I am a new Airbnb host. I started listing my property on December 1st, 2016. The first 45 days were ok: the guests were friendly, and using Airbnb helped me earn some money. However, on the eighteenth of January, 2017, everything changed. One guest stole my $600 TV. He checked in at 11:30 AM. At that time, the room still had not been prepared so I let him stay in the living room (where I keep the TV) for a half hour. I believe that he saw the TV when he was waiting for his room. Then, at 2:15 PM, I went to school. When I left, he was the only person staying in my house. Then, when I came back at 4:00 PM, I saw my TV was missing. I tried to knock on his bedroom door, and no one answered me. After I opened the door, I saw his room was vacant. That means he left my house. That’s when I knew that he stole my TV. The guest was a thief. His profile certainly was deceptive. Airbnb is always saying they are part of a community of safety, but their guests are stealing people’s property.
I want to share the horrible experience when I contacted Airbnb customer service. I contacted them on the day that the TV was stolen. The representative answered the call, asked about the situation, and then she promised me that Airbnb will solve the case and pay me. She set up a case for me and I provided the evidence. After that, I was thinking my case would be solved easily; in actuality, it was not. After two weeks, customer service contacted me and told me that I needed to set up a case in resolution center, as it was the only way to get paid. Why didn’t they let me know that when I called on January 18th? After I submitted the case, there was still no resolution to my case for two weeks.
Two weeks later I received an email stating I had not provided evidence to them so they closed the case. I actually provided evidence on the first day. I called customer service again. They said they have no information about investigations with the Trust and Safety Team, so the only way I could get compensation would be to set up another case in the resolution center. I did that, then they closed my case again today without any notice. It has already one and a half months, and I still have not been paid. Where is the trust? Where is the HPI (Host Protection Insurance)? Where are the promises from Airbnb customer service? Now I believe Airbnb’s host protection insurance and their customer service are both jokes. I am appealing to hosts who have similar cases to get together with me and sue Airbnb for their unreliable HPI. The HPI is fooling hosts.
similar issue, they need to be sued, we clearly are not protected from thieves
airbnb won’t help because if they did, they would be doing it for thousands of customers. The cost of the insurance to them would be millions per year. They prefer to let hosts delete their accounts. It’s cheaper that way. The million dollar host protection is as worthless as the ebay buyer protection, and for the same reason.
Regarding the original post, the ‘community of safety’ is just a bunch of people ‘hosts’ and ‘guests’ (ie. normal people) posting what they want on listing pages. Why do people think that those people are being honest? Even if they were, their idea of ‘lovely’ or ‘clean’ or whatever is unlikely to match your’s. Such systems inevitably deteriorate into you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours. Look at any listing that has comments. 95 percent will say it was wonderful, the host is like their new best friend, and they’d have stayed there to live if they could. The ‘host’ then states that the ‘guest’ was the best guest there ever was. Both get ‘social media’ points and everyone is happy. Think. Think again. Then think again. Are comments like those likely to be realistic? Most people would find something to complain about in a cabin in the Bahamas. Yet 95 percent of all ‘guests’ found nothing wrong. Quite the opposite. It was absolutely perfect. Social media is worthless. Always read the negative comments first. They are far more likely to be true. If you leave a negative comment you can guarantee the ‘host’ will leave you a negative comment. Again, social media is worthless. I can’t understand why people can’t see that. They know that most people will complain most of the time. Yet pages of ‘it was fantastic’ somehow fail to raise a single alarm bell.
Funny you should share this story. I had a guest stay at my home and break every single rule imaginable, they had a party, invited people that were not part of the reservation, walked in my home with shoes and heels and ruined my hardwood floors, scratched my appliances and even took of a piece of wood from my kitchen cabinets. I submitted pictures and explanations a few hours after they checked out and heard nothing. The damages are over $18,000 and nobody bothered to call me. I called them a few days later and told them that I want a call back before the next guest checks in. I also asked if I needed to go back to guest and request compensation and they said normally yes that happens before I apply for host guarantee insurance but because I applied to the insurance already that I would no longer need to ask for compensation from guest. Yesterday I get an email from them saying I have 72 hours to see compensation from guest and if I don’t get back to Airbnb they will assume that the issue is resolved and the file will be closed! Well how convenient for them!!! I am on hold with them again now, this is ridiculous, if you have an insurance program then respect it, if they didn’t pay for your TV then I cant imaging they will pay for all my damages with this guest…looks like I have a host story to share on this website!
Good luck to you!
Would you like to share your story with us, Mary?
I am a superhost . In the last month I had a guest light my deck on fire. Another guest stay over their allot time and refuse to check out. Then they decided to steal every small kitchen appliance.
The gentleman who unauthorized guest tried to burn done my building left a nasty review (of course) where you explain that Airbnb told him that if there are no “no smoking” sign and if there were debris on an outside deck that he was not at fault. There are no smoking sign. House rules spell smoking policies out.
They also told him not to worry that he would be fully refunded for his trip (he paid for one person and we have an up charge for a second).
I like you put in a resolution to only have them closed it.They have stated that they never received any email with receipt attachements. They have done this to me before three times. They NEVER stand by their insurance and in fact I was told by an Airbnb agent that I would have to get additional coverage to be truly insured.
We a guest trashed my property. I did make a video and post it to utube. Sophia airbnb guest. Well, that was the only case the solved.
We can’t be the only ones with this issue!
I had a similar issue. Did you submit the bill of the replacement TV? Do you have a CCTV camera on front door? Did you file a police report?