Within the wake of the lethal fires that ravaged Southern California in January, Airbnb obtained heaps of reward for its voucher program that supplied free stays for displaced victims. Native and nationwide media retailers lauded the hassle, directing hundreds of refugees to use.
However for a lot of who wanted the housing, evaluations weren’t as glowing.
Some mentioned they utilized however by no means heard again. Others bought a voucher however mentioned it was primarily ineffective as a result of restrictions and a seven-day expiration date.
Loads of victims have been helped by this system. Airbnb.org, a nonprofit funded by Airbnb that teamed with the group 211 L.A. to offer the free stays, mentioned it obtained 34,000 purposes and despatched out roughly 11,000 vouchers. It’s unclear what number of of these vouchers had been used, however the nonprofit mentioned greater than 60,000 free nights have been booked by greater than 17,000 individuals affected by the fires.
These not capable of money in, nevertheless, see this system as considered one of two issues: a real supply hamstrung by extreme crimson tape, or a half-hollow gesture meant to rack up free PR within the midst of a historic catastrophe.
“If it appears too good to be true, it most likely is,” mentioned Todd Smoyer, who obtained a voucher after his home burned down in Altadena however wasn’t in a position to make use of it. “It simply seems like a PR stunt.”
Smoyer was working in Hollywood when the Santa Ana winds began blowing on Jan. 7. Out of warning, his husband booked an Airbnb in Mid-Metropolis earlier that day simply in case a hearth began.
A couple of hours later, Eaton Canyon erupted.
Smoyer bolted dwelling to seize meals for his or her two canine and fled the neighborhood round 8 p.m. On his approach out, he referred to as his dad and mom, sobbing.
“I knew there was no probability the home would survive,” he mentioned.
The following morning, his neighbor confirmed that there was nothing left however the brick fire.
He utilized for the voucher the subsequent day however didn’t hear again immediately. They’d the Mid-Metropolis Airbnb booked by way of Jan 10. and prolonged it to the twelfth, regardless of the host jacking up the value from $200 per evening to $330 per evening.
Having heard nothing from Airbnb, the pair fled L.A. and booked a keep in Palm Springs from Jan. 13-24. Then, the voucher got here by way of: Airbnb had awarded them $1,000 towards a reserving.
Smoyer reached out to customer support asking if the credit score may very well be used towards the keep he already booked. No, they mentioned. As well as, the voucher expired in seven days, on Jan. 19.
Smoyer and his husband have since moved right into a VRBO, the place a compassionate host supplied him a two-week keep for a complete of $400.
“We spent over $8,000 on short-term leases over three weeks, and we had been simply making an attempt to recoup slightly. We all know they’re making a lot cash, so how arduous wouldn’t it be to use the credit score to a keep that’s already booked?” he mentioned. “It left such a nasty style in my mouth.”
The voucher program introduced extra than simply constructive PR for the short-term housing platform, which has come underneath scrutiny lately for unlawful listings and consuming into L.A.’s long-term housing inventory. Some evacuees advised The Occasions they booked stays on Airbnb as an alternative of different options similar to motels with the hope that they’d finally be refunded.
Eleanor Inexperienced evacuated from her dwelling in La Cañada Flintridge on Jan. 8., fleeing to Claremont together with her household. She utilized for the voucher that day however didn’t hear again and booked an Airbnb for 2 nights.
Evacuation orders had been nonetheless lively in her neighborhood on the finish of her keep, so she booked a second Airbnb, spending a complete of $1,500 between the 2. On Jan. 12, she returned to her dwelling, which had been spared.
That very same day, she bought permitted for a $2,000 voucher.
“I felt so relieved,” she mentioned. “It was this nice gentle in the midst of a horrible expertise.”
Inexperienced shortly linked with customer support, asking how one can use it towards her stays that she already paid for, however was advised it may well solely be used earlier than you guide a keep, not after.
She felt cheated.
