Discrimination and poor review due to racist guest

Peter302
Level 2
Vancouver, Canada

Discrimination and poor review due to racist guest

A friend who hosts a level of his home recently experienced racism/discrimination. The guests were ok for the most part and my friend and they were getting along, chatting and evertyhing. On one of the last days, one guest visiting from Britain asked him where he was from. When he said Poland, the guest changed his entire demeanor. The following days were unplesant but nothing was off. Then the airbnb review... it is horrific. They complained about everything and made up lies about how bad it was. NO other guest left poor reviews. Anyway, what's clear to me is that this guest left a negative review on airbnb because my friend is from Poland (regardless of the fact that he's lived most of his life in Canada)... this is completely unfair and his review is tarnished as a result of it. Airbnb wont take it down. What do you do in this case? Quit airbnb? Get a lawyer? Friend doesn't want to post this himself because he's afraid of being further discriminated.

16 Replies 16
Linda108
Level 10
La Quinta, CA

@Peter302  While your perception of discrimination may be accurate, it is more important to stay within the bounds of the Air BNB platform in order to accomplish what is needed.  I assume your friend wishes to warn about a possible pattern of behavior.  First the host would need to address the negative review with a concise, professional response to any incorrect information.  Second, if there is any communication between the host and guests that reflect attitude problems of the guest, the host can flag the guest for Air BNB to review.  If other hosts have done the same, a pattern can be established and the profile can be closed.

 

 

Helen3
Level 10
Bristol, United Kingdom

I agree with @Linda108 you cannot assume that @Peter302 - you weren't there and you haven't mentioned any directly racist comments your friend said were made to him.

 

The review would have been made by the main guest, not the British visitor.

 

It's always a dangerous thing to throw around the race card, when it could have been that unfortunately your friend had throughly unpleasant guests.

 

In his shoes, if there are factually inaccuracies, he should call BNB and explain what it is in the review that is factually inaccurate for example calling it a shared home when it is whole home. Complaining about facilities not being available when it was explicitly mention in the listing ie the listing says there is a sofabed then the guests complain there was no proper bed.

 

BNB will be able to see previous reviews and make a judgement call. However on the whole they don't tend to remove or edit reviews unless the review mentions something to do with a dispute or is factually inaccurate.

 

That is not to say your friend's instincts might have been right. Just hard to prove without racists comments having been made directly.

Hosts should not have their business slandered because of racism or discrimination. 

@Victoria63  I am not sure why, but the explanation you provided in one of your responses is missing on this discussion thread. I found it helpful to have a better understanding so I have copied and pasted it in my response.  See below 

 

"I should have explained to other readers here that lately in the news there's been many reports of Polish discrimination in Britain due possibly to Brexit and anti-immigrant sentiment. And recently a couple of Polish workers in Britain were murdered by racists for this reason. It's a real problem and despite not saying anything outright, the highly negative review filled with lies contradicts their experience. It's not right however you slice it. Hosts should not have their business slandered because of racism or discrimination. "

David126
Level 10
Como, CO

https://www.airbnb.com/help/contact_us?about=3&tier1=53&tier2=3730

 

AirBnB take discrimination very seriously and have a dedicated team to handly such issues.

 

The above link describes how to contact them, let us know how you get on.

David
Anna1440
Level 3
London, United Kingdom

Bull**bleep** lol

They remove 'difficult' reporting Hosts instead 🙂

Anna1440
Level 3
London, United Kingdom

@Peter0 happened to me too.

I'm from Poland and my account had been closed because of 'poor performance'

Airbnb will not remove reviews because 'every Guest has a right to express his opinion'

Seriously - even if the opinion is racist ?

 

Cormac0
Level 10
Kraków, Poland

@Peter

 

There is a consolation in this, that no matter where those people go to their opinions and feeling of self-worth is always going to be challenged, there been fed a load of jingoistic nonsense by Boris Johnston et al and unfortunately,  from their perspective, the world has changed significantly from the days when they ran an empire and google didn't exist. People around the world can now look at how small and insignificant the UK actually is.

 

The middle Englanders are the nicest people you could possibly meet, it’s the old Etonians like Jacob Rees Mogg and Boris Johnston that want to define the UK in a world order that no longer exist and feed the irrational behaviour of xenophobes as your friend describes.

 

The world's economic batton has passed to Asia, China and India in particular and in my opinion the UK needs Europe more then Europe needs the UK, how these people who demonstrable exude such xenophobic views are going to successfully trade with the rest of the world is beyond me.

 

I have considerable regard for the English people and so should you, not so much the toffs and chavs (chav: a young lower-class person typified by brash and loutish behaviour.).

 

Bonus Question: is the Queen of England the hardest working grandmother on the planet and the best argument against ageism?.

 

 

 

@Cormac0

 

Queen Elizabeth I was the last Queen of England and she died in 1603. Ever since then there has only been a Monarch of the United Kingdom. 

Well we still have Kings and Queens,  as far as @Anna1440 is concened I saw nothing racist in the reviews but lots of issues.

David
Anna1440
Level 3
London, United Kingdom

Exactly David - which I couldn't figure out and contacted Airbnb team on multiply occassions.

How come I have either 1star or 5 stars reviews ?

Nothing in between ?

I didn't change from Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde overnight

I treat everyone with equal kindness and respect.

But I'm smart enough to stand up for myself and react when someone try to lie to me or humiliate.
Did you expect racist will write in review - I don't like Host nationality ? She shouldn't be the owner of the apartment but cleaner ? And give me clear reason to sue him ?

Do you really think racists are so stupid ?

No. They will make up million othe reasons.

Racism is very sensitive issue and quite difficult to prove.

