It is outrageous and unfair if a guest does not show up and they get to write a review

[Anthony48]

This is happening to me once a month or so, and I do not understand why Airbnb puts Superhosts and hosts through a real stressful multi step process to remove a review that should never have been allowed in the first place. To be clear:

- No show

- no notification (this is fine)

- no message interaction 

- when contacting them, it’s usually cancelled flights, and not in any way our fault. (We are next to the airport and really convenient,  but it comes with these type problems)

Magically the next day they get to write a review about our home when they never got near it, never checked-in, never in got in the same state. 

There is NO REASON they should be permitted to evaluate a host. If they aren’t entitled to a refund, this can make it even worse, and they can blame us for our clear cancellation policy. We have sometimes been forced to “bribe” a no show, virtually begging them to please not review us in exchange for a partial refund they absolutely do not deserve.

you can contact Airbnb and plead your case, but the answer is always NO at level one. You must demand a case manager, and it is always strongly implied it won’t make a difference. You must further fight to go up higher, and demand the stars and commentary be removed, and it is still discretionary. This is OUTRAGEOUS and TOTALLY UNFAIR. The guests NEVER got anywhere your home or experience or interact with you even by message, yet they get to make up some imaginary review based on your refund policy, which they WILL punish you for.

airbnb reps try EVERYTHING to discourage you and leave the absurd review from someone who cancelled or never showed up. They claim the reviews are not unkind or unreasonable, they say you are “doing well and 3 stars one time is no big deal”. They will say OVER AND OVER THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. this is infuriating! Why are we forced to fight for something that should not be allowed in the first place!

i have had them removed, but the multi level phone calls always take at least one hour, and this is absurd, unfair, and needs a policy.  NO GUEST SHOULD REVIEW A RESERVATION THAT THEY CANCEL OR DO NOT SHOW UP FOR WITH NO FAULT OF THE HOST.

[Laura_C]

That's such a great point @Emilia42 ... I'll make sure the team looks at both sides of the review flow (I sent them your note to ensure it was on their radar). Thanks for sharing!

[Helen350]

@Laura_C  @Emilia42  I mentioned the EXACT same issue to a CS agent when the system changed & I was no longer able just to rate communication & leave cleanliness & house rules blank. He said that was a really valid point & would pass it on............... No change yet! Plus ca change!

[Anthony48]

well, I am very upset now. After being tagged and reading hundreds of posts by @Gregory0

and his many supporters on this issue - it appears airBNB has dug in for guests, and hosts be damned. I knew it was weird the way case managers spoke with me about how they would fish for a way to help me - but they were clearly tongue tied about how to help me - now it all makes sense. There is someone up "high" who has decided to fight this out with hosts - and the entire premise of allowing guests to rate issues about places they never see, never stay nor ever interact with the host is beyond ludicrous. It is outrageous right out there on its face. I want to fight this - it is absolutely outrageous.

[Susan17 · Accepted solution]

@Laura_C 

You wrote, "There was actually a regulatory requirement around that exact use case I believe that we needed to comply with"

Well, not quite...

Following an intervention by the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in the summer of 2017, Airbnb agreed to change its online reviews policy, effective worldwide from August 31st of that year. 

The main point of contention was that previously, guests who cancelled their stay or left early - because the accommodation was substandard, for example - weren't permitted to leave a review, with the unfortunate result that some of the very worst listings escaped the negative reviews they deserved. 

The CMA ruling's primary objective was to redress that imbalance, and to allow guests who had cut short their stay, either on or after day of check-in, to leave honest feedback, so future guests could be forewarned of the listing's deficiencies. Nowhere in the ruling did it decree that guests who had never set foot in a property, should be permitted to review - for whatever unfathomable reasons, that little addendum was thrown in by Airbnb itself. 

Obviously, to permit guests who have never so much as entered a space, to leave public commentary on pertinent aspects of a listing/stay, that they couldn't possibly have any first-hand knowledge of (cleanliness, value, accuracy, location etc) makes a mockery of the self-proclaimed "integrity" and "transparency" of the Airbnb review system, and is at best, farcical - and at worst, fraudulent. 

An Airbnb spokesperson said at the time, “Open and honest reviews are core to making Airbnb a trusted travel platform for millions of hosts and guests in 191 countries around the world. We are committed to doing all we can to facilitate meaningful and authentic connections across our global community"

To ensure fair and ethical treatment of the host community in relation to the review process, we urgently request that Airbnb duly honours its stated commitment to facilitating openness, honesty, and authenticity in its review system, by removing the ability for guests who have never laid eyes on our homes, to simply fabricate or contrive their appraisals of our listings, based on criteria of which they could have absolutely no personal experience or knowledge. 

TIA. 

[Sarah977]

@Laura_C  Happy to see you responding here. It's great that your team is looking into this, considering that hosts have been asking for a more sensible policy around this issue ad nauseaum for over a year, at least.

If a guest doesn't show at all, the only star rating available for both hosts and guests to check should be communication, as that is all that has happened between the host and guest. And if either say anything in the written review about anything other than communication, the review needs to be removed, without a battle.

This is simply sane, logical, and fair.

[Laura_C]

@Sarah977 , thank you! The more tangible change suggestions we can gather from various host and guest interaction channels, the more we are able to validate potential changes to the platforms development roadmap. I do appreciate this is an ongoing issue which is very frustrating from a hosts perspective, and really appreciate the ideas here. I'm ensuring that the teams receive them.

[Louise567]

The rule is ,, Airbnb agree the ruling with the host, once this is in place and a guest do not show , a claim for a no show be made, once this has been triggered then the guest has no write to a review, simple as that , nothing to consider, Airbnb start taking your share in the backlash 

[Connie412]

The problem with a guest that doesn’t show up is they can still leave you a review. Airbnb should not allow that as they didn’t stay, so how much can they know about you or the property? But Airbnb says they allow them to review, UNBELIEVABLE. So how does Airbnb think a no show show guest will review a host especially when they want a refund and they don’t get it? Ya bad! This practice is not fair. 

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Inna22  @Rachel177 

I don't know how a guest can leave an honest review of a property that they never set foot in, 

Well, thats because its dishonest. It is against Airbnb terms to be defamatory, so anything less than 5* is defamatory in this situation.

[Anthony48]

Well I love your response - and it's fair and logical. Unfortunately - it is entirely false in terms of how airBNB sees the situation. They do not agree with you. I wish they did.

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

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@Anthony48 wrote:

Well I love your response - and it's fair and logical. Unfortunately - it is entirely false in terms of how airBNB sees the situation. They do not agree with you. I wish they did.

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You can only negotiate with Airbnb based on the terms you signed up on. They wrote those terms, that statement is true and thats what you need to communicate to justify your case. @Anthony48 

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Laura_C 

We have a team looking into making it more streamlined, so that we can still protect that one instance but make the overall system more logical for hosts. 

Thats great news - when will it be live?

[Inna22]

@Ian-And-Anne-Marie0 I have a dream...

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

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@Inna22 wrote:

@Ian-And-Anne-Marie0 I have a dream...

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More like Ground Hog Day ! 🙂

@Inna22 

[Ute42]

.

Hi @Anthony48 

Here's the official airbnb explanation why guests can leave a review

"even if the guest doesn’t stay in or enter the listing".

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/To-Clara-Liang-Product-Director-Last-min-cancellation-be...

It's nonsense as we all know.