FIRST BAD REVIEW AND IT'S A LIE

Bruce99
Level 4
Palm Springs, CA

FIRST BAD REVIEW AND IT'S A LIE

After 127 five star reviews and being a SuperHost for over a year, I had my first bad review that I call a revenge review.  I had a nice young couple that stayed 2 nights and swam all day and night in my pool.  I have a nice casita attached to my home that has the entrance next to my front door.  I rent this very well appointed casita that has a bedroom, walk-in closet, 3/4 bath and a small area to use microwave and coffee.  The price for a 4 star type room is only $49 to $59 in the summer.

After the guests checked out I noticed a large black stain on the bedspread that was like a hardened rubberized paint, a wash cloth smeared with the same stuff and on the bathroom wall a smear of the same stuff.   I called the guest right after they checked out and asked them what it was so I would know for possibly getting the stuff out of the bedspread.  Her reply was, you are worried about  a wash cloth and your bedding that you probably haven't washed in months.  I was so taken back and stated I wash everything and the black on the bathroom wall wasn't there when you checked in.  She said she doesn't know a thing about it.   I'm not dumb, but she thinks I must be, but i told her she was lying to me.  I also told her I wasn't planning to charge her, but she could at least be honest with me.

In retaliation for contacting her this is what she wrote as a review:

"Based on pictures and info I thought it was going to be a full house a big house a back house but it’s literally just a room and a half restroom I thought it was going to be the back house but it’s in the front we didn’t really have full access of the pool we had to go through his house to get to the pool which was uncomfortable. I wish he would’ve been more specific on this stuff. Plus the pool water was dirty and he has 3 dogs so the pool area smelled really bad like dog pee. Other than that the place was nice".

Who rents a whole house for $59!  The front entry was stated in my ad along with only a photo of the front of the house, the room in the casita and bathroom, as well as the pool area.   I state I have 3 minature schnauzers and they have total access to the pool from 9 am to 9 pm.

I contacted airbnb stating that her review mentions inaccuracies and that she wrote this to be nasty and hurt my business.   Airbnb doesn't care if the reviews are lies, or the person stating they were renting a hole home for $59 that is crazy.   If a pool smelled like dog pee, I wouldn't swim in it for 2 days and night.  As a matter of fact, if I thought the listing lied and was so inaccurate, I would have immediatly called airbnb and asked for my money back.

Oh well, I'll chalk this one up!   But I've decided I'm changing my pricing to $109 a night so I don't get low end people that think they are getting taken.

57 Replies 57
Lisa723
Level 10
Quilcene, WA

Sorry that happened to you... unfortunately your reply makes it worse (wrestling with a pig, etc.) ... better to have just said "this review is retaliation for my attempt to address a cleaning issue created by this guest" and let readers move on to your other stellar reviews. You might try calling Airbnb again, trying to get a rep who will recognize the review as retaliatory and take it down. You might have had better luck with this had all messaging been kept in the Airbnb app.

Thank you Lisa , I will steal your "review" for future use 🙂

 

 

I've got enough return busines that I dont need the fill in's with trashy people looking for a bargain in a million dollar home.   I did this more for fun since I'm retired and could care less what people think when they read my reply.    

Airbnb doesnt care about there hosts and give no support.  

 

Ann219
Level 2
Sydney, Australia

I sympatise with you.   Guest are allowed to leave lies and no recourse form Airbnb.

 

I had a guy arrive 2 hours late for check out and leave our studio in a complete mess.  When I siad he need to pay the cleaner for the extra hours required he refused and left a completely unture review. (photos of mess where sent to airnbn and they were aware of his late check out)   He actually left an great review by messagner to my phone and when I asked him to pay for extra cleaning he changed his review to a really bad one...

 

I spoke to Airbnb about this obvious lie and the fact I alwasy feel blackmailed by guests... ie if I complain about bad behaviour or a filty guest it needs to go to resolution  so the guest is aware there is a problem before they leave a review....

