Just wondering, as it was an immediate no from me...
Guest message:
"Hey, I currently work in London, but here from California. I’m clean and respectful. I’ve been looking at several places and shortlisted a few. This is one of them.
Just a few questions:
1. How’s the cell service and internet speed there? Is it good enough for video conferencing without disruptions?
2. Is it quiet? Can I hear the neighbors? And is there any maintenance/construction going on at the property or nearby?
3. How many people will I share the apartment with? Please include max possible.
4. Can I use the kitchen, washer, and dryer?
5. Is there a TV in the room?"
Doesn't sound that bad maybe? I have several problems with it though...
- Generic message where the guest doesn't bother to address me by name nor read my listing where several of his questions are already answered
- Number of questions which suggest he's going to be picky, high maintenance and impossible to please
- Has totally ignored the parts of the listing that request guests to send me specific information
Then his reviews... most of which are very positive, except this one:
"It wasn’t easy to host X. First he wanted to check in 2 hours before. I told him I’ll do my best. At 1 pm he text me to check if the room was ready, check in is after 3, However, due to the extreme weather I told him the room will be ready at 1:30. When he arrived he insisted in me opening the garage, even though I explained it was locked and I don’t live there. The next day he complained about cameras in the house. I told him it is in the description, there are cameras towards every entrance of the house. He said he wasn’t comfortable and I gave him the choice to cancel the booking. He is very hard to please. The light was out and we gave him an extra lamp, as his request. Then he complained of the heat, I lowered it, then he asked me to come and help him open a window. I found that very strange, yet, I did, easily. He said he wanted all the windows open, and the temperature outside was below freezing. I suggested him to turn on the ceiling fan for what he replied it will be too cold. It seems that nothing was enough for him. On checkout day he wanted to checkout two hours late, even though there is a poster explaining the fees for late checkout. I gave him a discount fee and he paid, although he bargained, but at this point I just wanted him out of my house. Then I got pictures of some yellow sauce splashed in the blinds of one window and the comforter, I have in the welcome poster in the room that if you chose to bring food to the room and leave any stains, there will be a cleaning fee if $25. I requested the fee and he declined."
Now, there are some things in that host's review that one could question, but the host has many, mostly great reviews and excellent ratings. Also, the complaints from the host kind of ring true to me when you read the guest's initial message to me. There's definitely a sense of entitlement... On the other hand, perhaps he had some bad experiences at Airbnbs and is now just trying to be cautious before booking (I generally don't mind people asking questions and actually prefer it).
Maybe I am being too British... We don't tend to be so direct and demanding.
Anyway, I already told the guest my listing was not a great fit for him but out of interest, was wondering what others think of this. Would you accept or decline:?
