Should I leave a review for a guest that cancelled?

[Michelle-And-Michael0]

Hi all 

This booking was cancelled by the guest on the day they were to arrive. She was very apologetic about the cancellation and in her messages to us, took responsibility for the cancellation. She insisted that it was her fault and that she didn't expect any type of refund. (Although we have offered her a free night in the future)

I was surprised to get a prompt from Airbnb to review her.... We hadn't met her, or hosted her, so I'm not sure how it is possible to review her!!

Apparently she has left a review for us! I'm not sure how she can possibly review us either.... she didn't stay with us, wasn't hosted by us and never even met us, or laid eyes on our accommodation.

I don't understand how the star ratings could possibly be applicable in this scenario and, even though she implied how kind and generous we were, I'm concerned about how she may have chosen to use the star ratings to rate us!!

We are looking for suggestions.... should we ignore the review prompt and wait to see what her review is about us?

Do we review her? How can the reviews be useful to other hosts/guests when the hosting hasn't even happened?

[Zon0]

I have just spoke to airbnb regardng this issue . Airbnb can not point out anything in there review policy regarding review sfor guest who cancel without attendind the proprty . Airbnb can not put anyting in wrting either regarding the effect on my review rate . 

This is a airbnb joke. I will contue to fight this until this issues is resolved . 

As hosts we work hard for our review rate . Airbnb demands ceratin ratios in order to be super hosts. This specfic issue will affect your reivew rate at some point .If Airbnb does not have a policy and refuses to give out information in wiritng then we have serious issues with the platform.   

This new system was started in the UK. It was desighned for guets who attended proprties and the properties did not match what was advetisted. This was not desighend for guests who never arrived. We must fight this issues as this will effect all hosts.

I encourage airbnb to respond to this post.

Z

[Donna184]

YES  I agree as it negatively affects the rating of Host if guest cancel and give a bad review.

[Jolene8 · Accepted solution]

I recently had a guest who cancelled within hours of her arrival and even though she never arrived, she has written a review. Under "Help" then  "Review" then "How do reviews work?" it states: "any review you see is based on a stay that a guest had in a host's listing". And further on it states "Our community relies on honest, transparent reviews. We will remove a review if we find that it violates our review guidelines."

Based on the above, a guest who never arrived at a host's listing, is not eligible to leave a review; therefore such reviews should be removed.

[Christine-and-David0]

We are new at this and need advice.

Our guest cancelled an 11-day stay without explanation 2 hours before scheduled check-in. If we review this guest by describing the situation, will that reflect poorly on us as hosts in some way or is it appropriate information for other hosts?

Thanks.

[Linda108]

Hi @Christine-and-David0 .  If you are being prompted to leave a review, give 3 ratings and post that the guest cancelled 11 day booking 2 hours before check in.  This will prompt hosts to question whether they want to host these guests.  Some hosts won't care and others will.  You have done your job.  Not sure how this would reflect poorly on you, however.

[Christine-and-David0]

Thanks Linda. Much appreciated.

[Mila39]

I am too in sort of panic. The guest canceled in the moment of despair. He didn’t read my profile properly and while asking me questions if my listing has this and that I had to reply “no” to most of them. I can see how he gets such a wrong idea about me and my place. He was frustrated I can tell. 

And I am very worried that his review won’t be a positive one. And he has never even seen my place!!!

I’m sorry I simply don’t think it’s fair. 

[Linda108]

@Mila39  If the guest was mistaken about your listing and cancelled because of this, when his review is posted, just point out his misunderstanding in your response.  There should not be a problem for you with potential guests and it might help eliminate other guests misunderstading.  Also, write a review that points out how his misunderstanding was troublesome for you causing a cancellation.  

[Inna31]

It happened to me too!

The couple was suppose to arrive next day, so I sent them a message asking a time of their arrival -the question which they did not answer earlier, and did not communicate with me at all other than our first greeteings exchange.

