Rude host

[Emma2588]

I stayed at a property a few days ago but had an issue with cleanliness and covid safety (opened foodstuffs that hadn't been discarded ).  I attempted to resolve issue but had signal issues so couldn't until do it in the allotted 24 so no refund guaranteed  and yes should have taken photos.  That asides and no guarantee of refund when I attempted to discuss the matter reasonably  with the host she was unbelievably nasty and insulting,  complaining about the length of time/length of texts I was taking to write  asking me 'where the novel was' calling me nuts saying she wouldn't even read my complaint , that I was entitled, patronising, playing the victim etc.  Havd tried to have the resolution centre help me about the offensive messages in my inbox but nobody wants to help.   

[Emiel1]

@Emma2588 

So what exactly is your issue ?

[Sarah977]

@Emma2588  Well, leave an honest review to warn other guests of your experience. That's about all you can do at this point. 

I would continue to ask Airbnb to take a look at the messages she sent you, and you can also report her by clicking on the flag symbol next to her messages or on her profile page.

[Brian2036]

@Emma2588 

How are opened food containers a safety issue?

You could either ignore them or discard them. Most likely they were condiments left there as a courtesy.

 The host and the resolution center are probably tired of listening to the nonsense complaints that are so often lodged by guests who are trying to get refunds they don’t deserve.

As for “offensive messages,” here’s a suggestion: Don’t read them. 

[Brian2036]

@Sarah977 @Emiel1 

Just this evening I missed an opportunity to get a free dinner and maybe make some extra cash as well.

Drat and Tarnation! I just don’t know when I’m a victim.

We ate supper at a restaurant that is part of an international chain.

On every table there were open containers of foodstuffs! I didn’t realize how traumatized I should have been until I read this post.

If I had only taken pictures of the unsealed containers of catsup, mustard, salt and pepper I could have sent that to the main office and demanded a refund for our dinners.

Maybe I could have had the restaurant manager fired just for fun.

Only after I ate everything, of course. I’m not stupid.

[Gordon0]

Why the sarcasm and snarkiness, @Brian2036? You don't know the detail behind @Emma2588's situation yet you've decided she's the problem. Not nice (or funny). 

[Emma2588]

Thanks so much for saying this, as it saves me finding myself yet again in another strange exchange where someone has prejudiced my intentions and simply missing the bigger picture.  For the fear of attack for being petty we have 4 young children and the last thing you want when staying away is the risk of covid transfer.  Yes, ordinarily leaving opened cereals, jams, etc. for guest might not seem like a huge deal pre pandemic things are very different now, so you in these strange times you can't be complacent and assume that an infected guest hasn't coughed all over it and I would say it shouldn't be up to me as a guest to be throwing things away.  For me the minor failings with the property had a cumulative effect..spotting that and teaming it with an infestation of fruit flies in the kitchen, orange mould all over bathroom, food crumbs over soft furnishings, dirty sink and hob to name but a few is in no way reassuring of a covid clean safe space.  Not quite the same as being presented with a safely prepared meal in a restaurant really.  I also admit I've never had an issue with a property or host in the past so was unaware of the 24 hour policy so simply tried to explain the issue to the host and Airbnb so it doesn't happen again, yet the assumption is refund chasing.  I did not expect to receive a torrent of abuse from the host because I expect people to be fundamentally good and polite.  It's that I would like Airbnb to assist with..protecting the guest from harassment and although you can click flags and block you feel that perhaps a person should take ownership and say sorry for it all.  I see not everyone agrees and will automatically default to being unpleasant and sarcastic when it's not their battle.  I find it odd but I absolutely appreciate the kind support and useful advice I've recieved in using this forum and am relieved that generally people want to assist others on this platform x

[Emma2588]

Excuse the atrocious spelling and grammar issues...tried to type that too quickly walking back from school drop but it's too lengthy to type again @Gordon0 

[Emma2588]

Should anyone wish to query the issue of opened foodstuffs I would say in the UK the hospitality industry have dispensed with table condiments that we all know and love and have replaced them with on request sealed sachets in order to limit cross contamination wrt covid 19.  Whether other countries elect to take a different approach is by the by, but it's certainly the case that the more cautious approach by certain countries say for example NZ have less of a problem than others.   Agree or not Airbnb have a covid standard and within those parameters they should be adhered to and not dismissed or ridiculed should someone feel they know better.  

