I NEED TO BLOCK A GUEST

[Krys4]

I previously had a guest who physically threatened me when I filed a claim for destroyed furniture and linen. I called AIRBNB and they said they blocked her but they allowed her to leave a slandering one-star review. To add insult to injury, she said in the private comments, "I was going to give you a five star review before you decided to charge me for the furniture". AIRBNB did not find this "against policy" although the review was clearly biased. While I wasnt happy with the review, I felt comfortable because AIRBNB customer service said she would no longer see any of my listings or be able to communicate with me.

Last week, I had a couple stay in a room and the next morning the boyfriend and girlfriend got into a screaming match that ended with him phsyically assaulting her, breaking a chair leg in the living room during the rumble, terrifying the other guests and them running out the back door when the police arrived. I've reported the guest but could not seem to block this guest no matter how much I have tried. Then tonight (one week later), his girlfriend tried to book and we declined...telling her "sorry we are unable to accept your request" (she's not instant book eligible). Then 5 minutes later, HE WAS ABLE TO INSTANT BOOK  for immediate occupancy!! Can you believe this?? I let him know via message that we would not honor his reservation and called AIRBNB that very second.

I'm on hold for 45 minutes and still waiting while a manager's manager tries to figure out what to do in this situation. What is going on?!?! Finally, Roxanne (the AIRBNB rep) comes back from hold to tell me she will cancel the reservation. We hang up. Two minutes later, she calls  back and asking permission to give him a full refund - I gladly obliged. She said she was going to "give him a full refund and help him find another place to stay" ?!?!?! I asked if she were going to tell the next host what happened during his previous stay - she said no because "that's not policy". Can you imagine AIRBNB willingly putting a guest known for assault in your home? I am shocked. I'm not saying criminal checks should occur for guests, but when guests (or hosts) are on bad behavior, there should be a mechanism in place that triggers an alert to future guests & hosts. At minimum don't let them instant book! 

I am terrified to discover AIRBNB is not following up on reported users AND not allowing hosts to block guests such as this. AIRBNB, your policy is putting hosts and guests at risk by allowing guests such as this to continue using your platform. Furthermore, you completely strip a hosts ability to protect themselves by not allowing us to block!  We (hosts) need changes ASAP.

I would recommend AIRBNB put a big BLOCK button for guests such as this. AIRBNB should take these matter extremely serious and ban guests from the site. 

[Lisa723]

@Krys4 @Christina666 @Sarah977 @Summer64 @Bob39 

After a protracted back-and-forth with CS, I think I have learned the secret to reliably uncovering the guest blocking feature!

1) Do it from Google Chrome

2) Do it from the message thread with the guest you want to block, NOT their profile

3) Report as "They're being offensive" -> "They're being abusive or hostile" [For "describe the situation" be sure to clarify that they are not (if they are not) but that you just want to block them.]

[Edie14]

Thank you! I had a decent one-night guest who mixed large amounts of alcohol with anti-depressants....a month later re-booked at the last minute (“your place available tonight? I’m in town.”) and it got stranger. Don’t want to give him a bad rating but I’m just not comfortable. 

[Tyson11]

Apparently this no longer works either.  I followed each step and submitted a report as suggested, making sure to specify that it's not really about being offensive, but there was no option to block them after that.

[Kelly149]

@Lisa723  in case it is one of the days where the Block feature isn't working....

anyone and everyone take this with a grain of salt but I just had a fairly intelligent-sounding CS tell me that Thumbs Up/Down -- Would you host again? actually plays into the guest recommendations NONE at ALLLLLLL.

He said the only way that a guest is blocked from IB is if they are rated 1* (wouldn't say if that was 1* in any category or 1* in all categories)

So, all those 2* & 3* guests that we thought we'd sufficiently warned other hosts against, turns out maybe not so much.

I hope the Block button comes back 😞

[Susan17]

@Krys4 

"She said she was going to "give him a full refund and help him find another place to stay" ?!?!?! I asked if she were going to tell the next host what happened during his previous stay - she said no because "that's not policy". Can you imagine AIRBNB willingly putting a guest known for assault in your home?"

As unbelievable as many hosts will find your experience, this is exactly what happens when guests are kicked out by hosts. Airbnb will invariably swing into action, and immediately start phoning round to find the troublemakers another poor unsuspecting host to inflict them on. No information on the circumstances of why the previous host cancelled are ever given to the new host - the implication being that the cancellation was down to host error/negligence, rather than abysmal behaviour on the guests' part. 

What's even more jaw-dropping though, is guests who genuinely have been cancelled by feckless hosts are almost always left to their own devices to find alternative accommodation, often at extremely short notice, and with little to no help from Airbnb (apart from a 10% credit on the value of their booking - not a great deal of comfort on an event or holiday weekend in any major city, when availability may be sparse, and prices may have risen dramatically since the guests originally made their booking)

I've had 5 different groups of guests book over the past few months that have all been cancelled on at the 11th hour by their previous hosts. All said they received no assistance from Airbnb whatsoever in finding new accommodation. Conversely, the only twice Airbnb has called me and practically begged me to take guests, they've been absolute nightmares and in both cases, I subsequently discovered they'd been thrown out of their previous hosts. 

For the life of me, I'll never comprehend the reasoning behind this irresponsible, deceptive practice. Of all Airbnb's numbnut policies, this has to be one of the craziest. And most dangerous.  

[Katie---Sean0]

I'm a bit shocked that if there is an actual police report that a host can upload to Airbnb, as with the original poster Krysita... that Airbnb will still find the Guest new accomodations. It should be "against policy" to help a guest where there's a police report!

