Help - What should I do about this guest?

[Sandra856]

Hi everyone 🙂

I got this young guy (early twenties) arriving yesterday afternoon. I showed him the room and everything else and he seemed to be satisfied.

Then I went out for a gym-class and I got this message from him saying that he thought he had booked the entire place and not only my room.

I have had, I think more than 250 sets of guests and no one has ever thought that it was the entire place. (It really says all over my listing that it is just a room)

Well then he writes to me that it is a problem because he wanted his friend (a girl) coming aswell. And asked me if that was okay.

I told him that if he wanted to have her visit for a cup of coffee for an hour or so it would be okay. 

I also wrote to him that he should always ask the host (no matter if it is a room or an entire apartment) if he could bring visitors or unregistred guests before the booking. And it was for most hosts a big no-go to bring visitors or unregistred guests without even asking first. 

Then after I wrote to him that he couldn't bring his friend for more than coffee he suddenly didn't feel comfortable sharing a place and told me he would leave tomorrow morning (today) and book an entire apartment and also that he wanted a refund.

I'm quite sure that if my place had been an entire apartment he would have had this girl staying for free and without asking me. So he would actually have sneaked her in. Not really a trustworthy guest 😞

He left yesterday afternoon and stayed out all night. When I came back home from work today he had already picked up his bags and left the keys. 

I feel very akward about the whole situation. I'm quite sure he tried to cheat with that extra guest. 

He requested a refund about 2 hours ago writing to me that he thought it would be fair if I gave him back at least half of the money he payed. 

He hasn't cancelled the reservation yet btw.

I wrote to him I couldn't offer him a refund as I have a strict cancellation policy and also that it was his choice to find another place to stay. 

Do you think I should write to airbnb about this and tell them about the situation?

And what would you write in the review of him if you had such a guest?

It is most likely that he will now leave a really bad review.

I really don't no what to do and feel very uncomfortable about the whole situation.

Hope to hear your opinion 🙂

Best, Sandra

[Gordon0]

You are going to get a ropey review anyway, but you can respond accordingly. Get in touch with Airbnb and let them mediate. 

I would not offer a refund. 

[Sandra856]

@Gordon0Hi Gordon 🙂

Thank you for your reply 🙂 I wrote to him that I wouldn't give him any refund as it was his choice to leave.

And I must say I am so relieved that he left!

After I realised that he most likely would have sneaked in another person without asking/paying for her (if it had been a private apartment) I didn't feel comfortable to share my home with him. Trust is so important when you share your home I think.

[Alexandra316]

@Sandra856 I second not offering a refund. You've done nothing wrong: everything about your listing makes it clear that the guest is getting a private room, not an entire place.

I would contact Airbnb to tell them what's going on: they may be able to move the cancellation along so you can at least maybe get a replacement booking once the dates are cleared. They can't do anything about a malicious review (if there is one) until it's posted.

For the review, you could go by the standard ol' faithful kissoff: Guest would be more suited to a hotel environment. If you want something more specific, you could say something like, "Guest made it clear that they were disappointed that they didn't book an entire place rather than a private room and cut their stay short as a result," then give them a thumbs down.

[Sandra856]

Hi @Alexandra316

I'm definitely not suited to be a host anymore. I couldn't sleep last night and have a big "lump" in my stomach. So I won't accept any new bookings. 

I will write to airbnb and tell them about what happend and ask them what they think I should do. 

Thank you so much for all your kind words and suggestions on what to write in the review. It means a lot 🙂

[Alexandra316]

@Sandra856 I'm really sorry to hear that. Maybe after you take a break, you will reconsider. You seem like a great host.

[Sandra856]

Thank you @Alexandra316 🙂

I do feel a little silly about being so affected when it is really just minor issues.

Maybe after a really long break I will be back in the game. 

[Christa-And-Zach0]

I've been a host for nearly 7 years. This has happened multiple times - people DO NOT read. We put "Please confirm you've read the details before booking" and that has helped these past two years. Under no circumstances would I offer a refund - Airbnb will side with you, as you did not mislead him; he misunderstood. No sweat. If he writes a poor review that you mislead him and wouldn't give him a refund, you can write to airbnb about it and they should remove it, as it references a "resolution center" dispute.

[Sandra856]

@Christa-And-Zach0

Haha..yes I know! It's so frustrating!

I have squezzed in everywhere possible in my listing that guests should be aware that my home is a 15 minutes bus ride from the city center and only 10 minutes on a bike. But still a lot of my guests seem to be a little annoyed my home is not situated next to the little mermaid. 

I didn't accept the request to refund the guest and I will write to airbnb and ask them what to do because he hasen't cancelled the reservation and he was suppose to stay till Monday. 

Thank you so much for your reply! 

[Sarah977]

@Sandra856   I think you should get a small replica of the little mermaid and put it in your entryway. Then the guests can't use that as a complaint point anymore.

[Sandra856]

@Sarah977 Hahaha...I love your advice!! I really do not know why I haven't thought about that! 

[David126]

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/13627971

I clicked on your profile and got the above which does not seem right, not sure what is going on, could you post a link to yours?

[Sandra856]

@David126

Hi David.

It's my brother and his girlfriends home you can see.

I was a co-host last summer helping them out when they were on vacation a couple of times. But they are only renting out a couple of weeks every summer so it is not possible at all to book their home at the moment.

My listing is no longer visible as I no longer wish to host. But I have had I guess more than 250 sets of guests and it is very clear that it is only a room 🙂 

[David126]

OK

I often get more questions from the person who did not book and obviously had not told the others very much.

My listing is very simple and very clear, but they ask about things that make no sense. So if somebody asked me do they have kitchen access etc I just confirm to them that they do not.

[Sandra856]

@David126

I just made my own listing visible. I definitely do understand why you and @Elisabetta-and-Julian0 thought it was a little strange with the entire apartment listing. I simply just didn't thought about opening me own listing. Hope it makes more sense now when you can both see it 🙂