Nightmare guest at last!

Robin4
Level 10
Mount Barker, Australia

Nightmare guest at last!

I think I am in the process of hosting my nightmare guest....and unfortunately it is a 9 night reservation.

 

The booking message was OK except the guests profile says he  joined Airbnb in 2019 stating he resides in Adelaide South Australia. But his message says that he resides in New Zealand, and has for some considerable years. No other red flags though.

 

On arrival I realised, I had nothing in common with this guest, we were from different planets. You can tell just by that couple of opening sentences what the experience is going to be like....there was absolutely no level of empathy there for me! He looked through the cottage without bringing in his wife/partner and appeared to be not the slightest bit interested in what I was saying, walking away to look at something else while I was explaining aspects of what I offer, and what I don't.

After a few hours he came up to me and said, "the TV doesn't work"! I went in and switched it on to find out he had accessed analogue function which is not used in Australia, as soon as I switched to source and digital the TV worked fine. His comment was, "Could not have handled 9 days without a TV"! To him, It wasn't his fault, it was the TV's!

I have lost track of the number of people who have come and gone over the past few days, but the thing that has me so worked up.....the weather has been beautiful here for the past week! Daytime temps in the upper 20s and nighttime around 20c.... The air-conditioning would potentially have run nonstop since they have been here. They leave at 8.30 in the morning and return at midnight, they leave the air con running when they depart. Fortunately I have a sensor override that turns the Aircon off 8 minutes after they walk out the front gate, so that problem is solved but, they run it through every night until the sensor turns it off when they leave the next day. They are totally thoughtless energy vandals, they are using the facility because it is there, not because they need it. The poor Air con which is set on 'Auto' is rocking between heating and cooling all night long!

 

I still don't know what her name is....this afternoon Ade was working in the garden when they came back and she introduced herself deliberately to the both of them. He said....."I met you yesterday, remember"! and that was it, made no attempt to introduce her. 

 

I am feeling uncomfortable, they have taken over the garden, cigarette smoking like it is going out of style. I got permission from them to service the cottage today. change the linens, vacuum and mop, new towels, replace condiments. I was faced with a challenging sight! 

Half way through the stay  and I can truly stay I can't wait for this one to finish.....and that is sad, all those wonderful guests I have had I won't remember down the track, but I will remember this one though. Such a pity, I would have liked this one to be one of those high notes as we are off away for three weeks after this.

It had to happen sooner or later.....I guess this is, later! 

Sorry,  just needed to get it off my chest!

 

Cheers......Rob

67 Replies 67
Robin4
Level 10
Mount Barker, Australia

@Frances41 

Bad luck Frances, it does look like you have been stung, and I feel sorry for you.

 

You know most people on this earth are decent lovely people, it is unfortunate the ones we get to hear about, are not!

 

Cheers......Rob

Mike-And-Jane0
Level 10
England, United Kingdom

@Robin4 ,

Given that mosquitoes are totally out of your control would it be worth trying together customer service to remove his review?

They may refuse in which case I agree with others that his review is so ridiculous most guests will ignore it as it says far more about him than your listing.

@Mike-And-Jane0 

 

Look, I am hurting that I got a review like that, but look Mike, or Jane,  I own what I do, and I would not attempt to have it removed,  just as I haven't hassled either he or Airbnb for the damage or the clean-up.

 

I needed the wake up call and as you say, I think this review will stand out as a magnet for readers, people like juicy stories, something out of the ordinary. They will read the rest of my reviews and then this one and realise that this guy is like the soldier in the Anzac Day march.....he is the only marcher in step!

 

The thing about the mosquitoes is, they aren't a big deal, most people are unaware of them, they are not in plague proportions, there will be the odd few around in the summer months for which you shut screen doors when inside and light a citronella candle if sitting outside or rub a bit of Aeroguard on arms and legs. You discourage them......In 400+ guests nobody else has previously found it an issue worth mentioning!

 

Same with the spider thing, I would bet everything I own he did not see two huntsman spiders in the cottage, I don't think I have ever seen one in there, let alone two. And in any case huntsman's are gentle giants, they don't bite, they are not venomous, If I do encounter one in the house I just entice it onto my hand and put it outside....they are interested in mosquitoes, not people!

 

Like I have said in my other posts here, it's in the past, it's that nightmare I would prefer not to have again!

 

Cheers......Rob

@Robin4 A few months ago I added this blurb to the 'other things to note section' to ward off the idiots who really have no concept of nature. Whether they read it or not, I don't know, but it gives me piece of mind putting some blame on them.

 

Screen Shot 2020-02-17 at 8.28.23 AM.png

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Hi @Emilia42   

 

I live in Germany which is 4000 miles from where You are and we have the same situation here. Bugs are attracted by light and if You leave the door open they will fly in.

 

So what we're learning from this thread is that this problem exists in Australia, America and Europe, maybe worldwide.

 

Haha, I think you may be right @Ute42. Unfortunately, when a guest calls Airbnb for a refund, they apparently do not have the same problems. 

Mine was my second guest. Just left 4 days of anxiety.

No conversation. Asked to stay extra check out time . Left all 9 extra towels soaking in the bath.

complained of us having a French press. 

 

Mark116
Level 10
Jersey City, NJ

LOL, my most recent guest sadly appears to have smoked everything he could get his hands on, cigarettes, weed and vaping, as well as something else, that was smoked from a rounded piece of tin foil that left cracked black ash like residue.  And didn't really bother to hide it, as there are ashes and weed leaves on the coffee table, rolling papers left in the bedroom and then the crazy home made tin foil smoking apparatus in the trash.