 

Airbnb are not interested in Hosts as they earn more money from Guests   

Victoria567
Level 10
Scotland, United Kingdom

I think air bnb losing its appeal as a serious platform for hosts.

Im going to be voting with my feet soon.

 

You 100% on.....Airbnb isn't interested in helping the people that make them there money.  Half the people you talk with are from overseas in Viet Nam.

You 100% on.....Airbnb isn't interested in helping the people that make them there money.  Half the people you talk with are from overseas in Viet Nam.

I agree, Abnb don't care if the review is untruthful. All they care about is the guest "perception". I had a bad review saying they got confused and took a turn on the wrong street. is that still my fault when the address and landmarks are clearly stated. geez.



@Ann219 wrote:

I sympatise with you.   Guest are allowed to leave lies and no recourse form Airbnb.

 

 



That isn't actually completely true. In the app, on an IPhone at least, one can go to Progress, then tap on your Overal Rating and #of Reviews area, then tap on any former guest, then scroll down tothe bottem. There you will see Report review, tap on that and there are choices for "Inappropriate Content' "Dishonest or hateful content" and "Fake content"  I just discovered this, it may be new, but what the heck it is something. At least give it a try!


 

OMG, I appreciate the information!  I'll see if I can do something that way.  I got zero help from Airbnb.

Wow, I found it and put fake content.   How would anyone think they are getting a entire million dollar home for $9 or $59.   And a 1/2 bath wouldn't have a shower (only a toilet and sink).  Believe me, I have a pool person who comes 2 times a week so the pool is clean, I just have to daily take out a few leaves because of the ficus trees that come over from my neighbors property.

If a pool smelled like piss, I wouldn't be swimming in it for 2 days and nights and if I wasn't comfortable at a airbnb, I'd leave and contact Airbnb (they give the person money back if they check in and say it's not what they expected).

Penny156
Level 2
New South Wales, Australia

Hi Bruce, did you leave them a review warning other hosts ? I am wondering what to say in my review to my first nightmare guests . 

Thanks for pointing this out !

This is an great tool for hosts to have.

I went through and read some of my former guests’ feedback, not just their written reviews, and it was quite telling.

I could definitely see a correlation between persnickety guests and their feedback.

For example: one guest whose described himself as gregarious, respectful and conscientious left a 4star rating for value because he felt I provided ‘extremely cheap’ toilet paper, despite saying my property was ‘masterfully renovated with high-end finishes and in excellent working order’.

 

I agree with you as well and I hope Air BNB standard policy will have a guest verify themselves with a goverment id i.e. drivers or passport prior being able to request any bookings with a host. I also feel that our progress report set up is horribly calcualated ...  and the way it is sadly set up is so unfair to the host because if a guest stars you as a four star = it deducts aprox -6% off of your total progress report % and if another guest stars you a five star = you only gain 0-1% on your progress report % this setup is so unmotivating to all host for it's set up is unfairly calculated to us hosts of Air BNB So this progress report deperately needs to be updated to calculate a fair % For the way it is set up now it would be as if you had a new job and if a client were not to like something you would then recieve -6 % less off of your pay and if another client like everything then your pay stays the same or climbs up by 1%  If this were properply set up to be fair to all Air bnb hosts score our progress report fairly it would be set up to be motivating to us Air bnb hosts. If this was upgraded to count up all of the host stars total ratings it would give a fair % on our progress report and we would all have  a higher % which would be more motivating set up for the host which will result in a positive ripple effect saying good job to us.For the way the Air BNB system is set up now for the progress report a 4 star could deduct up to -6% and a five star you only gain 0-1 % . To be more fair all of the stars need to be added to calculate our % for the progress report to give us positive feed back .

thanks Lee

thank you so much for this information, I just have a fake review, and after 4 years that is the first time. I wish it will works 🙂