Help before I post a negative review

[James1560]

Hello Airbnb community, I've just experienced a very difficult guest and I know many other have too. I am preparing my review for the guest which is 100% true but before I do, I was wondering whether anyone else could perhaps comment before I post it.

Here is the review I'd like to post:

** <guest_name> and his friends are new to Airbnb and they were unfamiliar with the importance of following the house rules. On the second day of their stay, I had received an email and a phone call which had reached board level of my apartment block. The email stated  “We have had a number of serious noise complaints coming from your property The complaints are not only excessive noise disturbance but include loud threats of violence and drug use, ongoing until 3.30am on Monday and Tuesday night.” This is not what any Airbnb host ever wants to hear and I was forced to call the Police and raise the incident with Airbnb. Once he and his friends had left my home I was able to assess the situation and it wasn’t good. There was clear use of Nitrous Oxide (Laughing Gas), vomit on the bedding and linen and the floor, hand marks on the walls, cigarette burns in my sofa and outside table and even a missing personal gift left by a Japanese guest …. the list goes on. I strongly suggest that you do not allow this person into your home. **

Could you please let me know your thoughts ladies and gentlemen? As it currently stands, I've lost all faith in the platform and have cancelled my bookings and blocked the calendar. 

[James1560]

@Mark116 - I'll modify it because I don't want the review removed. However, he could easily use one of his friends accounts to trash the next home. The red flags were there and I should have trusted my gut instinct. A painful lesson but a lesson I will learn from. Thanks for the feedback. 

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@James1560 

I, like you would want to say it as it is. I think its ridiculous that in acknowledging a third party complaint sent to you in writing and citing "excessive noise disturbance but include loud threats of violence and drug use" you are not allowed to state this. It is after all factual.

Wussing around these things doesn't help anybody. 

Could you still include this but instead of being guest specific be more group related as I'm sure you won't have had these users listed on Airbnb registration or possibly any ID's taken on arrival? The booking guest is responsible for the groups actions but neccesarilly the offender.

How many 'guests' were there?

[James1560]

@Ian-And-Anne-Marie0, it's reassuring to see someone on the same wave length. I'm getting a bit fed up with having to pussyfoot around this in order to not upset Airbnb or the highly disrespectful individuals who cased this.

There were 4 individuals booked in but I've no idea how many actually arrived as I was away visiting relatives. I use a Lockbox so that guests can come and go without restrictions. 

[James1560]

@Ian-And-Anne-Marie0   This post has dragged on long enough now so I'll post what I have based on all the feedback. 

[Alexandra316]

@James1560I absolutely agree that it's infuriating that we can't be truly honest in our reviews for fear of having them removed. As long as the review is accurate, it should be allowed to stand. 

I agree with @Mark116 that people who say they'll treat a place like their own are generally a problem. It's like people who say "trust me"...

Anyway, hope it all goes well and that this is your last experience with this kind of bad guest. 

[Anonymous]

@Alexandra316   (see below) 

[Susan1028]

Agreed...but guests pay 3x more than we do for a booking so they’re the priority.

[James1560]

@Ian-And-Anne-Marie0  @Alexandra316 - I posted the review and it was there for most of the day but it's been removed. So, fellow hosts, you have a guy out there who trashes homes and you'll never even know it. I'm very disappointed with this platform.

I told the truth and kept it short, based on actual facts yet it was removed.

That tells me everything I need to know about Airbnb.

I wish you all good luck and may God Bless You honest people.

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@James1560 

Thats bad news for every host and bad news for Airbnb. Further to your post every host reading it will double their guard and increase their security for hosting. This will have a negative impact on future guest experiences. If great guest experience is what Airbnb are wanting to encourage, they're going about it in totally the wrong way.

If you already haven't done so, you can make a claim against your guests up to 20 days after their departure. Send them a payment request for all the damage: bedding and linen and the floor, hand marks on the walls, cigarette burns in my sofa and outside table and a missing personal gift left by a Japanese guest etc... then when they don't pay go to resolution through Airbnb. If that fails you could take civil action citing your letting agreement via Airbnb and your own House rules which have all been agreed by the guest and are legally binding.

[James1560]

@Ian-And-Anne-Marie0 - I have made a claim and to be fair to Airbnb, they have actually just honored it which is good to see.

** I'd warn everyone that you have to submit your claim before the next guest arrives. In my case, the next guest  arrived the next day. This didn't give me a lot of time to check everything as well as prepare for the next guest so I did miss some problems which I can not claim for **

[Mark116]

@James1560   We warned you:)  But, seriously, you could contact airbnb and tell them you feel the guest's actions were so egregious that a review must be published unless they have been banned from the platform, then rewrite it based on what you have been told on this thread.  It may not work and airbnb almost surely will not tell you exactly why it was removed, but it's worth a shot.

I'm curious, did this guest review you as well?  And can you tell if they are still here on the platform or were they banned?

[James1560]

@Mark116 - Yes you did and I took on a lot of advice from this forum.

I made a lot of changes to the review but ultimately I wanted to see for myself what happens with the process. This has been a good lesson that the community can learn from.

The guest left me a review yesterday which forced me to then leave my review, otherwise I would have left it until as late as possible.

His profile is still active on Airbnb and they refuse to tell me if he'll be removed because of privacy policies.

[Mark116]

@James1560   I can see your review of the guest on his profile.  

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@James1560 @Mark116 

Long may it remain.

[James1560]

@Ian-And-Anne-Marie0 - I'll be surprised if it stays there. But perhaps the complaint I made to Airbnb is the reason it's back up?