ADVICE NEEDED guest requesting a full refund after completion of 6 night trip - only lodged after I requested additional cleaning cost and reimbursement for stolen pillow

[Jo723]

Apologies this is a long post, but I'm feeling VERY unsupported by AirBnB and therefore looking for advice from the hosting community given this awful situation.  Please note that this guest completed their 6 night stay indicating they really enjoyed their stay and no word of complaint or negative feedback over this period of time. 

After two night of excessive noise beyond midnight, I phone AirBNB to get their advice on how to handle the situation that our guest was not adhering to the house rules which indicate guests must minimise their noise after 10pm as it is a very quiet residential area.  AirBnB provided me with suggested wording and I flagged that if I approached them about this issue they may well provide me with a negative feedback as a result and was assured that any review as such could be requested to be removed.  I sent this message on the third day of their stay and did not receive any acknowldgement or response but the noise did not continue past 10pm for the remainder of their stay.  On departure the studio was filthy and required an extra hour of cleaning for which I sent a request for $22.50 (yes, very minimal cost) and the cost of a replacement latex pillow which they had taken from the studio and replaced in our pillow case their old dirty pillow with their name on it ($50).

I am deeply upset and concerned that in response the guest has put in a request for financial compensation for the full cost of their stay.  The complaint is full of spurious claims and lies after they enjoyed their 6 night stay. No issue was raised to me or AirBnb during their stay and they clearly don't meet the requirement to have started an issue within 24 hours of arrival..... as the AirBnB policy states.  :

I am now under scrutiny by AirBnB and had to provide a lengthy response addressing all of their nonsensical claims which are malicious and completely untrue which range from indicating we did not supply a powerpoint on a kitchen bench, to lies about the state of cleanliness and missing items. 

I am also looking for support and advice from other hosts who may have been through a similar process as it now feels as though I am under question when in fact it is the guest to stole a pillow and left the studio in a state which required an additional hour of cleaning.  My initial claim for reimbursement appears to be on hold while AirBnB entertains this guests request for a full refund after completing their stay.

I have a 4.9 star rating and 50+ reviews which contradict this guest's claims.

What should I do now?

Policy for raising requests for refunds:

Start a request within 24 hours

If you still need to cancel your reservation during your stay, we can help you start a request to resolve the issue with your Host. When you do this, you can choose to ask your Host to fix the problem, request a partial refund, or request to cancel your reservation for a full refund. Your Host will then have 1 hour to respond to your request. If they decline or don’t respond, you can ask Airbnb to step in to help.

[Helen3]

Sadly you will sometimes get guests who make these retaliatory claims.

just remain professional. 1. Point out you are surprised to hear them raise these issues after they stayed and provided you with positive feedback 2. Address issues raised 3. Pursue your claim against them 3. Leave an honest review about your experience (making sure it's in line with Airbnbs review policy . 

[Jo723]

As the guest lodged a full refund request with Airbnb they have asked me if I would fully refund which of course I refused as they stated the full duration with no mention of an issue whatsoever. 

Now airbnb have shed me to make a part refund which I have again refused as the claims are our deceitful lies. 

What happens next?

[Pamela797]

My rule thumb is not to discussed 

money with guests 

everything go thru

Airbnb..

also set all your requirements and 

prices in writing beforehand..

Thanks 😊 

[Pamela797]

St

[Pamela1061]

Hi I'm up this hour of the night worried about my first experience with ABB The guest made a booking for 28th and I didn't see until 1st and accepted. Then they showed up at our house in the morning they said they would arrive late evening no they walked around our place and didn't like what they saw apparently . And said they are cancelling Now they want a refund I have no idea what to do I haven't as yet got money from ABB. I tried to ring ABB no such number. Then I got email from ABB telling me to use my Credit Card on my billing to refund. 

So today I just sms guest let it go to dispute I guess ill just have to wait see what happens now .Anybody out there know what happens now please let me know so worried they will come here and harass me.

[Helen3]

Hello @Pamela1061 

Please do go and have a look at the Airbnb Help Centre to familiarise yourself with how Airbnb works - it has a lot of FAQs that will cover most of your questions and help you familiarise yourself with how to manage your STR business through Airbnb .

1. The 'guest' behaved outrageously. Tell the guest you are sad to hear they want to cancel and that if they want to do so, they should contact Airbnb and cancel under the cancellation policy under which they booked. 

2. Confirm to your guest that the area and your listing is as described in your listing so there would be no reason for them to cancel the booking

3. If they ask for a voluntary refund say no

4. Leave an honest review. 

Having said that you need to provide a whole lot more information in your listing. You need to describe what amenities you have in each room, what rooms you have, whether you are within walking distance of shops/cafes/public transport. 

[Pamela797]

I understand what you going through..

I apologize for all the bad people out there..

as God is my witness..it will all come back to them ..one day soon..

[Pamela797]

I have a similar situation , but no support systems set up for Host ..?guest come first 

no matter how they’ve break the laws …

[Pamela1061]

I guess so its got to get better ,I have other guests booked I'm getting worried if they do the same I have to get a harder skin ha ha thanks its just nice to have someone hear me

that sounds rediculous but that's how I feel.  Have a good day.

I'm going to bed 🙂

[Rachel2075]

Let other hosts know who the guest is.

[James413]

I  have been a 5 star host in all sections in one room since 2012.  The other room I have been a 5 star host in all sections for the past 2 years and a Super Host since the rating started except for a review that caused me to loose it for a year and has haunted me ever since.

I had a guest that requested early check in and I agreed to his request.  Instead of contacting

me about a change he arrived at 11:00 pm.  He did not appear to be the same man that was ln

the picture that Airbnb provided.  He stayed the first night and the next day he left for the shore.  During his stay he constantly e-mailed me asking where the hair dryer was etc.  The 

things he asked for were in his room in normal places that a hotel would have them in.

He arrived back from the seashore around 8:00 pm.  I had made his bed when he left in the 

morning , emptied the trash and cleaned his bathroom, replacing any used towels. 

Around 12:00 am he e-mailed me he could not stay in the room as there were 2 dead

bugs on the bed.  These bugs were not there when I made the bed in the morning.  He wanted a full refund.  This caused my rating to drop but Airbnb only gave him a refund for 1 night but did pay me.  

When I cleaned the room after he left there were no bugs on the bed he had photographed .  I can only assume he packed them up for his next stay.  He had a bag

of Chinese food that the red sauce had dripped all over my rug and the stain was very

hard to remove.

Airbnb did not consider all my excellent reviews and I was stuck with his review.

In another situation I had a monthly guest leave for several days.  I had someone

come in to clean the vents while they were gone.  When entering the room we found

all kinds of drugs.  She was a traveling nurse that worked at a local hospital.   She had

patients  medicine bottles filled with medicine, morphine  etc.  We reported this

to the hospital.  Airbnb said I had not business going into a guests room without permission and if this happened again they would remove me from Airbnb.  

They feel the guests pay them the money so that is who they back.  They always take

the guests side.  If we want to be on the platform we sometimes have to eat crow

that sticks in your throat.    Good luck because Airbnb won't back you.

[Helen3]

You have some fantastic reviews and should be proud of the hospitality you offer.

However, Airbnb is correct you shouldn't be going into your guest rooms once the guest is staying with you.

Hosts don't normally provide a hotel type service cleaning daily and swapping out towels. @James413 

You provide towels and cleaning prior to arrival and then clean and changeover after the guest booking is complete (unless a longer term stay and you factor in weekly cleans). 

[Jo723]

Thank you for taking the time to post this. Very interesting and it really does make you lose faith in the platform