I've had my first retaliatory review - because I could not give a late checkout due to enhanced Covid cleaning measures - and Airbnb has not got back to me in a week now since I started a case file. I had to wait one hour and 16 minutes to talk to somebody and then when I did, they just passed it up the ladder to some unidentified person in an unidentified department that will look at it at some unidentified time in as yet identified future.
Since that review I have not had one inquiry on that listing. I rent the property as a one and two bedroom option. Usually the one bedroom gets four times the action, but now I'm getting couples spending $30 more a night for the two bedroom. ONE BAD REVIEW CAN SINK YOU.
The guest - Cheryl Lee from North Vancouver - came to my house with her husband in May to see a relative in a care home and loved the place so much they booked for 6 weeks later for a holiday. Five star review. During that visit, she broke my house rules by bringing guests onto the property and told me that I should stay away from the house because she wanted privacy.
But I'm broke and desperate and stupid, so I let them come back. With their dog which rarely happens. This time, once again, she send me a message telling me to stay away from the property and that she is inviting guests over. I try to dissuade her. She insists. Do I call the police? Do I tell her flat out "what about the word no don't you understand" and risk a bad review. Finally, she asks me to block off an extra day on my calendar in case they want to stay. I do so and ask if they will let me know asap what they want to do as I would like to be able to rent the house to other guests if they don't take it. Finally at 5:30 pm the night before their check out she lets me know they aren't going to stay an extra night but would instead just like a late check out at 3pm - 5 hours after my normal time. Good way to save money for them.
Anyway, she gave herself an hour late checkout anyways and wouldn't wave good-bye or even look at me when I went by to see them off - being the better person.
Obviously, I'm furious. Airbnb has, once again, ignored a successful, long-term host's concerns by siding with a vindictive guest. I'm feeling less and less comfortable trusting my very expensive asset - my house - with this company. Moreover I let myself get bullied by this guest. I was afraid of a bad review so I let her do things against my house rules, against my Covid rules. The moral of this story is to stand up for yourself with ** because they are likely going to give you a poor review no matter how you try to placate them.
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