Removing a bad review after Guest throws a party and breaks rules

[Paige12]

We are besides ourselves in disappointment and frustration after having tried over and over again to get Airbnb to remove a bad review which was posted by a recent guest who was upset about us having intervened after he threw a party with approximately 25 people breaking both Airbnb's own No Party Rules and our own. We get passed from one Airbnb rep to another with no success and regardless of getting turned down we get no explanation as to why they are ignoring their own policy for reviews by guests who do either of those things to be subject for removal.   It's really outrageous.

[Paige12]

@Catherine-Powell ,  Not sure what your referring to.

[Paige12]

@Sarah977 , opps, sorry about my last reply I didn't realize it wasn't meant for me.

[Paige12]

I also think you may have mistakenly made that post in the wrong thread.

[Sarah977]

@Paige12  No, I didn't post it in the wrong thread- I am trying to hold Airbnb's Head of Hosting accountable for the disconnect between what she claims is a new initiative and the reality of what hosts like you continue to face.

Have you read this? 

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Airbnb-Updates/Catherine-s-Host-Update-reviews-party-ban-policy-...

[Jillian115]

@Sarah977 @Paige12 Yes she needs to be aware. I was about to post the same link. I don't think CS is aware of this new policy. There is another host who was just shutdown and it sounds like it had more to do with the guest entertaining over the limit than anything else. Host claimed the review was a revenge review and the next thing you know the listing became inactive. Its very scary. 

[Sarah977]

@Jillian115  To tell you the truth, I don't think she cares. All she seems to care about is putting out placating, feel-good PR that has no basis in reality. If she cared, she'd be making sure that CS got the memo and acted accordingly. 

[Robin4]

@Sarah977 

Sarah, words are cheap, aren't they!

The fact that @Paige12  has possibly got the run around over this is because she gave the guest concerned a good review. To casual observers it looks like she has changed her mind when reading the guest's review and now wants to 'have another nibble at the yeast bun'.

So on that basis I can understand CS's position........But that is not the point!

The fact the guest had a party of 25 + and was asked by the host to close it down should have automatically qualified the guests review for removal. I guarantee if someone got injured and was hospitalized as a result of that party, the review would have been removed pronto! It was obviously going to be mentioned, and CS had an obligation to at least make it look as though they understand company policy and taken some action.

Secondly, frustration has brought Paige here, the global head of hosting obviously has access to what is written here and has not only not responded but, has chosen not to even have someone respond on her behalf!

We would all have a bit more confidence if the global head of hostings department was a little bit more proactive when these issues arise instead of simply being a part of the promo arm of the company.

Did you ever have any interaction with Chip Conley, Sarah? We lost a good warrior when he left! 

Cheers.......Rob

[Sarah977]

@Robin4  I'm not sure what year Chip Connelly bowed out, but it might have been before I joined. Or maybe he was still there, which is why the platform was a whole lot easier to deal with for my first couple of years.

 You know, back when the dashboard made sense and you could actually find your monthly calendar by clicking on "Calendar". Imagine that. Instead of spending an hour hunting and pecking around, then having to ask on the forum, only to find out you have to click on something completely non-intuitive to get there.

[Mark116]

@Sarah977  LOL, right?  We lost a booking last week because the guest booked via instant book, then within 5 minutes, made an alteration request to add a day....and by the time I found how to get to the actual alteration request and see what they requested....they had cancelled because the nightly rate for the third night they thought was higher than it should have been.  After they cancelled I had no idea whether they were right or wrong or it was an Airbnb glitch.  It should not take minutes to find something as basic as an alteration request on the reservation you are looking at.  That's nuts.

[Laura2592]

@Paige12 I am so sorry this happened to you and I agree that retaliatory reviews should always be removed.  But I'm confused by some of your responses to reviews. 

More than one guest seems to have felt watched or under surveillance. And you state that you allow "get togethers" but not parties. I'm not sure where the line is. If I were looking for an illicit party pad I'd think this was a nudge nudge wink wink way around the ABB policy.  If I rolled up with a few dozen of my nearest and dearest ready to rumble and suddenly the owners seemed to be keeping eyes on the place, I would probably be quite confused. 

I would suggest making a very clear "no parties/get togethers/events/spring break revels/birthday surprise soirees/showers/fetes/extravaganzas/balls/fundraisers/ weddings etc etc.  Policy" Emphasize that your space is accommodation only. Not a landing pad for  a "small get together" because guests will all argue about how that is defined.  I would also strongly consider lowering your guest counts. We also host weddings at our space (used to, prior to COVID) and did not book through ABB as it is not the appropriate platform. Guests here are leaving reviews about an overnight stay, not how much they enjoyed a wedding, what the catering was like., etc. Also the ability to adjust your charges for cleaning or offer alacarte services (officiant, flowers, photos) is not possible through this website. If you want to get into event hosting in your space, don't do it here. Draw a very hard and fast boundary.

Also when responding to reviews,  it's probably best to keep it short, factual and unemotional.  Mention of a language barrier may not be the kindest way to get the point across about communication issues.  That guest clearly violated ABB third party booking and admitted it. Stick to what the guest did to skirt the rules, not what your diagnosis of their issues might be. Best of luck !

[Paige12]

Just for reference, this is what we send our guests for review and execution immediately after a booking. If they don't agree to any of it we provide a free cancellation. If you read the first cover page and the next two pages of the application other than the last page which is the House Rules, you and every guests who does should get our policies pretty clearly.

[Laura2592]

@Paige12  most guests won't read a listing much less several pages of rules. Its a theme over and over in these forums-- guests don't read, guests book and don't check out house rules, guests don't answer emails with requests for more info, etc. Though I applaud your efforts to cover yourself, the fact remains that the majority of ABB guests will not read. Also not sure how you are offering a cancelation as a superhost will lose their status for canceling stays. Maybe your guests are just kind enough to do so if they feel like it won't be a fit?

My point was that anything over and above allowing a nightly accommodation is inviting trouble. No matter how closely, carefully or robustly you try and define what your policies are, no matter how many pages of documents you send, if you are using ABB to allow anything other than people showing up in your space to relax, sightsee and sleep you are going to have issues. Most hosts are vehemently opposed to even the slightest whiff of a party. You have responded to reviews saying publicly that you allow something close to what many would consider a party, but that you draw the line at some other kind of gathering that YOU consider a party. Just make your life a whole lot easier and strike that entirely from what you allow.  Be very clear in your documents, in your listing and in your public responses that your accommodation is only for relaxation/sleep/a base  for sightseeing. That is, after all, what ABB is for. There are other sites to list your property on if you want to book it as a space for intimate events. 

[Paige12]

Sorry it seams to allow me to choose a file to upload and then after hitting reply the file isn't visible.

[Paige12]

Intentionally deleted