How would you review guests you suspect turned off the WiFi so outdoor cameras were off?

[Sandra947]

I was very upfront with this guest who had no reviews (prior to accepting the reservation) that this is my second home and very special to me so I expect compliance with all rules.  My listing indicates I have cameras outside and I make it clear to my guests that I have an alarm system.

Guest notified me they'd arrive late (~1 am) because the son allegedly had a college entrance exam during the day and then they had a long drive.  My cameras showed a family of four arriving around 1 am so I was not worried.

Since their arrival, I have not received any notifications from the camera so I checked and the camera signal was not connected.  That prompted me to check the smart thermostat -- also not connected to WiFi.  When I logged into my internet provider online to remotely reboot the WiFi, it could not connect to my modem and said to verify if it was plugged in.

I contacted the guest.  Guest claimed tv and internet were working just fine.  I did not believe them and asked them to unplug and manually reboot the modem.  They claimed to do so.  Hours later or the next day, the thermostat was connected to WiFi, but cameras still were not.  The situation stayed like this for 2 days and now (on their last full day), the WiFi appears to be off again.

Given that this is just a 4 night stay, my house is an hour drive away, I don't have the energy to go there on a weeknight to confront them in person about the WiFi being off and camera receptor disconnected from the modem -- particularly since they leave tomorrow morning.

Curious what people would put in the review.  Often, if there is an issue, I'll put "Additional feedback was provided privately" in the public comments if I don't want to embarass someone.  Unless they leave "evidence" (by leaving the camera receptor unplugged), I'm hesitant to accuse them of unplugging the WiFi in the public comments but wonder how others would handle this situation.

I'd also be curious to know how you'd score them -- rule following?  communication?  would you host them again?  

[Laura2592]

@Colleen253  and @Sandra947 yeah the trash would not bother me either, but I don't think that is really the issue. The host shouldn't have to guess at what the guest is doing with the cameras. Maybe it was accidentally unplugged, but when Sandra mentioned it, the guest should have responded honestly. If they were uncomfortable with cameras there are other listings they could book. Its just like any other rule or amenity that doesn't fit. The guest shouldn't get an okay for bypassing it if they don't feel like dealing it.

Maybe I am paranoid because I don't live onsite, but we contact guests if we notice the wifi is out. Sometimes the guests don't realize it right away. We give them instructions to turn things back on and send the all clear when its working. If they can't get it, we go over and try to fix it for them. I would be very uncomfortable with the type of guest who turned it off on purpose for several days and would insist on coming by to ensure this amenity that is included as part of our listing is fully operational.

[Kelly149]

@Laura2592  I could have missed it somewhere, but I didn’t catch that @Sandra947 fully said “the WiFi is internally disconnected, I need you to go find this cord in this location and get it turned back on.” If that didn’t resolve then there’d be more to complain about but as it is it’s a lot of maybe. Which I totally get. ABB’s refusal to mitigate revenge reviews leaves many hosts mincing words about problems. But when we don’t flat out say “this is a problem & I expect you to fix it” then there is still the possibility that it is a misunderstanding. IMO. 

[Laura2592]

@Kelly149 yeah I assumed that she had contacted the guest about resolving the issue based on what she wrote. But if not,  then yes, she really shouldn't lambast them. I still maintain I'd be uncomfortable on a second host stint with this group but as guests often say they want to return but don't,  maybe the issue won't even come up!

[Kelly149]

@Laura2592  For sure, unintentional or not, I would want them to go elsewhere for their next trip. Too much bad juju whether they know it or not. 

[Kelly149]

None of us know your setup @Sandra947  but unless those cables are locked up and specifically labeled “WiFi cord: DO NOT unplug” then it doesn’t sound to be an open/shut case. They could have just needed another outlet. 

 I’d be rethinking my setup & then write a lukewarm review, thumbs down for don’t want to host again and leave it at that. 

reviews are best for things we “know” as opposed to things we “think”. 

[Sandra947]

Thanks -- appreciate the input.  I expressly contacted the guests and indicated that it seems that the internet was out, noting that I could not get a signal anymore from the smart thermostat and claimed that I was receiving alerts from the alarm system indicating it could not connect to the WiFi.  (This second half of the explanation was a bit of a fib because the alarm system on the doors was still sending me a signal of when doors were opening and closing because that's not connected to WiFi. Guests know the alarm system on the door is active because it will announce outloud when a door is opened.  I did not expressly mention the outside cameras because that can make people uncomfortable.  The outside cameras need to connect to the WiFi and could not because the modem was unplugged and because they'd unplugged the power to the camera receiver which plugs into the modem & wall). 

When I contacted the guests, I asked if the internet was out and she claimed no, everything seemed to be working fine.  I knew that was not true so I said, regardless, could she please reboot the modem and check to ensure it is working?  She claimed they did.  

I could log-in to my account with the internet service provider and it could not detect a signal before or after I contacted the guests (so it recommended to check that the modem was plugged in).  At that point, I was convinced they were lying and had unplugged the modem.  I checked the status of the modem this way several times during their stay and it consistently said to check that the modem was connected to power.  

When the smart thermostat started reading right after they left, the internet service provider's link said were no issues connecting to the modem and no problems.

Because the guests arrived around 1 am on a Sunday (cameras were working then and showed a family of 4 arriving -- mom, dad, boy, girl -- and arrival time was consistent with the explanation they'd given me about son taking the SAT on Saturday and long drive afterward to my house), they were leaving on Thursday and had stayed in communication about other issues like the chair, I did not contact them a second time or tell her I thought they were lying.  Although I have great reviews and scores, I was concerned that saying more during their stay could result in a bad review or them contacting Airbnb and trying to demand a partial refund.

Also, my neighbors are hyper vigilant about keeping an eye on things.  Had a moving truck pulled up or a party been thrown in my house, they would have notified me.  But if the guests had brought over a few extra people (increasing their group to 6 or 8), I doubt my neighbors would contact me because they don't know the approved size of a given group.

I need to let everyone's feedback sink in a bit more before I decide what I write.  You all have raised a lot of great points which is exactly why I posted -- to get a gut check from others and ensure I wasn't over- or under-reacting.

[Christine615]

Tampering with the wi-fi is not allowed. It impacts security cameras (which you have a right to if disclosed) but also Nest thermostats, etc. I've been lucky so far but turning off my wi-fi would be grounds for eviction.

[Gregory87]

This topic is being addressed in an article from the Washington Post.  The "experts" suggest ways to avoid and/or disable cameras including unplugging Wi-Fi.

Looks like this may become an issue of guests vs. hosts in the future.

ARTICLE:  https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/tips/airbnb-hidden-camera-tiktok/

[Laura2592]

@Gregory87 it's been all over many reputable news sources but WaPo must be really having a slow news day to give credence to this paranoia. Personally I have less than zero desire to watch my guests in real time.  I am even annoyed that we have to have a Ring doorbell camera because people lie about throwing parties.  

[Jenny349]

@Gregory87 @Thanks for the article!

All I can say is: wow, do people really travel with such a paranoid mindset? Some people obviously feel there are grounds for concern. A step too far for me, but that’s just my view. When travel is associated with this much angst you better just stay at home in your own cocoon. Who knows what lurks beyond your front door?!!