My first negative review, dishonest and retaliatory?

[Christopher187]

I just received my first negative review and I'm a bit baffled.  The guest initially booked Tues & Wed night for 2 people.  At the last minute she then asked to change the booking to Monday night only.  I politely explained my strict cancellation policy but agreed to change the booking and reduce the total by $20 and she was agreeable.

I've just received this review from her:

"Good location, the bathroom had great heated floors and the entertainment system was topnotch. We were expecting to have two beds and only had access to one of them for some reason despite 2 being shown in the listing. And the host let himself into the apartment while we were there without knocking or calling first--VERY startling and unsettling. Especially if you are traveling alone."

It is explained very clearly in my listing that only one bed/bedroom is provided for a 1-2 person booking.  It is explained at least twice, actually.  I always check with my guests that they have read my full listing before I accept, and even have a keyphrase at the end which they repeat back to me to confirm that they have read it.

Concerning entering the space, in my check-in instructions, which I send the day before arrival, I give my guests a keycode to the door and tell them that I would like to meet with them when they arrive, and ask that they please message me when they do.  When this guest arrived she messaged me and I IMMEDIATELY walked over (150ft) and knocked on the door.  Knowing it is difficult to hear the exterior door from the bedroom (which is down the stairs, turn 180deg, then down the hallway, then through another door), I then opened the exterior door and announced "Helloo".  My guest called back "Christopher?", and came to the door, only then did I take a few steps in and introduce myself.  I had a short chat with both guests and I left.  They did not inquire about needing a 2nd bedroom and if there was a problem, we would have fixed it.  

I did not enter the space again until after they had checked out.  My smart door lock history confirms I only entered the one time, which was one minute after the guests themselves entered the space.

And what is this guest saying about traveling alone?  She had a man friend with her.  It seems like she is purposely trying to make me sound sketchy.

Is this person just bothered by the booking change and price and is being super passive about it?

Can I get airbnb to remove the review?

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Elena87 I like it 🙂

[Fred13]

I would say as to tone (in your own style of course):

   "A pity there was confusion about the bedding arrangements, though it is described clearly in the listing. I greeted you two the same exact enthusiastic manner I have all past guests, always been highly appreciated. It was our pleasure to accomodate you folks by changing your reservation at the last moment. We do wish you the best of future journeys".

[Christopher187]

Thanks for all the pointers on how to handle a reply.  I spent a good bit of time trying to craft a short reply.

However, I also contacted airbnb and they removed the review.  I think it was the fact that I have smart lock data to prove entry and also that the guest was claiming traveling alone as a female, that led the case manager to remove it.  It just made the review seem explicably dishonest and malicious, and they agreed with me.

My airbnb experience has only been about 1.5 years, however I've been a landlord for almost 12 years now.  My neighbors love me and I have a list of hundreds of of extremely satisfiend tenants; I get a lot of referrals and have been invited to several weddings, so I'm no slouch.  There is one type of tenant that I've run into a few times (and heard stories from other landlords) that absolutely terrifies me: hyper-liberal hyper-feminist young to middle-age women.  Seems they're just itching to claim foul at any opportunity and have great imaginations.

[Christopher187]

And what really bad is that there is usually no way of seeing it coming.  I guess Fred called it perfectly in the first reply:

"Welcome to the Passive Aggressive Guest', when the guest acts most agreeable while with host, but then 'reality' changes."

[Matthew285]

@Christopher187 thanks for taking the trouble to return here and let us know how things worked out!

Very happy the review was removed.

[Fred13]

Good show @Christopher187, very glad to hear 'fairness' has prevailed.

   I have a funny story for you about a guest which may be one of your 'hyper-liberal hyper-feminist young to middle-age women'. She came with 5 other ladies and she arrived with sharpened claws right off the bat, telling me where I will be picking them up (by their hotel seaside with rough waves) and that they will go "When we are good and ready', even kept calling me 'Host' (not by name).

   WELL, I immediately told her we are leaving at 1pm with or without her which she replied - 'Wait till you read my review!" in which I told her I could care less what she wrote (she booked the expedition) and was now taking them only out of consideration for the other ladies, which were super interesting women with great sense of humors, a winning formula with me; they kept me at the island for hours into the night wanting to talk and exchange life stories all over a great fire I built for them, all while Ms Angry One looked like she wanted to throw up.

   Five days later, when I picked them up and dropped them off at the dock we all carried on like high schoolers with all the hugging and kissing. The 5 are booked again but I notice without Ms Conginiality.

   The 'angry one's comment in the Guest book? - "We were 6 guests and there were only 4 ~matching~ coffee cups!" Serious.

    True story.

[Sarah977]

Well that does it, @Fred13,  I was gonna put you on my wish list, but if you only have 4 matching coffee cups, forget it!

[Fred13]

Hahaha @Sarah977, I now have 8! You must come and see - for yourself. 😄

[Christopher187]

As a result of this one incident (which I admit was actually rather minor), I'm actually upgrading my outdoor security camera system to give more angles and retain video longer.  It surely occured to me that I might need the video to show guest damage/theft/pets/too many guests, but it did not occur to me that I might need the video weeks later to prove that I or anyone else did not illegally enter or do anything to (or steal from) the guest(s). 

Now that I think about it, I have seen a lot of stories where guests try to scam hosts by claiming one thing or another...

[Fred13]

You doing good @Christopher187, you are getting a lot out of this particular encounter. Good for you.

[Gerry-And-Rashid0]

@Christopher187 Unfortunately you are unlikely to have that changed. You should never enter the property- if it’s that difficult to hear some one knocking then install a wires door bell.  Also your first explanation about entering the property differs substantially to the second. 

I would reply very professionally along lines of : I am glad you enjoyed the amenities but I wish you had spoken to me during your stay about the bedding arrangements and I would have happily have arranged a solution. I was also under the impression that you knew I was coming over because of the text you sent. It’s difficult to hear someone knocking so I came to the internal lobby and called for you. 

[Christopher187]

Maybe you didn't read everything but the review was removed by airbnb.  

Of course a host can enter their own property: when arranged with the guest, or during emergency, or when the guest is no longer a guest.  "Never" is a silly.

I suppose I could have knocked louder, but the guest knew I was coming and had just arrived and walked in themselves.

What two explanations differ??

[Jackie177]

I have had a bad review from two guests who booked for eight nights and only stayed for one. I too have a strict cancellation policy and they requested a full refund which I refused. After a lot of trouble with Airbnb - help lines not capable of customer service, frankly - the company did agree that they wouldn't get a refund because of my policy. The guests had tried to concoct an excuse for not staying and this is what they stayed with. I decided not to write them a review because I knew they had another agenda and I wasn't prepared to get into a public argument with them. Their review has just been posted, along with their ratings, which include downright lies. However, I can't even find a phone number to get in touch with Airbnb anymore. Are there problems? I don't mind a bad review, it's my only one, but I do take exception to people lying about me. 

[Laxmi0]

I had a similar bad experience with a guest, when the guest stayed for 20 days at our place at a highly discounted price of 20% because he booked 2 months in advance and was among our first 5 bookings.

He wanted to extend the booking for 20 more days after completeing the stay. He again requested for 20% discount which we refused as that was not our policy 2 months after we started our business. The 20% discount was made available only to the first 5 guests to our listings and this was clearly communicated to him when he intended to make the second booking.

To my surprise, the guest retaliated in his review and this made me really sad as I went above and beyond in my hosting and helping him during his stay. I felt very cheated by such a review.

I wish AirBnB gives me a way to block this user from making any future bookings with us.

A hurt host.

Laxmi