Airbnb Payment Cannot be Transferred to my Account

Posted on July 23, 2017

My disturbing story begins with hosting on Airbnb. I made my account and made the listing, with everything so precise. Then I added my transaction number (as a new customer I had no idea about these administrative things). After a couple of hours, a guest booked my place and I accepted. Everything was going in the right direction, then the guest told me that he would send the money for the transaction. Four days passed. I was waiting and always checking my account and the transaction history on Airbnb. Nothing came. In the meantime, I contacted my bank and they told me that the money could not be transferred because I didn’t activated my European account for international payments.

So I did that as well; I activated my international payment methods and they also gave me the IBAN and SWIFT codes (which Airbnb never told me I needed, even when they could see from which country I am). Right now I’ve settled everything with my bank but Airbnb didn’t give me the option to enter my IBAN and SWIFT codes. The money my guest sent me is nowhere: neither in my bank or in the Airbnb transaction history (it’s on the future transactions list). They just let me remain in this situation for days.

To be clear, the money my guest transferred could never have been on the transaction that I processed first without the IBAN and SWIFT codes, which now Airbnb doesn’t give me an option to enter, after everything else is filled out on my profile. I am from Macedonia (not a member of the European Union); our currency is denar and not euros.

Currently my money is in some virtual server, or maybe flying through space? No one can see it or find it. I’ve reported the problem to Airbnb and didn’t get any answer.

Charged by Airbnb without a Reservation

Posted on January 24, 2017

Even though I did not make a reservation for an accommodation, they sent me email, stating that my reservation was completed. I called to inform them I did not make a reservation and an associate there told me that the Trust and Safety Team would contact me within 24-48 hours. They did not. Worse yet, they withdrew $444, much more than the accommodation fee. I never received an email from them on this issue, though I did get an automatic email from the Trust and Safety Team:

As Airbnb’s Trust & Safety Team, we’re always thinking of ways to help our community travel and host with more confidence. Whether you’re a first-time guest or a veteran traveler, we want your trip to go off without a hitch. Here are a few tips to help you travel safely and be a considerate guest.
1. Leave the listing how you found it. Remember to treat your host’s space with respect—it’s their home, after all.
2. Get to know your host. Communicate clearly with your host about any expectations or questions you may have.
3. Know what to expect. Review your host’s house manual and talk with your host about their space.
The Airbnb community relies on trust, and we’d love your help in strengthening that trust by remembering these guidelines. If you have questions at any point before, during, or after your trip, we’re here to help.
Thanks,
The Airbnb Team

They initiate problems. Even though we report the problems, they don’t know what they need to do when their clients get into problems. I contacted my lawyer.

Airbnb Glitch and Error with Payment Account

Posted on January 21, 2017

Last night, using my own Airbnb account but my mother’s credit card, I booked accommodation in Kiev and Prague. I spoke to my mother earlier and she asked me why she had received messages and emails addressed to her. I was confused because I had not received any emails. I had used my own account to make the booking, yet the messages were addressed to her. I proceeded to go to the Airbnb website into which I was automatically logged and it was so strange: as far as the top right corner was concerned, I was logged in (there was a photo of me, my account settings and the logout option) but the rest of the page showed my mother’s account. Bear in mind I live on the other side of the world as my mother and have never logged into her account before. This is a security issue and when it comes to myself, my mother, and the hosts; it’s quite annoying and inconvenient. I logged out of my account and logged back in and the glitch had disappeared. However, when I wanted to message the hosts, I had to log into my mother’s account and explain what happened. The hosts may have not accepted my booking if they knew I was a 25-year-old male as opposed to a 63-year-old female.