snake encounter

[Hideout0]

Our accommodation is in the heart of a jungle. Right next to a lovely river. It is beaming with wildlife - we do acknowledge that in our description and prepare our guests, that they will be encounters with many different animals during their stay.

Since we are bamboo house - open, you can't lock it or close downstairs, the common area, kitchen and bathroom.

Yet when we have guests, who spot a snake, they demand to leave and get a full refund.

How would you feel about that - other hosts? We came to shoo the snake away, searched the house if there are no other problems, yet guests still insist on leaving and getting all money back, since - as they claim "the snake is a reptile, not a normal animal." 🙂 We have to smile a little bit about this comment.

Looking forward to hear from your experience!

[Helen3]

Simple. Just tell the guest that of course they can leave but if they want to cancel they will need to do so through Airbnb and any refund due will be processed under the cancellation policy they booked under.

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

@Hideout0  I had a look at your listing - incredible and unique space, and guests with a handful of brain cells should be able to see that it opens out into the jungle, and all that this contains. But for your more cossetted tourists, perhaps they're concerned only about how their holidays will look on Instagram and haven't researched the flora and fauna of their destinations. So, surprise! Snakes live in the jungle!

The extremely Instagram-ready nature of your listings' photos and the cuteness of the texts is sure to be driving a lot of your impressive success as a host. But it's also bound to appeal - perhaps too much - the the spoiled brats expecting Disneyland. I notice that your texts highlight the house cats and mention "bugs, frogs, mice, and spiders," but snakes are curiously omitted from this list. As a reptile lover I'd consider it good luck to spot a colorful pit viper or Banded Krait during a hike in Bali, but I can understand how those naively expecting only benign wildlife would be shocked to encounter a gravely dangerous snake. 

Since your hideout is integrated into a natural environment, why not highlight more of the wildlife in your listings and photos?  I know a green pit viper or red-tailed racer would not be an everyday sight, but they are very photogenic creatures (hallo Instagram!) and perhaps you're a better fit for nature lovers than those seeking a resort environment or backdrop for wedding photos.

[Hideout0]

Hi Andrew,

this has been very helpful. I do appreciate that you were so proactive and checked out our listings. Including nature in our social presence is a great move forward.

Thank you,

team Hideout Bali

[Hideout0]

If you would like to know about follow up from Airbnb..

They suspended our listing (it is already day 3 it is still suspended) - because they saw that as violation Safety section of the Airbnb Community Standards. You can read those standards at:
airbnb.com/standards.

This article actually says that we should report if we KEEP any dangerous animals at the listing. Of course, we don't "keep" such animals there. They asked for a declaration that we obey this rule.

They didn't respond for three days. They cancelled the reservation, and I am still waiting to hear about penalties they are considering for us.

So.. to sum up!

- Cancelled, but they can still give us review.. (I wonder what that would be.. seems unfair.)

- Full refund for guest.

- Potential penalties for us.

- Suspended listing for three days and going.

I don't find that very fair solution.

[Howard42]

@Hideout0All I can say is if I was ever fortunate enough to travel to your part of the world, I would love to stay at one of your places and relish the experience.

[Hideout0]

We would be happy to have you. 🙂

[Marie82]

@Hideout0 sorry to hear that, my little advice after looking at ur listing, it is a beautiful listing, and some international traveller can be clueless.

My advice is to put in big capital and pictures also if u can of anything some foreign guests could be scared of or worried about. Don't portray too perfect listing. 

You will probably lose some guests, but at least all guests who will book will be aware of what to expect.

It is difficult to host international guests, as some of them have never travelled outside their own country and are clueless about the basic of the country/region there are visiting.

In Europe I used to have 1 listing with stairs and apartment was on the top floor and building was very old, with old fashion door system so he could be difficult for Non-European guests, but the location was 1 of the best.

So i use Scary and Big Capital letter, to describe the stairs I would stay,

DONT BOOK THIS PROPERTY IF U CANNOT WALK to 4TH FLOOR STAIRS WITH HEAVY LUGGAGE

DO NOT BOOK THIS PROPERTY IF YOU ARE SENSITIVE TO NOISE ECT...

