| Category: Travel & Services |
Airbnb has been blasted over an email sent to customers asking them if they wanted to send a donation to previous hosts.
The rental site faced a fierce backlash online as many accused the company of exploiting the coronavirus pandemic.
The email was shared by journalist Rosaleen Fenton who tweeted the email she had been sent.
She added: "Airbnb has lost its f****** head. Why would I donate to my host? I can't even afford one house."
The email said: "Like all of us, hosts on Airbnb are impacted by COVID-19, and many of them are unable to welcome guests.
"Now more than ever, it’s important to reach out and support one another—even in small ways.
"Today, we’re introducing a new way to connect with your favorite hosts.
"Now you can create personalized kindness cards that make it easy to send a message of appreciation or encouragement, with the option to add a contribution.
"We hope these cards will make hosts smile, and bring a little joy your way."
But the message faced a swift flurry of criticism online with many showing little sympathy.
Author Samuel Pollen tweeted: "I deleted this email without reading it but it’s completely wild that AirBnB are suggesting we *donate to landlords*"
And Declan Cashin said: Is there a "Send A Burning Bag of S***" option?"
Labour councillor Caragh Skipper added: "Daily reminder that there is a housing crisis and @Airbnb are out here acting like landlords are charities."
Meanwhile, one person joked: "Filling out my kindness card, "Dear AirBnB host, thank you for making rent unaffordable in this city.
"The only thing worse than a landlord is a wannabe landlord with even fewer responsibilities.
"Hope the bank takes your property and turns it into affordable housing. Get a job."
Another woman added: "Tempted to donate 20p to the man that left us a 1 paragraph scathing review for leaving some clean plates on the drying rack."
Many echoed the unsympathetic statement, with one man joking: "Yes I'll donate to the AirBnB landlords, but first need to give Richard Branson a tenner to buy his private island back. Poor bloke."
Another blasted: "Airbnb trying to encourage you to 'donate' to the landlord that was going to charge you a premium for your holiday rental. Totally lost their minds."
The email blunder isn't the first time that Airbnb has hit the headlines recently.
In June, we reported on a host who said she had been left with a $50,000 bill after guests trashed every room in her house,
Shocked Jenny Rylance was horrified to find booze bottles and condoms strewn on the floor and the TV ripped off the wall.
She told TV show A Current Affair about the mess the mystery guests had left behind at her Brisbane apartment.
She said: "You've spent so much time painstakingly putting together and decorating and co-ordinating and to have it treated like this. It breaks your heart.
"It's beyond words. You read about it. It's your greatest fear as a landlord. You really think it's not going to happen to you."
An Airbnb spokesman said: “We’ve heard from many guests that want to support hosts during this difficult time and our new e-cards allow them to share messages of support with hosts that may have welcomed them into their home.
"There is also the option for a voluntary financial contribution, with no charges from Airbnb, that goes directly to the hosts, more than half of whom say they rely on the additional income from hosting to afford their home.”
~ Via Mirror |
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