5 stars in all categories but 4 star stay?

[Bex1]

I don't understand how a guest can leave 5 stars in all categories, plus a lovely review, but it comes up as 4 stars.  Am I missing something?

[Raman89]

December of 2023, Airbnb is still pulling this nonsense. I’m deleting my listing come January. Maybe if enough Hosts leave, they’ll understand the message and change their rating system. 🙄 Unlikely. Alas, I wish I could say I enjoyed Hosting on this platform, but it has been an utter disappointment. 

[Russell49]

This is partially because AirBnB's rating system is lacking in common sense and because the guests simply do not know how to use the rating system....especially true with new guests who rate your home as if it was a 5 star hotel-this is where the confusion exists with them. I would personally not allow new guests to Air BnB be allowed to rate until they have completed a min of 5 stays at Air BnB locations so that they can decypher the difference between Air BnB and a hotel.

[Russell49]

If they leave 5 out of 6 criteria as a 5 star, it should just be defaulted to a 5 star overall experience. Unfortunately, this requires common sense or a degree of logic which may be asking a bit too much from some new inexperienced guests and AirBnB themselves.

[Alice391]

Can somebody help me?  Can't find the answer to this and very disturbed. Only just started on Airbnb (Crete, Greece). Have had two extremely satisfied clients, both of whom swear up and down (one even checked with Airbnb, who ADMITTED that he'd given us FIVE STARS) that they gave us five stars. The reviews are there - but not a single star. 

Has this ever happened to anybody else? What are they playing at? Airbnb ADMITTED that this Frenchman (Pascal) gave all five stars. 

Yours, disgusted,

Alice 

[Jeff158]

@Alice391

You need 5 reviews before the star system kicks in.

[Alice391]

Oh thanks. That's really helpful.  I didn't ask for stars but we've put a lot of work into the it, and, since they both volunteered that they'd offered five stars, I was really disappointed that they didn't show up on the website.

Yours,

Alice

[Cor3]

Hi @Alice391,

You can see how guests actually have rated you - on each category: On a Desktop PC, via tab: Progress.

[Cor3]

Hi @Jeff158,

As far as I know, you actually need 3 reviews, before the stars become visible in the listing.

[Alice391]

Thanks, Cor. Either way, we only have TWO five-star reviews (admittedly out of TWO) so clearly we don't count, lol!!!

Thanks for writing, 

Alice

[Cor3]

Hi @Alice391,

Actually the funny thing is: Your stars are available in the ‘source code’ of your listing.

But another parameter in there is telling the browser, not to show them 🙂

[Alice391]

I kind of understand why Airbnb expect more than one or two people (maybe friends? - though we've never even met ours) of clients to be reliable testimony.

My objection is this: NOBODY TOLD ME that Airbnb only exhibits stars from people with 3-5  (or maybe more????) verified clients. This has made me look stupid, as I kept wondering - with such amazing reviews of our seaside place on the Med. - where the stars were?

Airbnb has made me look stupid. Thanks, Airbnb!!!!

[Cor3]

Hi @Alice391,

Airbnb's documentation is unfortunately based on as much self-service as possible.
You can find the information in their help files. With regards to your question, the information is here: https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1257/how-do-star-ratings-work

Personally, I think Airbnb's help files are quite good.
At least much better than with others sites.

[Alice391]

I can - rather - understand why Airbnb doesn't allow someone's brother to rent their house and give them five stars, which are immediately visible to all,.

What I can't understand is why they don't make this clear to ordinary people/new hosts.  We're new to this but we have a stunning property, right on the Med., which has apparently won two five-star reviews from strangers from Sweden and Paris - but all it says on Airbnb is 'two reviews'.  

Hardly worth the effort, esp. with Greek tax!!!!

Anyway, we'll see, in the future!!!!

Yours,

Alice

[Cor3]

Hi @Alice391,

Don’t worry, just 1 more review to go. It will happen soon, I suppose.

And yes, we all had to learn from scratch how Airbnb works.

Usually Airbnb does apply 1-size fits-all solutions, in their software.

I’m into this for close to 3 years now, and I’m still learning every day.

And on top of that: What is true to today, may no longer be true tomorrow 😞

Oh, And it’s not only Greece that found STR to be a very nice additional source of income to solve their budget problems.

When we acquired our apartment, literally nobody was paying tax on STR (In Portugal).

Now it’s a completely different story. And I’m convinced the authorities will significantly drive up tax again for next year. While celebrating in the newspapers: Wow, Tax-income from STR has doubled in just 2 years!

Governments are notoriously known for finding their ways to additional income.

And using excuses, such as:

• Tourists produce much more rubbish than residents
• STR is disturbing local communities and a cause to problems on the house market

But they never mention the extra work it brings along, for cleaners, workmen, administrators, etc.

And by doing so, slowly slaughtering the goose with the golden eggs.

Maybe somebody is sending out the annual global newsletter to national governments, with new excuses to raise more taxes – in the coming year.

[Alice391]

Thanks for this - you clearly are much more experienced than we are. Frankly, we're not sure it's worth the hassle! - but time will tell.