But I looked up other Host complaints and I found the same issues as mine:

‘the guest arrived disgruntled and with prejudices and did not communicate through the trip - avoiding eye contact and other body language which I can deduce had to do with racial prejudice’

 - revengful acts of vandalism are commmon thing as well. No one expect to report them from 'non - native speaker' as 1 of my old review says.

No one expect that  

 

I wouldn't know personally myself what was the problem - until I appealed last cancelation and Guest wrote it openly - 

“I could continue but don't intend to spend my entire vacation arguing with a crazy Russian lady.  I have lost two full days in the city because of all of this **bleep**.  LEAVE ME ALONE!!!!!!”

And I'm like Eureka!: There you are - so this is the reason suddenly everything 'is not as described' - most of all my background.

I'm from Poland btw.

Ain't planning to change who I am anytime soon.

Not to mention - because of bad reviews from racists guys, who tried to humiliate me - but in the same time stayed comfortable in my house  - and wrote reviews in revenge - I was almost raped by a Host, who wrongly assumed by false review I'm a poor russian cleaner and probably to scared to defend myself. 

Not only I am not a cleaner but I am educated enough to figure out this mistakes should never happen, I work in media since many years too.

So I'll be more than happy to share my experience with international press.

Btw David - you didn't look at positive reviews from ladies, but negative from Guys 🙂
Speak for itself. Everyone would believe male in 1st instance - right ? 🙂

Who cares whats ladies have to say. Their word means nothing.

This Airbnb thing is very interesting cultural experience - everyone prejudge.

Based on reviews. Even you. 

So let me tell you this - I don't prejudge.

I Host people off all races, nationalities, genders. It doesn't matter for me  - what matter is respect toward Host and cleanliness.

I allowed 2 men from Middle East. No offense towards anyone - but women in Middle East are generally consider as less valuable.

Which doesn't  these men should bring this attitude to USA. Or I will allow that.

So I have guest who wake me up in the morning and ask rude: where is the coffe. you didn't make ?

I'm in shock. How about : good morning, how are you, do you have coffe ?

i do not react to treating me like a servant because I am a woman and you think I'm russian  - without bothering to ask my nationality.

Not only you will not get any coffe - but you will be shown the door instantly.

Would he ask a man the same way ?

No.

He would be nice, polite and leave 5star review for the apartment - not for the person gender or nationality.

So Airbnb reviews system failed in my case.

As as Host I'm required to accept everyone. If I try to figure out - who is this random person from computer screen - I got bad review for 'excessive communication' or 'mourning'

Would man get the same review ? No

So  I get racist review for being 'non native speaker' which was pointed as a cause of all problems.

How about if I did Maths & IT courses in London for non - native speakers with excellent  results - much better than majority of native speakers ?

Would this guy mention 'non native speaker' ? No

He only mention that because he assumed. I had an issue with this guy when I almost called the police when he tried to force me to enter my house. Review is revenge for contacting Airbnb straight away.

So everyone who read this review assume it's something wrong with me.

Icluding you.

So they prejudge, expect the worse - come to my house with prejudgments and looking for confirmation of their theory. 

1 more thing - negative reviews for 2017 are for the house I listed for my friend, not even mine. 

Who had some cleaning issues. My current apartment is brand new and immaculate clean.

But it's funny how people - based on old reviews - enter my house and expect dirt everywhere ( because that's what they read )  - and then leave bad review for cleanliness.

I did another experiment as well to check my theory.

I let my american friend to list for me. So no one knew my nationality or how I look until they came. Surprisingly without reading revengful comments suggesting I am a non - native speaker russian cleaner - I got three 5stars reviews in 5 days. No complaints, no problem.

So far Airbnb Team didn't take  any action.

To be honest I didn't pay attention to reviews - and missed few from really nice people.

Today 1 lady contacted me - she couldn't book my place because listings are removed.

She didn't leave review before because she simply forgot.

She's willing to email Airbnb to confirm.

So I'll have several positive reviews from lady and 3 nasty from nasty guys.

But there still will be people who skip ladies review - and go trust men opinion only.

 

 

Most of my male Middle Eastern guests have been fabulous. But when they are bad, they are very bad. 

Farida12
Level 2
England, United Kingdom

 I am getting less and less interested in what Airbnb has to offer hosts I feel they are only there to advertise themselves rather then come to the point and solve our problems. I find them most unfair towards host, they expect us to instantly booking or else our booking will go to bottom of the listing in other words we must allow anyone in the house or else we are punished. Discrimanation against Hosts who chose their guest

I list two room from my house, one of my last guest left long negative review out of vindictiveness just because I did not say what he wanted to hear and I was not willing to extend his stay when his wife joins in from Argentina. While he was staying here I had two guest in my other room who left great review for me and for my house being very clean but when this man wrote review for same period he wrote many lies after I on the other hand left him a great review. Airbnb did not bother to check how can same house be so filthy on same dates where other two  guest were so appreciative during same period instead they downgraded me on the whole and now my both room have waring. They say they would not remove any negative review even if it’s obvious lie and in the past they were quick to delete review where Airbnb were at fault.

This is rediclous that now guest are using review to black mail us if we don’t listen to their demands and Airbnb punishes us if we do not do instant booking.

I am so put off by Airbnb attitude towards host. They initially started to encourage homes to open their doors to guest but now they have no regard for people who are hosting privately, it won’t be long before private host stop inviting guest through Airbnb.

There was discrimination against me as guest gave full star for one host in same row as me where as for my location he gave just two star.

 

 
Anna1440
Level 3
London, United Kingdom

'This is rediclous that now guest are using review to black mail us if we don’t listen to their demands and Airbnb punishes us if we do not do instant booking.'

It's not ridiculous - it's actually dangerous.

I'm seriously consider to share rape attempt incident with media as a warn