I will no longer post a bad review about a guest

[Megan160]

I had an awful guest experience and tried to settle it with the guest personally. She stayed at a reduced rate and then needed to extend her stay. We gave her an even bigger rate discount. When she left, she left the place a mess. Dirty, greasy dishes, pots and pans. All the furniture was in dissaray, both sets of blankets/quilts had spots and stains on them, there were crumbs in all the beds on the mattress pads (which had to be hand picked off), and she ruined a set of sheets.

I took 3 days to cool off before I texted her because we really went out of our way to help this guest and she took advantage of us. I told her I was unhappy about the state of the place and asked her to pay $50 to replace the sheets. Prior to this text, she had nothing but glowing reviews and thanks for me in all her texts. She did not understand why she should have to pay for her sheets because I was a woman and the damaged sheets were a result of a "woman thing" and thus I should understand. I said I shouldn't have to pay for her "woman thing".

After much internal debate, I decided to warn other hosts and gave her an appropriate but still not brutal review, even leaving out the refusal to pay for damages and passing on her lame excuse for the mess. She then gave me a bad review, lying about my place and me. Prior to this review, I had 5 star reviews. Now people think my place is noisy and I am rude. My bookings have almost stoped dead in their tracks after her review. Plus, my 3 month pre-book for Jan-March canceled right after the review. I have contacted Airbnb twice about this to no avail. I had responded to her bad review, but not in much detail because I assumed that if I could prove it was a retaliatory review, it would be removed. THIS IS NOT THE CASE! Not only will they not remove it, they won't even let me expound on my explanation to her bad review.

So frustrated! I am knee deep in the process of spending a lot of money to make my other 2 rentals Airbnb rentals and now I can't even get bookings in prime season. Airbnb penalizes us for trying to warn other hosts about bad guests.

[Rcvi0]

Thanks a lot for say that I feel today the same as you, airbnb have excellent ambassadors, today a Karen answer me, I try to explain my experience, but they didn't remove the review, the guest try to remove his review and they had not yet because I call and call first, and when I call they told me didn't violate their policy, but yes the review violate it. Karen put a note for all ambassadors not to remove my review!!, then the guest contact airbnb and still has not remove it. Today I contact a lawyer to know what to do. I made more than 10 call must of them where cut, and the new ambassadors continue say no remove because the first says no, and when somebody says no, the next can not say yes.

Airbnb does not protect the host, we do our best to have all in perfect condition, because is our business, the guest go one time a year and say whatever they want, and cause a big damage with bad reviews and airbnb do not protect their host. All depends of the first ambassador,  sometimes they are very humans and understable, but there are another that do not listen, my only very bad experience was today with Karen, who did not want to help anyway, and told me is a final decision and I am putting a note that says to any ambassador say no to you to remove the review, does not matter if my guest call to say his error and want to remove it.

[Debra641]

Your advice is ridiculous.  We should be able to post an honest review, provide the proof and AirBnB should be on the hosts side.  After all, they would have NOTHING without us.  

[Sheila262]

Now Airbnb won't let guests see their review until they have submitted their own review of the hosts. It solves the problem you had. I am so sorry that happened. I also take photos for evidence if something is damaged and send it to Airbnb.

[Elizabeth--And-Jeff-Too-0]

100 agree with not laving a review first when a guest is bad. It's asking for trouble. 

[Bernard1123]

We got a very bad review from one guest. They assert the place was dirty, show a larva in a bed, pictures not real, etc. All that to get a redemption of the last night. In fact, the real reason was part of the group (they were at least 14) and old mother were sick and had to leave earlier.

What to do with this type of clients who lie and defame you near Airbnb and guests’ community?

The reasons were faked (for instance the photos are really real ones, the larva probably a millipede caught in the garden, etc,).

We have been more than 5 years with Airbnb and had a lot of customers and very good reviews, at a time we were even Super Host. Airbnb made a lot of money with us, but give reason to this customer although we sent written evidence of the wrongdoing.

[Caterina33]

Me and my co host had a very bad experience with a guest. Leaving the details for another post, what I wanted to tell you is that we contacted airbnb straight away after receiving her review (which was rude and false) and they canceled her review because it didn't meet airbnb standards.  Have you tried? 

[Yael69]

I recently had very bad experience with guest . She left garage open overnight and when I texted her next day she started complaining about everything . She gave me bad 2star review . She called my neighbors odd , smell of my flat odd and doll she found in cabinets creepy. However - at the end - she told she would gladly stay with us again 😱. Weird!!  I wonder if with deleting review they also delete rating ?

[Russell57]

I feel your pain Megan. In hindsight it was probably not worth contacting your guest with a request for paying for new sheets as this just alerted her that you were going to give her a bad review - so she retaliated. Apart from a bit of clearing up it sounds like you really only lost a set of sheets and your profits and offset tax is there to cover all this. I think everyone gets these from time to time and you have to suck it up and put it down to experience.

I would either keep quiet and send the honest review after they have left - or, if you think you are going to get a bad review back for no reason, just dont post a review at all. Then move on.

I am pretty new to all this but it seems to be a bit of a game you have to learn to deal with the people who are a problem.

Russ

[Oomesh-Kumarsingh0]

@Megan160 If you aren't able to get any book in due to that comment that the guest has left I would advice you to delete your listings and start from zero. In my opinion you did the right thing about this dirty guest who thinned and damaged many items in your property. Good luck for the future. 

[Jennifer--And-My-Brother0]

I've overlooked a lot of things in the past and always given positive reviews but I recently left two truthful ones because I felt that it was fishy and something was going to happen.  AIrbnb is also doing something very weird with hiding a guest review and not letting me respond or read it until it will be too late in a few days. 

I think a negative review is warranted if you feel that something is being done that will make you look really bad undeservedly.

[Jeff129]

Hi Megan,

If you need to get back on track then I recommend that you drop your daily price to an extremely resonable rate and perhaps even remove your cleaning fees for the forthcoming week or two. That should be sufficient to quell the negative review with fresh [and hopefully-] good ones.

I suffered a similar situation when a guest blamed for for everything she could think of during her overnight stay while we were suffering a regional heat wave, and it blew over without a hitch. Frankly, having a poor review and/or rating proves the authenticity of the remaining 120 4-and-5-star reviews, and travelers know that some guests can be malicious and even deranged. I would suggest to just be nice and not bring it up at all ever, and if you must then only in a respectful manner.

Regards,

Jeff

[Andy209]

Wow...prayers that things will turn around for you.  Sure hate that you had that experience.

[Monica4]

Never, ever, accept a booking for a guest that has asked for a discount. This alone will prevent many bad experiences.

[Yael69]

I had bad experience with guest who asked for discount and was given discount and some extra stuff in during his stay. We ended up guest stole lots of supplies and gave me 4 stars almost in every category . However his review was nice . I am new host and eating is so important 😭

[Jennifer--And-My-Brother0]

in hindsight this is true