlets who seek more information. "With sufficient public interest, we believe we can take the matter further, whatever form that action may take," he said.

Media Contact

Reed Green


*****@gmail.com

Source :Reed Green Inc.

This article was originally published by IssueWire. Read the original article here.

Data & News supplied by www.cloudquote.io
Stock quotes supplied by Barchart
Quotes delayed at least 20 minutes.
By accessing this page, you agree to the following
Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions.
 
 
Photos copyright by Jay Graham Photographer
Copyright © 2010-2020 Sausalito.com & California Media Partners, LLC. All rights reserved.