AND LAST, THIS IS AN OLD BUILDING IF U ARE LOOKING FOR NEW BUILDING THIS IS NOT FOR YOU

This flat was always booked and I stopped having complained from North American guests as I spelt it out what was wrong, so they could never complain that the info was missing or misleading.

Wish you best of luck with ur listing, and try to call  CS in hope u will get someone who is well travelled and can understand, having a home in the forest is not having a house in the countryside.

[Sarah977]

@Hideout0  I'm so sorry you got suspended and hope that gets cleared up ASAP.

I agree with Marie- you should put in your listing description a deterrent warning for guests like these (who you can do without) . "THIS IS AN OPEN-AIR ACCOMMODATION IN THE JUNGLE-PLEASE DO NOT BOOK THIS PROPERTY IF THERE IS ANY CHANCE THAT YOU WILL BE UPSET OR WANT TO CANCEL SHOULD YOU  SEE OR COME IN CONTACT WITH THE NATURAL WILDLIFE OF THE REGION, WHICH INCLUDES....."

[Rowena29]

Hi @Hideout0 

Sorry to hear airbnb has reacted in such a heavy handed manner, It must be very dispiriting and frustrating.

You've alreayd been offered lots of great advice.

I have one more small suggestion.

On your listing set up there is a place to list dangerous animals - even if they are PRESENT in your listing not kept as pets....   

here is what airbnb say about it  " If a dangerous animal is present in a listing, hosts are required to indicate its presence in their House Rules.

1. Go to Your listings  and select a listing
2. Click Manage listing
3. Next to House Rules, click Edit
4. Under Details guests must know about your home, select that a dangerous animal is present

If you do that then you have formally announced the presence via aribnb guidelines and I would think you are much less likely to experience a guest refund

[Rowena29]

 @Hideout0  under the house rules, dangerous animals sections it says... ( italics and underlining mine)

Describe any domesticated or wild animals that could be a health or safety risk to guests or other animals

[Hideout0]

I didn't notice that there, thank you.

I have added this information to..

- Description

- Instruction info before arrival

- House Manual

- House Rules 

🙂 

[Rowena29]

@Hideout0   After this conversation I have also added it to MY  listing.  I've stated Australia has a lot of venomous animals and it's POSSIBLE a snake or spider may visit the property.  Now if a customer books and a snake is spotted - I'm covered. ( not at all likely, but possible). 

In you case though I still think it is valuable to  have added  the pictures and text to discourage the wrong type of guest for your listing

Cheers!

[Anonymous]

@Hideout0  I'm sorry to hear about the crass way Airbnb has chosen to act on this issue. Yes, it is true that the risks and dangers should have been disclosed. But what's frustrating is that Airbnb's marketing goes way overboard to highlight unique listings (they're still obsessed with "treehouses," as if we were all 12-year-old boys) but then they're quick to dole out punishments and penalties to the listings that can't be forced into the generic mold of an urban holiday apartment.

Honestly, I don't think they deserve to profit from your listings, and I wonder if another listing resource might serve your needs better.

[Sarah977]

@Anonymous  I was thinking more or less the exact same thing when I read this post, about Airbnb promoting unique places, yet refunding guests who demand it because they got bitten by mosquitoes or black flies in rural Ontario in the summer, or saw a cockroach or some ants in the tropics.

When I first listed, I called CS to ask if I was just missing something in not seeing a way to attach the map I need to send to guests to an Airbnb message. The agent kept insisting that all my guests needed were the GPS co-ordinates.and simply could not get it through his head that lots of my guests arrive without being able to use their phone here and that my place was very confusing to find. The idea that a guest wouldn't have a phone set up to use when traveling internationally was beyond his comprehension.

Then there's the carbon monoxide/smoke alarm issue. Why make it look like a host is being negligent by not having a CO detector when there is no possible source of carbon monoxide?  And house construction where I live is concrete and tile, mostly. There are no house fires- it's impossible. The only places which burn here are those with palm leaf roofs, which I don't have at all.

I'm just lucky that I get well-travelled guests who understand the parameters of where and what they are booking, take everything in stride as expected, and don't go running to Airbnb because they saw an insect in tropical Mexico.