Airbnb is not upholding its own policy and we're is walking away

[Alan1263]

TL;DR version:

Me and my wife had listed our property on Airbnb back in May and quickly earned the Superhost status having hosted 27 guests so far, all happy and giving us 5 star ratings and excellent reviews. All except one... A single guest - who never came to our house was able to post very negative review with all law rates - and Airbnb which failed to uphold its own policy and to treat us valued partners and not as just one of of disposable millions of hosts who are making money for them - are the reasons why we are walking away.

Now, the details:

We have rather a high-end property, which is priced accordingly (~ $300-$400 per night) with a strict cancellation policy. A guest made a reservation for a weekend back in July, 2021. Just few days before the reservation was supposed to start the guest's husband called and requested to move the reservation to October 8. Even-though it was quite short-notice and we were risking the initial dates not get re-booked, we decided to honor their request and changed the dates.

Two days before the reservation starts, exactly on October 6, 2021, the guest requested to change the dates once again. We had to decline the second request politely explaining to the guest that changing their reservation again would disrupt our calendar, that it was too short of notice, that we would gladly agree for full refund if they immediately proceed to cancel the reservation and the respective dates get re-booked, that if they choose to continue with their reservation and come, then we were ready to provide the accommodations as promised with a great 5 star experience.

Unfortunately, after that the guest went totally silent. Requesting couple times during that day for their decision didn't have any effect. So I reached out to Airbnb, explained the situation and expressed my fear that the guest was probably disappointed and would post a negative review and requested them to prevent any review from her. The rep assured me they would remove any retaliatory review and because not ourselves nor Airbnb could get hold of the guest, we decided to wait and see if she would arrive. 

The guest never came and I called Airbnb on October 9, 2021 (one day after reservation started), I think they tried to reach her once again with no luck and went ahead to cancel the reservation. Several days past and somehow the guest was able to post very much negative review and all low rating. We reached out to Airbnb and they removed the text of review itself, however couldn't do anything about the ratings the guest ruined our otherwise perfect Airbnb score. For some of you the word "ruined" could sound as an overstatement as we are still a Superhost and to admit all negative ratings from a single guest had little impact. However, it did have real impact, because it hurt our hearts, our personal feelings, because both myself and my wife were so grateful to Airbnb before the incident, felt as real partners and was doing everything and beyond to make every single of our guests happy.

Airbnb review policy on https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2673/airbnbs-review-policy clearly states:

***

3. Reviews should be relevant

Keep your reviews relevant to Airbnb and your stay or experience, since guests are reading your reviews to learn about the host and their listing.

***

and I really can not grasp of why Airbnb support team and their supervisor have denied to remove the ratings from this guest when she never arrived, so she did not have STAY or EXPERIENCE to be able to give any review for our place. How on earth Airbnb can remove the text of the review, but not able to remove what really hurts - the ratings?!

We have de-listed our property for now and before proceeding to completely delete it decided to reached out to the community here with a hope that maybe you, guys, can help us to cope with the situation, maybe some kind of Airbnb rep with enough privileges will notice this case and step in to finally uphold Airbnb's own policy referenced above. In my understanding, no one was supposed to be able to post any kind of reviews and ratings if they didn't actually arrive and had STAY or EXPERIENCE. Ain't I right?

[Anton7298]

Hi  @Alan1263,

It looks like you've moved on and stayed!

I am on the same boat as you are in this post of yours back in 2021. I am on the edge of de-listing our property due to one bad review.

I am here in the community just like you had been, looking for reason not to do it.

Me and my wife are having problem coping with the recent 1 star and bad rating we got after 32 streak of 5 stars. My wife cried a lot and I can understand her because she always go out and beyond of what her responsibility when it comes to hosting. And I am here still looking for any glimpse of hope to find a way to remove that 1 star in our profile.

I don't want to lose my hopes just yet, me browsing around for post as old as 2021, you can perhaps see my desperation.

It is really unfair... but I guess it is what it is and we have to deal with it.

[Alan1263]

Hi Anton7298,

I completely understand how disheartening a single bad review can be, especially after such a long streak of 5-star ratings. It’s clear that you and your wife put your heart and soul into hosting, and it's incredibly frustrating when one negative review overshadows all your hard work.

First and foremost, don't lose hope. That one-star review doesn't define you or your property. It's just a small bump in the road. Focus on the overwhelmingly positive feedback you've received from your previous guests. They know and appreciate the quality and effort you put into your hosting.

When I faced a similar situation, I felt the same way you do now. But I decided to stay, keep pushing, and prove that one bad review couldn't bring me down. And you know what? It was worth it. By staying resilient and continuing to provide excellent service, I was able to bounce back stronger than ever.

Use this experience as an opportunity to showcase your dedication to future guests. Respond to the negative review professionally, addressing any concerns mentioned. Potential guests will see your commitment to improvement and your passion for hosting.

Airbnb may not always have our backs, but your determination and hard work will shine through. Stay positive, keep giving your best, and trust that your efforts will pay off. The community appreciates hosts like you, and your perseverance will prove that you belong here.

Cheer up, stay strong, and continue to create memorable experiences for your guests. You've got this!

Warm regards,

Alan of Homie Bees LLC (https://www.airbnb.com/users/show/89419480)

[Anton7298]

@Alan1263 Thanks, You have quite a story and an inspiring one. I think we will stay for a while since we had already 3 guests that had given us another 5 stars after that unfortunate 1 star.

If I had come to this community center sooner, Me and My wife could have prepared ourselves and should have never rely on AirBNB too much.

We regret the chances where guests are asking us to do business outside of AirBNB but insist on doing it on AirBNB for the only reason that we "thought" we are protected with AirBNB. It turns out (based on my experience), AirBNB is bias when it comes to guest reviews and probably dispute, they will always side with the guest.

If I have some time, I will post my whole story including the interaction I made with AirBNB and the verdict for all new Host to be guided accordingly.

Thanks and have a great day. Wishing you all the best!