Airbnb Failure to Remove Retaliatory Review

[We-Host2]

We had a guest stay who wanted to cancel because their plans changed. We denied A full refund because it was mid stay, they were upset. We never heard anything from them until they left us a negative review (1 star) and mentioned that they reached out to us about their issues and we didn’t help (lie).

We thought that this would be an easy one to remove because the Airbnb chat had no mention of any of their issues and they clearly lied in their review. 

We reached out to Airbnb, cited their policy and they still upheld the review. 

I’m frustrated as this is super damaging and has happened a number of times,  where guests are angry they can’t get their money back for cancelling the day before their reservation or during. We are upholding our mutually agreed to firm cancelation policy. 

Have any pointers here or can get me in touch with someone? I do think that the rep made an error on this one because it clearly goes against the review policy. 

Only communication from guest:

2nd night into reservation. 

“Hi there, I was wondering if there was any way I could check out
tomorrow?“

we denied.

“No chance for a refund? Even though I’m leaving 3 days early? This would make sense if I had made this reservation a while ago and preventing it from being booked up and was causing lost income, but I only made this booking yesterday.”

we stated the policy

“I think that is a predatory and unfair for this situation, as I made the reservation 24 hours ago and the location does not meet my needs. But if that’s your policy, I suppose I have no other option.“

he leaves a 1 Star review:

“Overall I would not recommend this AirBNB. It was at ground level on a noisy street and it was very loud especially at night and sometimes felt unsafe. As soon as you walk in to the apartment, the bed is essentially in the porch at the front door, which was a very awkward setup. It also could have been more clean. The ceilings in the hallway to the bathroom were dangerously low, and even an average height person would have to duck to make it to the bathroom. It did not look or feel as nice as the pictures suggested. I reached out to the host and although their response time was fast, it was an Al generated response that addressed none of my issues and helped me in no way. I would not stay here again.“

[Frederick153]

Hi  @We-Host2 ,

I understand how frustrating it can be to deal with a negative review that you feel is unfair, especially when it’s impacting your listing. Here are a few tips on how to handle this and prevent similar situations in the future:

1. Document Everything: Always keep detailed records of all communications with guests, including their requests and your responses. This documentation can be crucial when disputing a review or addressing issues with Airbnb.

2. Contact Airbnb Support Again: If you believe the review violates Airbnb’s policies, don’t hesitate to escalate the issue. Provide all relevant documentation and clearly outline why you believe the review should be removed. Sometimes, escalating the case to a higher-level support team can lead to a different outcome.

3. Respond to the Review: Publicly respond to the review in a professional and calm manner. Address the guest’s concerns specifically and clarify any misunderstandings. This shows potential guests that you are responsive and take feedback seriously, even when it’s negative.

4. Improve Your Listing Description: Ensure your listing accurately reflects the property. Update photos, descriptions, and any other details to avoid mismatches between guest expectations and what is actually provided. Clear and honest descriptions can help set appropriate expectations.

5. Revise Your Cancellation Policy: If cancellation issues are recurring, consider revising your policy to better address guest concerns while still protecting your interests. Transparent communication about policies can help manage guest expectations.

6. Create a Custom Welcome Book: Consider providing a detailed welcome book that includes information about the property, local amenities, and emergency contacts. This can help manage guest expectations and reduce the likelihood of misunderstandings. Many hosts find that a well-crafted welcome book can enhance the guest experience and improve reviews. You might find useful templates at here. or simply search google

I hope these suggestions help you navigate this challenge. Best of luck, and I hope you receive more positive reviews moving forward!

[We-Host2]

1. we kept all communication on Airbnb 

2. Will reach out or Airbnb again 

3. Will do this of course if the review remains 

4. we can add our policy again to this

5. the only policy that would have been better for this guest would be flexible and we’re not doing that one and it isn’t the most popular setting in our market

6. we have had this already for years

[Marie8425]

@We-Host2 

Try approach like this

Say nothing to Airbnb about the cancellation,  I agree  with you the guests reason but he doesn't mention that you mentioning it is not good.

Specifically "I reached out to the host"  No Guest didn't

"Al generated response that addressed none of my issue"  I do not have the ability on the ABB Platform to generate AI responses"

Two simple untrue statements.  Nothing else.

[We-Host2]

Not only that but the “entrance” he is talking about is the back b patio door, there is a front entrance door that is primary entrance. So that’s completely false as well. 

[Marie8425]

@Paula  Spammer  Not a host selling templates