lazy airbnb support

[Julian1134]

my beef is about the airbnb review policy. it's unclear and unfair. it states that reviews are only visible if both parties review. that's not true. i deliberately decided against reviewing because i knew the host was going to be dishonest. i came to this decision once airbnb had made it clear that if i didn't review there host then the host wouldn't be able to review me. that's a lie. here's the back story: 

i booked a two bedroom place on my own. i booked two bedrooms in case my partner or anyone else wanted to fly out and join me. the host then asked me to check in at 11am as opposed to 3pm and i said i had no problem with that. on the day of check in she messaged me at 7am and asked me to check in at 10. that gave me little time to clean up where i was already staying. but again i agreed. i could tell she wanted me to fit in with her plans and i really didn't have a problem with that. but when i got there she said she hadn't cleaned the apartment and that i should drop my bags and 'come back later'. that was annoying but i said nothing. when i came back and checked in, i noticed that the host had only made up the bed in one room. when i asked her to make up the other bed she refused unless i paid extra. i explained that the listing was the same price for one or two people. she said, "yes....if they sleep in the same bed as you" 🤣🤣 i also explained that if i'm paying for a two bedroom apartment then it's ME who decides which room i sleep in....not HER. 

i called airbnb and explained the situation and to their credit they contacted the host and told her she was being ridiculous and that she needed to make up all the available beds as per the listing. the host came back and made up the beds then lectured me on how to use the lights. she said i mustn't leave lights on because it costs money. it was like i was back at home being ticked off by my evil mother. i then noticed that the hot water wasn't hot at all because the host had turned down the temperature control on the boiler she also turned the hot water down on the boiler so that the shower was only warm. she was again only thinking of personal profit. the mattress on the bed i slept in was old and cheap and you could feel springs digging into your body. it was poor. again.....profit. 

she was a stupid and annoying person who was very keen for me to tell all my friends about how many properties she owns and that they are all peachy yawn yawn blah blah. 

i left the property at the end of the stay and left it in a perfect state of cleanliness/repair. i then received requests from airbnb to review. and as you ALL know, you get told by airbnb that "once you have left a review for the host you will be able to see their review". the inference to me is clear - if you don't review then no review appears. NOT TRUE. the host reviewed me and it appeared irrespective of me ever existing. the host said she'd had a 'bad experience' because i'd booked for one but there were two'. that's it. the point is this; first of all she's a liar because the bad experience was all mine (airbnb had to intervene and tell her she was being ridiculous).

but when i spoke to airbnb about this, they were incapable of either passing on information from one team to another and i simply received nonsense responses to questions i'd never asked. more importantly, the idea that reviews can only be published if both review is not true and at the end of this crappy experience i'm now being slagged off by a money-grabbing liar with no recourse. airbnb said they looked at the review and said it was fine. that's demonstrably not true. 

so now i have a 'bad' review (ok seriously....it's hardly a big deal because all she could say was i booked for one and then changed it to two (as is my right)....and she got bent out of shape as a result). BUT it makes me look like the bad guy because i haven't been able to share the facts with anyone except airbnb.

i should have had the courage to leave an honest review....but i hate having to deal with lies so i followed what i believed to be a course of action which would result in silence from all sides.....but turned out to be a lie where i was then slagged off.

airbnb response was ineffectual and shambolic.

[Colleen253]

@Julian1134 The policy states, 

“Reviews are only posted after a) both parties have completed theirs, or b) the 14-day period has ended—whichever comes first”

Note ‘or b’…..Everyone gets the opportunity to write and have their review posted. 

The review she left you isn’t bad. You have a number of good reviews. Don’t sweat it. 

https://www.airbnb.ca/help/article/13/reviews-for-stays

[Julian1134]

@Colleen253 

her review was dishonest and it infers that i was a 'bad' guest. i wasn't. she fell below the standard and i complained to airbnb and airbnb stepped in to remind her of her responsibility as a host. she of course fails to mention any of that.

the policy states what it states but the request to review you receive in emails from airbnb says nothing about what happens after 14 days. it simply says that you can see the reviews after you've both posted. it's not clear.

either we care about integrity and transparency or we don't. i care. you don't seem to be that bothered.

but don't sweat it colleen....we are all different.

