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. 

[Cormac0]

You’ve got it completely the wrong way around Dovran, It's Airbnb that making serious money on trillion of dollars of assets they don't own or apparently care about, after all there’s always another gob**bleep**e that will run to support their tyrannical business practises having little or no experience of what they’re talking about.

[Costa2]

As a businessman you should understand that you may loose more than you have by entering any business.

[Jeanne120]

Surely I’m not the only host with only good experiences? I’ve hosted for a few years now, and really never had so much as towels on the floor! I try hard to make it as perfect as my old house will allow, and I believe my guests appreciate that.  My last guests ( left an hour ago), back for the third time, have three dogs. 

Youd never know anyone stayed there at all, except for linens, etc. They left me lovely gifts!

The guests prior to them were  first timers.  Wonderful people that left the apartment in perfect condition when they left.  I feel so fortunate. I do instant book, by the way.  I greet my guests with love and gratitude, and feel like that’s what I get back. 

[Sarah977]

@Jeanne120 No, you're not the only host with good experiences. I also get lovely guests who show appreciation, don't cause problems, leave their room and bathroom clean and tidy and leave nice reviews.

[Krys4]

While I wish you continued good fortune, I'm not sure what your response has to do with anything? We've had almost 1000 stays in 2019 and this was the first "bad guest" we've had this year (the other guest was last year but still an example of policy change)

We've met every guest with "love and gratitude" and 99.9% of them were fine. But this one couple.... smh.

Ms Jeanne, Lets say you had a couple staying at your home and they got into a physical altercation. Would you want them to stay at your home again? Would you welcome them with love and gratitude knowing during their last stay they terrified other guests and broke you furniture? Would you want some amount of confidence that the platform would do something to prevent them staying with you again?

[Talia21]

No, you're not the only host to experience GREAT GUESTS! I am not a 'GHOST HOST', as a recent guest described their previous experiences. My worst have boiled milk in the kettle, lost my keys, soiled linen that will not unstain/written off,  and broken my toilet seat doing goodness knows what by standing on it! Yes, all situations that I am not compensated for. It is my job to deal with the conflict, which I don't. As a hospitality professional, (Airbnb is not my income, it is a kids' lemonade stand in regards to the profit verses time, costs & taxes), I swallow my disapointment at their lack of respect and etiquette and bare the costs to ensure my guests do not feel negative about their stay. This is only because I am so concerned about a poor review. I have a very competitive nature and loath for the algorithm to put me back in the search. My prices are high for the area and they have increase by almost 50% since I started 18 months ago. Perhaps the more guests are willing to pay, the better their quality.

[Leana5]

Well.. ABB has a goal to earn money... But there is a FEEDBACK section. So if there is any guest that needs to be punished, that's the right place where to do it. I always read feedbacks from other hosts before I accept or decline a guest.

[Sarah977]

@Leana5  I think you mean reviews, not feedback. Feedback is a form you can fill out on the site that no one but Airbnb sees and they don't respond to. Supposedly they make note of the feedback and use it to look at changing policies, but I have my doubts. Maybe they just trash them.

[Leana5]

At school, I've remembered the information that Feedback is any info a guest gives us to improve our property. And it's not just a written one.

[Paola80]

Big block for instant book for them? Very very excellent idea. 

[Duane4]

I just had similar with a guest that broght over 16 people to a house with a max of 12 and  that had booked for 12.

This is what they do to hosts, https://photos.app.goo.gl/WbmWue7Ze1eZgeyG9

[Krys4]

shameful. i hope you took legal action

[Costa2]

Is that a joke???????

They asked you " what are you doing here?"

It is your house and should be in control of it, no metter who is staying there and for how long. Once you feel uncomfortable or there is potential loss may come, you should call police and kick them out. I would use the shot gun. Yoor house in the woods , you definately have a shot gun to protect it from aggessive animals.

[Costa2]

Now I see how you became a super host and I couldn't.

[Costa2]

How shold they go to wake you up?

Call airbnb when they will burn your house and ask for advice.

Be a man . Any business is a war. There is no mercy.