Guest broke a lamp but denies it...+ potential bad review if we engage procedure for refund

Olivier-And-Antonio0
Level 1
London, United Kingdom

Guest broke a lamp but denies it...+ potential bad review if we engage procedure for refund

Our guest broke a lamp but denies he or one of the friends staying with him  did it. 

Our cleaning lady found the broken lamp on the floor of the living room after our guest checked out.

 

I would like to engage Airbnb resolution centre to obtain a refund from the guest despit his denial.

 

I am only concerned that he will leave a bad review.

 

Any thoughts/suggestions?

4 Replies 4
Ash-and-Dasha0
Level 10
Redwood City, CA

Sure, you can run into an issue of a bad review. But you also have only 48 hours to submit a claim against the guest's damage deposit. Assuming you required a damage deposit. 

 

 

Christine1
Level 10
Glenbrook, Australia

@Olivier-And-Antonio0, this is upsetting for you when things become broken. I am very sympathetic to your upset, even those what I write may not be always to your liking at this point in time.

The information you have given is basic and straightforward, but there is not yet enough knowledge to be sure how or by whom the item became broken. Is there other information about the occurance that has not yet been mentioned?

Before making a claim, you need to consider whether or not you can demonstrate without a doubt that the guest was responsible for the breakage/damage.

If there was a period of time elapsed after check-in, this is a time when damage can occur to property which is not the responsibility of the guest. 

Is it possible that a breeze or another individual could unbalance the object and then it breaks? maybe it was moved by someone and became unstable... but not during the guest stay? 

Unless you personally walk into the premises and do a checkout inspection, there is some room for doubt. Hotels often send staff to check a room while the guest is still on the premises, for this very reason. 

On the other hand guests too, feel worried and concerned when a genuine accident occurs and may then refrain form notifying the host. In the situation you have described it is hard to know for sure what occured.

Sometimes staff are scared to report an accident as well... so there are possible causes but not an indisputable front runner... 

If you do end up replacing the item, try to select something, robust and inexpensive as a replacement. then you and your guests will have more peace of mind during future guest stays.

Write back and let us know how you decided to handle things.

I am sorry that your lamp was broken. I am sure you hoped that it would remain as an attractive and functional part of the decor....Alas.

As for the review, it must always be honest, diplomatic and independent.

Nonetheless, you are right to be concerned in this case because if the guest does feel wrongly accused, it might affect part of their review. They have the right to deny the matter. But reviews tend to be a wholistic statement about the full range of things that a guest/host experienced. A broken lamp is one aspect of your mutual encounter and does not automatically detract from the good aspect of your hosting nor the positive aspects of overall guest behaviour communication etc.

Most sincere regards, Christine.

I'm sure you trust your cleaning person, but people lie.  She may fear having to pay for the item if she reports that she broke it.  She may figure that your guest or AirBnb will cover it.  Unless you were the one to discover the breakage I think you have to 50:50 suspect the guest and the cleaner.  I would ask the guest and if they deny it I would not pursue any compensation.  Not because of a potential bad review but because you actually have no proof they broke the lamp, and do have a reasonable doubt.

Exactly, and if there is reasonable doubt, then you are unlikely to be successful in your claim via the resolution centre and likely to generate a statement in the review by your guest, disputing the claim. This statement may become a discouragement to future guests who are concerned about claims which they cannot defend themselves against. 

You are more likely to recover the expense with the tariff you receive on your next guest booking, and no hard feelings either way. 

In the end, whatever happened it was an unintentional event. When we break our own stuff we have no-one to make the claim against, and we forgive ourselves for the error. Perhaps this might be the approach you can adopt in this case.

If you write and let the guest know that the lamp was broken but that you are not going to hold them responsible for something that was an accident and not attributable to anyone in particular; you may generate their appreciation for your understanding and for not automaticaly blaming them . If they did break it, they may feel safer to admit it. This then gives you the opportunity to learn how to prevent something similar from happening in the future. eg. a different shaped lamp, or alternative placement etc.

I hope some of these ideas are helpful and boost your spirits in this matter.

Write back and let us know how you decided to resolve this matter....

Regards, Christine.

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