Bullying guest

[Geraldine60]

I have just recently hosted a guest for a one night stay.  I was very accommodating with the guest in respect of an early checkin.  I do not accept early morning check-outs due to the main security gate to the road having to be locked 24 hours a day.  Hence, I have to personally check all my guests out.  This is stated in my description.  However, so so many guest don’t bother reading the description. This particular guest who is a Superhost arrived yesterday and requested an early checkout.  He never read the description on early checkout and he was shocked at my 25 euros fee for this service. This is stated in my description and it’s his fault for not reading the full description.

I arrived at the apartment to check the guest out at 7.30am and he had already left.  I later received a text from him that he had decided to leave even earlier at 7.00am.  security gate was left open.  I informed the guest that I would still be claiming the fee as I got up very early to check him out and I live a distance from the apartment.  Plus the fact the security gate was left open.

Once I  informed this ‘Super host’ of this charge, he sent me a very threatening and bullying text.  Basically telling me if I don’t forego this charge he will give me an awful review.  to quote. ‘ This apartment and host have been the worst I have ever experienced with Airbnb. Hence, it’s in my best interest not to ask for the fee.  He has sent to me other very hurtful and demeaning texts which I am just ignoring.  I have reported him to Airbnb and I am in the process of forwarding photos of the text messages.  I would appreciate any comments on this matter from other hosts.  This is a Superhost with 20 reviews.  Here I am, coming up to near 300 good reviews and a bullying abusive guy behaves like this and he is a Superhost.  Thankfully, now I don’t have this Superhost status.

It’s beggars belief!

[David-Erik0]

Once I  informed this ‘Super host’ of this charge, he sent me a very threatening and bullying text.  Basically telling me if I don’t forego this charge he will give me an awful review.  to quote. ‘

This one is very easy. First of all your superhost (apparently there are several host on the same guest frequency) is forced to comply to the T&C of AirBnB and your rules of the house, art. 8.1.2, second this is a treat and for this you can report him. 
Plus reviews can not be used to leverage something, moreover if you have the text you can sue him at least in Italy, for this I'm sure.

Report him through your UI and call Airbnb to enforce the contract rules and claim your fee.

[Geraldine60]

Thank you for your reply.  I have reported him to Airbnb and also sent Airbnb the guests threatening e-mails.  Airbnb are now looking into this.  Airbnb have also paid out the charge to me.

[Gordon0]

While I appreciate your predicament, @Geraldine60, it is quite an odd set-up to be held captive until 10am  as per your requirements (I think). Can you not attach a key box somewhere? 

That aside, it is not OK to threaten you. 

[Geraldine60]

No Mark.  I can not attach a key box.  I do not hold guest to random until  10.00am.  Guest can leave earlier if the wish but not the early hours of the morning after a very late checkin.  I do have a life.

[Mark116]

@Geraldine60   It is strange to have a fee for someone leaving early, instead of late, or a fee for arriving early.  I've never heard of an early check OUT fee before, and I'd guess that a fair number of people would find that strange, you might consider gettting some type of automatic lock on the security gate so you don't have to worry about early check outs.

But, threatening a blackmail revenge review is against airbnbs rules, so if you can prove this, you may be able to squash his review and even possibly get him suspended.  It's disappointing another host would do something like that.

[Geraldine60]

The reason why I have an early check-out fee is due to the fact that I live a distance away from the apartment and that I don’t have a safe place for the key to be left.  The Security gate has to be locked at all times.  Hence I have to do all the check-outs personally.  Previously in the past I was getting lots of one night bookings with people arriving very late at night and requesting a 5pm or 6pm checkout.  It was impossible for me to continue with this.  Nice is a safe city.  However, I was beginning to feel a little nervous walking the streets alone at that time.  It now states on my description not to book my apartment if a very early checkout is requested.  However, people as you know don’t read the description and just go ahead and book.  I have it stated now that I do make a charge of this service due to the key and my having to personally check the guests out.

[Emiel1]

@Geraldine60 

Maybe mention it in the houser rules to ? The way it is written now can be confusing " I charge 25 euros from 7.30am-8.30am", at least something like "for an early check-out between" should be added. You also charge for late check-out, but this is written in another section. I would suggest to put all this check-in/out info together in one section.

Best regards,

Emiel

[Geraldine60]

Thank You.

[Brett374]

We had a similar experience and they bullied us to give a full refund, air bnb told us that we had the choice to give the refund or continue to host them despite their disposition and threats of poor reviews. Obviously we cancelled them after a heated conversation because who wants an angry guest in your house…? 

we reported them but we still lost money and as far as we know, they’re penalty free.