Reviews loophole - mental health concern for refunded guest

[Kim2654]

I booked a 30 night stay in a room in an apartment with the owner and their partner. Room was listed as 'private'.

On getting to the 2 bedroom apartment, 1 room was booked to a young foreign couple with little spoken english and the other room to me. The 'owner' (never saw a partner) essentially squatted in his lounge for 9 of my 10 nights. He would go in my room when I wasn't there (I'd notice things had moved and/or felt he'd been in there) and every other day he'd either be asking for access to my private room. On day 10 (I'd normally not be there) he attempted entering my room, unannounced. I was naked. 

I contacted AirBnB requesting a refund. They reviewed the case and gave me a full refund. I thought that was it...

The host decided to write a review on me. Full of half truths, some lies and stated AirBnB backed him and gave me no refund. I have found this very distressing. 

I contacted AirBnB, fuming, that a bad host could review me but apparently he can. 

AirBnB's policy on this needs to include,  if AirBnB deem a host has wronged a guest, the host cannot write a review on the guest. How or who can I escalate this to? I am mortified that AirBnB can allow his comments about me to remain on my profile page when I wanted nothing to do with the man. Also, I had to review him to enable to see what he'd written about me to ascertain whether I should report his message. With so much talk around mental health and cyber bullying these days, I'm flabbergasted this can actually happen. I wanted to move forward, now I've had to read his bull**bleep** review of me and it also needs to remain there - forever - because that's his version of events. This is not right. Can anyone help?

[Mary996]

Appalling so sorry and also not true. We (mostly) can all see that. You may also have read the swipe he made at another solo female guest who apparently dared to raise an issue with him. So you were not alone.

What would be really helpful, would perhaps be, if, you'd have a think about the outcome you'd like and talk about it with the other participants on here. I'm guessing that as Hosts we would really appreciate it if you'd consider leaving your Review in place on the Host's page because it does help to warn off other single female Guests. I don't know if you might be able to talk to the other woman who had a problem with him,  he derided her too,  as together you might be able to clarify the particular problem going on with this Host from the perspective of single women. 

I can see that for many visitors he's a great Host but that is not really the point. 

Others here may have more experience that I do in defining what options the Organisation (Airbnb) has in terms of additional powers or ways of handling this but I'm just so grateful that you've raised this and given us a chance to consider further what constitutes bullying  and what can be done about it' and also to run through the new processes that we are building in to the system.

I was wondering how you might be feeling now and whether the weight of our support (in the majority)  may have helped?  

A list of your options might assist in focussing on the outcome you would wish for perhaps?

I really hope that you feel supported and can continue to discuss the best result for you because if you aren't happy for these Reviews to be left in place then this is where we can try to institute Appeal proceedures or other strategies.

[Helen3]

You have more faith than me that those Airbnb have appointed to represent us will be able to influence change @Mary996 

in any case I don't agree I think that regardless of whether there has been a cancellation both sides should be able to review EXCEPT if criminal charges/there is a crime report against the hosts or guest. 

[Mary996]

It would be my preference also that both Reviews remain @Helen3 .  If criminal charges were brought such information might be required of Airbnb to be left in place? If it hadn't led to a Listing being closed down? Or a Guest being banned and de-activated.

The thing that was in my mind about @Kim2654 's  case was that she was possibly wanting both Reviews taken down and if I understood her correctly she suggested that such might be possible if there were a Policy in place that allowed this in certain cases were for example Airbnb exhonerated one party (I'll have to go back and check on this, or you, or other members, might have grasped her wishes more clearly). So there is a consideration here for representation upwards possibly along the lines of supporting Appeals (potentially a HAB activity).

Re HAB :  I think its all about structures and have some experience of this working which is why I would like us to give it a try. If the currently active members aren't keen to accept new contributors on our behalves we could put in a further layer and elect for example two members from this informal caucus to represent us to the HAB who would assemble points of view from other caucauses around the world and refine what common themes there are for the attention of the Airbnb Exec. In such an instance from my recent connection here I would propose you @Helen3 and also  @Ann72 as Host members capable of hearing differing viewpoints.

[Anonymous]

@Kim2654  Sorry to be a wet blanket here, but the idea of a cancelled booking being excluded from reviews is a non-starter because it would actually violate trade laws in several countries. Check out this article for one example of why Airbnb changed its policy to allow reviews for stays that were terminated early: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/jul/27/airbnb-agrees-reviews-loophole-intervention-cma-r...

There aren't any laws requiring reciprocal reviews for guests to be allowed, but hosts would find it extremely unfair if reviews were a one-way street.

You've brought up the interesting idea that AIrbnb should take into consideration the impact that an unflattering review might have on the recipient's mental health. Of course one's mental health is far more important than having a profile on a website, so if this concern is genuine, there's a very easy way to make the review disappear: delete your account. Here's how: https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/240/

[Bryan549]

Most users are great people so don't let this bother you too much as horrific as it sounded. 

[Mary996]

@Kim2654 Not sure if you're still with us Kim, but it looks as if removal of Reviews maybe unlawful (see above article cited in The Guardian). If there were grounds that you could find (poss via a lawyer looking into your recourse as already suggested) the possiblity of an Appeal might follow. 

If you deactivate or close your Airbnb account your Reviews may still remain.