Was this a threat. Can I warn other hosts without going 'public'?

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Sarah3696
Level 2
England, United Kingdom

Was this a threat. Can I warn other hosts without going 'public'?

A guest just left after staying one night of  10 day booking. She text me on my phone when she arrived that it was lovely and then put on music so loud she and her partner where shouting at each other to hear themselves.
I waited for the initial excitement of arriving to blow over but when it didn't I texted her, saying I was happy she had arrived, etc, but asking if she would mind being considerate about the volume level. She text back saying sorry she was just excited about being here and how everything was lovely.
Half an hour later she said she would be leaving in the morning and demanded a refund as the kichenette was inadequate. I replied it was described as a kitchenette and there was a photo and as I relied on the BnB for my income I could not afford to give her a refund as the days would not get books.
She then sent me a text telling my how many BnB she had stayed in, how my advert was wrong  and how she could not afford to go elsewhere without a refund so she would stay but - and I quote -when I cook "the fat with naturally spray" and "ruin your carpet" and " we will not be held responsible for mess in this factor upon check out if you hence forth refuse a refund. Also next weekend is out last in the UK and we will be playing music as a reasonable volume until a reasonable hour and if this does not suit I suggest you offer a refund and re-advertise the space appropriately. As we would like to keep the remainder of our stay pleasant we hope this is acceptable.'

Am I being over sensitive or was this a threat saying that she would leave as much mess as she pleased,  play music as loud as she wanted and be unpleasant if I did not accept this? I felt very bullied by her text.

If you think this was a threat how do I warn other host, I don't like the idea of posting a public negative review.

Top Answer
Mark116
Level 10
Jersey City, NJ

@Sarah3696  I tend to err on the side of caution when reviewing poor guests.  I would say something like 'XX was a challenging and stressful guest to host.  She was very confrontational and we cannot recommend her to other hosts and would not host her again under any circumstances.'

16 Replies 16
Sarah977
Level 10
Sayulita, Mexico

@Sarah3696  Wording like passive-aggressive shouldn't be used because it could cause the review to be removed. Stay away from interpretations of the guest's behavior, and just state facts briefly. 

 

Another type of wording you can use in reviews if needed are "I" statements. Rather than saying a guest, for instance, "made" you feel unsafe, which is accusing a guest, and requires explanation as to what they did to "make" you feel that way, you can say "I felt unsafe with this guest in my home". No one can take exception to an expresssion  of your own feelings, and it still gets the point across that a guest's behavior was threatening.

Sarah3696
Level 2
England, United Kingdom

Thank you @Sarah977 , I think you have made very good points,

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