[Best of 2019] How I got banned for life from Airbnb

This decision is irreversible and will affect any duplicated or future accounts.

just understand that we are not obligated to provide an explanation for the action taken against your account.

Furthermore, we are not liable to you in any way with respect to disabling or canceling your account.

At first, I wasnt concerned.

Surely there must be a misunderstanding.

After all, Ive been a loyal AirBnB evangelist from the early days.

I referred dozens of friends when it first launched.

I even convinced my parents to list their vacation properties.

After reaching out to support, I received the following unsettling email.

Okay, this is a tough spot.

Somehow Ive violated the terms of service, but they wont tell me which ones.

And I cant communicate with them anymore.

It’s free, every week, in your inbox.

Seems a little harsh.

At this point, I was pretty shocked but also very curious about what I could have possibly done.

But I confirmed that all my bookings were paid through Airbnb.

No foul play there.

The conflict arose when the host entered the room an hour early, unannounced.

She forgot to let us know shed be coming an hour early with spa guests.

We werent dressed but she continued setting up while we eventually scurried outside in front of the spa guests.

The property itself was great.

But I was told its against their policy to censor reviews, even if theyre dishonest.

The host has received a number of similar complaints so it definitely wasnt an isolated incident.

But lets call it like it is.

This policy leverages the companys power over the individual user to a cruel and unprecedented extent.

And its in laughable contradiction to thebrands inflated idealism.

After emailing Airbnb support and its founders multiple times, Ive finally given up.

Were becoming increasingly dependent on a handful of major tech giants to get through our basic daily routine.

It all feels very 1984.

The one with Jon Hamm.

This article was originally published onMediumbyJackson Cunningham.

Also tagged with