Host wrote a revenge review to defame me

[Varun56]

I stayed at his host which I had to extend for a few more days in the end. The host was a total scammer. So I left poor reviews under both the bookings.

Now the host left a positive review for one booking but after seeing a negative review,  she left a negative review on the other.

I would ignore it generally, but this one is very defamatory and blatantly lie.

“Warning: Your house is not safe with this person. He may unauthorised tresspass, may bring unauthorised visitors male/female. If caught red handed, will use blame policy for defence.”

I am seriously angry. What should I do?

[Varun56]

Edit Review #1 was: "It was nice hosting varun."

[Anonymous]

@Varun56  It's a bit odd that you chose to make a second booking with this host, if conditions were genuinely as bad as you describe. But anyway, what you can do is go to https://www.airbnb.com/users/reviews  and post a public response to the review. Remember who your audience is - your aim should be to persuade prospective hosts that you're a desirable guest, not to continue your dispute with the past host. 

It will be a difficult task, as many hosts are fixated on their star ratings and may not want to accept a guest who is known to give low ones.

[Varun56]

My first booking was for around 2 weeks and my checkout date was Wednesday. Since I WFH, I extended it for 2-3 days till Saturday.

[Ute42]

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@Varun56 

Maybe You brought in unauthorised guests on the last leg of your stay and that's why You got a bad review.

[Varun56]

Both reviews were given after I moved out (not during the stay). The first line of review "Warning: Your house is not safe with this person" was copy-paste of my review "Warning: Your money is not safe with this guest".

[Elena87]

@Ute42 

I doubt there were unauthorised guests as the apartment was on the 27th floor - without a working lift.

Tricky to entice a guest up for a shandy when you drop that info.

On the bright side, probably Varun now has wonderfully toned and sculpted quadriceps and gluteus maximus after his stay. Cloud/silver lining etc.

@Varun56  Seriously, you are best responding to the review, something like '' I discount the content of this review as a revenge review after encountering unresolved problems staying at this hosts accommodation, and refer future potential hosts to my other reliable reviews.''

[Ute42]

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@Elena87 

You are right 😊

Also I must say that it wasn't very clever by @Varun56  to leave a bad review for the first part of his stay and then book the same place again.

[Varun56]

Thank you for your comment. I feel most of the members of this community are hosts so they are taking it personally.

But I leave plenty of positive reviews too. But in this case, the host was indeed a dishonest **bleep**.

Btw sadly I didn't develop any muscles :P. I just stayed in my apartment during that time unless it was extremely urgent (taking stairs to 27th floor takes around 15 minutes).

[Cormac0]

@Varun56 

The whole thing smells fishy to me...

Did you bring in unauthorised Guest? yes or no....

[Varun56]

Of course, not. If was doing that, why would I complain about a revenge review?

[Varun56]

To add more details (because apparently some peoples are victim-blaming me),

After I moved out, the next day I received a message from her wishing best for my future on whatsapp. It means he must have received everything in good condition.

She left me a negative review for the first booking, not second. She even copy-pasted the exact line I used in my review.

Today when I complained to airbnb, she is claiming I destroyed his property and that she didn't raised it with airbnb earlier. Can you believe? If it was true, she would have reported immediately to the airbnb or charge me for it. But she is claiming it 15 days later when I have written a complain to airbnb.

Also, she wouldn't be wishing me the best of luck for the future a day later I moved out if I had destroyed her property.

It's a classic case of revenge review.

[Ute42]

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@Varun56 

Unfortenately, if a review is true or not is not a criteria in the world of airbnb to take it down. The only criteria is, if the review violates the review guidelines and it doesnt'n. Call airbnb and You will get nowere with Your complaint. We hosts are having the same problem all the time.

[Varun56]

Ok. I will just move-on then if there is nothing I can do.

[Ute42]

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@Varun56 

There is something You can do and that is what @Anonymous  suggests: Leave an answer to that review to clarify the situation! You should really do so because this review will  stay with Your profile for the rest of Your life.