[Sarah977]

@Brian2036  This guest said there were cleanliness issues, which I taake to mean more than simply leftover food, and we have no idea if the food she is referring to a bottle of ketchup, or a quarter loaf of bread, half empty take-out containers in the fridge, or what. 

I'd be the first one to point out a guest had ridiculous complaints, but the OP has very nice reviews from past hosts and has left nice, informative reviews for them. I would tend to believe this guest had legitimate issues and that the host was indeed rude.

Not all hosts are nice, you know. A friend of mine who travels a lot and uses Airbnb had a host in Scotland in a home-share, and the host was extremely unfriendly. My friend had checked in, got settled in her room, and after going to use the shared bathroom, passed the open living room where the host was watching TV, and just trying to be friendly, my friend asked what she was watching. The woman gave her a frosty look and said scathingly, "The living room is NOT for guests".  She totally ignored my friend for the rest of the stay, so she stayed out of the house as much as possible- it was a really unpleasant and uncomfortable situation. 

[Emma2588]

@Sarah977 Thank you so much for your balanced feedback.  I totally agree, some guests have unreasonable complaints and unfortunately nit pick or are simply fantastists.  I'd like to think I'm not in that category and would prefer not to raise issues for fear of a backlash of this nature or magnitude.  And absolutely, sometimes hosts or hotel proprietors can be awful! After all that classic comedy Fawlty Towers wasn't just a concept that arose out the imagination of John Cleese..it was inspired by a genuine hotelier that offended Mr Cleese so much he used the experience to create something hilarious and memorable, albeit certainly dated now it but retains it's popularity as at some point in all our lives we encounter unpleasant people but in a seller/customer scenario we simply don't expect it x

[Anonymous]

@Emma2588  If you arrive at a property and determine that it hasn't been properly cleaned, the first thing you need to do is contact your host via Airbnb messenger (for the paper trail) and give them an opportunity to resolve the issue. If they refuse to do so, and you choose not to complete your stay, you may be able to get a refund for the unused nights. 

But if you choose to stay in the home despite the problems, you're not entitled to any kind of refund. There might be exceptions for some extraordinary circumstances, but opened foodstuffs and a "rude host" are probably not considered extraordinary circumstances. If you can point to a confirmed case of Covid transmission that's been conclusively linked to leftover food, you might have a case there, but out of over 224 million documented cases I haven't been able to find a single one that came from a ketchup bottle.

[Sarah977]

@Anonymous  To be fair, as I read Emma's post, she knows she's not entitled to a refund now, as she wasn't getting a signal, so couldn't contact Airbnb in time for that. What it seems to me the issue she's talking about now, is just to get someone at Airbnb to address the nasty messages the host has sent her.

But as I advised her in my first response, the best course of action at this point is simply to leave an honest review of her experience.

And if the host leaves her a scathing review, she can always write a response.

[Anonymous]

@Sarah977  Fair enough, but people don't tend to throw around the R word unless they feel it's warranted.

I agree, writing an honest review is the only course of action that makes any sense at this point. If the stay is complete, and there are no outstanding damage claims, no further contact with the host is necessary. I can't imagine how any intervention from a customer service agent would be useful if the problem is that one user feels offended by another's comments. But at least they could have provided this link:  https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2020/how-do-i-report-a-message-or-block-someone-on-airbnb

[Sarah977]

@Emma2588  Something to be aware of is that Airbnb will never disclose what action they have taken against a host or guest to the other party. So when receiving a report, they may very well contact the host or guest and read them the riot act, and warn them they will be banned if they ever get another report of inappropriate behavior, but you will never know that.