guest requested refund mid-way their stay

[Adriana100]

Hi, I just got this. Never happened to me before. How should I respond?

So a group booked me for 8 days. The day of their arrival I messaged them and asked them if everything was all right. They said it was, at least nobody complained about anything. 4 days in the lady who supposedly booked me sends me a message on ABB platform that the rest of their party of 9 arrived and they found pubic hair on the ned sheets in their room. Appaled I called and apologized and offered to fire the cleaning lady and then I said I was going to go there to chenge the bed sheets for them. She said there's no need because they can change the bed sheets.

Also she said one of her aunt said there was dust in her room and asked me for 200$ refund.

I said I'll get back to her.

What shall I do? I am simply baffled. I dont know how to handle the situation.

Thank you for your opinion.

[Suzanne302]

@Adriana100  My first thought is she is just trying to score a deal. Second thought is she sounds extremely picky. I'd be disgusted to find a pubic hair in the sheets, but how can you be sure it's a pubic hair and sometimes it's hard to get every single hair. I think your response was great.

As for dust? How much dust are we talking about? I would ask for a picture. If there is an inch layer of dust over multiple things, okay, but a little dust is inevitable! I would offer to come over and clean the dust and see what she says.

Also, what was the cost of the total stay? ie, What percentage of the stay would $200 be?

At MOST, I would offer to refund the cleaning fee. They've suffered no damages from a few hairs and some dust so that is perfectly reasonable IMO.

[Adriana100]

Thanks for your reply. Yes, I volunteered to go over and run the vaccum and change the sheets as soon as I got the message. it's true that hosts are as good as their cleaners. They said no. I've been thinking about it... But apparently when they arrived nobody complained about dust or anything. In 4 days, yes, dust will show a bit... Now I understand someone in the party just showed up and they changed the beds already. 200$ is 1/6 of their stay. The amonut of money Im getting from them is 1200. 9 people in the party for 8 days.

[Marie82]

@Adriana100 I had the same issue 1 time but the guest did not ask for money my cleaner went back to change linen and brought extra goodies with little note with apologies. My advice will be call ABB and offer to relocate them but strictly no money back even a cent. Because if they get money back and they will do it to another rental in the future. For me, a fair/honest guest should except issue to be fixed but not going after refund for every small issue

[Kristi96]

I agree, I think the cleaning fee should be waived solely as a gesture of good will and maybe a small gift as a further apology. I would not give any money back as that’s setting an expectation for all air bnb users that if they complain they’ll get a refund. And yes how much dust are we talking, I have a house which is in the tropics, windows are open 24/7 so yes dust will appear after 4 days, I just think they’re fishing for money back 

[Sarah977]

@Adriana100 $200 for some dust?  

[Robin4]

@Adriana100 

I take it with 6 listings you do not do your cleaning personally?

You have a perfect record for cleanliness throughout your 160 +reviews, nowhere have you received less than 5 stars for cleanliness.

Now if this was me Adriana, I would get onto this particular woman through the message stream and say to her....

"I understand you are requesting a substantial refund on cleanliness grounds for something you have stated didn't require any action on my part and you had attended to and fixed yourself. Is that correct?

You have read my reviews and will note in the 160+ of them I have a perfect cleanliness record, I clean to a standard. 

I have to tell you that  throughout the industry, this is a common occurence with hosting so what I will do, I will at this point  contact Airbnb and tell them the situation, explain that you didnt require anything done to recitify this 'problem' and I will instruct them to refuse any refund request. If there was a problem I offered and I would gladly have recified it and offered  you some compensation, you refused me that opportunity.

I am rather disappointed you have taken this path to abuse my hospitality "

She will be hopping mad of course and she will back away and leave you a scathing review. You have been onto CX and explained the situation very nicely to them so the whole thing is on file. When her stinker of a 1 star review comes in CX will remove it as a retaliatory review.

You will be back to square one you will retain your full hosting payout, just won't have a review to show for it.....

and then if you really want to rub salt into the wound....flag her for attempted extortion!

Cheers.....Rob

[Mike1034]

@Robin4 I like what you wrote to the guest. I do have one question about the review though. I never had the luck that a retaliatory review was removed when I got one.

I saw that many other hosts posted their experience in the forum complaining about receiving retaliatory review and Airbnb did not want to do anything with them either.

@Adriana100 It is just a bad luck and no hosts can avoid to receive a bad review from a bad guest like this. Refund or not would not change their review anyway.

[Robin4]

@Mike1034 

Hi Mike, Reviews are removed if they contravene Airbnb's content policy and a retaliatory review is a contradiction of that policy. The trick is to always get in the first punch and keep all converastions in the message stream. More than 90% of reltaliatiry reviews are removed because they are against content policy.....its just that the only ones we hear about are those that don't!

I haven't been in the situation myself Mike but I have been on the other end having to advise users!

Cheers.......Rob

[Paul154]

"Instead of $200, you can spend tonight for free. Tomorrow you can rebook elsewhere"

Thanks.

It shuts people up everytime, when they realize their scamming has consequences.

[Robin4]

@Paul154  Good one Paul, I like that.....a lot less work than my idea!

Geez, you can be a smart fella when you put your mind to it!

But I think my way gets around the review bit a fair bit better!

Cheers.....Rob