A Useful Story About How Airbnb Handles Conflict.
I've been using Airbnb as both a guest and host for almost as long as it has existed. I remember for years having to explain to everyone what it was and how it worked and now even grandparents are on the app. For the most part, I would say 90% of my experience has been positive, but that is in part due to the fact that I can spot potential conflicts before they happen. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case last week. I was in a pinch with a long layover in SFO and went against my better judgment to book with a host that seemed a bit off. They had a few bad reviews and normally that would be enough of a red flag for me to just skip, but I thought "hey it is only for one night, what is the worst that could happen?" I soon found out the place was run like a prison camp. They had "fixed penalties" for everything. You couldn't enter the building without the host and if you came in anytime after 10 pm it was a $20 charge, $60 for after midnight. You couldn't use the kitchen without the host and if you were caught eating in the room it was $20. They timed showers and kicked you out if they had to leave the house. To say the least these people had no chill whatsoever. When I walked in they asked me to take my shoes off. This is actually a rule at my own place and I have no problem with it, but the entry was small 3'x3' and I was with others so I walked in the house all but about 3 feet to take my shoes off. This apparently set them off because they left me an extremely bad review. Of course, I left them a negative review as well. Normally this is where the story would end, but after reading my review the host decided to retaliate by requesting I pay a $25 fee for "cleaning." Apparently, I left a trail of dirt and grime on the 3-foot trek to take my shoes off. Not only was this excessive but it also smelled a little like fraud. (ie asking someone to pay for a fake/unnecessary service) I declined but the host continued to send me insulting messages and so I lodged a complaint with Airbnb. Here is the useful part of the story: After receiving a call from Airbnb they listened to my story and were very apologetic. Even going as far as to offer me $50 credit and assuring me there would be punitive measures taken against the host as the fixed penalties were an abuse of their reimbursement system. I was happy with the outcome until I got another message from the host bragging that they were vindicated by Airbnb, got the payout and more for having to deal with me. At that moment I realized how this all works. Airbnb is growing so fast that they can't handle all of the petty conflicts that arise day in day out. In this, I sympathize with them. I mean to fairly resolve that many conflicts they would have to almost establish a mini court system. So they have probably figured out that it is to their advantage to simply throw money at whatever happens and hope both sides continue using the service. Well, in this case, I guess it worked, but it's worth noting that if you ever find yourself in this type of situation.
Submitted September 23, 2017 at 06:36PM by everythingiswrong911 http://ift.tt/2fHQCQg
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