Is it common for guests to complain to get a free nights stay?

[Kathryn277]

I had a most distressing experience with a guest recently and I’m beginning to hear that this can be a common thing to acquire free or cheap accommodation. 

I had a group of 3 stay in our cottage and when I checked on them the next day after they arrived (they were staying 2 nights), one of the group absolutely tore shreds off me for having such a filthy, tired and dated Airbnb. I was absolutely shocked as every other guest I’ve ever had has been lovely and I frequently get feedback remarking how clean the cottage is.

I ended up relenting and refunding the second night, but I stand by our cottage being absolutely immaculately clean and tidy, I’m at an absolute loss around her reaction. They did not leave feedback (and it’s now too late) and I didn’t leave them any in fear of what they would write. 

Is this a common thing for people to react like this to get free nights? I am curious to know, also still hurting over her rude and nasty comments. The whole thing has us completely dumbfounded.

[Sarah977]

@Kathryn277 Sorry you got such nasty guests. I'm not sure why you refunded them, though, they were obviously lying and scamming. Refunding them just gives credence to their BS and emboldens them to continue this behavior with future hosts. You have wonderful reviews, almost all mentioning how spotless the place is.

You really should submit reviews, Kathryn. Reviews are blind- the guest can't see what you've written until it is posted- so, only after they've also submitted a review or the 14 days has passed. And hosts report that guests like these will leave bad, lying reviews whether you refund them or not, so there's nothing to be gained by not reviwing them honestly. Many hosts recommend waiting to leave a review until day 13 if the guest has not yet submitted a review- that way, they'll be less likely to notice in time to write one themselves, asssuming they haven't already. 

[Kathryn277]

Thank you Sarah. Don’t worry, I did regret refunding them that night, I was just so shocked as nothing close has ever happened to me before, I was nearly in tears which is not like me, she was just so awful! I am so fairly new to Airbnb so I wasn’t prepared. Waiting until day 13 is a very good idea. I just didn’t want to spur them into writing something awful, even though they can’t read mine until they’ve written theirs. Their feedback is surprisingly good, although I wonder if other hosts have felt the same as me..

[Sarah977]

@Kathryn277 I'm lucky to not have ever gotten a bad guest like this, although that's no guarantee that one might not come my way one day. But there are plenty of reports of this kind of behavior all over these forums, you're not alone. You have to develop a bit of a thick skin- these are just strangers, who happen to be jerky scammers. A shame you had to bear the brunt of it- confrontation is never pleasant. 

[Robin4]

@Kathryn277

I have just looked at your listing photos and read the listing description. 

Report this guest! Under their profile name you will see a small flag and the legend Report this user.

You will be asked to state a reason you are reporting them, say that you were required to refund the guest with threats of extortion stating false description. 

Airbnb will reveiw your listing and your other reviews and they will take it from there Kathryn.

Airbnb do not like extortion....if they have done this to you, they will have done it to others before you and Airbnb will take the appropriate action. 

A pity you did that refund but, you may possibly be able to get that back if Airbnb sustain your complaint!

All the best.

Cheers.....Rob

[Anne405]

I have had a few really terrible guests.  Shockingly so.   A few examples:  an individual ("they") who defecated all over the mattresses and on the curtains and I had to order him out in horror in the middle of the night.   I had to take the entire contents of the room to the dump.  I closed that room (used to be my daughter's) and will never rent in my own space again.   I also have the downstairs that has a private entrance and have fared better here but I had people who held a rave party and they were so out of it that I went right into their midst at 4 am waving my arms so they would notice me and they were too blind high to see me!   Jena Malone, a movie star and disaster of a guest was so awful I ended her stay early after the pot smoking, the parties, trashing my furniture and the filth.   She wrote me a terrible review with false numbers and ABB knows they are false but ran the review anyway.   I have had three bookings since.   Now gearing up to sell and move into a smaller house; I can't keep going through this and my city is too expensive without renting rooms.   Sigh.   

[Audra-And-Bret0]

We had a guest who broke our no pets rule and because we confronted her, she left a bad review and said we were aggressive for enforcing the rule. I wish airbnb would support hosts more when a rule is broken. I felt her review was extremely retaliatory and unfair and airbnb didn’t back us and ran her unfair review

[Ben551]

@Kathryn277  I'm sorry you had to experience this kind of confrontation.  It's not fun to deal with and it can leave you feeling upset for a while afterwards.  I recommend hot chocolate in the immediate term, but in the longer term what others have said is right - report these guests!  Airbnb need to know about extortionists on the platform as they bring an unsavoury element to the whole experience.  Don't let them take away your enjoyment of hosting for a minute longer - report these idiots and move on.  From what I can see your listing is one of the most awesome spots in Te Anau!

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Kathryn277

it seems such scammers are more common in the USA and Australia than here. I still didn't have a pleasure to meet such guests, but I thought about what to do if they come to me.

We have to register each guest so I made a form and I just fill it with my guest's personal information. At the bottom I added 3 bullet points: 

- I received ____ sets of keys and I am obligated to return them at the time of my check out or I will be charged 100€ for new locks and keys

- I've read and understood the house rules

- I inspected the apartment and I have no complains

                                                    Signature _______________

If any guest would try to extort some money during his stay I would send him booking alteration request and offer to shorten his stay and relocate. I don't care if I lose money when my place is empty but I will not give those scammers a free stay.

[Kelly149]

Yes @Branka0 is just right. The best a complainer should get is to be shown the door. “I’m sorry you’re dissatisfied, I’ll be right over to get you checked out.”

its great you didn’t get the bad review you expected but they stayed without paying. If I’m not going to be paid then the guests aren’t going to stay. But that’s the kind of decision you have to settle on before some grouchy person is spouting off ugly complaints about your rental. 

Report them (not that abb does anything with it) and move on  prepared for better future hosting 

[Sarah977]

@Branka-and-Silvia0   Good form to have guests fill out. It's also seemed to me that US and Aussie hosts tend to get a disproportionate number of bad, scammer guests, but maybe it just seems so because there's such a high percentage of US and Aussie hosts on this forum.

I'd add to your second point "I have read, understood and agree to abide by the house rules.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Sarah977

yes, probably that's the reason 🙂

Thanks for this sentence, good idea, I'll change it

[Ben551]

@Branka-and-Silvia0 @Sarah977 Hey wasn’t the original poster from New Zealand not Australia? Ya’ll know it’s a different country right? 

Pssst... until I moved here I had no idea Australia was so far away from NZ. It’s 4 hours bloody flight even at the closest 2 points lol! I was clueless. 5 hours between the capitals.  I mean, a flight from London to Croatia is shorter lol.  My wife is scowling at me as I write this. I think it gets her goat when we northern hemisphere folk think it’s all the same spot 😄

[Michelle-And-Michael0]

Haha... You're right @Ben551 NZ and Australia are indeed totally different countries and much further apart than many European countries. Although it is possible to get a flight between Sydney and Queenstown that takes just over 3hrs.... we visit our son there often. A beautiful part of the world!  

@Branka-and-Silvia0@Sarah977 We're Australian hosts, and after more than 150 bookings, we haven't had an experience of anyone trying to scam us. Hopefully it will stay that way 🙂

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

sorry , mistake 🙂