Fictional guest profiles and retaliatory derogatory reviews

[Else5]

Can anyone please eprovide me with a phone number where I can speak to an AirBnB representative about two guest profiles that are working together on a scheme where they book rooms for a certain number of people and show up with far more guests? 

In my situation the profiles on AirBnB did not match the information they provided in person when they arrived. Also, this pair used intimidation and threats when I kindly asked them not to utilize my kitchen and other areas of our house that they had not rented - and I had told them would not be available for use.

They booked private rooms (which is all we rent out) for 7 persons, but in excess of 20 people showed up, and they more or less took over our house with children running around, people sitting and laying with their shoes on in our fine living room and other rooms that we had made clear were not for use by AirBnB guests. Suitcases, bags and coolers were placed all over our living room and kitchen, and when I kindly asked that they please put their things in the rooms that they had rented, they responded with intimidation and personal attacks, and refused to comply with the clearly stated house rules.

I let them stay, and asked them later if everything was OK; which they responded positively to and it was obvious that they were enjoying themselves. Despite having cleared up what I suggested being a "miscommuncation", they left a review that was derogatory and filled with purely fabricated statements about the situation. Their review is so far off anything any of our other guests have said, and as such is a statistical anomality and should be removed based on its personal attacks and falsehoods, but I can't get hold of AirBnB to provide them the documented facts about this situation (thank God for the messaging feature on AirBnB, because it clearly documents that what they have said are lies and misrepresentations).

As a result of this fraudulent activity and horrible fictional review, my rating is now below a 4  (was 5!) and I have received a warning from AirBnB that I may be suspended as an AirBnB host!

Anyone have any suggestions, as I have asked my attorney to file a 'defamation of character' lawsuit against AirBnB, since the guest profiles are fraudulent and I cannot use them to reach the persons who call themselves "Dennis" and "Stephanie". 

I hope someone is able to assist in this matter, as it is a disgrace and a potential threat to any AirBnB host to let this kind of a guest scam get a foothold. 

[Ali40]

First, you should not have allowed these guests to enter the premises when they showed up with extra people. In such a case you should immediately contact Airbnb and have them cancel the reservation on their end with no penalty to you for misrepresenting the number of people. . Next, flag these guests by clicking the flag under their profile. Also when reviewing the guests, do so honestly without too much detail, but then in the private feedback to Airbnb report the issues. 

1. Contacting Airbnb's Community Experts

The easiest and quickest way to get answers to any issues is through contacting Airbnb's Community Experts. If they cannot answer your question, they have the ability to re-route you to Airbnb

Step 1: Visit https://www.airbnb.ca/help/contact_us

Step 2: From the bottom of the screen, choose either "My question is about something else" or "I have a different issue"

Step 3: Follow the prompts to figure out what best describes your issues. Some things you choose will take you to specific information whereas others you can fill in the text box and submit your question.

When you submit a question, you can expect an answer back from a Community Expert quickly. If the Community Expert cannot help you, they can re-route your issue to Airbnb who will then contact you. Airbnb Community Experts do not have access to your account information so if it is a question that can only be answered with account information, they will re-route you automatically. Airbnb Community Experts are available 24/7 and again, usually you will have an answer from them within minutes.

1. Contacting Airbnb Via Twitter

I find the second best and easiest way to contact Airbnb regarding any issues I may be having is by using Twitter. Airbnb seems to have dedicated staff who monitor their Twitter feeds and I usually hear back from them within 1 day of posting my isssue.

Step 1: Log into Twitter

Step 2: Search for @Airbnbhelp and choose "Follow" them

Step 3: Send a Direct Message (DM) explaining your issue and wait for their response. They may ask for information such as your listing but always provide it over DM so it is not public.

1. Calling Airbnb's Customer Experience Line

***Please note that these phone numbers and any numbers below are meant for URGENT MATTERS so it is best to use the above two methods first***

Here are the phone numbers for Airbnb. If the area where you are hosting is not listed, check out the two ways below this list in order to find their number for your area.

United States and Canada +1-415-800-5959
+1-855-424-7262 (toll-free)

[Ali40]

And why did you leave them a nice review?!!!!??? Now the next host will not be warned of these horrible guests!

[Else5]

I left them an OK review based on what I thought was a "resolved" situation. Since we have to leave a review before the guests, I also didn't want to risk aggravating them further by leaving a bad review. A not so nice learning experience. 

Thanks for responding. You are right, I could have not left a review at all (which is what I wanted to).

[Else5]

Thank you very much. This was extremely useful.

