Revenge Reviews

Peggy137
Level 10
Boulder, CO

Revenge Reviews

How many superhosts have lost their superhost status due to a revenge review? 

Where you get a guest that doesn't respect your rules or trashes your space, and if you charge them damages, or call them out in any way they leave a 1 star review... either you don't charge them or you get a bad review, either way you lose. 

Airbnb SAYS they are addressing this, but it's not my experience, the reviews always stay up. 

 

Maybe if everyone who has experienced this writes to Airbnb, they'll realize we need better support.
(Squeaky wheels)

11 Replies 11
Mike-And-Jane0
Level 10
England, United Kingdom

@Peggy137  I couldn't agree with you more.       I would go further and suggest to @Lizzie  and @Stephanie  that a survey of the top 5 gripes that hosts have would be a good use of the Community Centre. They could then raise these to the top and ask for responses. I am sure the retaliatory reviews which may or may not include the stupidity that guests have 14 days to leave a review whereas hosts must make damage claims with 24 hours would be close to the top.

Sarah977
Level 10
Sayulita, Mexico

@Peggy137 @Mike-And-Jane0  Revenge reviews have been an issue for a very long time and there have been many long threads about it here on the CC and Airbnb has been sent, I'm sure, tens of thousands of hosts' feedback about it. So asking the forum moderators to do a survey or bring it to Airbnb's attention is totally pointless. Airbnb has made it patently evident that they don't care.

I agree, support is really bad at the moment. I had an awful experience with a guest that caused damages breaking the wall, a printer, and throwing a huge party during Covid that had to be reported. Neighbors complained about guests parking in their driveway, entering their homes by mistake, playing loud music on street, drugs outside and involved the police. I had to file for damages and report the guests. Airbnb customer support told me that I don't need to write a review because none of use will be able to share the review due to the situation. Before you know it I get the revenge review from my guest. I didn't even get a chance to review the guest and was lied to by airbnb customer service. Clearly the guests were outraged when they realized I had footage captured from neighbors' camera of their cars parked in my neighbors driveway and their guests going into other houses by mistake looking for party!

 

The reviewed the revenge review, this is 2 star compared to my all 5 star reviews and decided it was fair. How did they decide that and how was I advised not to leave a review when the guest did, that will all remain a mystery. I provided evidence that the review was not accurate and full of lies to revenge, but they want me to share that publicly, when some of this stuff is private messages and pictures that can't be shared. Airbnb is definitely losing my trust there, extremely disappointed... I wonder what it would take for @Airbnb  to do the fair thing and remove this biased review from my profile. 

Anneen0
Level 2
Cape Town, South Africa

I agree. This needs to be addressed. We have to manage poor guest behaviour to protect the satisfaction of neighbours and other guests on the property - but doing so almost guarantees a revenge review. You're damned if you do. I lost my superhost status due to a guest frankly abusing the property and house rule - who left in the middle of the night after having stolen all valuable items from the room! It's just not fair on hardworking hosts who take care for ensuring a positive guest experience. 

Pamela853
Level 5
Occidental, CA

I feel it is a fundamental conflict of interest to allow guests to attach a star rating to a review in the event of rule violations or damage claims. A guest can understandably feel wronged when they are charged for damage, and could inevitably leave a biased star rating as a result. I think a written review should stand, for purposes of transparency, but I fervently believe, in the event of a damage claim, the star rating portion of a review should be suspended. As a host that has had this experience, I would be very reticent to file a claim, however valid, for fear of a 'revenge review' and a lost Superhost status. This undermines the whole 'Host Guarantee' warm fuzzy we get opening our homes to complete strangers.

Nina1093
Level 3
West Vancouver, Canada

100 percent with you. After years of hosting and never having had a 2 star review and only one 3 star review I just got two one star reviews by two separate guests who trashed my place after and only because I asked them for reimbursement. So it’s either you suck up the hosts or get a revenge review that had nothing to do qui their experience but that will damage your rating and Airbnb doesn’t help. 

Tom934
Level 3
London, United Kingdom

It is a flaw in the entire review system. One bad apple will kill dozens of perfect ratings.

 

Just had the same, after all 5 star reviews I get a 4 star from one group that had a party and invited extra guests to stay over breaching multiple house rules (which I had to warn them about), and then following them a 1 star review from a guest that found dust on a blind which made the place disgusting and dirty apparently.  

 

I offered to visit and sort it out immediately as these things happen, even offered to send a professional cleaning company over but they refused the invites and gave me a 1 star review after expecting a full refund for a 2 week stay. They left the place with dog hairs everywhere. Has dropped me from a 4.88 to a 4.4 and now AirBnB have sent me a warning email about maintaining standards. You could not make it up.

 

With some guests you cannot win. Obviously it feels nice being a super host, but in the end if you make your listing unique and competitive you will always be near the top of the results anyway. 

Giles11
Level 2
London, United Kingdom

I've just had a similar experience in Spain.  A guest left six large bags of used nappies in the pantry, and tomato-stained curtains in the kitchen.  I left a factual 3* review of her.  From her side, a A glowing review, all 5/5 feedback, bland private note, and... a 4* rating. This within 2 weeks of superhost status.  I got a warning from Airbnb about falling ratings (another one got quashed). I asked her to up the * rating, she said 'delete your review of me and I'll consider it'.  Which is blackmail.  I contacted Airbnb support and I pointed out that she gave no negative feedback at all, and the star rating seems to be withheld as a bargaining chip, to force a takedown in case of a negative review.  They don't seem to care about this, and say 'it's all just opinions, she's entitled to hers' which is somewhat missing the point because she offers no objective or subjective backup for her * rating.  But Airbnb takes it seriously, even if it is inconsistent with every shred of information.  So I should just be cynical, take down my review of her, and hope she reciprocates?  It all seems a far cry from the warm fuzzy ethos of airbnb, more like racketeering.

 

poop.jfif

 

six bags of poop 'oh we had to empty the fridge this morning'

@Giles11  A guest can't change the star rating they gave. There's zero reason for you to remove your review.

This has happened to me a couple of times. First of all make sure you have a good set of house rulles. Also take pictures of the way they left your rental. I say this as I had a family a couple of months ago that left a big mess in the kitchen. Also trashed other parts of the house along with leaving house unlocked and with door wide open with the AC turned down. My housekeeping service sent me an additional invoice that they were charging me an extra $100 for all the additional cleaning as it added two extra hours to their cleaning time. I sent pictures and invoice to Airbnb which they charged the guest. I told Airbnb that I figured they would give me a bad review and they did but the things they wrote in the review were just complete lies. I did get Airbnb to remove but with the pictures and with a good set of house rules and details about the cabin they agreed with me it was not truthful in what they wrote. So make sure you have everything covered in you house rules and description of your rental as it is not easy to get a bad review removed even if it is not truthful. This also happened when guest when guest brought in several more people than maximum quantity of allowed guest to stay and Airbnb asked them to leave as they got very belligerent and then gave me my other bad review even though I returned their money. I never do anything without involving Airbnb to be the middle person so I have a message and phone record when this happens so eveyone knows whats going on.

Tom934
Level 3
London, United Kingdom

I also do a video walkthrough on my phone before every guest stay so that I have evidence that the place is clean and prepared ready for the stay. But when I actually had to do a claim against a guest for damage AirBnB were useless and rejected everything even though I had photo and video evidence and even messages from the guest admitting the damage and breaking the house rules.

 
Some people will always play the system or never be happy no matter what you do. Just stay positive and remember most of your guests loved your home.