Airbnb refuses to delete review for guest who NEVER checked in

[Julia-and-Brandon0]

Help! Someone booked our Airbnb, she said she was leaving her current Airbnb situation due to it being “dangerous” this should’ve been my first red flag. Giving her the benefit of the doubt, we let her book same day and offered to allow early check in. Minutes later she sends a nasty message that she will “warn people not to book our place” and was threatening us. Long story short, she said it was inaccurate listing because there were multiple cars parked on my street and it wasn’t the area she desired, despite there being a map of the location within the listing. She never stepped foot on my property and multiple airbnb associates said she will not be allowed to leave a review, she left a review, they made me submit a request to get it removed. Denied. Called again, was told they would remove it, to submit a request, denied again. They said because she drove by, it is considered her as checking in??? It seems to me that Airbnb doesn’t uphold their own policies anymore.. I am debating taking my listing off of the platform. 

[Joan2709]

@Julia-and-Brandon0 

Sorry this happened...

Guests have access to the listing's address before arriving and it always puzzles me they complain about the location?

You'll note that Airbnb has very carefully worded their policies about removing a review in relation to this situation:

• If a guest never arrived for their stay or experience, or had to cancel due to circumstances unrelated to that stay or experience, their review may be removed.

Since the cancellation was related to circumstances related to the stay (safety issues connected to the listing location and or listing accuracy), they made the decision not to remove the review. They also use the word "may" not "will be" removed.

[Marie8425]

@Julia-and-Brandon0 

I read the review and the property description.  The Guest is honest, she states she did not go in.  There is a map and a reservation does get the street address.  Most guests are not locals to the area they are renting.  I can see the map but honestly that doesn't really tell me about a neighborhood I don't know.  Your ad promotes retreat, scenic views but her review describes something different.  I realize she is angry but there is still what appears to be a big difference in presentation and reality.

[Julia-and-Brandon0]

My Airbnb is in a private neighborhood. There are not many cars that drive by. She also appears to be upset about cars being parked on the street, in general, which is out of my control, there is ample street parking in my neighborhood. In my experience with Airbnb, they remove negative reviews containing things out of the hosts control. For example, in the past , I was able to remove a negative review containing things saying my street doesn’t have street lights because that was out of my control. There are many grounds per Airbnb guidelines, that this retaliatory review should be removed. 

[Mounia-and-Marc0]

Sorry to hear that Airbnb didn’t accept to remove the bad review from a guest who never checked in.

I was disappointed yesterday xhen I got an unfair review from a guest that she said my bathroom was dirty and with no pictures to prove that. I explained to airbnb that I clean the bathroom everyday and many times a day and I found this review unfair and they revoked my request to remove this bad review, I was thinking the same thing as you taking my listing off of the platform if they are not able to resolve the issues in fair way 

[Julia-and-Brandon0]

Yes, it definitely seems their judgement and support for hosts is lacking. There is also no continuity in representatives assisting with cases. They keep closing my case with no explanation and no follow up. 

[Mounia-and-Marc0]

The same thing for me 😞 no support for the host because the unfair review guest favorite label has been removed 😞

[Guy991]

Hello @Julia-and-Brandon0 ,

Sorry this happened to you. I can’t offer advice on how to handle the past situation, but I can share a few thoughts on how to avoid something similar in the future.

I agree with you about the red flag. When a guest hops from one place to another, it often signals poor judgment in choosing properties or that they’re simply difficult to please. I’m always a bit cautious with same-day, last-minute bookings for that reason. They often come with complications.

But still, did you learn anything from this guest?

First, and I say this respectfully, the original description is still there. To me, the phrase “nestled in serene hills” suggests a remote, almost off-grid location surrounded by nature. I might be wrong, but now that you know it can be confusing for some guests, you might want to consider rewording it.

Second, in my opinion, the review wasn’t just about the location. It likely had more to do with the fact that you chose not to reimburse the guest. On the rare occasions when someone arrives at my place and says it’s not what they expected, I offer a full refund on the spot for that exact reason. In most cases, when hosts are cooperative and flexible, guests don’t leave negative reviews.

It’s unfortunate that many hosts don’t realize how things work here. A guest can leave a review not only if they didn’t stay at the property, but even if the reservation was cancelled altogether. And in this case, the guest was actually honest. By canceling right away, she clearly told you she didn’t want to stay.

Of course, hosts are fully within their rights to stick to the cancellation policy, but that can sometimes come at the cost of a bad review.

In my opinion, the truly difficult guests are the ones who say nothing, stay the whole time, use the space, and then leave a three-star review.

[Julia-and-Brandon0]

Thanks for your input, this guest literally messaged me threatening a retaliatory review if I didn’t re fund her… she said she will “warn people” not to stay here. Threatening a retaliatory review is also against Airbnb guidelines. 

[Naomi208]

Hallo Julia & Brandon

To be honesty your case was not handled well.

Driving is not the same as checking in.

Please reach out to your community leader to escalate to the Manager.

Its simple case but to be solved.

Bad reviews impact negatively on your business.

Hope it will be sorted.Don’t pull down at the moment please.

Best wishes 

[Julia-and-Brandon0]

Thanks for your input Naomi! I am at a loss of what to do, I have since submitted screenshots of my ring footage to prove the guest never checked in as well. The guest even cancelled prior to check out. In the message thread she pretty much said she will “warn people not to book” if we didn’t refund her as well. So it’s also grounds for removal as she threatened to leave a retaliatory review. They won’t allow me to submit another request for removal.

any additional advice would be greatly appreciated!