When guests lie and Review Guidelines

[Dan132]

I've been a host for about a year now and love Airbnb. I really like being a guest but hosting is another matter. I've had some strange reviews from guests who didn't respect the guidelines of the house and clearly didn't read the profile. They didn't have the experience they wanted to left reviews with outright lies in them. 

The last review was the worst I've gotten. I contacted customer service and they said that the review didn't violate the review guidelines so they would not remove it. I asked if lying was acceptable and they avoided the question....repeatedly! I asked how far within the guidelines a guest could lie and, again, the avoided the question. I gave a hypothetical scenario....a guest claims there is no Airbnb at all and had to pitch a tent! Again, customer service refused to answer the question. 

I can understand why they don't want to mediate reviews, but when someone leaves a review that's totally inaccurate and downright false I find it troubling that Airbnb is not more supportive. Again, I can understand why they don't want to get involved or hear from hosts who can take honest constructive feedback....if your place is a mess then it needs to be cleaned, etc. 

In the recent survey they sent out I addressed this issue. As of today, I am really distressed to find such a large loophole in their review policy. For example, I have two brand new air conditioners in the house that have worked fine for everyone, but the last guest claims they "did nothing." We had record hot temps, he had done a long-distance six hour bicycle ride in that heat, and he was clearly not doing well after the ride. I also checked in with him to see if everything was okay, which is my routine, and he said nothing about the house not being cool enough....frustrating because I have a third unit in my studio that I could have provided.

I wonder if Airbnb is addressing this issue. A lot of hosts find this frustrating! I've invested a lot into this space and more improvements are forthcoming, and yesterday I pulled my business permit as the county is now requiring it. It's frustrating to think we have no recourse to guests who lie!

Dan

[Blanca220]

I have contacted the Resolution Center about guests checking out 5 hours late despite us letting them know so much in advance that we couldn’t allow it. We had cleaning services coming that were already booked and scheduled. I have messages on Airbnb with the guests, notifying them in advance, 4 hours before check out about this.

The guests went to a scuba diving class and notified us they needed to leave an hour late, which turn into 5 hours late. I contacted Airbnb several times before check out time and after saying I needed help with  the guest. So they have a record of my phone calls, the whole time I’m told that I am right and they will help. Days later they call the guest, the guest lies and says they were allowed to over stay by the host (lie) and that they only checked out 3 hours late (lie, they checked out 5 hours late, past our time for checking in in case we had another guest).

Airbnb is happy with what the guest said despite my repeated phone calls. We will not be reimbursed for the cleaning we had to cancel because they believe the guest, despite there being messages on Airbnb with the guest with repeated denials to their request. The Several calls to the resolution center before and after check out did not help our case either. 

We had another instance in which the guests left a totally untruthful review, this time our guests were upset that we charged extra after they allowed 4 extra people not in the reservation to stay the night without telling us. They said yes to the extra charge for the first night and then begged us to allow ten people to stay in an apartment for 6, as their friends’ reservation got cancelled somewhere else.

We said no repeated times but felt bad for them in the end and allowed them to stay. We got an awful review at the end saying the internet didn’t work (lie), maybe it didn’t work as fast as they’d like since there are 10 people using the internet. We have two routers there.There were complaints of mistreatment which I assume is because we were upset they had smuggled 4 extra people at night. For security purposes we were not ok with this as we have other guests with children in the property. We told them we needed to know who the people that were staying were, we wanted to see IDs, I find it so risky to not know who is coming in and out. They lied about how clean the apartment was saying it smelled bad.

Why would they beg us to stay longer if the apartment was not clean, makes no sense. All our reviews say the apartment is always super clean as this is one of our priorities. We have amazing reviews but had no help from Airbnb despite me contacting them for help in a timely manner also. They do not moderate reviews and in both cases for me they have sided with the guests.

I have asked the hypothetical question of a guest totally fabricating lies and how can I protect myself if contacting them and the guest on their messaging system is not enough proof. I have found myself and our business not really protected from lying guests. In the end it was not a lot of money that we lost, the distressing part is the totally untrue side of the story from lying guests and how Airbnb ignores the hosts even when we are careful to document everything and help people have awesome vacations. 

My guess is that these are the risks with the platform and one should just accept them and try to make the best out of it.  They do not want to upset any guests it seems, after all this is a business and everybody is allowed to write whatever they want online with no repercussions or mediators. This is are the times we live in. 

[Alyson2]

I have been an Airbnb host for 8 years. I have worked really hard for my superhost status. I have recommended 6 other hosts who are also super hosts. I have just had my worst ever review of 1 star with the guest asking for a full refund. He claimed the bedding was not changed. It was! I have told Airbnb this is libellous and defamatory but they don’t care.The review has stayed. I am mortified

[Tanya528]

I am saddened at the injustice reading your review,  andothers. I stumbled upon this community after receiving a similar review on me , a "guest" with 3 blatant lies, (or complete different interpretations of reality), & I have proof against the lies, but as you note, it's written, and it's libel and defamation of character,  even a future employer could read these, and airbnb refuses to protect the truth.  I would like to think in your situation most other guests will see your favorable reviews, and reasonable heads prevail.  Good luck. 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Tanya528 For what it is worth I think your answer to the dodgy review would mean I would discount this review if you were booking with us.

