We love hosting, have had wonderful guests most of the time. But sometimes you get experiences with guests which feel like you got a stick over your head. Where we are very vulnarable as hosts. Where we have done our best, but only getting a kick on the back side. And this is where airbnb should stand up for the host, but they don't.
We had 2 experiences lately where we felt the review was used as a "weapon" against us. We were waiting for a couple to arrive, but they never did. Tried to communicate with them, wrote messages, phoned, but no reply and no guest. Stayed up to 1am to wait on them, but nothing. We thought something bad must have happened that they didn't arrive. Two days later we were ask for our money back or else there would be steps taken! What? We replied after waiting hours and hours and trying to communicate we are not refunding. The next minute after turning down their request to refund them, wham, the bad bad review came (1 star for everything including communication). "Our place should be condemmed, it's filthy and way out of everything". They never even seen the place! But I think they got annoyed to find our place is secluded, "way out of everything" (as described), and just didn't want to travel that far. Airbnb just says it reflects the guests experience (even if it doesn't) and no racial marks are used. And that's it.
Second we hosted a group who left extensive damage. We never seen our lovely homebuild so filthy, smashed up. Took us 5 days to renovate and fix up which was very upsetting. Unfortunally I let them stay an extra night, for which they paid cash (my mistake, will never do again). So anyways, airbnb told me to make a claim against the guest with photos and all, which I did. 10 mins later again, wham, there is the bad review, 1 star for everything (allthough they enjoyed themself so much to stay an extra night). Airbnb said I lost my claim because I let them book outside airbnb, the guest says it wasn't her doing the damage but the others in the group and it's a disgrace to ask for money back. Again, I asked Airbnb that the review in no way reflects the experience of the guest, but as no racial remarks are used it's fine with them. Very, very frustrated. It's time airbnb stands up for the host in those circumstances.
