REFUND POLICIES

[Luke141]

I just had a guest text me the morning after they arrived to saythey had left again early that morning instead of staying their 3 days insisting that the place smelled damp and the bed linnen was damp.

Me and other folk went to investigate and found nothing wrong with the place and it up to the usual standards. Were it at all damp I do expect that at least one other holidaymaker would have mentioned something in the year and a half I have successfully been hosting and recieving 4 and 5 star reviews.

This woman is now insisting that she is right and requesting I refund her for the 2 days they chose not to stay. They did not bother to contact me first asking if I could come with fresh bedding or anything else.  am a bit put out as I pride myself on my standards and making the place as nice as possible for all my guests ensuring they have the best time.

I would dearly like some advice as her last message to me stated that she would "have no other option apart from to write a review fitting of their experience and also report my property to those I advertsie with" !

I feel a bit stuck between a rock and a hard place here knowing that the place is dry and always up to my standards as I do all the work myself.

Any advice most welcome.

[Cormac0]

@Luke141 

There a devices for checking the humidity level, I suggest you get one not becuase for a moment I think the guest is telling the truth, but rather as evidence of there lies.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/AcuRite-Digital-Humidity-and-Temperature-Comfort-Monitor-00619HD/2022609...

[Luke141]

@Cormac0  That's a great idea thanks! I did think of that. Many thanks!

[Susan17 · Accepted solution]

@Luke141 

Firstly, by leaving without giving you any chance to remedy the situation, the guest has violated the terms of the Guest Refund Policy... 

To submit a valid claim for your reservation:

• Contact us to bring the travel issue to our attention. If you notice the issue during check-in, contact us within 24 hours. If the issue occurs during your stay, contact us right away. We'll ask you to provide photographs or other documentation that show what you're experiencing.

We will require that you:

• Are responsive to our requests for additional information and cooperation.
• Have not directly or indirectly caused the travel issue.
• Have used reasonable efforts to remedy the circumstances with the host prior to making a claim, including messaging your host on Airbnb to notify them of the issue. We'll verify this in your account.

Secondly, by demanding a refund under threat of what the review may contain, or reporting you to those you advertise your property with, the guest has also violated Airbnb's Review Extortion Policy. 

This policy applies to situations including, but not limited to:

• Guests threatening to use reviews or ratings in an attempt to force a host to provide refunds, additional compensation, or a reciprocal positive review.

[Luke141]

@Susan17Wow that's great to know, thank you so much, it really does make me feel a lot better. The incident occured outwith airbnb but this was the only place I could post the problem. I did contact the relevant supprt by phone too and they said something very similar. Many thanks for your input.

[Susan17]

You're very welcome, @Luke141! Hope all works out well for you 🙂

[Stephanie588]

Just so you know, Airbnb does not enforce the "Guest Refund Policy".  They will likely side with a guest in any dispute over a refund, simply because hosts are more or less a captive audience and guests are much less so.  We've had several experiences recently where Airbnb has tried to justify giving a guest a refund by citing this policy when none of the conditions were met by the guest.  Airbnb's policies are just a smokescreen to convince people they actually have them.  In the end, they do only what they think is in their own best interest.

[Luke141]

Thanks again @Susan17 , I have contacted the 'relevant supprot team' twice now, the second time thismorning as I got another distressing final threatening text message.

I thought I'd just add to this thread for useful information I'm now seeing the benefits of communicating mainly through airbnb's own message system (or whatever relevant on site message system) for further evidence of such and ease of rectifying the situation though I do hope I don't have to deal with such again.

I've had to take screenshots of my phone texts to email instead but there's another wee lesson learned I guess. 🙂

Cheers

[Kenneth12]

Contact ABB support immediately and report Feedback Extortion.   Problem should go away-- at least,  ability to leave review should go away.

[Nina75]

Last weekend, I had a guest tell me that one of my places smelled... I gave her a refund and I moved on with my life.

The only issue that I had was that after I agreed to give her a full refund she did not cancel the reservation until the next day, which pissed me off. It was a weekend and I potentially missed a weekend booking.

For taking her sweet time, I left her a nice little review.  🙂

[Luke141]

Ah I never refunded this person as they were so nasty about it.