[Amanda660]

As a host if a guest books for one person then that’s how many I expect (and prepare) to host.  

You mention that you booked a bigger place in case anyone wanted to join you?  Did you discuss the possibility of extra guests staying with your host prior to you arriving?  How many of you were there?  Her pricing  increases dependant on the number of guests.  Getting off on the wrong foot can set the tone for the rest of the stay. 

[Julian1134]

@Amanda660 

i didn't need to discuss the possibility of someone joining me because it's the same price for one or two guests. i booked it for one because at the time of booking it was just me. as soon as my friend said he was coming i contacted the host about the bedding. and that's when she started asking me for more money....and of course i told her she was being a **bleep** and then airbnb stepped in and told her the same (although they probably didn't mention the '**bleep**' 😂)

two people staying in a two bedroom apartment. same price for one or two.

the first thing she said to me was, "don't use my electricity". she said that before any mention of another guest coming. so if anybody was getting off on the wrong foot then she made sure it was her foot.

all she was interested in was maximising profit. 

[Amanda660]

@Julian1134  regardless  of whether the price for one or two people is the same the  host absolutely has the right to know that two people will be staying and who the other person is.  

When you established that your friend was going to be joining you your booking should have been amended (either by the host or by yourself) to 2 guests. This may not impact the price but it does let the host know that there will be two guests and to prepare accordingly.

My listing is also the same for one or two guests but I want to know who is going to be in my property and not just have some random rock up.

[Julian1134]

@Amanda660 

"Some random"?

is my husband a 'random'? is my friend victor a 'random'?

if you want to make a valid point then by all means do so.....but keep your

judgmental crap out of it. we gay guys get enough of that already.

[Colleen253]

@Julian1134 To your Airbnb host, yes, of course everyone is a 'random'. Any guest is a perfect stranger, to whom your host is granting access to their home. Think about it.

Renting an Airbnb does not give you licence to just open the door to anyone you please, at any time. 

[Julian1134]

@Colleen253 

how about you speak for yourself. i don't call people randoms...not even when i hook up with them for sex. and trust me i hook up a lot.

[Johanna394]

@Julian1134 

random is not some bad word, you know? And there is no need for such hostility towards other members of the community, who were only trying to explain and help you.

[Colleen253]

@Julian1134 Thanks so much for over sharing with the skanky details of your life

no one here cares to know about. 

Off to find something to bleach my mind with….

[Julian1134]

@Colleen253 

To your Airbnb host, yes, of course everyone is a 'random'. Any guest is a perfect stranger, to whom your host is granting access to their home. Think about it.

this wasn't the host's home.....it was one of many places she rents out. stop coming out with bs arguments that have no EVIDENCE in support of them. you weren't there....you have no idea. fact.

[Colleen253]

@Julian1134 Regardless of whether or not the host lives there, it’s still their property.

That this needs pointing out to you speaks volumes about you, not that the rest of your diatribes haven’t already done a bang up job of that. 

[Julian1134]

@Colleen253 

the fact that you now backtrack about what you said (oh well when i said it’s their home what i meant was they own the property therefore blah blah bs bs) speaks volumes about your inability to engage honestly. 

[Kate867]

@Julian1134    I am sorry you did not understand the review publication process as it has always been clear to me.  However, if your stay was that bad then you really should have left the relevant review for your host.   I don’t think your hosts review was a bad one,  it was a simple one line designed to warn future hosts that although you booked for one person that you may have others joining you.  In explanation, many hosts require details of all guests in advance so they can prepare accordingly in advance and they also may need this for their insurance purposes.  Her review of you was not at all damaging to you, however, I do think your response to her was.  The only people who are likely to see your response are the Hosts that you are wanting to stay with.. and not her future guests.  I will be quite honest here, if you had not responded and then asked to stay with us then I would have accepted your request and simply asked you to confirm number of guests and names.. however, given the response you did leave I would decline to host.