AirBNB Guest called be a Racist in a review yet ArBNB won't remove it!

[Paul75]

So as a host you would think we would have the backing of the platform which is suppose to vet the customers who use it.

My last guest came back drunk after a night out and made comments to me such as "why are you sad" "I will find them and beat them up for you", "give me a hug" - These are intimidating and harassing threats yet apparently they don't break the AirBNB terms and conditions.  He called me a racist without any facts so it is fine to call a white person a racist imagine if he had been a colored person and I had called him something else I'm pretty sure AirBNB would remove that!

I can't believe AirBNB has become some a joke of a platform.  I plan to take legal action for his libels comments.

[Clay132]

If you are in the right, you should take action. Hosts should be protected by the platform, after all, we offer our homes or venues, it's not ok to be treated indifferently and not aided in awkward situations like these.

[Helen3]

Hello @Paul75 

I am sorry you had this bad experience but really surprised that you chose not to leave a review for this guest to warn future hosts about his behaviour?

I can see why you would be upset with a guest coming home drunk,  but personally I have disengaged from the conversation and gone elsewhere in my home.

It wouldn't be enough for me to ask Airbnb to cancel their booking, but I appreciate I wasn't there  and there may be aspects to this guests behaviour that didn't come across in your post.

I would definitely contact Airbnb on their social media and by phone to ask them to review the guests review with a view to removing the comment about you being racist.

[Paul75]

@Helen3I choose to not leave him a review because from previous experience if I believe the guest will leave me a negative review I won't bother leaving them a review.

Yes I know they can still leave a review if I don't.  This is like the whole eBay situation whereby if a seller leaves a negative review the buyer would leave a retaliation review.

Negative reviews hurt hosts much more than they do guests.

Hosts with too many negative reviews get a flag put them mine currently has this:

Two Basic requirements need work: ( So if a gust leaves a retaliation review it will affect my overall rating and will eventually cause my listing to be de listed) - If  I don't accept bookings again I am punished ( if a guest has no reviews or bad feedback why should I let them stay?)

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Overall Rating
Improve your overall rating by setting and meeting expectations for guests. If your rating falls below our basic requirement, we may pause your listings.

Accepted reservations

Accept reservations that work for your schedule. If you decline too many requests and fall below our basic requirements, we may pause your listings.

==============================

I have seen plenty of hosts who have left positive reviews for hosts yet if you look closer at the guests feedback they may have for example 5 positive reviews but only 3 hosts have recommended them.  That says that the host is scared to leave a negative review.

At least with Ebay their is a resolution center.

He walked into my lounge why should I stop doing what I am doing for him? you clearly have much higher tolorence than me.

I have already contacted AirBNB and they said "I do hope that you can understand that we are only able to remove content that explicitly violates our Content Violation, which is included in our Terms of Service. I’m sorry you were not able to facilitate the outcome you had hoped with this dispute."

So ultimately a guest can call a host anything the want are AirBNB are cool with that.

[Helen3]

Sorry @Paul75 

I have read your response several times,  but am really struggling to grasp the point you are trying to make as to why you didn't leave a review.

Surely if you know a guest is going to leave you a negative review all the more reason for you to leave an honest one, or it looks like the guest had something to complain about.

As you know if you leave a guest a rating of 3 stars or less a guest can't IB.  And enough bad reviews can lead to the guest being banned. And hosts do look at guest reviews to decide whether to accept a guest, and rely on hosts like you to flag when there has been a negative experience.

Try airbnb on their social media.

[Linda108 · Accepted solution]

Hi @Paul75   Your post is not very clear about the circumstances leading your to cancelling the reservation beyond the drunkeness.  Not sure what you are seeking from Air BNB regarding the review.  Don't see a review by you either.  You have three listings and this private room listing appears to be your most popular and perhaps your most problematic.  Perhaps the shared living situation doesn't suite you as well as your entire apartment listings.  You might consider putting your efforts into those listings.  

I have lived by myself for most of my adult life.  Having a private room listing is quite an adjustment for me.  At this point, I see the challenges of having others in my space to be character development 😄  I am fortunate to have mostly great guests but a few have made me reconsider whether I want to continue hosting.  Anyway, just a thought.

[Paul75]

I am considering to stop using AirBNB as you are probably right.

[Anonymous]

@Paul75 

If you'd like to pursue removal of the review, I think your emphasis should be not on defamation but rather on irrelevancy; it doesn't contain information that's relevant to prospective guests. There's no useful comment about the home or the accuracy of the listing; only a rundown of the personal conflict between the two of you. 

There's not a good case that it's somehow libelous to say, in effect, "I found his behavior to be racist," especially when your response also described the guest's behavior as "drunk" and "intimidating." Since the guest didn't actually accuse you of something like, say, being part of a banned hate organization, you're pretty much even on that count. 

[Paul75]

I disagree if someone calls someone a racist that is harmful to my reputation and credibility as a host.  I do agree that his review is irrelevant and emotive.

I have already asked AirBNB to take down the review as it is libels however they have said:

"I do hope that you can understand that we are only able to remove content that explicitly violates our Content Violation, which is included in our Terms of Service. I’m sorry you were not able to facilitate the outcome you had hoped with this dispute."

However it does break their ToS,

5.8 You will not post, upload, publish, submit or transmit any Member Content that: (i) is fraudulent,false, misleading (directly or by omission or failure to update information) or deceptive; (ii) isdefamatory, libelous, obscene, pornographic, vulgar or offensive; (iii) promotes discrimination,bigotry, racism, hatred, harassment or harm against any individual or group; (iv) is violent orthreatening or promotes violence or actions that are threatening to any other person or animal; (v)promotes illegal or harmful activities or substances; or (vi) violates Airbnb’s ​Content Policy​ or anyother Airbnb policy. Airbnb may remove or disable access to any Member Content that is in violationof applicable law, these Terms or Airbnb’s then-current ​Policies​ or ​Standards​, or otherwise may beharmful or objectionable to Airbnb, its Members, third parties, or property. Where Airbnb removes ordisables Member Content, Airbnb will notify a Member and provide the reasons for such a measure,unless such notification would (i) prevent or impede the detection or prevention of fraud or otherillegal activities, (ii) harm the legitimate interests of other Members or third parties, or (ii) contraveneapplicable laws. You may appeal such a decision by contacting ​customer service​.

[Anonymous]

@Paul75  If you can find a lawyer who's willing to defend your assertion that calling someone's behavior "racist" constitutes libel, you might take care to find out who their past clients have been. Based on my research on the matter I think you'll find yourself in some very bad company. Who out there is likeliest to pursue this argument? White supremacists seeking to silence their opponents.

I'm sure it feels unpleasant to have your attitude called racist, but you only bolster that person's assertion when your response is to say they're just playing the victim. I don't know and don't care whether you're personally a racist, but the hostile tirades you put in several of your host responses do far more damage to your reputation than a single adjective in a review.

[Marcelo681]

A guest review also accuses me of racism, as i kicked him out for bringing a prostitute into my home. No protection whatsoever from Airbnb!