I had some more trouble guests recently and gave them a half refund to avoid the hastle, even before they'd said what their issues were. They kicked off again so I just gave them the rest as I didn't want the stress.

After that the woman was pretty nice and complimentary of my place weirdly!

It seemed their complaints were a slightly dirty plughole in one of the sinks, only one shelf in the gas oven, and some moss on the doorstep outside. It is a 'rustic cabin in the woods'. I'm taking extra care with my plug holes but it seems you just can't please some people, or they're so keen to get all their cash back they'll say anything.

[Liz4524]

I have had a similar experience a guest arrived for a week stay spoke to them just prior to arrival as they were lost for 10 mins directing them in lost signal then  messaged on air B and B contact have your found the cottage ‘yes everything fine ‘ (guests) . 
The next day they phoned the cottage was filthy I knew it wasn’t as I had cleaned they seemed surprised  I had cleaned and insulted me , then turned their tactics to the standards of the cottage were awful which during lockdown I had put in a new bathroom new kitchen and decorated throughout using the time as normally full all year round to upgrade .  I offered to send my cleaner to address any issues as I wanted to make it right ( by the way their only cleaning issues was toothpaste in the holder and the towels  this I didn’t understand as almost new I laundered them and folded prior to their arrival and pointed them to fresh ones in the wardrobe .. later I discovered cleaning products had been used on my towels by them causing bleach spots they did use them incidentally probably before they sprayed them ) they weren’t interested 
I directed them to air B and B 

I phoned straight away to what my position is as not been in this before and then heard about the 24 hour guest refund policy 

I kept ringing every 2 hours the ambassadors were helpful and just told that the guests hadn’t contacted them and that a resolution member would contact me . Mid day I got a message from them saying thank you for contacting them and I wish to cancel I replied no contact me by phone ASAP . 
The next day a case manger said he was overtaking the case and will be in touch 

no phone call 

Monday (3rd empty night) message 3.40pm 

guests submitting pictures 5.30pm 

message liz not looking good .. 

by this time a was completely distraught as still no verbal contact to ask me about my side of events the threatening of bad reviews , insults and absolutely no interest in trying to resolve from the guests even though they stayed the night and left all their pits unwashed , sprayed cleaning products on my towels marking them so I have to buy new ones and left personal rubbish in bins … opened bottle of wine on the side and the telly on and stained tea towel red wine 

I finally got a phone call from the case manager and we discussed the pictures 

a rubber door mat with footprints it had been raining their footprints as I had washed ( dismisses) 

the towels which I explained I left in perfect order and spare in wardrobe bring new ( dismissed ) 

Blown up fluff in a radiator grill 

a bolt on a towel rail 2cms with a bit of rust 

crumbs in the toaster which I had cleaned they stayed the night so had breakfast and photographed it ( dismissed) 

he had made his decision full refund pay me the one night .. 

I was mortified and asked all about the policy 

the case manager told me they complained when they arrived Friday which when the guests contacted me the day after Saturday to make their complaint they didn’t even know who they had booked through . The earlier note on my air B and B chat with the guests upon arrival of yes everything fine has been removed !!! Also I asked why it had taken so long to make this decision which was more than 80 hours since the guest left he said he had been to busy and had to wait for them to send photos ( obviously my listing was closed all this time and only compensated for one night ) 

I asked to speak to a supervisor and was told they don’t exist go through feedback . He closed our chat on the support message 

I then found out their is a supervisor I have been ringing now all week with they will contact you don’t worry no response . 
one ambassador that looked at my file said the guests said I was happy to cancel and give them a full refund (lie) so very confused to the point are air B and B trying to cover up a mistake of thinking that too .. 
I am more upset that air B and B haven’t listened to my points and I had been threatened by the guests and insulted , air B and B resolution centre lack of interest in contacting me and wanting to hear my side of events was appalling no support what so ever .. 

now to add to it all I have a pending bad review.. 

Still no supervisor call 

sorry for it to be so long winded 

I like to think I am a fair and understanding person and reach out to guests . 
Any suggestions on how to get my case to someone higher seems as a supervisor doesn’t want to contact me where do I turn .. 

thank you for any feedback snd support 

fellow host liz