Hi everyone, I hope some people can help me. With 2 friends ...
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Hi everyone, I hope some people can help me. With 2 friends we booked an airbnb appartment for 7 nights. We just got an email...
Latest reply
I always got 5 star reviews from all the places me with my family went from last 7 years until us unluckily stumbled upon this host named Debbie (Beach walk paradise, Kihei, Hawaii) apartment.
* We(me & family) normally pay Airbnb cleaning fee, still before leaving it’s normal to clean house in Airbnb bookings and I always got 5 star positive feedback how clean we left the place. At this “Beach walk at paradise” place extra cleaning like folding bath towels, kitchen towels after laundry, fold the sofa bed, etc was expected. First time ever we had to do this much extra cleaning. we informed host that we did all except folding the sofa bed after trying it multiple times. Host Debbie literally mentioned that the sofa costs this much and told us to not force it. We dont have sofa-bed at our home so we don’t know how to close it isn’t this simple maths.. still we tried multiple times but couldn’t close it and because Host debbie warned us about sofa price and sofa history from where she got it and all, we were being extra cautious and considerate and didn't want to do any mishap by putting extra pressure so told her that we couldn’t fold it.
In her review she commented so harshly that these two adults were not able to close the sofa bed with so many question marks, like we were making an excuse of not doing it. After we already told her that we tried it and she told us not to force it so what else we should have done at that time ?
* It is very normal for guests to ask question about lockbox/key, or wrong wifi password, guests to be late sometimes ( yes, hosts needs to be informed which we did beforehand and it was self checkin anyways ), all the other hosts I had experience with were so flexible and they never got bothered as these are normal questions. But this host wrote in review like it was such a big deal about asking these questions and we are messaging day and night about simple issues. It was not like that we were messaging her all the time, we just asked for help when needed and who else a guest should ask if not host ? And these were though simple issues but they were important one as well.. like locker/key, wifi.
* We did find a mistake in her instructions on airbnb site, etc… which she corrected after I provided a picture of the wrong instructions on her request so that she can correct it. On personal message chat she said Thank you for telling her about the typos on her airbnb site.and that she went in and fixed them. And that she is sorry for giving us stress. But didn’t know that was just to show and may be so that I dont write this in her review.
In her review she wrote instead that we don’t know how to follow and understand the instructions. And that she told her cleaners to be wary of me and family because something not right with us. Like really how can a person be such disrespectful, I should be the one mentioning about all the inconvenience me and my family had and extra cleaning required at her home. If even I had written the review I wouldn’t have had the intention to make such bad and derogatory + false comments about her which would affect her profile. She didn't say a word about any inconvenience she might have faced on our host guest personal message chat. It is just thank you or sorry for inconvenience we faced but in review she wrote such bad messages. It makes me wonder how someone can do something like this.
I am not sure if it is ok to put message chats of mine and host conversation here ..as a proof ..so not doing it.. but showed them to Airbnb staff.
I asked Airbnb for help but they said they can’t do anything about it. They said the only way is to request this host who made such comments. Meaning I plead the accuser who basically wrote these false bad statements about me and my family. Is Air bnb doing correct at their part ? I mentioned that host didn't provide any proofs/pics but I had proof that she wrote false statements and asked them to check my messages but still nothing ..no help. And as per my understanding there is nothing like guest can comment back on host review. It is not even possible to reenable the expired review window.
That means guests can be accused by any false stories without any proof and no way out of it.Only way is guest to plead the person who accused them.Is it rightful at guest end ?
@Anusha21 Realistically Airbnb does not arbitrate over the truth in reviews as it would become a nightmare for them.
Reading the review left for you it might put me off allowing you to stay in our place but the other 6 reviews you have are great. If I then look at this host's responses to other reviews she does seem very demanding. SO the best thing (really the only thing) you can do is leave a response to the review on your profile. It is essential that you do not sound unhinged and you must recognise, in your response, that you are addressing future hosts NOT the host who left the review. With a good response I would be swayed by the majority of your reviews.
Hello Mike,
First of all thanks for replying on this thread and trying to help. Really appreciate that.
Regarding “Reading the review left for you it mightput me off allowing you to stay in our place” :
Yes exactly, it will put anyone off including me if i were a host. But the truth here is Me and my family is not at all like what she has portrayed us to be. And that’s why I am raising my voice here and did all efforts including calling Airbnb providing proofs, giving all the explanation of things in my original post. And I also provided proofs to Airbnb
for the same ..message chat between her and me.
I guess she got agitated by me pointing her mistakes and communicating to her about not able to fold sofa bed. And may be she was expecting I will give bad review so instead she projected me bad. As I see a pattern in her reviews that whoever didnt give her 5 star she responded to all of them with harsh comments. She made comments like “passive aggressive”, “ slow to communicate”, “not welcome again”
Regarding : “SO the best thing (really the only thing) you can do is leave a response to the review on your profile.”
I searched out for that option as I don’t see it on my profile. I also reached out to Airbnb to see if they can do this at-least but they said they can’t do anything about it.
I have lost hope of any rightful decision as Airbnb itself closed the doors and didn't make any commitments that there will be improvements in future where guest can reply back to review and dispute that publicly OR they can re-enable the expired review window OR ppl need to provide proof of there allegations they are putting on guest.
Therefore, I just wanted to put my voice out there so that other people at least know this can happen with anyone and being cautious of ppl like this as Airbnb won’t help
Best Regards,
Anusha
Hello @Anusha21
According to the link below you have a right to reply to this hosts review of you if done within 30 days:
https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/32?locale=en
Hope this helps!
All the best
Joëlle
@Joelle43 I just looked at the review under discussion from 2022 so I am afraid its quite a bit too late to leave a response.
@Anusha21 I took this host as being very uptight and that many things can go wrong staying in her place. One of the biggest complaints of Airbnb guests today is foolish, annoying hosts that ask the guests to perform all kinds of chores that the guest then risk failing. I would not stay with this host, for many reasons; in turn I would give you the benefit of the doubt.