Hello fellow Hosts - I had a guest check out a few days ago who's demanding a full refund. She brought her husband and mother-in-law, plus two kids ages 3 and 5. She paid for 4 guests total (but brought 5), and we don't allow children under 12 on the property. This is clear in our Listing Description and House Rules (which she says she didn't read, because it was "pages and pages" of info). She booked via "Instant Booking" so I didn't have a chance to decline her at an Inquiry stage for bringing children under 12. A 1-night reservation, she checked in on-time at 3pm, and checked out the following day at 11:30am, thirty minutes before our property's check-out time.
The guest sent me a note through Airbnb messenger at 5:30am during her stay stating that she saw a mouse. She then also claimed the sheets were dirty but had slept on them anyway, and claimed the entire property smelled of raw sewage ("although the bathroom smells clean and fresh"). She demanded a full refund stating she'd be leaving ASAP. She and her family left 6 hours later, and her kids could be heard laughing and playing outside throughout the duration. To me, this wasn't indicative of someone in the state of panic and distress she now describes. We had a new guest check in 3 hours after she left who noted none of these things, and they left the next day leaving us a typical 5* review. We also live on the property, and noted none of the issues the complaining guest experienced. We don't have a house-cleaning service. I personally turn over each and every guest's stay, so I know the sheets were washed (because I washed them), and I put them on clean and fresh just a couple hours before the guest arrived, beside a vase of roses cut fresh from my garden for her enjoyment.
Our listing is a rustic cabin in the middle of 200,000 acres in the redwood forest with 2 creeks and 2 waterfalls. We have the freshest air, and the purest spring-fed water. There is no malodorous air. In our House Rules it clearly states there's a possibility for encountering wildlife (e.g. elk, deer, raccoons, and yes even mice) and to keep all food/trash secure to not attract them. (However, she admits to not having read any of this). That is what seems to have occurred when the guest saw the mouse; it was after a piece of chocolate she brought. This is not a vermin-infested cesspool by any means. It's meticulously clean, there's no odor anywhere, and it's in the forest amongst nature.
We leave an assortment of complimentary "goodies" for all guests, and this guest and her family consumed everything (as most do): bottle of local, organic red wine; free slippers for them to use during their stay and take home; a snack basket with chips, nuts, granola bars, pretzels, microwave popcorn, Starbucks coffee and Swiss Miss hot cocoa k-cups for the Keurig; individual assorted coffee creamer flavors; fridge stocked with water bottles, local beer, and a second bottle of chilled local, organic white wine. All of that was consumed by this guest. She also left me quite a mess to have to clean up in the fridge, with an exploded container of strawberry yogurt dripping down onto all the shelves and storage bin drawer, sticky pink juice spilled inside the fridge and on the floor, kids' face and hand prints all over the glass panes on the French door and windows, dirty sink, etc.
This particular guest's reviews indicate host comments revealing a trend of dissatisfaction and complaints. The most recent being June '18, going all the way back to March '17 where a host stated "Guest was negative and disapproving of many pointless concerns. A bit challenging to satisfy and please." Sadly, things don't seem to have changed much. Conversely, she was my 21st guest, and my first displeased one. We've had only 4.8-5* reviews and no complaints. People seem to have only had glorious experiences at our property.
My question now is how to respond to her request for a 100% refund. I simply don't think that's justified. I would suffer a net loss from this guest's consumption of all my guest goodies, not to mention having to clean/prep the property before and after her 21 hours spent here. I don't think that's right. If anything I believe she should consider the net amount due me for the 5th guest she didn't pay for, and what should be an additional cleaning fee assessed for her mess, to constitute a partial refund - and we'll call it a wash. Why didn't she ask me for fresh sheets the night before when she thought they were dirty, instead of sleeping on them? (It's because they were actually clean, and she only contrived this weak justification for a refund later on the next morning). Why did she say "We're leaving ASAP" and then remain for 6 more hours? When challenged, she told me it's hard to corral two young children. (For 6 hours?!) With such a horrendous stench as she claims, why were the kids happily playing outside for so long, both days, with her with them taking photos? I believe that, for whatever reason, the property didn't meet her expectations, and she's now trying to fabricate a rationale by which to claim a refund. I'm in the positive client experience business. I do everything I can to make my guests happy. But with this one, I think she's a scamming hustler with a track record of causing hosts misery, and I don't want to yield to her bullying. (However, I'm also a little worried because from all I've read, Airbnb seems to mainly side with Guests in complaint resolution so if that's true, I'm fighting a losing battle anyway).
Any guidance or objective feedback would be greatly appreciated. What would you do? Help! And thanks in advance. 🙂
