Watch out: Horrible guests simply create new accounts!!

Sam3410
Level 2
Boise, ID

Watch out: Horrible guests simply create new accounts!!

Just yesterday I had a guest with only 1 review  (it was posted in Spanish, and the location said 'Mexico') check out of my house. They left it filthy and did not follow the house rules. I requested an extra $70 for cleaning up their mess, only to get a call from one of them stating that they are NOT going to pay the $70, period. I stated I would leave a bad review as the house was left in poor condition. The man laughed and said "haha, we don't CARE about a bad review...we just go and create a new account!"

 

So, this is a warning to all of you hosts: beware of guests who 'just joined' (probably for the 20th  time) and have 'no reviews' (i.e. probably 1 star negative reviews every time they do get into an Airbnb).

 

BEWARE!!! I hope Airbnb will figure out a way to prevent this from happening to the extent it apparently is, after reading other hosts' posts on this topic. 

 

I will only rent to guests with several positive reviews moving forward. This was the second and last time I have been stuck with horrible pigs.

21 Replies 21

@Sam3410   Wait, I'm supposed to be getting paid by Airbnb? Show me the receipts! I could really use that money right now.

 

You're by no means obliged to take on board the advice anyone gives you here, but do take note that the forum is called "Help." Thank you for pointing out that people can create multiple accounts; I'd be shocked if anyone who's ever used the internet wasn't already aware of that, but it's a useful thing to remember.

 

I stand by the opinion that the reviews of others are not necessarily the best tool in making a reasoned judgment on whether to accept a guest. Exhibit A:  you walked right into here and completely misread the room with the baffling (and, sadly, wrong) assertion that we're getting paid. So despite your hosting experience, one would be a fool to rely on your judgment of others.

 

Imagine Airbnb paying someone to say that!

 

 

receipts.jpg

 

@Anonymous  If I didn't already love you, THIS would make me!

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom


@Anonymous wrote:

 

 

I stand by the opinion that the reviews of others are not necessarily the best tool in making a reasoned judgment on whether to accept a guest.

 


@Anonymous  I agree. While a long list of glowing reviews is usually an indicator that a guest is going to be fine, it's no guarantee. Some of my least favourite guests of all time had this:

 

1. The most unpleasant, rude, demanding, hyper-critical, hysterical and unhinged couple that made my life hell for eight days had 25 good reviews. Yep, 25. What I hadn't bothered to do was read the reviews they have left for hosts. There were definitely some red flags there. I also hadn't taken into account that all their other reviews were for short (one or two night) stays and many for whole listings so those hosts were lucky enough not to have live with these insane people.

 

2. My weirdest guest (see: https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/Condom-Girl-AKA-My-Weirdest-Guest/m-p/1223607#M294344) had several positive reviews but broke several house rules and was so crazy and aggressive that I had to evict her. Something I should have picked up but thought nothing of at the time was that almost all of her reviews were from male hosts she had stayed with, that mentioned that she was good looking or "cute", which only struck me as a red flag after my experience with her.

 

A lot of hosts are too generous/generic with their reviews, especially those hosts who have little dealing with the guests. Funnily enough, after I left a less than positive review for the couple above, their next host left a review that simply said 'okay', which was a contrast to the nice comments she had left for all of her other guests. Sadly it seems like some hosts are reluctant to leave a negative review unless someone else has.

Hi all yes Abnb does not have control over guests I know of 1 where they caused $5,000 damage to find out they removed their account 1 day after arrival and also cancelled their credit card. OH ABNB said nothing we can do???   So to let all know ABNB contract says not to transfer money it is in ABNB contract with you. But they can not prevent you asking the guest to pay a CASH security amount on arrival, Yes this is correct as Ihave had this out with the when I had a call from a guest moving in the night before refusing to pay as they say ABNB says no bank transfer or card but cash on arrival they have no Legal control of. I collect cash security with every ABNB guest yes most do not even question this and have it on arrival or sign a slip with credit card authorization. The ones who complain contact ABNB the night before arrival that's right they do not phone US, so this is when the alarm bells ring. ABNB also state the incoming guest MUST produce the ID used to book the property and you do not have to give entry to anyone unless this booking guest Has arrived. I know this because it happened to me, the group refused the Security amount then quoted ABNB riles so I quoted the ABNB guest rules and told them to go th the bar and wait for the booked guest to arrive. WELL guess what they offered to pay security amount but I said it is now $1,000.00  plus $1,000.00 on a credit card before they can stay YES they paid it and I deducted from card. Amazing well there was more to the tale but would make a novel. So just  heads up to all.

Sam3410
Level 2
Boise, ID

I have hosted on Vrbo since 2009 and Airbnb since 2016. I have been renting my current properties on Airbnb since 2019, so all 36 reviews were accrued over the last 10-12 months respectively. I am also hosting both houses on Vrbo where you can see additional 5 star reviews.

Ann72
Level 10
New York, NY

@Sam3410  Airbnb doesn't pay @Anonymous or anyone else to post here, except the administrators who manage the whole thing.  And he wasn't calling you a hands-off host.  He was referring to other posts and how to interpret them.

 

This well-known practice of creating new accounts is one of the reasons why many of us check "recommendations from other hosts" when we've got Instant Book turned on.

 

That plus charging more weeds out undesirable guests.  And adding a per-guest charge over and above a certain number of guests helps with the extra cleaning that a large group requires.  (For instance, when I fill 10 beds, that's a lot of extra drying time for all the sheets and towels.)

 

I know you're mad about what happened to you - I would be furious - but when you post a problem here, people are going to weigh in with opinions and advice.  

Hi Ann, yes, I am now requiring guests to have positive reviews from others. The problem is that both this one as well as the one in May where I inherited a pigstay after a week of 8 migrant workers staying at my house had one 5 star review each. It was only when I clicked on those reviews (too late - after I had hosted these people) were probably fake. In yesterday's instance it may have been a relative since it was in Spanish and the poster was in Mexico. In the other case the review and the name of the person who had booked did not match up at all and I have no clue how that review was linked to that person. Lesson: always review the 'reviews' if there are only one or two very carefully prior to accepting a booking.

 

I agree that charging more is a great way to prevent unpleasant guests from booking. The few times I lowered the rates to an extreme level, just to get it booked, I indeed had guests about 3 or 4 times that were less tidy than average. It has never been a train wreck as with the 2 guests that had 'just joined' Airbnb and had one '5 star review', which in both cases must have been fake ones.

 

Thank you for weighing in.