So, at the day of their scheduled arrival they answered that they have to cancel the trip. I have a strict cancellation policy and expected to get full refund but-bummer-i forgot-they were from Korea where it does not apply, so i got only partial refund and those days were not booked later. I took the loss.

Now, I have the opportunity to leave a review for them, how could this happen? I dont like this, and especially i dont like that now they have an opportunity to leave a review for my place, what possibly they can know about the place they have never seen? 

What if we had disagreement about refunds, because with my strict cancellation policy i do have cases time to time when people cancell late and still demand full refund, which often makes me frustrated, and i can not leave a good review for them, even though they could be perfectly neat and quiet guests-i will not know. And it is always unpleasant for them, if i dont want to refund right away. Two angry parties will leave such reviews that airbnb will go to trash with those exposed fights between parties which should be solely resolved by parties or airbnb resolution center! 

I don’t think it is fair. I think it should be cancelled. I do think, too, agreeing with previous responder, that this is a joke. 

I currently will just ignore this request to leave a review for a couple which i did not ever see. Hope they will do the same.

[Sharon444]

As a host i had no option but to cancel a reservation,i was assured by air bnb that this person would be called via mobile and informed and they would get him alternative accomodation

Neither of the above happened.he turned up at my door and aggressively bashed on it.i was in work and my guests called to tell me.he then continued on a number of occasions after to call me on my phone ,he left a review.i replied to it.my reply was removed by air bnb and he gave me a 1 star rating..how can this be allowed if he did not stay here?he stated that my home had no linen,no toilet paper no soap etc etc..i am so upset that this has been put up.i have contacted air bnb 6 times now and nothing resolved.

[Robin4]

@Sharon444

Sometimes slip-ups like this happen. A similar thing happened to me, a guest who was here in my listing wished to extend his stay by a day and, as he wanted to use a coupon I told him he would have to arrange it through customer support. I could not extend his current stay with a coupon. As customer support were in the process of helping this guest an Instant Book came through from another guest for the same night. Customer support called me and asked if I would permit them to relocate the IB reservation and explained there would be no penalty to me. I reluctantly agreed as long as they kept me informed about the satisfactory relocation of the IB booking. Customer Support assured me on two further occasions that the IB guest was successfully accommodated elsewhere. 

Next night at 6.00 pm as existing guest was in the listing cottage, the IB guest who I was assured had been relocated walked around the corner wanting access to the listing he had booked on the previous day.....what th!

He had done the booking using his wifes phone, seen it accepted........ and customer support messages being sent to him were being sent to his phone which was not operational at the time. As far as he was concerned he had made a booking and was not aware that booking could not proceed.

The Customer support person in Manila who assured me everything was taken care of was completely stuck for words when contacted and was of no help whatsoever. It was up to us to get this persons wife and kids into our house, feed the kids and I had to ring around other listings I know of in my area and find this guest another property to stay in. We did, and Airbnb picked up the cost of relocating, but that Sharon, was a situation I never want to have to go through again!

So, I back you up....it can happen!

Cheers......Rob

[Sharon444]

 Hi Rob thankyou for sharing...That experience was awful for you.i dont mind the  post saying i cancelled on the guest because I did.but the ratings for a stay that never happened..this is not right..im losing bookings since this review.i  will be getting advice on this as its false allegations..and very upsetting as i put so much effort into making sure my home has everything a guest requires.

[Jose840]

Airbnb should be more clear about the review policy for guests that cancel their reservations. Guest will leave reviews when they have already checked in and cancel  by their own choice. In the majority of these cases guest will leave a bad review that will downgrade host rating.

[Deborah941]

Hi there 

new to this .. I had my first cancellation at 9pm the day they were supposed to check in .. I am worried they will leave a bad review I have not refunded any monies as I could have resold my listing .. I have been asked to leave a review but what do I say and if they complain they did not get a refund how fair is that .. rather not leave a review but am I opening myself up for a bad review and not explained . Can air n and b remove a review if a guest has although they did not stay so how accurate could this be ..

any ideas?