Airbnb booking was cancelled by the guest in the last moment but given the chance to write a review

[Souad1]

Hey All,

i have recently had a situation with a pending booking on airbnb on a day of a tight schedule where we only had a room left though the booking on airbnb was pending verification for a same day arrival.

Somehow the booking did not come through and we left the room for the guest incase if the booking passes through and if the room is given to another guest there will be no place for the airbnb guest to stay and we were more concerened of it being a 5 star host for the listing to not to affect our commitment rate down from 100% where we are aiming to become a superhost in our venture on airbnb.

Somehow the next day the booking was visible as cancelled and I have requested the guest to cover the cost with the same explanantion and the guest offered $17 and admitted its their fault that they could not verify the ID due to a Sri Lankan number.

I got airbnb involved to reimburse the lost but the staff was not helpful as she categorically stated its no ones fault as the booking has not gone through I would have given the room to another, she could not see the picture if the booking passes through what could be the situation of ours if we would have done that.

We are just not an airbnb host , we are reputed and an established Guest house in old Dutch Fort in Sri Lanka.Reason being that we get plenty of walk in customers who are looking for rooms.

Anyway the worse situation is now they have let us write a review for the guest and the guest themselves as well.The guest has already written a review and I dont know what to write for a review where a guest did not even stay with us to rate them on the constraints unless I fabricate it.

We all can understand as the guest is not happy with a situation like this I cannot expect a positive review and I am concerned of the rating of my Listing which I have always maintained 5 stars under all the attributes given.Any written review will be allthe way on the top and it will not look nice on our side as this has now arrived from no where.We are in the verge of the busiest month of the year of tourist arrivals and it may even impact sales on airbnb.

I have already advised airbnb as well of this and I would prefer if that review will not be on my listing as it will be a huge impact on our future bookings and the ratings we have maintained so hard for the last 4 months.

Any assistance would be appreciated on how to deal with this

Regards

Souad

[Ellen104]

@Souad1 Contact Airbnb and see if you can get them to rescind the review.  If that doesn't work, just post the truth in the review - that you did not actually host the guest due to technological error.  You will also have the option to comment on their review once it is public stating the same.  Guests are not clueless.  They know things like this happen, and I seriously doubt it will hinder any future bookings. 

[Souad1]

Hey Ellen, 

Thank you for taking sometime to assist me.I have been able to sort this matter off.

I was ale to rescint the review.

Thank you

Souad

[Helen3]

@Souad1 They can't write a review if they didn't stay. End of.

Call Airbnb and get them to withdraw the review.

If you don't have a confirmed booking then you don't have to let anyone stay.

To avoid this situation going forward. Don't accept same day bookings.

Good luck going forward

[Souad1]

Thanks Helen.

I was able to rescint the review of the Guest.All sorted.

Appreciate your thought

[Marion-And-Jim0]

The same thing just happened to me a guest cancelled reservation a few hours before arrival and I have a link to write a review & rate someone on things I haven’t observed this is morally wrong !!! They are asking me to lie and I’ve been taught not to lie.

this policy is wrong in so many ways ... I’ve called them & still the link is in my in box and I refuse to write and rate this individual.

[Dean26]

This is not directly related but a question.

Can a Guest still write a Review even tho' the "window" to do so has expired? Several want to but by the time they got home from their Vacation the opportunity had expired.

Ideas?

Dean