Given that guests have the advantage of knowing the address of the host could they not sue for defamation?

[Alyson2]

Thank you. I have lost my superhost status because of it. Gutted

[Leena61]

Me too! It’s so frustrating that we have zero control over the stupidity of guests! 

[Ginger-And-Ryan0]

Guests lie in reviews and Airbnb allows it. They allow guests to lie to get refunds. Guests are important to them. Hosts are expendable. Bottom line: know as a host you are Nothing! Expect to be abused . Learn the lesson : AIRBNB HATES HOSTS. 

[Brian2036]

@Ginger-And-Ryan0 

We all need to understand that Airbnb is a publicly traded corporation and as such they only care about one thing: their profits.

They are not human entities and they don’t love or hate anyone. Corporations have no moral values or empathy. They can’t.

We should not expect Airbnb to provide us with anything other than advertising, collections, and a few other things required by law.

 They are not required to provide emotional support and cannot take responsibility for guest or host misbehavior.

[Jonathan1492]

Airbnb customer support is useless for lying reviews or reviews that ramble about irrelevant things not related to the rental/visit. They do nothing and hide behind bad policy.

I had a review 4/5 stars because the neighbor complained about the smell of Marijuana from a neighbor on the opposite side of the building with an opposite facing balcony.  How is this my fault? I didn't build the building and I dont control the wind? 

This review system is the same garbage system ebay had 20 years ago.

Im sorry but host and renters shouldn't be able to ramble on willy nilly. 

Was your stay good or bad yes or no.
Pro/Cons
Any additional review information submitted should actually have a community peer review from other host spread across the country to edit or remove non relevant review information. 

If theres a major problem with a guest/host then airbnb staff should get involved and examine proof from both sides to resolve the issue.

[Brian2036]

@Jonathan1492 

I like your idea of a peer review system and possibly we, as a unified group of hosts, could convince Airbnb to help us implement such a system.

Airbnb has neither the ability nor the inclination to resolve review disputes.

The contract we have all agreed to indicates this, although not in plain language.

 They state that all reviews must be honest and factually true but that they are not responsible if the process is abused.

It would be extremely costly for them to investigate every claim of review abuse and we would have to pay for it.

If we want it done we will have to do it ourselves, as is the case with many other things.

[Ekwegh0]

I thought I was the only host going through this issue. I had a client state everything was fine upon checkout and then leaving a scathing review of dust on the fan and the smell of urine with the use of vulgarity. My unit always gets high marks in cleaning, and this guest did a complete 360. I love airbnb but considering how hosts are not protected, I am considering alternative platforms. 

[Leena61]

same exact situation! Outright lies! But Airbnb won’t do anything !

[Jessica3282]

I have just experienced a negative review full of lies from a guest, who I had to contact airbnb about on their second day of being in my rebtal for Not following house rules and being unable to contact. Airbnb left generic response stating no violation of review left, when I have video and picture evidence to prove otherwise. I don't know how this is acceptable oe even allowed, due to defamation law suits that can arise. Maybe us as host are to come together and form a committee to combat the ill practices airbnb is allowing at the cost of a host, and still taking a cut of the profit a host make. Honestly, seems like theft to me.

[Jessica3282]

So how about us as host who have had these experiences just connect and start sharing our own listings amongst each other? We can collaborate, write our own policies, address bad guests, flag bad guests, and if a guests stayz at one of our rentals due to the referral of another verified  host within the group or a verified leg guests, a small percentage could be given back to referring host or guest, like the 3% airbnb charge for their lack of help. If others are interested, send me a message and let's get it started.

[Hayley261]

Airbnb doesn’t care that I have PROOF of my guest lying. 

I have camera and audio monitoring in my own home (above rental suite) and can provide time stamped video showing my dogs were not barking per the guests claim. 

The TV and Apple TV work like a charm despite guest saying they don’t in their review. 

the guest said they were “more than comfortable” when I checked in on them and then stated 7 things were wrong they never communicated and were all lies. 

the guest also extended their stay, then tried to cancel the extension, got a refund, and then stayed the extra days without paying for them forcing me to call and message them repeatedly until they paid. 

Airbnb doesn’t care. They won’t do anything even though it’s all lies about my suite being broken/dirty/etc. 

I also had a family emergency in hospital I told guest about related to foot traffic at 4am and 6am and the guest had the nerve to say I made noise after quiet hours. 

all around despicable person. Airbnb doesn’t care.