Guest invents defects in order to demand money back

[Fabian697]

I had a young couple as a guest, with whom I already had a bad feeling at the check-in, because they gave the impression to be totally annoyed. In any case, it was a totally weird mood. The one night went the same way as usual, so far I have received very positive feedback.
Now the guest claims that I coughed and snored at night, which surprised me very much because I didn't even have the slightest complaint in this regard (I live in a 2-room apartment, one of which I rent out). Anyway, the next day the guest wrote to me that this was the most terrible Airbnb they had ever experienced (due to coughing and snoring) and he asked for his money back or reported it to Airbnb.
What surprised me: I replied to this message that I would reimburse him for part of the costs (€ 15) out of goodwill. Since then the contact has been broken off.
So far, the user has 0 ratings on his profile, which does not match the fact that this was the "most terrible Airbnb" he has ever experienced.
I suspect that the user tries to finance his vacation trips by renting rooms, inventing or at least hyping up complaints in order to then demand his money back. He does not respond to the attempt to clarify until the deadline for a rating has expired, which is why he also has 0 ratings.
Have any of your host colleagues ever had similar experiences? How would you proceed further?
I would be very happy about your tips!
Many greetings
Fabian

[Emiel1]

@Fabian697 

"Now the guest claims that I coughed and snored at night"

So the guest can also provide evidence of this "defect" ?

(date and time stamped audio recordings)

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

I already had a bad feeling at the check-in, because they gave the impression to be totally annoyed. 

oh yes, that’s the main sign

[Emiel1]

@Branka-and-Silvia0 

Although the opposite situation, i enjoyed this post:

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/What-do-I-do-if-a-snoring-guest-causes-others-to-leave/m...

And in the uinlikely event  @Fabian697 is "hardcore snoring" , he should take the advice of @Robin4 in that post what to do about it !

If nothing helps, the anti-snore-matress will probably do the job:

[Anonymous]

@Fabian697   Audible snoring and coughing in a shared home rental would not be considered a refundable issue under the terms of the Guest Refund Policy. Since the guests already seemed annoyed at check-in, I suspect that they booked without reading your listing carefully and didn't understand how intimate your setup is. This happens a lot with Private Room rentals, though you can reduce the odds by leaving off Instant Book and making sure the guests understand the nature of the homestay before accepting a request. A longer minimum stay also filters out some of the more careless visitors.

It's not impossible that the guest has a pattern of using trumped-up complaints to con free stays, but this would be unusual behavior for a budget listing. If you were confident that you could cheat your way into free accommodation, wouldn't you go for something a little fancier?

[Linda108]

While your assessment of this particular guest may be correct, it is also possible the guest was unprepared for the share living type of listing.  I also have a private room and at times I have inquiries from potential guest or even IB from guests that somehow did not understand the noise potential of the shared home.  I offer a white noise machine to guests if they are light sleeps.  I also confirm with guests that they understand I and my pets will remain in the home during their stay.  I saw one of your reviews in which the guest obviously did not read your listing properly and was suprised by the share arrangement.  Doesn't hurt to confirm the obvious.

[Alexandra316]

@Fabian697 I think I would make it even clearer in your listing that you sleep in the living room when you have a guest and confirm in your booking message that they understand that's what's happening. Definitely not saying it's your fault that guests don't read, but they don't, and your arrangement is a bit unusual. Things don't always translate all that well either (Google Translate is fickle), so it's best to be extremely clear.  Also, maybe clear up what you mean about usually being in your room. If you have a guest, do you also use the room if they're out? If not, I would change that wording, because it may put some people off booking with you.

As for these guests, I would bet that they just didn't take time to read the listing, or one of them booked then the other wasn't happy with what they chose. I think your refund was fair, and I would just leave it at that. 

[Fabian697]

Thank you for all the advice! I will clarify my listing and also seal the door ... In the meantime I have come to an agreement with the guest, so It´s ok now....