How do I remove a slanderous review

[Elizabeth290]

I just had a guest check out who left a nasty review.  Amongst other untruths, she stated that my husband is creepy, and that we watch our guests.  Untrue!  

All my other reviews are 5 star, and this review changes that and makes us look really bad.  How can I get it taken down?

Please help!

[David126]

@Karin36

Also she booked a couch in the living room.

[Fred13]

@Karin36Very well said. You are so clear in your thinking.

I just saw this thread for the first time, I wonder how it has turned out for Elizabeth since. A perfect response is not always easy, but if they are well thought out and well written, they can be turned into a positive. In her case,  her response should have been split into 2 separate lines; one thanking them, the second addressing their absurdity with one simple line that should have made that guest look utterly stupid. 

[Jermaine3]

Hi Elizabeth thanks for this posting, I have recently suffered something similar however I was a guest. I decided to check out a day early due to noisy neighbours/bad shower facility/heating issue. I sent the host a message clearly with the reasons why and he proceeded to write a bundle of lies which I consider defamation of my name and profile. I have contacted AirBnb to see how they will handle this. I sent a response which I feel is fair but admitely I was fuming when doing so. I do not understand how/why Airbnb allows these types of reviews to be published before investigation. Essentially a host or a guest can say practically anything excluding the standard terms that they wish just because they want to and not because it is true or false. 

The worst part of it was I actually sent a fair review before I saw the Hosts review which now makes me extra cautious about writing reviews in future.

[Liz140]

@Robin0

Robin, get a life! 

Seriously: people need a little validation, a little sympathy and maybe a little advice. That's it, skip the criticism.

Liz

[Justin230]

I have just had a similiar experience in Australia.

After more than 100 super reviews a GUEST says house not clean.

I send cleaner in that evening,they are told no its ok come back in morning.

In morning b4 cleaners go back GUEST had left & complained to  AIRBNB seeking full refund B4 even contacting me ( Guest had my mobile & been regularly texting about arrival & how to get in etc).

B4 airbnb contacted me I told Guest would give full refund. I take view easier way of dealing with things than protracted discussions with airbnb Help Desk.

I then recieve request from AIRBNB to refund & seek to call them_ rings out.

I tried again today having already authorized repayment but wanting to put my side of story so as not to damage SUPERHOST status & line of more than 100 good reviews.

I have just spent over a hour on the phone about 1/2 hr waiting remainder nice operator but no delegations seeking to:
1.record my side of story;

2.seek assurance that SUPERHOST Status not impacted;

3.suggesting balance shifted more than 50% in favour of poor or vexatious guests _ they allege _Hosts have to disprove;

4.being told that Guest may write "review" even though for all effective purposes never stayed ( they have 5 reviews);

5.that whilst appreciating "transparency" existing guidelines for removal of a review dont even meet exixting legal rights in most countries;

6. troublesome guests can get to write bad review after review & other HOSTS will never know,whereas HOSTS reviews are there for all to see & you can drill back to each Guest that stayed;

7.I have suggested that there should be a place on AIRBNB where HOSTS can directly respond to criticism without it being a "I said"" He said"  at foot of HOSTS Reviews ;

I do believe wheel has turned too far & it is too easy to make damaging allegations against HOSTS. In this case  I have lost booking,cancelled other bookings, wasted heaps of time,lost 2 lots of cleaning & may face a public BAD review & loss of Superhost Status.Bsaically AIRBNB response lets see whether GUEST leaves review & then may be able to do ???

If a GUEST damages anything _ again I have found airbnb's response automated. They complain get a

refund & owner has to chase own insurer for damages.

I think airbnd needs to revisit its own sense of COMMUNITY

& ENCOURAGE
HOSTS who open their homes to GUESTS ,

who until the explosion of AIRBNB also used to be HOSTS

& UNDERSTOOD how hard it all is letting somebody into your home on TRUST.

[Susan612]

Hello who is still active in this thread that has a review they believe to be not factual truthful or fair? 

[Monki0]

I do. I had a cancellation on the day of arrival. Next thing, AirBnb asks this client to review the stay, which didn't happen, because the guest himself cancelled.  Guest had claimed a refund, which I had refused. Guest angry and gives the stay at my place a bad review!!! based on nothing, he did't stay at my place. AirBnB makes it worse by not responding to my protest. on the concrary, AirBnb has sent me a warning! that my rates have gone down after this client gave his bad review.  I am not sure that I am still very happy with this AirBnB circus. We - the hosts - think we are being supported, instead we are being manipulated, working our butts off to get good ratings and punished by the system if a guest falsely gives a bad review. Why was this guest give the opportunity to give his review at all, since he cancelled?  To create a stick to hit us with?  I feels I am being manipulated and punished by AirBnB, who - of course - has an interest by high customer satisfaction ratings, at our cost. 

[Letti0]

@Monki0  Per the AirBnB CEO last June I believe in his Q&A session some one who never stayed at the property cannot review the property. Call AirBnB and demand they remove as per their own CEO's statement. 

AirBnB Norway +47 21 61 16 88

[Monki0]

Thank you Letti, I called AirBnB. They promissed to remove the unfair rating. 

[Monki0]

 I received a message from Letti, advising me to call AirBnB, since the CEO uttered in a speach (well see below:)

Re: How to remove a slanderous review

@Monki  Per the AirBnB CEO last June I believe in his Q&A session some one who never stayed at the property cannot review the property. Call AirBnB and demand they remove as per their own CEO's statement.  AirBnB Norway +47 21 61 16 88 So, with Letti's advise,  I called AirBnB:  The "operator" had a hard time believing my story, seemed not to want to understand me, made all sorts of irrelevant remarks, but in the end (after 15 minutes of dispute)  he promissed to have the negative guest's remarks and below average ratings removed, since this guests never arrived at my place, and AirBnB policy that guests who didn't stay cannot rate a place. Hope they keep this promise.

[Letti0]

@Monki0  Good for you. They need to be made aware of things more times than not. 

[Miki5]

I did, just the other day. A guest had his feelings hurt because I asked him to move his bike from the livingroom. Then he used the key, in the lockbox, after checking out to access the room and change his clothes. ( he was supposed to just take his bags from the front entrance.) I discovered him back in my house when I stepped out if the shower. He left a review that is very negative saying my room isn’t private because of the sliding doors, lied saying you can see into the room with the doors closed, and said he didn’t feel welcome in my home. I feel gutted. After over two years hosting and almost only 5 stars. I understand it’s important to respond above the fray, simply and graciously, and yet every time I write out such a review it feels like i’m rolling over. I know the response is for future guests, but this guy crossed the lines of acceptable behaviour and then lied. Ugh. I don’t know what to do.

[Susan612]

@Elizabeth290. Hello Elizabeth, are you still active in this thread? 

[Susan612]

@Justin230 Are you still active in this thread? Are you receiving notifications that I mentioned your name? 

[Susan612]

@Elizabeth290 Elizabeth did you receive notification I mentioned your name? I ask because I am active in this thread and signed up to receive notifizseiona and just received a notification for a comment a full week after the comment was posted. So I am wondering if perhaps my comments are not being processed timely or at all