Your listings are temporarily paused

[Andy34]

I just got an email telling me that "Your listings are temporarily paused" after I ejected a guest due to complaints from another guest about late night and early morning partying, about having multiple visitors sleep over without discussion or permission, and about having a stream of different women who he guessed were prostitutes in the room. My housekeeper also expressed concern that she thought the guest was doing drugs in the room. I had politely requested the guest to refrain from these activities several times, but he insisted that he was on vacation and did not want to live under "strict rules". Finally I suggested that he might be better off in a hotel and I terminated his stay through the AirBnB dispute resolution process. He received a refund through AirBnB (which is being deducted from the payout for my next guest ... which I was not happy with since this person broke the contract and I was prevented from hosting others by the last minute cancellation). In any case I was not surprised that the guest gave me a review of "1 out of 5" afterwards. However it is ridiculous to say the least that although my only other two reviews have been 4, and 5 out of 5, and though I have at least 8 extremely positive comments, that this review was included in the average so that my average review then became 33%. There is no usefulness in including a review from a guest that has been ejected. Furthermore, since they have not completed their stay they really have no basis for making a review of how well the host delivered according to the terms of that stay. I'd like to learn more about what experiences others have had in this area.

[Isamu0]

Sorry I couldn’t finish what I was writing. My phone is messing up.

But this whole thing is extremely annoying and it isn’t right, usually with the bad reviews, which are now triggering listings to be paused, the problem is the guest, not the host.

[Isamu0]

I just had someone leave more negative feedback on another bed in my place and it got suspected for 5 days eventhough the rating is 4.1 

I have a hostel. It isn't a 5 star place, and the problem I have is people keep comparing it to a private hotel. The comments they leave are usually always good, but they don't think it deserves a 5-star rating. 

I am getting really tired of this. 

[April--Mike--And-Maggie0]

I don't see any reason a hostel shouldn't be a 5-star place!  Not a 5-star hotel, but a 5-star hostel.  That would be my goal!

Do you have an accurate and well written description with pictures?  Is it kept sparkling clean?  Is the communication clear and timely?  These are things that you control.  Really, the only thing you can't control the star rating on is "Location".  But even that can be helped by being clear about how far it is from common attractions and various types of transportation, and what it is conveniently located for.

[Kimberly127]

The same thing happened to me.   I was a 5 star.   The ac broke, of coarse last minute and we had mud slide blocking road to add to a issue.    Airbnb told me not to worry they’d find Guest a place suitable for them.    I fully refunded of coarse.   Guest left a bad review and a 1 star.   My account suspended and Airbnb are the ones that handled all this and placed Guest in a Cabin.    So.   How was that my fault and Guest allowed to leave 1 star and terrible review with many lies

[Isamu0]

I wish really wish AirBnB would do something. This feature doesn't help anyone. 

[Mo24]

I have had a similar experience from Airbnb, they paused my listing because of an idiotic guest who got pissed off because he could not find coffee or tea in the room, the moron arrived late, slept the night went off and gave me a three star rating with a crap review. I have coffee and tea in the outdoor kitchen which he did not make an effort to find.

This moronic guest had David an amazing guest before him. Who rated me 5 stars. David rebooked my place after the moron left. David gave me 5 stars again. I have tons of 5 stars.

The quality of service from Airbnb call Centre is pathetic. They suspended my listing and pulled it off search. It makes absolutely no sense.

Any guest can now give me a 1-2 stars and take my listing off the search for any reason.

Airbnb is certainly developing some weak links. 

[Francesca359]

I hear all of you...but sadly AirBnB doesn't. For the second time our listing has been paused...3 stars for inaccurate description, a bedroom without a/c, when clearly states, 1 out of the 5 bedrooms doesn't have a/c...

The point, as I have just spent the last half hour pointing out to about the 10th person I have spoken to, is that we, the hosts, are guilty and don't even have a change to proove our innocence!?

Has anyone tried to email/call/write to any one further up the chain than those who answer the phone, who word for word, give the exact same response?!

