You can't make this up

Suzanne302
Level 10
Wilmington, NC

You can't make this up

Looking forward to some great upcoming guests after this one:

 

-Instant booked for two nights with check in the next day with the message, "I'd like to check-in in the morning if possible!"

-Several messages later, "i'm bringing dogs, fyi."

-Didn't read the MULTIPLE areas of my listing that say pre-approval and $25 fee is required for dogs. Agreed to pay, then said they are both service dogs in training, well, not really, emotional support dogs that are just starting training.

-A couple hours after booking informed me one of the dogs just bit another dog (yeah, right, an emotional support dog) so he needs to cancel as he's concerned for safety. I told him he may cancel and I will be happy to offer a refund, but he has to initiate the cancellation.

-The next morning (day of check-in) he says he still wants to come.

-Calls me 10 minutes after check-in (which I granted to him 2 hours early) saying he's in the driveway but doesn't see a note with the door code and what side of the driveway should he park on? ALL this info is clearly detailed in my check-in instructions which I sent to him.

-He sends multiple messages about how great the house is/Do you compost?/By the way, I have a trailer... WTF?? (trailers are not allowed by my HOA) I tell him I'll see if I can get permission to keep the trailer in the drive for two days, but if not, he'll have to move it. I get permission.

-I get home, the trailer is sticking out in the street. I ask him to pull it all the way in the driveway. Okay.

-His dogs bark at every little thing. I hunker down in my room hoping to avoid all contact. He said he was in town to visit his dad. He's spent most of the time in my house. I think he only left for a couple hours.

-He messages me the next day saying he hit my garage door but thinks he can fix it. I say I'll look at it. One of the panels is dented in. I'm not sure if I can fix it, but I don't want him touching it.

-At this point, the message thread between us is reaching record length. He messages constantly! I'm counting down the hours until he leaves. I make it through the two days, yay! But the messages continue!

-He can't figure out how to leave a review. Then he leaves a review. I have not reviewed him yet but I am 100% certain his review is 5-star and glowing based on his messages. As big a pain as he was, he was very complimentary of my hospitality and home.

-Now, TWO days after he left, he messages me again....."I didn't want to say anything when I was there, but aren't you concerned about safety?"

-I reply, "I'm not sure what you mean?"

-His reply, "Well, I come from a military/security background and I just think in terms of safety a lot. Not to sound sexist, bit if I were a woman I'd have concerns about Airbnb arrangements, even with their measures in place."

 

I gotta figure out how to review this guy now and figure out how to get him to pay for the garage door repair (which he agreed to via ABB messaging, but you never know how people will react once they get a cost). He has a 5 star rating and 2 good reviews. His dogs left insane amounts of hair all over my bedspread and sheets.

 

I know this is a long, rambling post, but I needed to get it out....  🙂

10 Replies 10
Gerry-And-Rashid0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Suzanne302 @Clearly has boundary issues - totally inappropriate (no matter how nice) to start chatting to you about your personal security. Don't respond to anything other than damage caused messages.

 

As for a review - he was hard work so reflect this in your (very brief) review. I'm guessing that he will leave a fairly detailed review - there seems to be an element of OCD in his behaviour - coupled with emotional support dogs. So be kind as he seems ok overall as you say.

 

Be factual and other hosts will pick up on your tone - something like: 'x plus his two dogs stayed with me for two nights. I'm not sure my property was fully suitable for his needs but I hope he enjoyed his stay.

 

Don't recommend him to other hosts (he won't see this)

 

Remember the dog dog hair comes with the territory - you did agree and accept extra fees for this. 

 

Will he pay up? Who knows - a bad review won't help, but a good or even neutral one may not either!

Suzanne302
Level 10
Wilmington, NC

@Gerry-And-Rashid0  Great thoughts! Already decided he's totally getting a thumbs down because I don't want to host him again!

 

You're right about the dog hair, I think I only mentioned it because he still hasn't paid the pet fee, even though he agreed to it.

Robin4
Level 10
Mount Barker, Australia

@Suzanne302 

Was there anything about your House Rules that he actually read and complied with Suzanne?.

 

This sounds so bad that maybe you should keep it light hearted, you never know he might even think its funny and a sort of badge of honour!

 

In your review you could say.....

 

"To rate guests we hosts get three categories

First is communication, I have to give Mr Militia a 10 out of 5, I have run out of sms storage capacity on my phone from his before, during and after messaging onslaught!

Second is Cleanliness, I am afraid his dog is going to have me picking dog hair out of my mouth for months, I am frightened to take a deep breath!

Third is Observance of house rules, he obviously must have obeyed one or two, but I can't think of what those one or two would have been!

Look, he was a lovely guy but utterly unsuited to adapting to someone elses environment. Would I host him again?....not if I value my sanity!"

 

Totally over the top Suzanne but I trying to think how to salvage something from this and humour might be the only way, sounds like he might give you a reasonable review.

Oh, all I can say is good luck....what was his name? just want to file it away in the memory banks in case he pops up in this part of the world!

 

Cheers.......Rob

I am finding that the people who request the most special extras (very early entrance, etc) right up front are the ones who are most likely to find issues with SOMETHING - even though they won't speak to you about it.  They will just give you a slightly less than usuall rating, as is what just happened with me.  Not only did they request to check in at 10 a.m., rather than 3 p.m., they left the place - not HORRIBLE - but messier than most, they left black candle wax dripped over my deck and on my wooden floor inside and they took my house key, which they did return.  Then they gave me a star rating which was my first that was less than usual.  UGH.

 

They ruin it for others.

Robin4
Level 10
Mount Barker, Australia

@Tracey168 

Tracey, I thought I had them beaten this is sheet on the inside cover of my house rules.

IMG20190107091642.jpg

 

Once I put that in the folder all of my next 42 reviews were overall 5 stars!

But......... that one guest is always lurking around the corner....

The review came and it was generally nice but an 4 overall. The comments were...... the water in the shower was too hot and future guests should be aware of that. She obviously did not understand the intracacies of a shower mixer tap, turn it to the right (red dot) for hot and the left (blue dot) for cold. No other guest has ever struggled with it but....well there you go.

She also made this complaint/comment regarding the bedding pillows......

water too hot.png

 

I supply 6 pillows on the bed......3 for each side. They comprise 2 thin pillows, 2 standard pillows and 2 thick pillows. I was under the impression that an 8 ft electric bed with 6 pillows was up to speed for a $100 per night listing. Each day I ask guests what they would like restocked, this one said ..."nothing" but felt the need to say something was lacking in the review.

 

Tracey I thought I had got around that odd 4 star by explaining what the stars do to hosts and it did seem to work well....

But eventually (as you well know) along comes a 'whacko' and throws you back to square one!

 

Cheers......Rob

 

 

Paul154
Level 10
Seattle, WA

Why are you considering his feelings? Dude ran into your HOUSE!

"Unfortunately guest damaged my garage by driving into it. Cannot recommend"

@Paul154  "Dude ran into your HOUSE!" That made me laugh so hard!! Yeah, he sure did. Thank goodness he admitted it in a message thread AND offered to pay for it. But we'll see if I can actually collect. It's gonna be $500+ to fix.

Suzanne302
Level 10
Wilmington, NC

Oh lawd! Just found out there's not an "easy fix" to the garage door like I'd hoped and it's gonna be $500+ to fix it or it will not open/close properly again! This will be a case study for sure.

Helen350
Level 10
Whitehaven, United Kingdom

"A high maintenance guest!"

 

David3267
Level 10
Torquay, United Kingdom

just proof that some people just do not read, it's annoying but is an unfortunate fact of life! We've all been there!