Lost my super host status that I held three times in a row because of one bad review

[Dionne2]

Really really pissed.I have been a super host for 3 times running and I lost it in a mere second for a stupid comment by a low life. 

This guy already had my instincts going , I knew he was going to be give me trouble and I was not wrong.

He already was short and ill tempered when I was introducing the place and his replies to me was rude and quite honestly, I thought was an **bleep**. I tried telling him about the area we were in and he refused to listen. They asked if they could leave their luggages behind till 8pm. I said sorry but better not as I had social plans and can not promise to be home in time. Mind you there was no attempt to inform this prior. They had 3 weeks. I even had to ask them twice what time they were coming in, they got the times wrong the first time.

He got annoyed because I asked rubbish to be thrown out when they check out due to past problems with former guests who have left over 40 bottle of beer and nappies and food with holes in the plastics. I had this all stated out in my terms and conditions so if he had read it , it wouldn't be a problem if he chose not to stay.

When he got back to the apartment  not long later, this guy had issues with the wifi and was the first to have such a problem. Instead of working with my instructions how to get on, he made demands to get my own private access. I did not agree to this and tried to give him instructions how to get on the wifi. I did a test run with my own device to make sure it works and even checked the router.

There was no issues with the wifi.

Instead this guy responds to me saying he has travelled around the world , no offense so he knows better and that I probably don't have an ipad or imac to have the compatible devices and that my devices have already saved the passwords. I was annoyed, he was full of assumptions and refused to even listen how to get to step one of my instructions. I do own an ipad and imac and none of them uses that guest network as I have my own. The bull**bleep** story he tells himself because he couldn't figure out how to use the wifi.

I even showed screenshots step by step. He refused to do even one. I said I am happy to come by and help him, . He got home, and it works. I figured the lazy liar just had to reset his own devices. 

He stayed only 2 days but his feedback claims the apartment was filthy and I was the most arrogant demanding host that refused to give service or help and that I did not apologise.

I lost my superhost status as a result.

This is left me fuming because I knew already he was going to be an annoying demanding **bleep**. 

I take pictures before they check in , so I know the state of the apartment was clean. Making comments like place isn't clean annoys the hell out of me and are lies.

I am so pissed because he claims I was demanding with my requests and they didn't know how anything works in the apartment. They made zero moves to ask other than the wifi and for a guy that claims who has travelled around the world can't figure out a washing machine. I had guests who couldn't speak english and knew how to use the wifi and use the washing machine.

All I ask from guests is not to damage and steal things and throw rubbish and communicate to me of any problems or questions. This seems to piss this guy off that I have a set of terms and conditions. Coming from a seasoned host I had make things clear to people because I have things damaged and stolen and even a guest that was peddling drugs from my apartment so yes, I am **bleep** serious about the terms and condition because we have to makes sure we don't disturb other residential neighbours as the laws about airbnb in apartment buildings are getting strict.

 For a guy that travels alot around the world and stayed in alot of airbnb places. I am suprised with his level of incompentence to be able to work anything out. He sounds like an idiot only his profession states he is an academic, if he only knew that I had worked in that sector too and I know none of them to be like him. 

The guy really needs to stop bragging about having the experience of travelling around the world when he can't even connect to the wifi or use the laundry  and yes my laundry had the labels - detergent and presoak. He actually says he needed an inventory of what was in the apartment. All he needed do was look around. It is pretty straight forward. He claims he had to play hide and seek. Apparently with himself because I don't know what idiot person has this many issues like he did. I have has zero guests before him with that  same complaints as he has and more so ,each guests were happy to throw out the rubbish. Never a complaint about that request.

This is the first time I have had a lazy idiot bugger of a guest. For someone who has travelled alot, I suggest he starts learning how to read because it seems he doesn't know how to read it in my terms and condition. Can't even organise how to check out. Never assume your host's times is always available , and when you don't make any gesture to plan your time, don't expect a host to give you theirs. 

Serioulsy, check out is at 10am, don't expect someone to let you stay and leave their bags till 8pm , I paid for my time if my plane leaves late. I have never ask a host to do that and always check everything before hand and never booked a place I am not happy with their terms and conditions and yes I have travelled around the world but I have never used that as an excuse for my arrogance. 

If you think I am calm typing this no I am not, as I am sick of people who wants customer service but complain about things coming out of their ass. If it was really that bad he would have been able to complain to airbnb by my supposedly dirty apartment with pictures. But no, there was nothing, just a **bleep**ty bull**bleep** comment that now has ruined my superhost status. I wrote to airbnb and I am advocating for a change in this type of behaviour by **bleep** guests. Especially when it is untrue and coming from a **bleep** of a guest.

[Dionne2]

@Helen19 

You had a first nightmare guest giving you a one star review. I had a drug dealer peddling drugs from my apartment and had to be arrested. How's that for tipping the ultimate nightmare guest list. They also managed to do $8000 worth of damage.

