Airbnb under fire for encouraging donations to hosts. ‘I can’t even afford one house’
Airbnb is facing backlash after unveiling a feature that allows customers to send “kindness cards” and donations to hosts.
“To show appreciation or encouragement, eligible guests can send personalized cards to hosts they’ve given four or five-star ratings, with the option to add a financial contribution,” Airbnb wrote. “The cards make it easy for a guest to reach out to a host who’s provided excellent service during a stay or an Airbnb Experience. If a guest sends a financial contribution, you’ll receive 100% of this payment.”
The home-sharing company has been hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic and was expected to lose $1 billion in the first half of the 2020, The Wall Street Journal reported in April.
After customers complained that they weren’t being refunded, Airbnb refunded guests through mid-May, angering hosts, according to The Wall Street Journal. The company said in March that $250 million would be used to reimburse hosts and a $10 million fund would go towards mortgages, the publication reported.
Airbnb told McClatchy News: “During this challenging time we heard from many guests who were interested in supporting and reconnecting with past hosts. In the spirit of rekindling connections, we developed a new feature that allows guests to send virtual cards with messages of support and encouragement to hosts who provided excellent hospitality. If they wish, guests have the option to add a voluntary financial contribution.”
The move has sparked criticism on social media.
“Airbnb has lost its f—king head,” one Twitter user wrote. “Why would I donate to my host? I can’t even afford one house.”
“Airbnb has created a mechanism in which you can....donate money to landlords....many of whom have overextended themselves by leveraging multiple properties which they rented out pre-Covid, and are now going empty...it’s like the mortgage-backed securities of the sharing economy?” New York Times tech reporter Mike Isaac wrote on Twitter.
“They’ve created this because their hosts absolutely hate them right now, due to the fact that their homes are largely uninhabited and Airbnb won’t (cant) pay the hosts for their empty houses. Crazy situation where basically the entire platform has turned on them,” Issac continued.
“I’m not sure I will be contributing to the mortgage for anyone’s second house at this time,” Brianna Wu wrote on Twitter.
This story was originally published July 15, 2020 at 3:02 PM with the headline "Airbnb under fire for encouraging donations to hosts. ‘I can’t even afford one house’."