Punitive 1* guest review as a result of upholding the non-refundable cancellation policy

[Bradley125]

As much as Airbnb's review system provides the illusion of being fair to both guests and hosts, the reality is that hosts are much more impacted by a bad guest review as our livelihood is directly affected.

A guest with a single decent review or even no reviews is able to book stays on Airbnb so if they get a bad review from a host, they can start with a new profile.

For hosts, the value of our listing is built up over time; one hard-earned review after another. If a guest decides to use the review system to punish a host, that value instantly evaporates.

Over the last 2 years, I've earned 14 consecutive 5* reviews, have a mean score of 5.0, Superhost status and reliably appeared high up in searches for a one-bedroom apartment in my city.

My last guest, who had no previous reviews, chose to punish me for not giving her the refund she wanted on her non-refundable stay. She gave me a 1* rating and wrote just four words ("not worth your consideration"). This punitive review & rating doesn't contravene any Airbnb policy and Airbnb support have refused to take it down.

As a model Airbnb host:

• I consistently provide a first-rate service that has earned me fourteen consecutive 5* ratings on my apartment (average rating of 5.0)
• I have earned and retained Airbnb Superhost status
• I accept long stay bookings with Airbnb’s default long term cancellation policy
• I accept Instant Bookings from guests without a previous recommendation 
• I offered my guest a refund on the non-refundable stay but she declined as she considered the amount insufficient (she would lose the benefit of my long stay discount)

It’s at this point that hosts need Airbnb to step in and do the right thing. Instead, Airbnb is busy compounding and amplifying the punishment. Specifically:

• Airbnb has sent me a delinquency notification advising that my listing is at risk of being suspended. 
• Airbnb will remove my Superhost status at the next evaluation. It will be mathematically impossible for me to regain my Superhost status for at least 12 months after her review
• Airbnb will incorporate the 1* rating in its algorithm that determines search order which will negatively impact my listing and business
• Airbnb will incorporate the 1* rating in my average score and I will never be able to regain my 5.0 average. Punished imperpetuum.
• Airbnb no longer publishes the ratings next to a review. This means that prospective future guests can only see my mean score and are unable to distinguish between a single aberrant review and an overall mediocre listing. Other online platforms provide much more transparency so that users can see the mean, mode and median ratings. Amazon is a good example of how informative reviews can be. Airbnb’s lack of transparency serves to increase the damage to hosts of a punitive rating.

Airbnb encourages hosts to accommodate long-term stays that are non-refundable stays and then allow guests to punish hosts when we stand by the policy. Airbnb’s review system facilitates a punitive review/rating and provides no support whatsoever to hosts who are victims of such punishment. Airbnb then uses a range of tools and policies to maximise the impact of the punishment.

The impact on me, my listing and my business is incalculable. I’ve taken my Airbnb listing off-line and looking to start from scratch; two years of hard work down the drain.

If Airbnb truly values our host community then urgent action is needed to rectify the damage done. Not just in this specific case but by introducing policies that appropriately protect hosts from vindictive guests.

[Bradley125]

Unfortunately, the guest didn't mention or threaten the review. I knew she was dissapointed that she couldn't get the refund she wanted but the review/rating was unexpected.

[Sarah977]

@Bradley125  Unfortunately there seem to be a lot of so-called adults these days who can't accept the inevitable disappointments that we all experience from time to time without blamimg someone else for them and retaliating in some way. 

And I read further on in this thread that you had your review of the guest removed, and asked her if she would do the same. You should never do that- even if it comes from a "let's just forget this ever happened" attitude. If you have left an honest review of a guest, there's no good reason to have it taken down to try to appease them or so they will hopefully remove a bad review they left for you- that is essentially extortion.

The only time I would consider asking for my review to be removed is if I unwittingly disclosed some personal information the guest was upset about. Like saying "Tom and Susie were great guests", because I assumed they were a couple, when in fact they having an affair and Tom had told his wife he was going on a business trip 🙂

[Christine615]

I thought this was done years ago. Airbnb had agreed to consider removing one "outlier" review each year. But then they laid off a lot of the staff so I guess that is no longer a consideration? We've been complaining about this for quite a while. Along with getting 5's in all categories and a 3-4 overall.

