Sometimes it’s clear why Airbnb has banned you. When Maksym Bidnychenko tried to make a reservation for a stay in May, it was for the Ukrainian national who had fled Russia during the war.
“My account was suspended after I verified my identification and attempted to make a reservation,” claimed Lviv-based independent artist Bidnychenko. “I attempted to reach Airbnb assistance using Twitter. After a few hours, I got their typical email saying “We are blocking you.”
What happened? A phone number with a Russian area code belonged to Bidnychenko. Additionally, Airbnb had stopped operating in Russia at the outset of the conflict and had made the announcement that no new reservations from Russian citizens would be accepted anywhere in the globe. After I inquired about his punishment, Airbnb relaxed the embargo.
Today, Airbnb is more prosperous than ever. Why then is everyone so upset about it? However, there are situations when Airbnb’s grounds for banning someone are unclear. They were for Tamara Martin, a nurse from Bucyrus, Kansas, who unexpectedly received an email from Airbnb notifying her that her account had been suspended.
🔎 Reservation Screening: Our technology reduces the chance of disruptive parties. Available now in the US and Canada, and globally in 2023.
— Airbnb (@Airbnb) November 16, 2022
She claims, “I’m affiliated with someone who was banned, therefore that was the rationale.” “No specifics. I personally have never experienced a problem with any rentals I have used.
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I inquired about her suspension, and Airbnb promptly opened her account back up. However, the phrase “due to privacy issues” would not explain why she had been removed in the first place.
With 6 million active listings and 54 million active bookers as of 2019, Airbnb is the most popular marketplace for vacation rentals worldwide. For attempting to break its party rules, Airbnb banned more than 6,600 users from its platform last year. The number of prohibitions for causes other than parties is a secret, according to Airbnb.
Why Airbnb Bans A Guest?
I inquired about Airbnb’s policy regarding preventing bans.
According to Ruthie Wabula, an Airbnb spokesman, removals from the platform most frequently happen when users break the community’s rules and guidelines. We only take such measures when it is essential to safeguard our neighborhood, she stated.
Since the community policies of Airbnb are lengthy, here is a summary of them: Account cancellation is possible for a variety of reasons, including disrespecting the neighborhood, mistreating the rental, tampering with security systems, and accessing someone else’s personal belongings. Technical difficulties can also result in your expulsion.
Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky — who's now renting out a room in his own house on Airbnb — talks about new changes to the platform. pic.twitter.com/eAmUJTbEBZ
— CNN (@CNN) November 17, 2022
According to Wabula, “our staff frequently gives warnings as well as assistance and education on how to better comply with the given policy moving ahead for less significant situations that nevertheless reflect violations of our policies.” “Further action, including possible account removal, may be taken, if the user violates the rules notwithstanding the warnings.”
Airbnb is addressing two significant grievances: Duties and hidden costs
There are further reasons why Airbnb might close a visitor’s account. Among them is having a criminal conviction.
According to Airbnb, removal is based on how serious the crime was. Disorderly conduct and marijuana possession are examples of “lesser crimes,” which are not pardonable charges. Additional review or removal may follow other offenses like burglary, fraud, and property damage. Instances like murder, terrorism, rape, or child molestation may lead to lifelong expulsion.
The system isn’t perfect all the time. A Pennsylvania council member at large was barred in September due to a possession and DUI charge from nine years prior. After her tweet gained popularity, she was later reinstated.
One of the businesses that Airbnb hires to investigate users’ backgrounds is Inflection. Your account might be disabled if the service discovers problems. When a host creates a listing and 10 days before a visitor checks in, these background checks are routinely conducted. (Only the United States and India have this.)
In talks recently about listing his own house, Brian Chesky, the CEO of Airbnb, promised to verify all listings in 2019 and has previously talked about validating all users on the platform.
The CEO of Airbnb just listed a room at his house. It is already fully booked.
Additionally, Airbnb will go a step further and block users whose accounts are linked to those who have a criminal past. A restriction could be circumvented by criminals by inviting a friend or family member to make reservations on their behalf.
After being suspended by Airbnb, Jannick Veilleuse, a physical therapist from Westford, Vermont, approached me for assistance in the spring. She had always adhered to the regulations, and her hosts had regularly given her positive feedback. Because Veilleuse and her husband’s buddy had entered into an account from the same IP address, Airbnb was able to connect them.
It turned out that her husband’s friend had been found guilty of his participation in the January 6, 2021 uprising. She had her account returned after I questioned Airbnb about why it had been terminated.
How does Airbnb determine someone is too near, though? Airbnb refused to comment on how it accomplishes this specifically but claimed in emails sent to those who had been banned that it bases its bans on elements like location and email address. You may also be kicked off Airbnb if it determines that you are associated with someone who is prohibited. Further information is not provided by the company.
Users whose accounts are disabled are informed that “in keeping with our Privacy policy, we are unable to divulge any information regarding the account, location, or listing that triggered this action.”
How To Lift A Ban On Airbnb?
Is it possible to challenge a ban? generally, as per Airbnb.
Users who are kicked off the platform can often reply to the email requesting their removal to submit an appeal, according to Wabula. The length of an appeal review depends on the complexity of the case and the importance of the issue.
That is accurate to a point. Many users have complained that appeals to Airbnb simply result in another swift denial with no justification. Users who spend time building a case that they believe shows their innocence and shows that they would be responsible guests find it frustrating.
And if the reply is still negative? You can certainly rent a home in a variety of alternative ways for your upcoming vacation.
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