Guest is lying to get refund and Airbnb is accepting!!

Carlos-and-Anita0
Level 3
Cancún, Mexico

Guest is lying to get refund and Airbnb is accepting!!

Help me guys! My husband and I have been hosting for 3 years and have not had anyone like this before. Our guest booked for a month - got a super good deal - promised to pay the electric if it was excessive and then bolted 3 weeks in. We all hung out a couple of times - the boyfriend talked a lot with my husband and the girls stayed inside all day with the air conditioning on.

After the first couple of days they had a problem at the resort we offer as a little gift to our guest. They did not follow the safety rules for the water sports and ocean and were told they were not allowed to use them any longer.

The management spoke with us and told us that they will no longer be allowing our guests to use the water sports because of them. We did not want to make them feel bad and said that the resort changed their rules. (big mistake) My husband spoke with some of the staff and they worked out a deal where these current guests only could still use them but descreetly. We explained to the guest AND i have that on text message.

21 days in they leave with no notice. I had just told them that the bill was high for the electric and we will be asking for them to pay it (it is in our house rules). Then suddenly they are gone and I have a message from airbnb saying they were having problems with their stay and would be requesting a full refund!!

Now almost 2 weeks later airbnb is saying they willbe refunding from us $268 from 900. We were not able to rent out the days they left with no notice and they are getting almost 1/3rd of their money back.

Is there anything I can do?! I just can't believe it. Basically, airbnb is going back on their regulations and rules and allowing guests to make anything up to get refunded. The worse thing is they have now ruined it for all our future guests because now no one can use the water sports and more then likely I will have my current future guests asking for a refund right through until January we are booked. 

Any thoughts or ideas would be great! AND don't believe airbnb has your back because clearly they do not!! We are 3 years hosting with clean record and really good reviews.

6 Replies 6
Carlos-and-Anita0
Level 3
Cancún, Mexico

And I almost forgot they took down my review for the guest. They said because I said they had a 3 some in plain view on the patio of a residential building where children can see I violated their terms. This is something important to me as I have a 9 year old and she does not need to be seeing adults having sex let alone a 3 some. I personally care not what anyone does but this needs to be at a resort where it's allowed or in private. I would want to know if this is the type of guest I am allowing in.

Karen-and-Brian0
Level 10
Bragg Creek, Canada

Hi @Carlos-and-Anita0 They sound like the guests from hell, how awful for you guys! I would think you could ask them for payment for the electric at least - have documentation and request that through the Resolution Centre. It's unfortunate your review of them was taken down, but I agree it violated Airbnb guidelines and was more suited as a private message to the guest. I hope you gave them a thumbs down! Will Airbnb allow you to write another review? If so, simply state "may be better suited to a hotel" - hosts everywhere will immediately know they don't want to host this guest, no further explanation needed.

 

You have great reviews, with many more great reviews to come and soon this experience will be a distant memory, as hard as that is to believe right now when it's all so fresh and irritating. - Karen

Omg my friend is just talking to me about the same problem. A guest left without notice and my friend received a msg saying that a full refund is issued to the guest...speechless...How do we report to airbnb?

I also had a guest that booked for 31 days($2,000). Policy states a guest with 28 or more days is not entitiled to any refund. This guest called airbnb CS after  staying one night and stated my doors whouldnt lock and i had maggets in the fridge. This was highly confusing for this has never been a issue from any guest. Long story short i proved that she lied once i did the guest canceled (which means no refund for the long term policy states). 5 days later she calls airbnb CS and tells them i didnt have hot water and she had proof(a 24 second video with her hand under the water).

 

Without speaking with me the agent issue her a full refund. I figured that i will have to do what i did the first time she lied and give proof that water/hot water is included in my rent. After sending all the docments,(1min long video of my hand under the water, my rent bill that shows water and hot water, Gas Bill) to prove that if there is no hot water that would mean there is no water(anyone staying in a apt that offers water in your rent, knows that you pay for water and hot water).

 

After a week of calling and getting the same answer from CS everytime i called (i will put a note in the case and he will call you shortly). I never got the call until i said im not getting off the phone until i speak with him(i hate i had to act in that manner). He finally gets on the phone and tells me my proof is not vaild ?

 

SOMEONE HELP !!!!!! This doesnt make sense if airbnb has policy why are they not following them ?

 

 

 

Andrea4823
Level 1
Boone, NC

My friend was conned on her very first guest.  They complained about the background check so she pre-approved them.  They stayed one night then said they had to leave because of their daughter and ask her to refund them in cash because they needed gas money to get home, which she did.  The next day they called Airbnb with a different story and demanded a full refund.  Airbnb was no help.  

@Andrea4823  I'm sorry your friend had these scammy guests, but she allowed herself to be conned. Why did she refund them in cash? Why did she pre-approve them if she had doubts about them? And what do you mean by "background check"? She needs to learn how Airbnb works if she is going to host.

 

What did she expect Airbnb to do for her? Pay her back the money she handed these guests in cash? How would they have any proof she gave them anything? Just her word?