I received a bad review

[Stephen994]

I have just received my first bad review on airbnb and would like to get it rectified. I was in touch with airbnb support during my last stay and explained what had happened. Actually I only mentioned some of the problems. 

The host wanted very badly to get preferred host status (or whatever it’s called). I did not wish to give him a bad review, so I decided not to leave one at all. Now he has posted a very bad review of me which is completely out of proportion, so I would like to remedy this.

Unfortunately, the original message thread with airbnb support on my iPad had expired, with a message that I must contact help. How can I get that thread reactivated please, so that I can continue the conversation with support? 

Thanks.

[Lisa723]

@Stephen994 if you are referring to your stay with Hector, it appears that you did actually leave a review. Google's translation of his review of you is pretty incomprehensible, and as a host in the context of your other great reviews I wouldn't take it very seriously. I can't see that it violates any review policy but you could try to get it removed. You don't need to (and can't) reactivate a previous thread, you can just start a new one.

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/32/can-i-remove-or-respond-to-a-review-i-disagree-with

You can't change your review after it is posted, if that's what you meant by "remedy this."

[Stephen994]

Thanks for finding that so quickly. Yes, I stayed 2 days and then extended by a month. He begged me for a review after my first 2 days and that review can stay put. In light of what happened afterwards, I would like to get his review of me removed. It is understandable for Spanish speakers, but inaccurate and out of context.

Airbnb support have background info, although incomplete, as we conversed when things went badly wrong. 

I would like to cut-and-paste my comments to support, but they were made in my iPad and I cannot find that message from support when I log in via a browser as I am now doing.

I would prefer the review to be removed, to avoid my bickering, otherwise I will need to respond to his review as you suggest as I cannot find how to reactivate that support message thread again.

[Lisa723]

@Stephen994 I think (though I could be wrong) there is no way to reopen a closed support message thread. However, any CS agent should be able to see it on their end.

[Lisa723 · Accepted solution]

@Stephen994 and re. "bickering" ... he won't be notified of any response you post, most likely will never see it, and can't respond back. The only reason to respond is to explain yourself to other prospective hosts.

[Stephen994]

"The only reason to respond is to explain yourself to other prospective hosts."

That is basically what I want to do, as I have more stays upcoming and don't want my last review to be bad. However, I will try to get it removed first and it will be cleaner and I will not waste further time getting mad about an arrogant host in a dirty place where things didn't work!  

Thanks, I will report back.

[Stephen994]

I think I read that I have 30 days to respond to this bad review, but now that I have taken to time to draft a response, the link has gone! I asked airbnb to confirm how long I have and they didn't respond. Surely the 30 days cannot start before I left the property? If so, this is very unfair.

[Stephen994]

I have now found the link, which was previously not visible. I warned airbnb that the host would probably suffer through lack of guests if they read my response. People tend to judge matters by the latest review. Anyway it's done now. A pity that paragraph breaks are not respected. Thanks for your help

[Emilia42]

@Stephen994 Keep in mind that future guests of Hector will not see your response (Hector likely won't ever see your response.)  The only people that will see your response to his review are the future hosts who you would like to stay with. Your response has a direct effect on you and nothing to do with Hector. 

[Lisa723]

@Stephen994 as @Emilia42 says (and as I also said above, but you seem to have entirely missed the point), the only people who are ever likely to see your response to Hector's review of you are other hosts considering hosting you-- certainly not other guests considering staying with Hector.  Frankly, your response is terrible! If I got a booking request from you, based on that response I would decline to host you. It makes you seem unhinged. If I were you I would call Airbnb and beg them to remove it.

[Sarah977]

@Stephen994 

"The only reason to respond is to explain yourself to other prospective hosts."

That is basically what I want to do"

But that isn't what you did. You wrote a response intended to warn other guests and it's far too long and convoluted even for that.

All you needed to say was something like "This place was rife with issues, from poor cleaning standards to lack of basic amenities. It seems that I was punished for asking for these things to be remedied by the host leaving a bad review. Please refer to my other reviews for a true picture of the kind of guest I am."