Review of guest taken down

[Angela-And-Brandon0]

Has anyone had a terrible guest, and Airbnb has chosen to remove the reivew of them? We had a situation several months ago where we had guests stay for 3 nights. They barely left our suite, which always tells us they are relaxing and enjoying their stay. On the third night (the night before their departure) they sent me a message a midnight stating the room was entirely too hot and they couldn't sleep. Bare in mind, we have A/C and they were there two nights previously without a peep from them. I apologized for the issue and let them know we would check into it. (Knowing this has NEVER been an issue. We literally had just purchased a fire place for the suite as it's the coolest room in the house during the summer and had some guests mention how cool it was!) Anyway, the guest started emailing saying they would remove the bad review they gave of us if we refunded them. I spoke to Airbnb support and they said it sounded like the guest was trying to extort us and for that reason they were going to take the guests review of us down. I told Airbnb I was fine with them leaving their review of us up there as I've had over 600+ positive reviews and I wasn't worried about it. Anyway, airbnb took the review of us down, wound up having to talk to the guest and tell them to stop contacting/harrassing us. I then looked at their reviews a few days later and another host had hosted them a couple days later with the exact same experience! Their review mirrored ours. The guest used the same tactics on trying to get a refund, etc. Fast forward a few months later, I don't know what prompted me to go look at this guest (I think because our experience with them was sooo unbeleivable!) so I went to their reviews and both my review and the other gentlements review that they stayed with an pulled the same scenario were both taken down!! I called airbnb and asked why our reviews were no longer there as this doesn't help other hosts vet out terrible guests and they said "because their was extortion mentioned in the messages". The extrotion was mentioned by the GUEST - never by me! I escalated several times as I don't feel I can now truts reviews of guests since Airbnb will take down bad ones and I've been ignored by Airbnb. They have said that their original decision of taking ALL bad reviews of the guest down remains because of the extortion mentioned in the messages. How is this fair to hosts? We have been hosts for 4 years and superhost for 3.5 of those. All of my messages were professional. I even stopped responding to the guest when she started her threats - I called airbnb immediately.  I'm curious if anyone else has experience this, and if not, beware that this can happen and the reviews you may rely on may not be accurate.

[Alice-and-Jeff0]

@Angela-And-Brandon0 - Airbnb believes they are being even-handed by removing both but, as you clearly point out, it is not at all.  

[Roger816]

They removed mine but won't remove the one by the host on me. So .... not so even-handed by Airbnb. Seems highly selective.  See my posts below. 

[April--Mike--And-Maggie0]

Why would the back-and-forth messaging even show up in a review?  Or did the guest cite extortion in their review?  Doesn't sound like Airbnb made the right call on this!

[Angela-And-Brandon0]

The extortion was stated by the guest in a private message to me. It wasn’t in a review at all. It’s very frustrating that now the negative reviews of both myself and another host were taken down because the guest did this to both of us. I even reached out to the other host after I saw their review because it practically mirrored our review of the guest. It’s the first time I haven’t felt well support d by Airbnb. 

[Jodi37]

Not good news. Sounds like airbnb is loosing a handle on their platform.

[Roger816]

This happens also with hosts asking Airbnb to take down reviews they don't like. Even if they are factual. This leads to overinflated reviews on Airbnb .... can't trust reviews anymore. I don't think it will matter if I complain to Airbnb, seems like they are here more for the hosts than the guests. 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Roger816 unless your review broke the guidelines you should be able to get it reinstated. what did it say?

[Roger816]

Here is what it said: (you tell me what I violated)

Overall, this Airbnb has positives but has some significant drawbacks. I have tried to be complete in my review below.

The Flat is nicely decorated and has new appliances (instructions on how to use them were not provided and are not obvious how to operate them). Beds were comfortable and clean. Had all cleaning supplies for laundry and dishwasher.

Good Points:

• Location is good, but certainly not quaint old feel of London as you might get in other locations. You can get to most places in central London in 30-45 minutes via the Tube. Tube station is a 5-minute walk.
• Large Tesco grocery store is 10-minute walk and LIDL is 5 minutes away.
• Large and modern refrigerator with an ice machine.
• Relatively Quiet location (neighbors bang the door when coming and leaving).
• Many ethnic restaurants within 5-10 minutes
• WIFI was fast and consistent with easy login
• While there is free parking on the street, it can be unpredictable in getting a space.

