Airbnb’s latest attempt to appease hosts and customers in the midst of a tumultuous year was met with a strong reaction on social media.
The San Francisco-based online vacation rental market kicked off a feature this week that offers customers the opportunity to donate money and “goodness cards” to hosts.
“Today we are introducing a new way to connect with your favorite hosts. Now you can create personalized friendliness cards that make it easy to send a message of thanks or encouragement, with the option to add a contribution. We hope these cards serve the hosts smile and give you a little joy, “said a message from the company to customers.
“Airbnb has lost its mind, why would I donate to my host? I can’t even afford a house.” Twitter user olenskae was furious.
San Francisco-based New York Times technical reporter Mike Isaac wrote on Twitter: “Airbnb has created a mechanism where you can … donate money to homeowners … many of whom have gone too far by taking advantage several properties they rented out pre-covid, and are now running out … is it like the collaborative economy mortgage-backed securities?
With rising unemployment and the struggle of many to make monthly rent payments in the midst of the pandemic, the decision to raise money for hosts who often own and benefit from vacant investment properties was deaf to many.
“They’ve created this because their hosts hate them right now, due to the fact that their homes are largely uninhabited and Airbnb can’t (can’t) pay the hosts for their empty houses. Crazy situation where basically the whole platform has changed. about them, “Isaac speculated on Twitter.
Emails sent by the company this week explaining the feature read in part:
“Like all of us, hosts on Airbnb are affected by COVID-19, and many of them cannot receive guests. Now more than ever, it is important to reach out and support each other, even in small ways.
“It is your responsibility to determine if your contribution is eligible for a tax or credit deduction,” the post concluded on the Airbnb website.
Social media posts expressing discontent over the move continued to arrive on Tuesday.
“I also received this email. I clicked to see it: you are asked to select a card, type your message and make a contribution on 3 separate screens. Therefore, you may lose that donating is an option until after writing a message, at At that time you are perfectly prepared to feel guilty, “wrote Twitter user amygoodchild.
2020 was to be an exceptional year for Airbnb, with the expectation of one of the most popular stock market debuts. The company was previously valued at more than $ 50 billion, but with global travel nearly paralyzed, its valuation has dropped to $ 18 billion as the company faces an existential crisis.
In April, the Wall Street Journal reported that the shared housing giant is expected to lose $ 1 billion in the first half of the year.
In response to the backlash, an Airbnb spokesperson told SFGATE, “During this difficult time, we heard from many Airbnb guests who were interested in supporting and reconnecting with previous 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 the hosts who provided excellent hospitality. If they wish, guests have the option of adding a voluntary financial contribution. “
Andrew Chamings is editor of SFGATE. Email: [email protected] | Twitter: @AndrewChamings