This pausing malarky if extremely unfair and unjust. I am wondering how we as 'hosts' can get people to listen to us?! Instead of just believing everything that guests say? Plus, we cannot even see the stars we are given...I had no idea we had low star ratings, as all the reviews on the whole were positive. 

[Adriana100]

exact the same thig happened to me. I have a 4 bd home and each bd is a separate listing. one bedroom got a bad review (3*) from the start because of a lady who didnt like the house: too old she said (100 years old red brick house victorian). then I got a 5 * than a 1* from a guy who came from Russia who didnt read any of my messages in which i gave directions/info, spoke poor english and had issues checking in (didnt have gps or smart phone I have no idea) and then he didnt want to leave. he wanted to stay longer but I asked him to leave because I had other people booked. he was pissed. 1 star review. Listing suspended. the rest of the bedrooms got very very good reviews and they are in the same house. it's not that I am neglecting one room. this is insane. their rating sytem sucks. And then there's one more thing: the location rating is irrelevant IMO. the guests selects the location so he knows how far or how close he is to his point of interest. So give location bad rating doesnt make any sense

[Maria2656]

I tottallyunderstand you guys. I am listing one room in our brand new flat, not expensive. About 30 % of guest complain about non sense. Especially one silly lady, poor English, coused headache, were demading hear drier, and not liquid soup put for me 1 star, lied a lot in a review. We got paused, despite the fact that other peopleoften put 4 or 5 star. We are not protected. The worse are young people, they get annoyd that we have a girl 2years old, even she is great but that is it - their silly 1star-3 star reviews effect us. 

[Anonymous]

I had a guest try to 'stage' a theft, didn't contact or communicate with me during the entire stay, then gave a bad review. The new breed of Europeans - be careful of them!

[Nicolas807]

I'm one tick a way from being a superhost and have a 4.4 rating. The listing was paused for a week. Totally out of proportion. It seems holidaylettings and expedia are the way to host now. Airbnb's policies seem flawed: the measure is calculated in an untransparent way. In my case the guest cancelled and was able to write a review anyway. Airbnb agreed that this was unfair but still they were unable to lift the pausing of the listing. It seems even airbnb itself has lost control of its robotic system.

[Jennifer347]

Airbnb just paused one of my listings for 5 days due to a recent 3* review, which the guest admitted that she made a mistake for the overall rating because she put in 3* for location (not my fault), two 4* and two 5*.  it doesn't average out to a 3*.  She even agreed to change the rating but it is not allowed by Airbnb, a guest can only remove the review which she refused.  I saw this coming and have communicated with Airbnb and urge them to look into it.  However, the automatic system still paused my listing because it is now at 4* level.    The case manager agrees with my points and asked me to put in a suggestion form.  It is terrifying that we are controlled by the airbnb robots.  Recently, they just announced that they realize the location is not something a host can be in control and they will put into consideration when a host received a low rating on location.  I can't see there are any changes according to my recent experience.  

[Ana1136]

@Jennifer347 the overall rating is a separate category and not an average of the other 5 categories. The guest although by mistake, has put 3* for overall experience and as many times before Airbnb doesn't allow changes. The review system has many flaws and needs improvement. 

[Jennifer347]

Thank you for your reply Ana,  I totally agree that the Airbnb review system is far from ideal.  Sadly, Airbnbn doesn't see the problem and no improvement has been made to address the hosts' concerns and issues.  I was unlucky enough recently that one guest booked last minutes and cancelled it upon checkin.  After I refuse to give him a full refund.  He gave me a bad review as a revenge.  Airbnb is totally award of this kind of situation but refuse to do anything about it.  By removing the listing from their website is not good for their business neither.  I wonder if they know how to run their business at all.

[Neil226]

Airbnb need to review this pausing nonsense for one poor feedback by some idiot that whatever you do, they will find something to knock you, because that’s the sort of people they are. Come on Airbnb up your game!!