Areas of needed Improvement (We stayed for 6-weeks and experienced the following):

• Let me start by stating that the host is cordial but NOT service oriented giving unclear instructions and then expecting you to know what she wants – she (not he) likes things her way - it would have been nice to get a text asking how things were going and if we needed anything. In fact, many times, I felt like I was bothering the host with questions about how to use the appliances, no salt/pepper, running out of essentials, water pressure issues, clogged shower drain.
• Water pressure fluctuates **** A LOT ****, sometimes leading to low/no flow in the refrigerator water dispenser and the shower pressure varies and is sometimes very low (luckily it is an overhead shower head).
• Lounging and relaxing is difficult as both sofa chairs in the living area are hard and so are the footstools There is no couch as the ones pictured on the website.
• A TV in the living area would be VERY nice so that you don’t have to be in the bedrooms to see Netflix, etc.
• Coffee/expresso machine doesn’t work half the time as pods gets stuck.
• Kitchen needs 2 to 3 times as many dishes/bowels/glasses/utensils.
• No salt/pepper/sugar, etc., were provided so we had to buy them all to cook.
• The hair conditioner was empty upon arrival, when I asked the host for more, I was told to wait a week until the maid could refill it when she came to clean the flat.
• I had to play the plumber - the shower got clogged and had to use liquid drain unplugger myself to fix it – the host refused to send a plumber until I used the unplugger to solve the problem.
• Batteries to ALL the remotes for the A/C control units were bad and I had to replace them (at my cost – when I told the host, they did NOT offer to pay me for the batteries). I didn’t bother to ask the host to replace the batteries since it would be easier for me to pick up batteries when I went to the grocery store.
• Essentials WERE NOT provided other than when we first arrived. For the cost of what toilet paper and paper towels cost, you would think they would be supplied given the daily rental cost. This Airbnb description stated essentials provided.
• Netflix and Amazon Prime are the only things you can see (air TV channels didn’t work) … and many times Netflix and Prime stopped working.
• Amazon deliveries to the flat address are very unreliable so recommend having deliveries sent to an Amazon Locker (one 10 minutes away in the Tesco Extra shopping center).

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Roger816 it looks fine to me. I suggest you call Airbnb ands why it was taken down.

[Roger816]

Thanks for the feedback. Airbnb is REFUSING to tell me what specifically I have said that violated their "policies", which I have read and can't find a thing. The person helping me even refuses to escalate it. Can you all help me with this - what would you do? What is the purpose of transparent reviews of hosts if I can't appeal the removal of my review? frustrating ....

[Roger816]

I have asked Airbnb to tell me what I violated, specifically, what made them take down my post. I think they just succumb to the host since that drives their business model. I am disappointed with Airbnb right now.

[Helen3]

Actually it's guests booking that drive their business model @Roger816 

Maybe it was removed because you mentioned things outside of the hosts control such as Amazon deliveries and because you complain about amenities not being available that weren't advertising as being at the listing ie TV in the lounge.?

many self-catering listing only provide starter packs on items such as toilet rolls

etc 

it's not unreasonable for the host to ask you to use a plunger if there is a problem with the shower draining before inconveniencing guests by having a plumber come out and disturbing your stay. 

you do have legitimate complaints such as lack of conditioner and batteries not working and a couch pictured in the listing not being available. 

[Roger816]

It was not a plunger, it was using a chemical to unclog the shower without being provided gloves or anything. Amenities were advertised and the host said "that was a mistake".  See my further response below. 

[Wendy117]

@Angela-And-Brandon0   interesting.  I had a nightmare group last month so your post made me go back and look to see if my review had also been removed. I had successfully had their review removed due to racist comments.  Mine is still there - maybe it depends on the reason for removal.  Or maybe as my request for removal of the guests review was initially declined but was then escalated to a department that is more experienced in these matters. Who knows.