Any help on retaliatory reviews not being removed by AirBnB?

[Brenda1297]

I've been hosting for years and in different countries.

Many times a guest breaks a rule, they make retaliatory reviews. Other OTAs have clear policies and they enforce them.

I understood that AirBnB created a retaliatory review policy a couple of years ago, but for some reason they are not enforcing it lately, even after backing those retaliatory reviews with evidence. What can be done?

[Bhumika]

Hi @Brenda1297 , I am sorry to hear of your experience. Since reviews can be different on a case by case basis, was their a specific review that you needed help with? If you can share more information , experienced hosts might be able to share relevant advice. 

Please keep us posted!

Kind regards,

[Brenda1297]

Hi Bhumika,

Yes of course. We have a home in the countryside and the last two guests broke the rules and after AirBnB notified them, they made retaliatory reviews.

This is the text I sent to the review team, I have the photos and screen shots of messages but not sure it is OK to publish those here. If it is, I will too.

"Michael brought extra adults to the house breaking our rules of no guests of guests and these unapproved guests  parked their big passenger van in the grass. We informed him and AirBnB back then (messages attached). Later, he required to add extra adults to the reservation and we declined that request. After that, he burned all the exterior lights and he did not care of the house by keeping the fan of the main AC ON 24/7. We required a tech service and they did not let the tech inside the house, so tech could not finish his job. Attached message from him stating he does not want any tech inside the house and he won't use the main AC anymore. Now, he's making a retaliatory review about the AC he chose not to use. Attached you will find the messages and AirBnB involvement.

We've also found a destroyed sheet, no towels left, extra dirt and a speaker left as trash outside the house. The dryer vent never cleaned which could have easily provoke a fire and on check out day, he put all the sheets, covers and mattress covers in one wash which almost broke the washer had I not got in there soon enough. Photos attached of those too. I also attached the invoice of only $50 I paid for the AC visit that could not be finished. I asked for this amount through the resolution center and Michael rejected to pay for it too."

Any help is appreciated.

Tx!

[Bhumika]

Thanks for sharing @Brenda1297 , while I share this with the concerned teams , I am inviting a few hosts to this discussion if they have any advice for your specific situation.

Hi @Margaret491 @Casa-De-La-Tierra0 @Rose422 @Kitty-and-Creek0 @Muslim4 , do you have any advice for host Brenda? Thanks everyone in advance for your support! 

Regards,

[William1254]

I'm afraid the advice on having a rule-breaking review taken down at the moment is that it is now seemingly impossible. From the many threads on this subject and from my own personal experience, appeals shared with the "specialist team" responsible seem to be rejected faster than they can humanly be read.

[Brenda1297]

I totally agree! I have sent several photos of how the home was left and screenshots of his messages and AirBnB system got back to me in less than 30 minutes (?!). Something is wrong. In the meantime, my income is being diminished. What to do?

[Patricia2526]

Hi @Brenda1297 

Airbnb seems to be using a first-level automated or scripted check. If your case isn’t crystal clear, it’s often denied right away.

When submitting, avoid framing it as “unfair” or “not true” instead, directly cite the exact Airbnb policy rule the review violates. For example:

• “This review mentions an open claim, which is prohibited.”
• “The guest is retaliating for a damage fee, violating the Extortion policy.”
• “The content is irrelevant to their stay (talking about airport traffic instead of the property).”