“The primary reserving was made in panic, however the second I hoped would possibly get some a refund with the voucher, so we used Airbnb as an alternative of a resort,” she mentioned. “Everybody who evacuated booked an Airbnb already, so what level is a voucher if it is available in days later?”
The expertise made her offended: not that she couldn’t use the voucher, however as a result of the corporate restricted the scope of individuals they had been capable of assist and bought a lot publicity out of one thing that wasn’t helpful to many victims.
“I really feel uncomfortable with how a lot reward they’ve gotten whereas championing themselves as a supply of help in a time of want,” Inexperienced mentioned. “In the meantime, they’re soliciting donations from individuals who suppose they’re serving to wildfire victims, however most individuals can’t be helped by this program.”
Airbnb.org has solicited $9 million in donations from people and corporations because the begin of the hearth. As well as, Airbnb dedicated $10 million and Chief Government Brian Chesky dedicated $6 million.
Christoph Gorder, government director for Airbnb.org, mentioned the corporate is dedicated to supply as much as 40,000 extra free nights by way of the voucher program, above the 60,000 already used. As well as, Airbnb waived all charges for these stays.
The free housing program by no means claimed the vouchers would work on retroactive stays or ones already booked — nor did the promotion marketing campaign point out that they wouldn’t. That was left to customer support representatives. Gorder mentioned there’s no easy option to make that work, since cash for bookings goes to the host, not the corporate.
“From a logistical and sensible perspective, we don’t have a option to do retroactive voucher purposes. We’re wanting into it for the longer term, however we don’t have that capability proper now,” Gorder mentioned.
He added that the demand overwhelmed their system within the first 48 hours.
Gorder mentioned the seven-day expiration is a safeguard in opposition to fraud to forestall unhealthy actors from abusing this system. He added that those that want to prolong the expiration date or apply the credit score to an current keep can contact buyer assist, and mentioned Airbnb has dealt with such requests for 170 L.A. households already.
The Occasions spoke to a Pacific Palisades evacuee who was capable of get hold of a $2,000 voucher after initially being denied. The individual complained to customer support, finally bought the voucher and used it towards a $20,000 keep for a month in Santa Monica.
“The squeaky wheel will get the grease,” the individual mentioned, asking to stay nameless as a result of they didn’t need to jeopardize their keep by chatting with the media.
Others weren’t so fortunate.
Some took their frustrations to social media. One Reddit person wrote that they obtained a $1,000 credit score and efficiently booked a keep. Nevertheless, the expiration coverage requires customers to verify into the Airbnb inside seven days, not simply guide inside seven days. By the point the reserving got here, the credit score had expired, and so they owed an additional $1,000 for the rental.
Graham Fortier fled his Altadena dwelling on Jan. 7 together with his spouse and two daughters hours earlier than it burned. He utilized for the credit score a day later, and the subsequent day booked a three-week keep in a Pasadena Airbnb for $6,897 utilizing donations raised by way of a GoFundMe.
The keep was set to start on Jan. 18, since he already had motels booked till then. His $1,300-credit got here by way of on Jan. 13. Just like the others, it couldn’t be utilized to his rental.
Within the meantime, Fortier discovered a extra everlasting housing resolution by way of a household pal and not wanted the Airbnb. He tried to cancel the $6,897 keep, however the host mentioned he wouldn’t refund him because the two-day cancellation interval had already handed.
For his or her half, Airbnb refunded the $797 he paid in charges. However because the host refused to cancel the reserving, Fortier misplaced $6,100.
“Your own home burns down, you lose every thing, and the host nonetheless can’t sympathize with our state of affairs,” Fortier mentioned. “They could have a house in Pasadena, however they’re not a Pasadenan. An precise Pasadenan wouldn’t do that.”
Fortier mentioned he’s positive individuals bought the credit score and used it to assist their household in a time of want, which provides to his frustration as a result of it reveals that this system might have been simpler.
“I simply want they might’ve designed this system in a approach that helps extra individuals,” he mentioned. “Our group is destroyed, and we want all the assistance we will get.”