[Jeff158]

Hi Else

Very difficult situation to find yourself in, You should not have let any of them in, confronted with 20 peope I think I would have phoned the police.

Below are some phone numbers:

Canada 1-855-424-7262
Taiwan 0800 868 313
United Kingdom +44 203 318 1111
United States +1-415-800-5959
+1-855-424-7262 (toll-free)
Argentina +54 11 53 52 78 88
Australia +61 2 8520 3333
Austria +43 72 08 83 800
Brazil +55 21 3958-5800
Chile +56229380777
China +86 10 5904 5310
400 890 0309 (shared-cost)
Denmark +45 89 88 20 00
France +33 1 84 88 40 00
Germany +49 30 30 80 83 80 Or,
Germany +49 30 31 19 91 75
Greece +30 211 1989888
Hong Kong +852 5808 8888
Ireland +353 1 697 1831
Israel +972 3 939 9977
Italy +39-06-99366533
Japan +81 3 4580 0999
+81 800 100 1008 (toll-free)
Mexico +52 55 41 70 43 33
Netherlands +31 20 52 22 333
New Zealand +64 4 4880 888
Norway +47 21 61 16 88
Peru +51 1 7089777
Poland +48 22 30 72 000
Portugal +351 30 880 3888
Puerto Rico +1 787 919-0880
Russia +74954658090
88003017104 (toll-free)
South Korea +82 2 6022 2499
+82 808 220 230 (toll-free)
Spain +34 91 123 45 67
Sweden +46 844 68 12 34
Switzerland +41 43 50 84 900

For Superhosts in North America only (they will verify you I believe when you call in):
+1-647-945-9627

One can also try Twitter as well if it's not an urgent request:
@AirbnbHelp

[Else5]

Thanks Jeff,

Very useful info and good advice. I feel a bit like a gutless twit, but that's just me trying to accomodate and make the best out of the situation. I just didn't expect that, and will let my attorney handle things if AirBnB doesn't have that nasty review removed.

It is really bad for my professional reputation; especially the extra add-on where  they made me out to be confrontational and a "drunk" with trust issues (LOL!). I loved the comment about me having bragged about having a PhD in psychology (what??) -

That's what happens when you put together the fact that I was wearing a Harvard University T-shirt when I asked why they were being so confrontational; as I was merely suggesting that there must be some miscommunication about the use of my kitchen vs. the kitchenette they had available in the apartment... I said that unless she had a PhD in Psychology I would rather not be psychoanalyzed like this in front of my 14-year old daughter (ha-ha).

Oh well - how nice to know that there are other hosts out there who care enough to give me some advice.

Thank you everyone - Much appreciated! :))

[Monika64]

@Else5 I don't know how you are going to fix this 😞 That good review you've left was a big mistake, any case manager from Airbnb will look at that and it'll make changing anything very difficult. I'm not sure if you know that they cannot see your review before they finalize theirs or before the 14 days are up? So you could have been brutaly honest and they would have not know it.

I'm sorry you had to experience something like this but just based on all the stories we read here on the Community Center having too many people is basically inviting trouble. When your guests want to have other, extra families over at your place you will have no control over what'll happen. Those extra people are not in contract with you or Airbnb so they can pretty much do as they please :-((( Or at least they feel like it.

Good luck talking to Airbnb, I hope you'll be able to resolve this and get back your 5 star rating!

[Else5]

BTW: 

I only let the guy who rented the rooms ("Dennis") in, showed him the rooms and the pool area, and then I left it to him to take care of the others when they arrived. 

A few hours later, when my daughter and I went down to the kitchen to prepare dinner, the kitchen and our living room were filled with people, the door to the patio was open and kids were running around the entire downstairs where people were sitting and laying all over the place. A bit of a shock actually. My dining and kitchen table was filled with bags, food, drinks etc., suitcases and bags were laying all over theplace, and three people were in my private kitchen cooking away, using my knives and bowls etc... (the kitchen which the AirBnB messaging documents I had told them was not available for them to use).

I obviously caught them off guard, as they got so defensive and started telling me how "unwelcoming" it was of me to ask them to take their personal things to their rooms or to the pool area; which were the areas they could use. "All AirBnB hosts let guests use their entire house and expecially the kitchen", I was told. When I said I was a bit shocked at how many people were there, they aggressively told me that they had informed me that family and friends would come over. Yes, but at the most 10 and maybe 12 persons; not over 20! They then claimed to only be 10 persons - LOL! I then pointed at the more than 10 cars parked outside, and said it would be embarrasing to have to start counting how many they were (but I had already counted more than 20, in sight).

Anyway - thanks for your advise. It was rather uncomfortable, yes.