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Airbnb “Bribes” Host with Cash Under NDA After Partiers Destroy Apartment

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Re: Airbnb “Bribes” Host with Cash Under NDA After Partiers Destroy Apartment

#141

Post by MegaButts »

yomly wrote: post #98

You'd think Airbnb would be absolutely horrified of stories like this. How many hosts does this incrementally deter from using Airbnb? Additionally, their SLAs for customer support are incredibly user-hostile, bordering on actively so. Look at how Amazon can do things better - no questions asked refunds and generally 24 hour SLAs on contact. How can Airbnb fail so hard on realising that an internet business, such as…

> How can Airbnb fail so hard on realising that an internet business, such as theirs, lives and dies by customer trust...

Because the founders are arrogant and it's ingrained in the company's culture. This isn't the first story of AirBnB's incompetence in handling customers and the media.

http://archives.sfweekly.com/thesnitch/2015/10/21/passive-ag...

Their official response when asked for comment goes as follows:

--------------------

We emailed Airbnb spokesman Christopher Nulty to ask whether the library ad was "real." He responded by email, "as opposed to a fake one :)"

A follow up email, explaining that we were in fact seeking confirmation as to whether the ads are actually from Airbnb received the following response: "Are you seriously writing on this?"

--------------------

edit: What I find most amazing is that guy is still a Public Affairs Lead for the company. That says a lot about how they operate.

Re: Airbnb “Bribes” Host with Cash Under NDA After Partiers Destroy Apartment

#142

Post by michaelt »

PeterisP wrote: post #85
michaelt wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Loads of pubs, bars, hotels, village halls, restaurants etc rent out space for parties and events. This thing took place in London, a market which is reasonably well supplied with such things.

As the market shows, renting out a space that's actually intended for parties and events is much more expensive than a one-night apartment rental.

Many event rooms can be reserved simply by guaranteeing a minimum bar spend - if your attendees spend a few hundred pounds, you needn't pay anything at all.

Of course, if you want to bring your own booze, openly use illegal drugs, invite guests who are under the legal drinking age, or have access to beds, you might choose to rent an apartment anyway.

Re: Airbnb “Bribes” Host with Cash Under NDA After Partiers Destroy Apartment

#143

Post by rdiddly »

jwr wrote: post #132
mikeash wrote: post #41

What's going on here? The first half of the story sounds like routine corporate incompetency. Representatives don't read your stuff, can't be bothered to follow their own procedures, and screw you over. Unacceptable but, alas, fairly common when dealing with big companies. The NDA is where it goes off the rails. He's entitled to that money, so why would they try to put conditions on it? I'm sure they're not thrilled…

It's not incompetence. It's a deliberate negotiating tactic, designed to tire the opponent and force him to agree to suboptimal terms.

Yeah it's a lot harder to ascribe something to incompetence when it just happens to help the "incompetent" party avoid a cost (or bad press).

Re: Airbnb “Bribes” Host with Cash Under NDA After Partiers Destroy Apartment

#145

Post by mcguire »

twblalock wrote: post #40
supercanuck wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

bribe would be accurate since they were offering payment outside their remediation process they setup. Instead of simply offering payment in exchange for the damage per their guarantee, they wanted something in return: Silence.

Asking for confidentiality about the terms of a settlement is common, and there is nothing wrong with it.

So AirBNB requires an NDA for all claims against its host guarantee?

Re: Airbnb “Bribes” Host with Cash Under NDA After Partiers Destroy Apartment

#146

Post by __jal »

Hard to say what I'd do when I haven't been in that situation, but in a past dispute with a large company, I felt I had the freedom to make them pay for their desired confidentiality. (It wasn't quite like this situation, but somewhat similar.)

I demanded a 60% premium over their "final" offer for the confidentiality clause. They told me to take a walk, but reversed and paid after my lawyer contacted them. (the 60% was basically pulled out of my nether bits; it was a wild guess at what they might value it at.)