[Colleen253]

@Christine615 Alas, Airbnb are still (since 2018) ' listening, considering, reasearching, investing a lot thought, and developing ' and they take it 'really seriously ' but it's 'tricky ' don't you know, and so therefore they have gotten a whole lot of nothing accomplished on this matter,

https://www.airbnb.ca/resources/hosting-homes/a/airbnb-answers-protecting-you-from-one-off-bad-revie...

[Michelle53]

@Colleen253 @Christine615   I think the only outcome was the tool that asks politely if the guest might like to reconsider, after reporting a low overall rating.

Of course, this only makes a difference if it was a genuine error on the part of the guest, not if they were deliberately trying to sink the host with a retaliatory review. 

[Bradley125]

It's interesting/frustrating to hear that Airbnb doesn't seem to be able to follow through on implementing changes to support the host community. We hear a lot of rhetoric about how we are valued but policies and actions tell a different story.

[Colleen253]

@Bradley125 It's because it's to Airbnb's advantage to keep us at a disadvantage. It's all about behavior modification. i.e. if we live in fear of a retaliatory review, we will not pursue damages and such from a guest. We will eat the cost. Airbnb would rather keep guests happy, even undesirable guests. Guests pay the high service fees.

[Bradley125]

@Colleen253 I completely agree that the review system drives exceptional host behaviours. I just looked at your extraordinary track record and I can appreciate how hard you've worked to achieve that.

My recent experience is driving me to invest in alternative platforms which can't be good for Airbnb. They dominate the market today which makes it very difficult to leave the platform but we do have a choice.

[Colleen253]

@Bradley125 Thank you for the compliment. It IS a lot of hard work to list on this platform. With the exception of one nightmare early on and one or two who were just ‘pills’, I’ve been very lucky with my guests. But I’ve worked very hard to attract them, and I put the same amount of effort into avoiding bad ones. This community has helped me immensely in learning how to do that. 

[Jenny349]

@Bradley125 

Absolutely horrendous! You have my total sympathy.

My thoughts, for what they’re worth:

1. Personally, I wouldn’t delist. I understand you are feeling very sore right now (totally understandable), but you may be shooting yourself in the foot. List elsewhere, build up your profile and then tank Airbnb like they tanked you 👎 if you still want to.

2. As a guest myself, that ridiculous review would not put me off booking with you in the context of all your other glowing assessments and lengthy words of praise. Other guests obviously appreciate your place very much. This retaliatory review contains no useful content whatsoever. It has no credibility and simply makes the person who posted it look stupid - anyone who is serious about an unhappy experience posts details - lots, usually.

3. Did you review her? I searched, but I couldn’t find anything. I read elsewhere on the CC that you cannot respond to a guest review *unless you have reviewed the guest yourself*. I learnt something there. 
personally, I’m not so sure I would respond to her review. It’s so silly, so lacking in any sort of useful information and credibility, I probably wouldn’t dignify it with a response. I truly think people will see it for what it is.

4. I take on board all your other remarks about impact on search order, superhost status and general unfairness of the situation. I’m outraged for you and speechless that Airbnb makes it way too easy for guests to get away with this sort of shoddy behaviour.. Not only that, Airbnb has been extremely shoddy in the way it has responded to you.

[Bradley125]

@Jenny349 Thanks for your supportive comments and advice.

I'm already on to VRBO - I've used them before and their rates are very reasonable.

I did write a review of my guest which I tried to make factual and balanced which meant that it was pretty negative. However, earlier this week, I decided to unilaterally take it down and asked Airbnb to delete it which they did.  I then contacted the guest with a friendly message of goodwill, advising her that I had deleted my review and asking if she would consider doing the same. I didn't have high expectations but thought it was worth asking in case time had healed. Unfortunately, the guest thought I was threatening her and wrote an aggressive response.

I thought I could still comment on her guest review - will check and update.

My thinking was to write a short response mentioning my disappointment that guest was not fully satisfied, pointing out my prior 5* reviews and puzzlement at the rating.