Reviews

[Donelle4]

Please someone help me understand the removal of negative reviews and the untimely fashion of resolving an issue, when a guest has caused damage.  Yesterday my place was damaged by a guest. I have a tiny house listing and clearly a no pet policy. I have a Ring at the opening of my gate  ( which is down due to a guest taking an SUV through my gate in July2020) which sent me a motion shot of a dog, and since i do not reside on the property when guest are booked. I went to check on the property since the guest did not follow instructions and let me know that they've arrived,  and was greeted by guest. I explained kindly to the guest that my listing is clearly not pet friendly.  He responded stating that his dog was a medical alert dog, and that he has diabetes. Being a nurse i told him i was unaware and since that is the case, I would allow the dog this time. Throughout the stay i tried to reach the guest to check on things and no response. I noticed 941am that they appeared to leave, so i went to check the premises only to find my place trashed ( the screen porch was trashed, i did not enter the tiny house) . I called Airbnb to report damage before guest checked out. Guest arrived on property 10:57am, check out is 11am. I explained that i need him to gather his belongings and leave, he proceeds to tell me that the place was like this when he arrived. I informed him I take pictures that are time stamped of the listing before guest arrival and after and it was not like that. I finally had to tell him I was not going back and forth please leave. I have a journal for guest to write in, and interestingly he wrote all wonderful things about his stay, and how he looks forward to returning. However, when he wrote a review that after countless attempts and contact with Airbnb is now removed, he lied about the listing.  I feel if someone damages your property their right to review the listing should be null and void.  I also feel that the Airbnb Host Guarantee could be more efficient, if you destroyed my property and now your lying about it, what makes you think that the guest is going to pay for the damages.  The reality is the host is left to suffer and come out of pocket to get things back together for the next guest. I could use some advice, why am I attracting these people?????

[Ross648]

Hello Donelle, 

Sorry about this unfortunate "guest."   

You were actually quite fortunate to have the hostile review removed.   Normally AirBnB refuses to do this because it is the "guest's experience".      You can file a claim for damages with AirBnB (good luck) but I have to say that you are lucky to have had the review removed.     The consensus here is that if you raise prices you get a better quality guest, so you might want to consider that, even though in my experience reducing prices gave me many more guests and only two of them were bad (out of about 50) .   

[Donelle4]

@ Ross648 I have had the same experience, less more guest, and just recently I've came across some pretty destructive guest. Thanks for your input

[Ann72]

@Donelle4 I agree with @Ross648 that you did well in getting that review removed.  Otherwise you have amazing reviews and your guests clearly appreciate the effort you make. 

I enjoyed going through your listings, although as I went through the pictures the suspense grew:  Where is the tiny house?  Is that the tiny house?  Is that the tiny house?  Is the house so tiny you can't see it?  It was quite a relief to arrive at the tiny house at last.  The arrangement of the photographs seems to work well for you, though, so I don't think I'm suggesting they be changed.  Just communicating the experience.

I think I read about your island a long time ago in Pat Conroy's first book, THE WATER IS WIDE.  Is that right or was he writing about another island nearby?  I know he lived in Beaufort when he was alive.

[Donelle4]

Thank you and i believe it was Daufuskie  island. 

[Donelle4]

@Ross648 Thank you and i believe it was Daufuskie  island. 

[Fred13]

@Donelle4 My honest opinion is that the Host Guarantee option is causing more problems than its worth, it is causing bad blood between hosts & guests unnecessarily and constantly, because hosts are depending on it too much. The day Airbnb finally drops it it will enter a new era. It can then be replaced with a better option, like a true deposit system. Your event sounds very familiar to another 10 I have read just this week in this Airbnb forum and others. 

    Whether it exists or not, escalating minor issues with guests (you mentioned a screen and the place is trashed, how exactly?) and it turned into a major 'axe battle' with an otherwise satisfied guest, granted not a stellar one. Perhaps in the future, you may be better off charging more ($99) and that helps pay for the small wear & tear stuff.  Every one of my 'lovely' guests breaks or looses something, everyone of them; life, I charge enough to cover such things and we always depart 'friends'. Finesse in hosting is imperative, being tolerant of small 'issues' and to let them go is also.

Congratulations, you actually accomplished the 'impossible' to have a scathing review (I assume) removed - a major feat inn the annals of hosting with Airbnb. I am sure the process was exhausting for you. 

[Donelle4]

@Fred13 It was exhausting, i kept calling and demanding the slanderous review be removed!!! The curtain rods were cracked in half, the twin bed on porch was scratched by his dog, the screen porch door was off the hinge, some type of brown substance that is very hard to be removed was all over the curtains, dog food everywhere inside, fridge was just gross, etc....I will take your advice on increasing the price.  Thank you for the feedback

[Fred13]

@Donelle4 You defended yourself as best as you could from a bad guest. You not allowing dogs obviously is well grounded, this is what they can do if unruly. Cool place, more pictures of the lake cabin be cool.

[Donelle4]

@Fred13 Thanks, I have a photographer coming tomorrow

[Anonymous]

@Donelle4  I'm guessing some specific word or element of  the review helped tip it over the edge due to a violation of the Content Policy. Airbnb does NOT remove a review just because the property was damaged (and if it did, every host who anticipates a negative review would simply make a plausible-sounding damage claim). 

Anyway, congratulations on having it removed, but don't expect that you'll be able to replicate those results if you have to file a damage claim again in the future.

[Donelle4]

@Anonymous aware its not the first time dealing with a negative review. He indeed went against policy and things that he complained about in his review were clearly stated when he booked. I do believe if extensive damage is done to a host property, their right to review property should be waived. Im not talking spilling wine on carpet, or breaking a dish.

[Anonymous]

@Donelle4  A lot of hosts have voiced a similar opinion to yours over the past years, it's a common complaint. But in several major markets including the UK, Airbnb is bound by consumer protection laws to not restrict guests from posting reviews - even if they canceled their booking on the arrival date. So it's a dead certainty that Airbnb is not going to be waiving anyone's right to post a review - this is a lost cause. What they could prevent, if they wanted to, is the rating of a contested booking being calculated in your averages.

[Donelle4]

@Anonymous Understood just seems absurd, but i would totally be in agreeance with it not being calculated in your average. You can cause damage to my property and then damage my reputation by leaving a review full of fabricated thoughts, no facts.  This has helped me though to be able to discuss it with fellow host that understand