[Geri26]

I too am appalled by Airbnb's policy to allow guests to get away with behaviour that is unacceptable any where else.  While my case is not as severe as yours, I argued for 2 weeks that a person first tried to intimidate me into giving an unwarranted refund by leaving the afternoon of his last night and telling me he had taken my keys in the same sentence as asking for a refund.  I threw the refund request back to support as he scared me and I wanted nothing more to do with him.  When he didnt get the refund he gave me a 1 overall rating and less than 3 for everything else.  By supporitng this person and your guests Airbnb are condoing their behaviour so they will contine to act in the same manner and get away with it. I have already snoozed my listings until my pending 10 reservations over the next 3 months are honoured and had already decided to delist but your story makes more even more sure that until Airbnb improve the safety of hosts, then this platform is no longer one I wish to be associated with.  And the only reference I can find to a dispute policy is in USA - how does that even work????

[Martha389]

This is outrageous! 

How can a host be safe at his own place? Or how can a guest feel safe? (If the opposite) 

Not a thing like this should happen, there should be more behaviour control and a strict monitoring system.  

[Cormac0]

@Krys4 

I thought by now every host would realise that Airbnb just don't care! they’ve no skin in the game, they don't have to deal with your emotional trauma, damaged property or piece of mind.

Like Mafia Don’s that have just murder an opponent in cold blood and explain it away with the term, “it’s just business nothing personal”

When you let some stranger into you home and they misbehave it is personal it is extremely upsetting…

Hosts need to wake up and fight back against Airbnb abuse of power, remember Airbnb are taking circa 20% yes one fifth of the income and for what, so host can be disrespect and abused in their own home with little or no consequence.

I don’t know how Brian Chesky CEO and head of community (don’t make me laugh) can sleep at night with this rank hypocrisy.

When Airbnb eventually go public and their financial account will be published there going a considerable number of Hosts 80% I reckon, that will be sick to their stomach at what they see.

Wake up host a demand better.

[Geri26]

But how Cormac?  Ive done all I can think of to have my issue resolved but I cant even get anyone to listen to me.  For the sake of my integrity I have snoozed and will delist even though I can ill afford it as single mother working part time, but it seems not every one else can take this option.   I would love it if all hosts everywhere blocked out the same day and in effect 'went on strike' lol..... Any suggestions on how to make demands heard are very grateful.

[Cormac0]

@Geri26 

Go to the newspapers or local radio stations, go to your local councillor or MP, This BS must stop.

There’s one Host on here that waxes lyrical about how efficient Airbnb support is and then one discovers he charges $500 per night and he's fully booked out for years in advance so obviously he gets full attention being a huge income earner for Airbnb.

Anecdotally, I had an issue with one of my Microsoft software subscription, so I logged a call (which was very easy to do by the way) and within two hours a Microsoft representative called me back and the matter was resolved, and yet this is beyond the capabilities of Airbnb, in my opinion there is no will from top management to resolve Hosts difficulties as 80% of us are just regarded as cannon-fodder by Airbnb.

Wake up Hosts and demand better! a community is supposed to help people in difficulties and I’m not talking about the BS community Brian Chesky propaganda is espousing.

[Dovran0]

Nice one. You guys want Airbnb set up a platform for your to make money and on top of that do all policing for you? Maybe they also have to clean the apartments, do all check in and check out too lol? That would be great. Hands-free money making. Seriously, I agree things should be safe, but we as hosts have to do our own work. Do not activate Instant Book and if you feel suspicious about any request just say no. Good luck to all.

[Krys4]

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@Dovran0 wrote:

Nice one. You guys want Airbnb set up a platform for your to make money and on top of that do all policing for you? Maybe they also have to clean the apartments, do all check in and check out too lol? That would be great. Hands-free money making. Seriously, I agree things should be safe, but we as hosts have to do our own work. Do not activate Instant Book and if you feel suspicious about any request just say no. Good luck to all.

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What I want if for AIRBNB to reinstate a saftey feature they already created (which shows they understood the need for it at one point in time). I'm highlighting the risk involved by them revoking the feature. Lets not pretend that AIRBNB isnt bring in millions from us - all I'm asking is some consideration for the person assuming 100% of the risk in our "partnership" for using the platform.

and furthermore.... AIRBNB punishes those who do not have instant book on by putting nonIB listing below the IB listings. Why should I have to choose between safety andoccupancy? especially when the solution ALREADY EXISTS. 

The fact is, if there was a financial gain for ABB to create safety features, they would. Just like they figured out how to get professional phtographers in every home, they can figure out how to keep guests with known/prior issues out of our homes.

[Dovran0]

Hi Krysita. TBH what I wrote was not meant as a reply to your post. I was just reacting to the general climate of outrage in some of the replies. Just wanted to say be careful what you wish for. Too much hate at platform that, in my opinion, works just fine. Imagine a world without it

[Geri26]

My incident is not caused by IB as it was turned off. I accepted the person despite my gut feel as I was conscious of upholding Airbnb policy of non-discrimination.  What I do object to is the intimidation tactics by said person to elict an unwarrented refund for leaving half day early to go to another  booking as I couldnt extend his stay and then the subsequent revenge review/rating because refund was refused.    And yes I am female and person doing the intimidating is male. By leaving the untrue review/rating Airbnb are saying to the person it's ok to take your possessions and my house keys and in the same sentence ask for a refund. And they are also saying its ok to lie because the intimidation tactics didnt work.

In the age of 'me too' such tactics should not be condoned by any business on any platform. I am not asking them to do anything that should not already be company policy.