Refunds for a Guest Complaint?

[Marla43]

Hi, we're looking for some advice.  We listed our home for rent, and it sits on a pond and has a pool.  Our guests, who stayed 10 days,  just requested a 1/3 refund because  they felt the pool temperature was too cold.  The home is near Cape Cod, and is outdoor temperature- between 75 and 82 degrees.  They stayed the entire scheduled time, had use of the grounds, the pond (kayaks, etc.), and the pool, although not at a temperature to their liking.  No one else who's stayed this summer has ever mentioned the water temperature.  Any thoughts?

We're fairly new hosts but have about 10 reviews, all 5*, so we're concerned about the impact of one bad review.  Thanks!

[Sarah977]

@Marla43  Uh-uh. If guests have complaints about anything, the Airbnb protocol is for them to let the host know during the stay and give the host an opportunity to address it. If the issue is egregious enough and the host can't, or won't do anything about it, the guests can then cancel and leave. They don't get to use the place for the entire time, avail themselves of all the amenities, and then demand a refund after the fact. These are scammer guests. A non-scammer guest who found the pool temp too cold would simply have messaged during the stay to see if you could turn up the heat, or sent private feedback after they left mentioning that they found it a bit too cold.

I know it's distressing to think that not refunding will lead to a bad review, but many times, as reported a lot on this forum, even refunding guests like this won't ward off their bad review. And giving in to their ridiculous demand just allows them to think that they can go on doing these things to hosts, which they will.

I'd just message them back, saying you're very sorry that they found the pool temperature too cool for their liking, but that the procedure at an Airbnb is to notify the host if there is a problem so the host has a chance to address it, if possible. Also mention that none of your other guests has had any issue with the pool temperature, or you would have made sure to turn the heat up a long time ago.

[Mike-And-Helen0]

@Marla43 what @Sarah977 says!

[Mika8]

@Marla43  .. do it like @Sarah977 said, plus tell them that you would have the chance to look after it yourself in the next days and you'll inform them. If it is really too cold you'll adjust a possible refund .. this wise try to go around the 14 days period for the review, scammers won't write a bad review if they are still hoping for money 

[Sarah977]

@Marla43 P.S. If these guests send you a message which in any way indicates that they will leave you a bad review if you don't refund, report that immediately to Airbnb, asking them to look at the extortion message they sent. Airbnb TOS definitely forbids extortion- trading a good review or not leaving a bad one in exchange for a guest getting whatever they're asking for. If they do this and then leave a bad review, you have grounds for Airbnb to remove it.

[Gordon0]

I don't think the outdoor temperature is relevant, and I certainly don't enjoy a cold pool. That said, I assumed from your listing details ('salt water pool') was that it wasn't heated?  

I think these guests are trying it on and I'd give them a big fat 'no', but I would make reference to the pool's heat (or not) in the listing, if even only on the photo. 

[Sarah977]

@Gordon0  Normally I'm a cold water wimp as well, but I'd love to jump in a cold pool today. The temp where I live right now is about 33C , with 70% humidity 🙂

[Gordon0]

It's 10pm here, @Sarah977, in 'cold old England' and it's 24/65%  (it was 33 earlier) and I'd still not jump in a cold pool 🙂

[Sarah977]

@Gordon0  My ex, who grew up in "cold old England" and was the biggest cold water wimp I've ever met, used to say the water is "this cold", putting his thumb and forefinger about an inch apart to indicate the size his private parts had shriveled up to 🙂

[Gordon0]

I'm laughing, because I say/do exactly the same thing. 

[Sarah977]

@Gordon0  Must be British thing.