I'd recommend anyone in a similar situation putting a price tag on the gag clauses, if they can afford it. Aside from many other issues, it is a nasty tactic that is bad for markets, because it increases economic inefficiency by increasing information asymmetry.

Re: Airbnb “Bribes” Host with Cash Under NDA After Partiers Destroy Apartment

#147

Post by diminoten »

cortesoft wrote: post #55
diminoten wrote: post #15

A lot of confusing points to this story. I'm not defending AirBnB, but this story does baffle on a number of levels. > (they came with a professional sound system) How do you not see this coming, from a host perspective? Big red flag. How this get anywhere near as far as it did? "Well I figured the professional sound system was going to be fine in my apartment complex." > Neighbors called the police five times and so…

The reason Dinulescu doesn't go after the idiots directly is the same reason you go through insurance companies when there is damage - because that is the service you are paying them for. Now, AirBnB can absolutely go after the guests, but they have to decide if it is worth it. It is going to cost resources and money (probably more than the $8000 they are paying), and there is still a good chance that the guests won'…

That's a good point, but still shouldn't these people be held criminally liable? I feel like they went well above what any local law would allow for their behavior.

Re: Airbnb “Bribes” Host with Cash Under NDA After Partiers Destroy Apartment

#148

Post by tptacek »

will_brown wrote: post #127
tptacek wrote: post #87

The irony of YC's flagship startup forcing exploding term sheets on their customers is a bit much to take. [ ps ] Airbnb's statement concluding this story says that this interaction fell short of their expectations. Maybe they can go a bit farther. Can they commit (just a comment here would suffice) to not using the exploding-settlement tactic with their clients? Maybe all they'd really need to say is that nobody out…

Thats a pretty unreasonable request that a billion dollar company agree not to include deadlines in their settlement offers moving forward. In fact I've never heard of a settlement agreement without a deadline, it wouldn't amount to malpractice but it would be pretty negligent to offer any type of settlement agreement on open ended terms of acceptance. As to the NDA/confidentiality, that too is the default of settlem…

Which is why I said "nobody outside their counsel's office".

Here, we're all pretty clear these aren't good-faith deadlines, but rather negotiating devices intended to coerce people into accepting terms without consultation with their own lawyers.

Re: Airbnb “Bribes” Host with Cash Under NDA After Partiers Destroy Apartment

#149

Post by tptacek »

will_brown wrote: post #133
tptacek wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Exploding" refers to the fact that it expired in 24 hours.

"Exploding" the way you are referring to it really is a term related to startup funding, right? The problem is startup funding != claims/dispute resolution/litigation. In other words...exploading offers in funding don't have the same justification as deadlines to accept settlements. Moreover, settlement offers need deadlines because if they are not accepted the legal cost are exponentially increasing for both parties…

An exploding offer is simply one that has a deadline set so short that the recipient must accept or reject on the spot.

In startup funding, they're intended to prevent you from comparing an offer to other potential offers from other investors. In the Airbnb case, they're intended to prevent you from consulting with a lawyer or further appraising your damages.

Re: Airbnb “Bribes” Host with Cash Under NDA After Partiers Destroy Apartment

#150

Post by alistairSH »

terms wrote: post #49
RcouF1uZ4gsC wrote: post #24

Why do people find it surprising that companies who exist mainly on the premise of ignoring laws/regulations they find inconvenient, won't eventually ignore laws/regulations that you think worthwhile (ie Uber and sexual harassment and AirBnb and paying for damages). In addition, I find it interesting that the host is only sending a bill for $8000. It seems as if he is only trying to get paid for his damages and not e…

>It seems AirBnb attracts the jerks and freeloaders. It is up to the person that wants to Airbnb her/his place to make sure the people who are taking residence in her/his property are decent. It is not Airbnb who attracts the jerks and freeloaders. With that said, their handling of this scenario (assuming everything that has been said in the article linked is true) was not good.

How does a potential AirBnB "landlord" ensure the potential "tenant" isn't going to wreck the house? In a normal year-long lease, you can run background checks, credit checks, verify employment. Are you really suggesting we should do that for a weekend long AirBnB?
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