I don't react like this if it's no big deal. If he had  constructive critical reasons on his feedback and told what really transpired , I can accept it like the wifi was not working for him. But writing how fility it was that he had to stick to the walls, how rude and arrogant I was ,  how there was no inventory to show how the laundry works and what was in the apartment and again bragging how worldly he is and experience with airbnb homes then commenting that I probably have never been in one. You get on point that now he is making his comment base on downgrading your ratings and that is not allowed.

I didn't say I made the right choice in not leaving a review for him and I certainly won't be like that again. But what he wrote is much more worse than me not leaving a comment. I have read similar cases of one guest writing a bad feedback to a super host listing and upon instinct I knew already that the one guest was full of crap because they wrote of things that did not fit other guests' experiences and there was no real explanation of what could improve the place or really happened.

So where as you may feel wary if you came across such reply from a host, that is your right, but once you come across too many different forms of bad guests, you will start to change how you view hosts' personal experiences. There are two people who will know the truth, the guest and host and I had proof on my side to everything he tried to claim so I had no problems writing such things down because I was willing to show Airbnb photos and the transcript of our conversation which is open for them to see.

I did raise my case to airbnb and guess what?

They agreed with me and erase his feedback. 

[Cathie19]

Hi @Dionne2. 

Feel the rage, then let it go......

I personally believe we should always review, as I owe it to other hosts, and myself. Three stars or lower...

But remember, YOU WILL NEVER INFORM, IMPRESS OR CHANGE A NARCISSIST.

[Dionne2]

@Cathie19 rage came in full force and got her **bleep** sorted. Rage is all good when used properly.

Airbnb revised my case and got his feedback erased. There was no proof to anything he said. As I said for a guy intent on saying he's travelled alot and stayed in a lot of airbnb homes. He sure knows how to complain and do nothing. 

If a place was filthy, any seasoned airbnb user would file a complaint and document the problems . I always take pictures before guests come and it is time stamped.

There is no way he was getting away with it.

Not my first time dealing with a narcissist,  I grew up in a country under a dictator. There was plenty of  violence , corruption and rioting. 

[Cathie19]

@Dionne2 .

Well done! You go girl! 💐

[Cormac0]

@Dionne2 

We've all heard of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd class, but now you just been introduced to a new class of traveller, there the "Scum Class" their ignorant, selfish, self-entitled guests that will request compensation at the drop of a hat. 

Airbnb pander to these Scum Class guests like Airbnb’s life depends on them, So Dionne it up to us Hosts to deal with this scum the way we see fit and forget about this scum’s potential to ruin our business opportunities if you're not happy get him out fast…

Forget about this Superhost tyranny and have some self-respect

[Kath9]

@Dionne2, has the review been removed? I can't see it. If Airbnb has agreed to remove it, good to know that this can be done. It also looks like you still have superhost status. 

I also agree with some of the others about being careful not to leave overly long, defensive, argumentative responses to negative reviews (which appears to be the case in some older reviews) - it just reflects poorly on you. Short, professional responses to negative reviews are best. Also, please, please leave reviews for badly behaved guest - how on earth can we hosts know about potential guests if previous hosts don't review them? We are a community and we can only rely on each other (not Airbnb) for our safety and security.

[Sarah977]

@Dionne2   What other hosts are telling you about your response (which I didn't read) is not that you shouldn't leave a response to an unfair, lying review, but that its purpose should just be to correct and clarify the BS the guest said in a brief, factual, non-emotional way. Because the people who will be reading your response are potential future guests, and they will form a picture of the host based on how and what you said. It's not about getting back at a terrible guest- terrible guests don't care what you say about their comments or they wouldn't behave so badly in the first place. 

So when you are moved to leave a response, sit down and write out a scathing one to get your feelings out, then pare it down to the important factual points and leave out all emotion. Those are the type of public responses which are effective in countering a bad review and making future guests discount the bad review and feel comfortable about booking with you.

[Robin4]

@Dionne2 

There you go Dionne good always wins out in the end!

It's a pity that Airbnb has such a limited way of dealing with situations like this. I know they can't show favouritism but, It would be lovely if they could simply sanitize an obviously bit*hy review and erase the guests star rating altogether so it had no effect on your stats. 

If that were done you would have the rite to have your review of the guest remain accessible to those accessing through your listing, and you would still have the rite to a public response. The only thing that would change would be the guests derogatory bits would be removed and replaced with 'content hidden'. 

Never mind, your Superhost status will  probably now remain intact after the next assessment in July Dionne. It is certainly still intact at present as I have just done an incognito search (Wed evening 24/04...see bottom right of screen) and this is what is visible.....

Put the whole thing in the past Dionne, turkeys like this don't come your way often, learn from it and just get back to being that great host that you are.....ok!

Cheers......Rob