PSA to hosts and guests alike: do NOT buy Airbnb gift cards ...
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PSA to hosts and guests alike: do NOT buy Airbnb gift cards for yourself or your friends as Airbnb has some terrible policies...
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Hoping this goes to the host circle to commiserate- last time it posted to the help board... 😬
Well here we are: day 1 of a 3-day stay with a guest who asked if our pet-friendly listing could be extra-cleaned prior to their stay because her "children have severe allergies to pets." (We said no, not beyond our already rigorous standards for covid-19) Despite my not-so gently recommending no less than 5 other local listings that have strict no-pet policies that would meet their needs with lovely hosts whom I personally recommend, she decided to book with us anyway. ("Your place looks just so perfect and everyone says it's so clean...")
I guess the flattery got to me... Well here we are, after a week of updating her daily on conditions during a severe local wildfire because her family has bad asthma and is worried about air quality, this well-intentioned guest is making all kinds of little suggestions on how we can improve... Well, we did ask for it after all, didn't we?
From rewashing all the towels last night because she didn't like how they smell, to helpful notes about what supplies are running low (laundry soap- thank goodness she travels with tide pods in case she suddenly needs to wash 10 towels sets; toilet paper & paper towels already after 1 night)- she's got a keen eye for detail, so now we can just start guessing whether these helpful notes will start chipping away at star ratings or if there's anything we can do to turn it in our favor.
I know... I know... We should have cancelled. Difficult when all of our other bookings this month have cancelled due to the wildfire. (It's kind of a big deal... Our house is safe, but the community is severely impacted- including one of our cleaners whose family was evacuated last week and we haven't heard from in a few days).
Is there anything you do in the middle of a stay like this to make the best of the situation? Do I offer a little gift certificate to use at the member businesses in town for her understanding? Or is that just adding fuel to the fire?
Fingers crossed...
@Lenore22 she is obviously on the offensive.
I just would not respond or say "thanks for the feedback." I would call ABB ASAP to alert them of the issue and that you are planning to file a claim. Not that they will do anything, just get it on record before her claim (which will go in as soon as you send your request for the extra guests. ) Get your review ready for the last day and just buckle up. This guest is a pro. Sorry this is happening.
I actually called ABB the day she checked in & every day afterwards. They said they are aware of the issue and will put another note. 🤷♀️
@Lenore22 I suspect she came up with that laundry list of complaints simply as a way to get you to back off on the extra guest issue. She no doubt figured you'd hesitate for fear she would take it further with Airbnb or a bad review, or something. Cunning. I agree, this guest is a pro.
Well color me surprised, she just left a review! 🤔
I asked her to confirm the # of guests so we don't need to "involve AirBnb."
@Lenore22 Give her the review she deserves. I always say something positive, and then...I would say that the guest failed to follow house rules, including bringing several extra people, and was generally stressful to host and that you wouldn't host again. I usually don't go into many specifics, it seems both safer and more diplomatic.
A sell by date is not an expiration date. I expect granola to be good for a couple of months at least after the sell by date. She brings all those extra people, and is quibbling about (and inspecting) the dates on the complementary treats? Put that in your review, too, Please, so that I never accept this guest's reservation!
I also put out treats with the Kirkland brand, which we also consume, and they are always good for a long time after purchase, never even would I think to check the expiration date on them. I love your house, by the way. I have driven through Shasta and love it! This was pre-AirBnB, we used to plan our drive to stop in the beautiful city park for the kids to play while it was too hot to be in the car, start early in the morning & get lunch in Shasta at the little grocery store deli and eat in the park with play equipment and shade after a grueling hot drive though the central CA valley. Very Best Wishes on your hosting!
Chris
Thank you @Ted307 I feel the same.
