Guest cancelled at check-in and gave one start review -- should I nullify the reservation?

[Michael596]

Hi, 

I am a super host with generally nearly all 5-star reviews. I had one guest who canceled the reservation on check-in date (technically after check-in but this is only because of the late check-in she requested) and requested a full refund. As the cancellation policy is moderate she got a partial refund but still had to pay around $499. 

I just learned that she wrote me a 1-Star review, which I am concerned will impact my SuperHost status. Airbnb told me that I can nullify the reservation (and hence give her all the money back) and this will cancel the reservation and hence her review. 

Should I do that? 

Seems very unfair but I also do not want to impact my SuperHost status. 

Thank you. 

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Michael596call again until you get another CS rep. Your guest never checked in so her review can and should be removed.

[Gerry-And-Rashid0]

@Michael596

Hi - you have glowing reviews, and I see no sign of hers - I guess it is buried way down the list just because of the quality of your hosting etc. One bad apple should not drag you down overall I think?

You don't say why she cancelled - if it was something trival or stupid - if so, I would keep  the money and reply professionally to her post along the lines of: Really shocked at this guest's post - we pride ourselves on offering the best experience for our guests.  The guest  did not even stay - but left and asked for a full refund to have this post deleted.

[Phil-and-Dion0]

I have a sort of similar situation where a guest checks in for a 3 night stay but checks out the following afternoon and applied to Airbnb for a refund. Airbnb are treating this as "guest has requested change to booking dates and has requested dates be changed to one night"
I wrote back that this is a cancellation of the other 2 nights booked and not simply a change. I pasted their own definition of "moderate cancellation" terms which should result in a charge of 2 nights + a 50% reduction on the third night, but they are still pushing this play on words and calling it a change. Apart from that we have a 2 night minimum booking stay anyway.
Bottom line is, when does a cancellation of 2 booked nights become a change, as opposed to what it really is - a cancellation?

[Mark116]

I would be really wary of the idea that giving a refund will cancel out the review....airbnb's customer service reps often give wrong information and this sounds wrong to me. 

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Michael596 

quote: "Airbnb told me that I can nullify the reservation (and hence give her all the money back) and this will cancel the reservation and hence her review....."

What??? How could you "nullify" the reservation?? And how could your refund delete her review'?? It doesn't work that way !

Only Airbnb CS can remove her review and will do it only if the review is offensive, discriminatory OR IF THE GUEST DIDN'T STAY AT YOUR PLACE  i.e. no-show .

- If the guest didn't show up and cancelled on the day of arrival he will be refunded according to your cancellation policy.

- If the guest didn't show up and didn't cancel then he will not be refunded at all.

[Kelly149]

@Michael596 CS has not been truthful, this review can stand whether you refund or not. BUT CS should take it down simply bc she didn't come. Keep after CS, they're wrong (and btw, I don't see a bad review in your list at the moment) 

[Ange2]

@Michael596  

 "this will cancel the reservation and hence her review"

I wouldn't believe that and why should you override your policy and effectively 'pay' to have a review removed?

And what about the star rating?  Airbnb has allegedy said, according to multiple posts, that it cannot change or remove star ratings (even if a review is deleted) because of the way the system is set up.