Complaint and refund help!

[Elaine936]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone had any advice for me. 

We've been hosting for 3 years only a few months a year and never ever had a problem like we do now and I'm so frustrated!

A guest booked in Monday to Friday, everything was good well I assumed it was because the only contact he made was Monday after checking in to ask where to WiFi password was.

4pm Thursday and he messages saying they have left the property with a huge list of issues, ones that had he called me I would have gone straight round and fixed and ones that were just outright ridiculous, and that he didn't want to go through airbnb or leave me a bad review.

I messaged back and said I'm sorry he feels this way and that he really should have contacted me because there was nothing I could do about it now. 

He was so rude and said he had given me a chance to compensate him but because or my reply we was going to seek more compensation. 

I just replied and said to please go through airbnb because i wasn't going to be threatened with a bad review for not offering a refund straight away.

He did and airbnb have said he will get 30% back for the nights they stayed and the night he left fully refunded.

But airbnb policy says he should have contacted me or airbnb within 72 hours and he didn't at all, I wasn't even given a chance to fix the issues he was complaining about and to do that 18 hours before checking out and having 4 full days at the property just seems so suspicious to me! 

Is this really how airbnb treats their hosts! 

I'm worried now because every single guest could do what he has and basically get a free stay! 

Is there anything else I can do? 

[Maggie-and-Norm0]

@Elaine936This seems to be happening a lot more lately. Feels like we hosts are all sitting ducks!

[Elaine936]

So we're just meant to accept it and there's nothing anyone can do? Sooo frustrating 😔

[Maggie-and-Norm0]

It sure is! That along with no security deposit!

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Elaine936 I would go back to Airbnb by messaging them and copy in their policy. Then ask them to refund you the money they have taken from you. You could also try a Twitter (or is that X) approach as Airbnb do not like bad publicity.

Also, if the guest leaves a bad review, I hope you have his threats on the Airbnb message system so that you can demonstrate it is retaliatory. Good luck.

[Elaine936]

I did exactly that and the reply I got was: 

**

I think it's hopeless and might just have to give up but I feel so wronged by them! 

 **[Private conversation removed in line with the Community Center Guidelines]

[Elaine936]

They did say if he leaves any review they will have to validate it to make sure it doesn't violate any of their policies but they seem to just make them up so that's not very helpful 🤦‍

I don't use any social media but that would be a good idea!

Thank you

[Helen744]

@Elaine936 It is always wise to ask the guest to have a working mobile , to take them on a tour of the house on arrival and to leave your number on the fridge 'for any problems ,please call' . And to send a message to the guest on the next day asking 'if everything is okay at the house.' double up in messaging . if you feel the guest is not communicating. Tell them to please answer each text as otherwise someone will pop down to check they are okay. double up with the messages always on messaging. this way you have the guest literally writing 'all is well'... Cheers .. H

[Elaine936]

Thank you, I do have my number in the house and always send a message before check in saying please call or message if they need anything or have any problems but I generally don't check up on them while they're there incase they just want to be left alone I know that's what I'm like but i think you're right and I'll try that! 

[Helen744]

@Elaine936 Good Luck Elaine.. H

[Kia272]

@Helen744  I'm sorry, but I see you giving this advice frequently, and I don't think it's good. Nobody- guest or host- should be calling each other unless it's an emergency.  When you have a conversation by phone, there is nothing in the AirBnB messaging system. It's like it never happened, and it opens the door to bigger problems. It's simply bad advice. 

Keep all messaging on the AirBnB platform. You can check on your guests that way. Kia

[Helen744]

@Kia272 . Possibly you do not understand the advice as you have never used it . It works believe me.I used it and always had five stars for communication with guests as all phone messages were also contained in 'messaging ' as well. This made guests confident to call for problems which were resolved . As a 'hands on host ' I always respected guests privacy and guests were always aware that their privacy was inviolable. The truth about hosting and preventing issues in a home are mutiple but the need to have 'proof ' for airbnb when and if the time comes prompted my working out of rules suitable and acceptable to my hosting journey . A three bedroom house and a co host. May sound 'unusual ' to you , but it is 'my opinion' and others are able to take or reject advice. There is simply no place within the rules to state that hosts and guests cannot speak to each other via mobiles . The issue is always about charging off platform . as these were always upfront Airbnb issues then I simply say to you @Kia272  that hosts sometimes have to do what they have to do . All hosts have to work out their own methods but I also live in a country where bushfires have been rampant and am interested in keeping 'my guests ' safe at all times. Guests appreciate this and that is the primary reason for my method . It has by products as well. I see a lot of guests and new hosts on here who are truly floundering and will continue to offer any tools from my arsenal that I wish , with or without your personal approval ,also Kia the phone numbers of guests only appear 'after booking ' they are there for a reason . So try not to be narrow minded about people who do not think as you do .. H

[Kia272]

@Helen744  we are going to have to agree to disagree on this one. To be clear, I made no mention of the size of your home, whether you have a co-host or not, your hosting style, or AirBnB rules. 

This about about hosts protecting themselves in a very basic way. If everything you've mentioned works well for you, then kudos, and keep doing what you're doing. YOUR methods are not necessarily appropriate for others on this platform, yet you dispense this advice frequently and without regard to who's asking.

Doing this would make new hosts or somebody hosting difficult guests especially vulnerable, and therefore it's simply not good advice in many situations. 

[Helen744]

@Kia272 Seriously Kia . I always say for the 'host ' to double up with ' messaging. Is that clear?Same message on both mobile and messaging.. Phone number on the fridge... do you think that there may be a reason that guests do not call the host first but go straight to Airbnb and the first thing the host knows about it is that the guest has either left or wants a full or partial refund. ?This is becoming more and more frequent, and then it always turns out that the host was ' on holiday ' or overseas or at work or out of state or  some other reason for simply being absent. These cancellations and these revelations that the hosts assume, a set and forget scenario in lieu of actually hosting  have become apparent ,only because said hosts are attracting penalties and refunds.  Is it any wonder that guests are becoming accustomed in the absence of their so called hosts to asking for and expecting refunds.What I do and suggest is primarily to protect hosts Part of the reason is that hosts 'talk the talk but do not walk the walk'Its called 'communication communication communication and has to be done and should be done. Guests are happy because they know , someone will actually turn up to assist and if the host cannot then any refund is then between the host and the guest..hosting for many people is not a 'hands off game ' and they never wished it to be , but a host on the ground can always judge better than someone who is simply 'absent'.  .  It strikes me that many hosts , are vulnerable, as new hosts but that is rather the point Kia , to give them 'tools' to deal with their early journeys not to 'sow fear ' as you personally seem to be doing.... H

[Helen744]

@Kia272 Kia you seem to have missed the bit where it says 'double up in messaging'.. H