Guests want full refund but not want to cancel her appointment

[Liang1]

Hi everyone,  I have been hosting on airbnb since 2016. I have met clients that raised different issues but nothing like this time. 

Situation: They guests send me a message through airbnb and request a full refund after her first night of stay (around 24 hours after check in). She mentioned about our bed linen was not enough to accomadate 11 guests, cleanliness, not enough cutlery, no coffee provided and it is healthy and safety issue. She also said she would report to local council about the health and safety issue. Actually, these guests contacted me before their booking and mentioned the food they want me to prepare since they had this provided at other airbnb stays. Their account shows they joined 2019 september and not reviews in her profile. I was a bit wired when I heard this suggestion and I refused to provide milk and bacon since it is easily to get rotton.  I bought the food from supermarket and put them in the pantry. She did not mentioned anything about coffee. I have already paid $300 for my cleaner since we use white bed linens and do turn over after every guest check out. She wrote a long paragraph to compain the issues that she has identified. 

Anyway, I asked whether she want to check out. Then she replied that she wanted to continue live for her 3 nights and want a full refund. I have already told her that the best i can do would be refund for $300 since they can use this money to buy any food they like. But she insisted to request full refund and suggessted to deal it through Airbnb resolution team. She said that it not that she wanted to stay but she got no where to go. 

I mean, I have never met this type of guests before.  I dont know what to do now. Have already talked to airbnb resolution team. Anyone got into similar situations before?

[Steven65]

@Sarah977 I dont care if it upsets first timers. My priority is my home and my income. What this scam tells us is that first timers are a higher risk and you can choose what you like.  

[Susan17]

This one's no first timer though, @Steven65 - she's clearly a pro at utilising Airbnb's notoriously guest-centric policies to her own advantage and to scam free stays from the unfortunate hosts she sets her nasty sights on. And when she's done here, and she's rewarded by Airbnb with at least a partial refund for her vile efforts, she'll just close down her account and open up a shiny new fresh one to swindle her next unsuspecting host out of a free/subsidised stay too. 

This is what happens when a company sets up a system that rewards and monetises sh*tty, despicable behaviour, and rapidly becomes known as the easiest scam in town. 

[Steven65]

@Susan17 Yes, that is really interesting and quite scary. You would think Airbnb is "smart" enough to spot a repeat scammer from there IP address or payment details. Guess Not! 

[Susan17]

They couldn't care less, @Steven65 - it's the host who's being scammed, not Airbnb - they'll still get their exorbitant service fees, regardless. And if the guest does close down their account and open a new one, all the better! That'll count as yet another "new" guest to add to the ranks, and boost that $38 billion valuation. Every little helps! 

[Sarah977]

@Steven65  I just hope you at least appreciate the hosts who do accept newbie guests and review them so the hosts who refuse to accept them can benefit from the reviews we leave.

[Liang1]

Actually, no profile picture and no description about herself. I think I should be more alerted at the beginning. 

[Ann72]

@Liang1  100% scam.  She has no reviews because as @Chastity3 said she simply created a new account - and she probably did this after getting called out and reviewed badly by other hosts she tried to scam.  Let her review you badly and write a short, to-the-point response.

[Pat347]

I think you should not give them full refund. Before Airbnb will refund to her, they will need a consent from you first and if you not allow to, they would get partial refund. They already stay 1 night, so no way get a full refund. You will get bad review anyway either you gave her full refund or not, mine as well get pay for it. 

[Liang1]

Sadly, they refuse to leave so they stayed for the days she planned and agreed to refund 50%. Dont want to spend too much time on these guests. 

[Alice595]

@Liang1  You may do the following as soon as possible

(1) Ask Airbnb to cancel their stay and agree to refund the guests unused nights immediately. Otherwise, they would stay and still get refund from Airbnb if not full.

(2) After Airbnb cancel their reservation, tell them to leave your house immediately since their contract is over.

(3) Write your review stating all issues they caused and rate them 1 star in all three categories after you get the notification for writing review.

[Liang1]

Yes, thanks for everyone's suggestion and help. Just let you know what it ended up with. I agreed with 50% refund since I feel like her refund request was planned before her arrival and I just wanted to move on. So i did not try to negotiate the price with her. 

However, next time i will definitely insist to cancel the reservation and ask guests to leave. But hope i wont have this kind of guests anymore.