Clients burnt by Airbnb hotshot Callum Forbes
A Sydney man’s management company has collapsed, owing millions to hundreds of owners.
A young Sydney entrepreneur who promised to “take the burden off” property owners and give them an “awesome” experience as he managed their homes and units as Airbnb rentals has closed shop owing millions of dollars to clients across the country who signed up to his scheme.
Callum Forbes, chief executive and co-founder of a company called And Chill, wooed client property owners with a sunny sales pitch saying he would “make sure” they received higher returns on their short-term Airbnb rentals.
“You can enjoy your vacations with your friends and families while the managers will look after your property,” he boasted in a glossy company blurb.
Two years after the “hassle-free” service offered by Mr Forbes started, the Airbnb experience has turned sour for 940 clients, who say they have lost sums ranging from $20,000 to $100,000.
And Chill owes property owners at least $3.6 million in rental payments and more to other creditors now the company has been put in the hands of an administrator. McGrathNicol, the administrator in charge of the failed company’s affairs, said in a report to creditors that “the failure” of Mr Forbes and former director Jeffrey Feng to “maintain books and records” leads to “a presumption of insolvency”.
“The director and former director may be personally liable for all accounts,” the report says.
During more than two years as rental agent, And Chill took numerous Airbnb bookings on behalf of property clients and estimated its income at $20m. Through a related company called And Chill Property Management, And Chill was meant to forward to its clients the funds it received from Airbnb — minus an agreed commission for agent services.
As months passed and payments stopped, clients said they were told to be patient.
They remained unsure about when their properties were rented out and what daily or weekly rates were charged on their behalf by And Chill.
Mirva Crinnion, a Sydneysider who offered her Launceston unit on Airbnb through And Chill from January to April this year, said she went with the company because she had no time to manage her property. Ms Crinnion said she complained when payments stopped early on.
“It was always excuses,” she told The Australian.
“They’d said ‘it takes, at best, 60 days to get the money from the booking platform’. Then they’d said ‘there’s a delay because we’ve missed a deadline’ or ‘we have to wait for the next report’. Eventually they didn’t take my calls and contact ceased.”
Tal Anvi, another Sydneysider who put his Brisbane unit in the hands of Mr Forbes’s company, said he had lost about $30,000 and was considering legal action to recover funds.
A couple with six properties managed by And Chill told The Australian they believe they had lost about $100,000.
With And Chill put in the hands of an administrator last month, questions have been directed at Mr Forbes about funds owing.
Mr Forbes told The Australian yesterday he could not make any comment about the affairs of his company because it was in the hands of an administrator.
He said he was “not working” and had no involvement in any other business ventures.
Asked about his profile on LinkedIn, where he describes himself as having studied “Juris Doctor Degrees at University of Sydney” and having “graduated 2015”, he said this information was “incorrect”.
He began study at the university but had not graduated, he said, and it was possible his LinkedIn profile inadvertently listed the year of his study.
Mr Forbes promoted himself on his company website as recently as June 17 as “The Name to Trust for Awesome Airbnb Experience” and claimed to be “building the best team and processes in property”.
Among his Facebook friends are NSW Minister for Arts Don Harwin, who was photographed with Mr Forbes and others at the Aurora Ball, held at the grand ballroom of the Sydney International Convention Centre, on June 22.
A spokesman for Mr Harwin said the minister had “no association” with Mr Forbes and his company.
While confirming they were photographed together, he said “there is no relationship, professional or social”.
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