So nice to hear you know the area! Sandwiches from Mt Shasta Supermarket is always my top recommendation for grabbing a quick lunch on the way to the lake (or mountains, or waterfalls) 😉
Good stuff! ❤️
So glad to hear that the little store & deli is still there! Shasta is a place caught in a time warp. Prescott appeals to me for the same reason, a small home town. (Well, Prescott is a lot bigger than Mt. Shasta). You have tons of great reviews, if she leaves you a bad one, and you leave her an HONEST one, you (and all the rest of us hosts) are ahead. Such a person does not deserve to rent any of our properties. Just like a bank will not lend money to someone with a REPO on their credit report, I do not offer my place to dishonest renters. All 9 of them can try their luck at the Marriot, as far as I am concerned.🤔
So she says:
This is very unsettling being watched on camera. I’ll need to connect with my neighbor whose an attorney to ensure this is legal.
Our listing description:
@Lenore22 I would contact Airbnb ASAP, both on the platform in writing and via telephone, you want to get out ahead of them complaining about cameras and get on record that your cameras were always disclosed.
I might also send her a message and say something along the lines of...'We always encourage our guests to fully read the listing, including house rules and other details, where the presence of cameras are disclosed and were disclosed at the time you booked the property. '
She is going to try and get a full refund, be assured of that.
Rest assured that Airbnb has a note saying I do not authorize any form of refund or discount, that she will likely complain about *something* and that I have documentation of extra guests. I attached a screenshot of my listing description above in my message to her, advising her that she is expected to have read it before booking, so the cameras should not have been a surprise.
I'm usually pretty detail-oriented, so I'm hoping it's all water-tight. Thank goodness for boards like this that gave me the ideas to include these things!
@Lenore22 Here's a hug for you 🤗 You need it after this mess. I have a feeling you will come out ahead, though. 👍
Anyway, looking forward to your review of this one! I'll go get my popcorn ready. No pressure, lol.
We are here to help if needed.
@Lenore22 I would send her one last response. I would only do this to state in writing that it was a) disclosed and b) her fault for lying about her guest counts. And I would absolutely leave a very honest review as soon as its clear that she is either paying you or not.
"Guest-
So sorry you feel uncomfortable with the security camera disclosed in the listing. As you know, there are fires in the area and safety is of utmost importance. We need an accurate guest count for our insurance and local fire ordinances. It would be an unimaginable tragedy if something happened in our space to a guest who was unregistered and therefore passed over by rescue efforts.
When booking an ABB space, you agree to all house rules and disclosures. We do charge for additional guests and we do state that we have external security cameras. Its very important that guests understand what hosts offer in each space and it seems as though this may have been missed. Wishing you the best and will expect your payment for the additional guests ASAP. Thank you."
This is what worries me. I'm not worried about extra guest as my listing is part of my house. So far I've only had one guest bring two extra family members, but they did mention they would be with their family and I simply didn't feel the need to follow up with more questions at the time, because the guest was simply unaware of how Airbnb worked, and I was right, were perfect guest but just needed to better understand the booking process. Also Airbnb burries and hides the rules and I really thought this guest just unaware of how the process works, or what his options were. Kind of like guest bringing granny along or one extra friend.
What bothers me is how this guest is using the review process as a means to extort the host to bring more guest along without paying the extra fee. Very difficult situation for the host. I don't see why guest should be able to leave a review after its documented they broke the rules and brought several more guest. The review process should be protected from this kind of abuse.
That's why I try to focus more on updating the policy and listing as opposed to conflict with guest while they are staying. For example, I would need to add security cameras, and update listing details, but don't think that's worth it, as more guest might think they are being spied on, and would be awkward because I live in the other part of the house and don't want to see or hear guest anyway. 🙂 The other option would have been to wait until the 14th day to leave a review, then flag and report them. So far the worst experience I've had is one guest leaving the microwave greasy and wasn't sure how to deal with that. I did update my listing but not sure if its worth it as it could be too much info. But this was more serious and more of a scam with significant breach of rules. This guest could have already been planning to leave false review, as she was caught on the camera, and may not have planned on that.
BTW... I happened to watch a doc about the wild fire at Paradise California. Unreal.
Its discouraging to see other great host and listings experience dishonest guest using the review process to scam host to bring more guest than they stated. I'm not confident I would get any help at all in a simular situation. Good luck!