Allegheny County Councilwoman Bethany Hallam says Airbnb reversed ban after appeal
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Allegheny County Councilwoman Bethany Hallam says Airbnb lifted her lifetime ban after an appeal.
Hallam said she tried to book an Airbnb in Miami for the upcoming Steelers game against the Dolphins only to find out she was banned. She tweeted a screenshot of an email that cited a criminal records match and said "Did I just... get a lifetime @Airbnb booking ban for a 9 year old possession charge?!?"
Hallam said it's surprising because she's used Airbnb for years, including earlier this year.
"At first, I thought the email was some sort of spam junk mail," Hallam said. "And, then shortly after I received another email saying, 'your reservation's canceled' and then another one about the refund of my money."
She later tweeted Wednesday that she was unbanned after an "evidence-based appeals process" but she still had questions about other people who were banned "for similarly ridiculous reasons."
"Once you do your time and you've paid for your crime, then you shouldn't have these collateral consequences that haunt you for years and years to come," said legal analyst Phil DiLucente.
Airbnb said it's had the policy in place for about 10 years.
