False guest review

[Angie77]

A guest left me a bad review mentioning that we did not provide large blankets and it is false, it had the supports of the conversation where the guest mentioned that everything was fine and asked the airbnb team for help but they refused to withdraw the review because they did not consider offensive ... is it not offensive for a guest to say publicly that they should bring their own blankets because we do not provide them when that is false?

[Dale711]

Hi @Angie77,

I was so sorry for your experience. I understand you're frustrated.

About Airbnb ‘ liar’ reviews?!

It is not in our hands! 

You’re not alone. Many others include me, have been in a rough patch through the Airbnb reviews system.

Please take a look links below; it happens

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Help/Accused-of-Review-Violation/m-p/1436183#M313443

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Help/Beware-of-guest-will-leave-bad-unfair-review/m-p/1436785#M3...

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Help/Negative-Review-After-Reporting-Guest/m-p/1431986

Nevertheless, I am so happy for @Ross64, 

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/Negative-Review-removed-when-guest-cancelled-after-check...

Happy Hosting!

[Anonymous]

@Angie77  When they deem a review "offensive," it generally means that it's considered offensive to other readers of the review, rather than just to the recipient. For example, racist or sexually explicit commentary. It's understandable that you feel personally offended by a negative review - it's really hard not to - but you've already done all you can do by posting a public response with prospective guests in mind as the audience.

Just about every host can relate to the frustration of guests complaining after the fact instead of giving you the chance to resolve their issue. But when we have a dissatisfied customer, we have to remember not to take it too personally, and instead figure out what we could have done differently. Sometimes it's a matter of just making a little change or improvement to the home; other times it's more a matter of communicating more effectively.  One thing you notice a lot in hospitality is that many people find it really uncomfortable to ask for things - they want you to anticipate their needs so that they don't have to. Pointing out where the extra blankets and towels are stored might be a useful step to add to the check-in routine.

[Angie77]

You are absolutely right, this situation has discouraged me a lot because I try to attend to each guest with great care, it doesn't bother me that people express themselves but they do tell lies. In the end I am left with a feeling that Airbnb does not support and protect you enough as a host.

[Anonymous]

@Angie77   There are lies, and then there are misperceptions. Sometimes a guest genuinely believes that a feature is missing, when in actuality they just failed to find it or ask about it. Other times, the guest arrives with the wrong expectations because they didn't read the listing carefully enough. I don't personally see censorship of their opinions as the answer to this - that would be unfair to the guest as well as to the prospective guests who can make a better-informed decision if they see a critical perspective.

[Rene2450]

I am new here 1+ month i had the same issue with a liar guest 

she cancelled day of check in yet she got to review

her lies are far worse than blankets she said my home stinks my building stinks the neighborhood stinks

“very smelly smell” rancid smell, puke everywhere, mildew 

She harassed me so I blocked her, 4 hours after my block she reviews the 1 star 

airbnb wont remove her lies so no more bookings

[Rebecca70]

I had the same issue, if you reimburse the guest almost the whole booking fee, they change their time. That's what they want, they don't say it but that is really what they are after, a free for them stay at your house. Airbnb left the review up for a month. I fought it because they didn't stay and I won but no bookings for a month. Another issue is when guest let their pets pee and poop in the house. I reported damage fees and Airbnb let the guest give me a 1 rating and review. All for the privilege of having their dogs pee and poop in my home. I fought it for a month and finally it was removed. I have no booking from Airbnb for 2 months and no inquiries. I'm just wondering if it's the ratings or the economy. Airbnb suspended my acct because of 2 poor rating for 7 days. It was a very cold winter and a pipe sprung a very small leak. I asked the guest if it was ok to have a plumber come fix it during their stay and they said no, and then they gave me a 1 rating. Airbnb never considered the conversation or if their complaint was addressed or if their rating was fair.

[Pat271]

Airbnb does not get into the business of solving “guest said, host said” types of arguments. I know this seems terribly unfair, but I understand why Airbnb needs to stay away from that.

The best you can do is scrutinize Airbnb’s review guidelines and see if there is anything in the review that violates their review rules.

Also, and this is very important, respond to the review publicly. Keep it professional and brief, and remember it is aimed towards future guests - the past guest might not even see it. Just calmly state that you are sorry the guest’s needs weren’t met, you wish the guest had contacted you if they had requests, and that there are indeed large blankets available.