Host given reply back to my review following claim for damages

[Martin3527]

Hi, just wondering if I can get any recourse on this.

I just stayed in a Airbnb. The host afterwards said I committed minor damage - 50 pounds (the damage was a twisted curtain hook on the floor that looked like it had fell off the wall). I said that I could not pay the amount until he provided me with evidence that I had caused the damage, and provided me with a quote from a builder. He even admitted to Airbnb that it was a best guess. I also said that I would need to give my version of events to Airbnb.

Instead Airbnb have paid him without contacting me.

I have two issues. The issue at the moment is not whether it was wear and tear or did someone do damage or even the cost. The two issues are:

Should Airbnb have contacted me for my side of things

The host has replied back to my review of the place which was a good review and was posted before he contacted me for money. (I'm thinking he did this on purpose so that I could not edit or not publish the review. His reply basically accuses me of dishonesty and an accusation that my child did the damage. Do I have any recourse on this?

[Nanxing0 · Accepted solution]

A "twisted curtain hook" sounds human damage to me for sure. It's generally not a wear and tear item that needs replacement periodically. If it's damaged during your stay then you are responsible. But 50 pounds for a curtain hook sounds a little too expensive to me as well. Usually a whole set of curtain hook might cost that much. 

The Airbnb claim procedure is based on evidence. And the "best guess" is just one option when we as hosts submit a claim. Usually if we have purchase receipt or can find link of an item sold online we provide, otherwise we select the best guess option if the item is purchased in a local store, for example.

[Martin3527]

Hi, thanks for the reply. It could well be the case that the hook was damaged via a person, although I was disputing with the host that it was me as it was on the floor when I arrived. I think what I'm concerned about though is the process. Should Airbnb have contacted me for my take on the situation rather than paying out and I'm taking issue with the remarks he has made when replying to my review. It looks like the remarks are not in the public domain but they are still out there on the net. Can I ask Airbnb to remove them?

[Nanxing0]

It's certainly a lesson that if upon check in you found anything damaged you should report to the host, otherwise the host would probably pursue you for reimbursement. Keep in mind hosts or cleaning crews do cleaning between guests so they do perform inspection before you arrive, so unless you can provide evidence showing that the damage was before your arrival, hosts tend to believe the damaged was during your stay because they already did inspection before your arrival.

Another factor that contributed to your experience is that lots of hosts have dealt with other dishonest guests. I remember I had a case that a guest smashed my TV and then when the cleaning crew found it out I filed a claim and the guest was trying to argue that the TV was damaged before she arrived. Obviously lying as the cleaning crew did the cleaning just a couple hours before she checked in and the TV was perfectly intact. 

[Sarah977]

@Martin3527  Sorry you had this distressing situation. The host didn't leave any public response to your review, only posted a review of your stay. So if he sent you a private message, no, that wouldn't be in the public domain, no one else will ever see it.

I can understand that you didn't think a curtain hook on the floor was any big deal, or worth contacting the host about, but it's always a good idea to document anything anything that seems amiss when you arrive for a stay- take a photo and let the host know so you don't get blamed for it. I had a seasoned Airbnb traveler who called me up to her room 5 minutes after she checked in, to show me that the shelf in the closet was loose, as she didn't want to get blamed for it (I knew it was loose, but had just forgotten to tighten the screws). 

Even if she hadn't done that and I thought she had caused the damage, I wouldn't have charged a guest for something so trivial, and personally I think the host was being rather petty to charge you for such a small thing, even if you had been responsible. It isn't normal wear and tear, but small damages do happen and most hosts just have a fund to cover those and don't bother charging a guest, as long as the guest was otherwise good ad left the place in decent shape.

But I did look at the reviews the host has left for some of his other guests, and I can't see that he has any history of accusing other guests of causing damage, so no one but you and he know the real story.

Aside from saying you caused damage that you denied, his review of you is positive, so I wouldn't worry about it too much. Your response to his review, however, doesn't do you any favors, as it's far too long and sounds like "I think thou protest too much". A simple "The curtain hook the host accused us of pulling out of the wall was lying on the floor when we checked in. I didn't think anything of it, set it on the window sill and never considered it worth reporting to the host. I'll know better next time if I find something amiss on arrival, and take photos."

As far as your review of your stay, you have no reason to regret it. A review is meant to be an honest report of your experience before and during the stay, which yours was. If a guest is a good one, and leaves the place tidy and communicated well and the host leaves a good review, just because that guest might leave a bad review of the place, doesn't mean the host has a reason to change their review. Reviews aren't meant to be tit for tat, they are just meant to be honest reports of the host's or guest's experience. Which may not be mutually appreciative.

If it's any consolation, guests get refunded quite often when contacting Airbnb to report something wrong with the listing, even if the guest doesn't provide proof and is lying, without Airbnb hearing the host's side. You could be persistent in trying to get what you were charged reversed, but Airbnb is so hard to contact these days, it doesn't seem worth your while.