Any hosts been pulled up by Airbnb for writing a negative review?

Wow. You won’t believe it. The guest who ‘quibbled’ that we didn’t have conventional washcloths has now gotten his wife to find my husbands email online through his business, and has written to complain that we have ruined Alan’s ability to book on Airbnb. Her exact words are ‘we have stayed in many bnb’s…’ Show that absolutely nothing got through. Our home is a home, not a bnb. I’m sure it’s upsetting hearing our truthful experience, but they can always book through her account (which apparently has a great review according to them), so I feel the reaction is extreme, and I am shocked they still don’t get it. They could easily go over his remarks to me and question whether they would like to receive that message after hosting a guest in their home, and question whether their feeling about feeling it was on the expensive side somehow came through in their attitude. But no. Next time I think I will have to be more specific as the nonspecific reviews seem to get guests more wound up.

I find it absolutely amazing that AirBNB is hassling a superhost with dozens of 5 star reviews because she wrote an honest review. This is def a rookie mistake on the part of customer service since hosts like Sandy are central to the company’s success.

I agree with another person’s post about being the victim of having too many high reviews – it can unrealistically raise peoples’ expectations. Where is AirBNB’s competitor? How hard is it to build a website?

I know Chicago, but in regards to the reviews, wouldn’t it be great if the guests interested in staying would read the positive reviews so that they know what to expect. Those ‘Unconventional washcloths’ get many a positive mention, so if you find you are not open to a new experience, why not bring your own normal ones? But I agree, all the five stars, and people come expecting a five star resort, and it is not that (although we try to offer just as good quality in our unique way),

Well I did mention to Airbnb that they were emailing us now, so hopefully this counts against the guests further. If that isn’t evidence enough that these guests have major issues then I don’t know what to say. If I got a poor review I would be upset, but hound the reviewer? Never. I believe that older people are so used to having the power over retailers that they never considered for a minute the mirror might be reflected back on themselves. That’s why the behavior was not adjusted at all for a peer to peer experience, but was just as they might behave at any ‘bnb’, where they felt the onus was all on the place to impress or suffer complaints or damaging reviews. Of course it effects hosts so much more, as we are trying to run a business, whereas for guests this is one of a number of options for accommodations.

I would leave in a heartbeat for a platform whose review system wasn’t so personal, and a business that was interested in listening to and serving its hosts. Airbnb clearly is not interested in the comfort of the hosts it makes it money from.

Lol Wilberforce!
They want you to include a floor plan in your description?
Now I’ve heard it all.
Then again, just when I think I’ve heard it all another crazier one comes along. Lol

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Shes hilarious! More fool the hosts that allow her to book. Another reason to switch off instant book!

You know its really interesting how your experience of older guests has been so bad. I don’t doubt it at all, but for me its the complete opposite. All my older guest have been really great. They love chatting and like to walk around the garden and appreciate the place for what it is. I can only assume its the type of demographic that is attracted to a particular place. You should defintly not allow that demograohiic to book. My younger guests are more likely to be inconsiderate, ill mannered and communicate poorly before and then just leave without saying they are going. Stub out cigarettes in my flowerpots etc.

What demographic has been your ideal? Middle aged men? Gay couples?

Yes imo, I believe it’s because our home might seem like a classic bed and breakfast to them. It’s a large historic Victorian/colonial home with turrets, huge porches with large columns, massive doors Etc. I think older people that have stayed in bed and breakfasts similar to our home (some of our rooms are very large with private ensuites, plus we make the experience as comfortable as possible and give skeleton keys for their bedroom door as well as a front door key) just can’t understand that we are not the staff working in a bnb, but the owners of the home they are visiting, and their hosts. They compare our home to every bed and breakfast they’ve ever stayed in rather than other Airbnb’s (most have little or no experience with Airbnb and I suspect chose to try it for economy reasons). It’s immediately apparent by the behavior, and by the kind of remarks that are made.

I don’t think it is helped by the fact that although I am older, I am often mistaken for being in my 20’s, carded even in restaurants when wanting to buy a drink, and just had a masseuse in NY refuse to believe my age, telling me he thought I must be lying as my body and face was not that of someone whose age I was. Perhaps it is difficult for older people to treat those they perceive as younger respectfully. They automatically treat me like the service.

Because they think of us as a proper bnb, expectations are high, and they let us know that through various behaviors and things they say. We don’t enjoy these kinds of interactions, finding them demeaning.

I have to say younger professionals around the age of 30 are my favorite guests. We get a lot of Brooklynites, and they are by far the coolest. They totally get Airbnb, absolutely love the home and give appreciation so that I feel it’s worth it, and are always excited to be having a getaway. Yes, some are less than tidy and there is occasional inconsiderate behavior, but by far these guests are the kind that know they are in your home and try to act accordingly for the most part. Some have had many Airbnb stays, so are thrilled with the ‘extras’, or the nice bedding and comfort we provide.

Nonetheless I could do with a big long break from Airbnb. I think there are problems all around as far as my experiences with it. Perhaps I need to crack down further with the rules Etc, but it has caused me to feel jaded presently. Guests expect more for less, if they are unpleasant it effects my husband and I during their entire stay, and exposing ourselves to this time and again has gotten us down.

Weekend before last I had a woman who didn’t leave our home all weekend, setting up her office in our dining room to repeatedly scream into her phone, leaving her boyfriend hanging about looking depressed. She totally ignored us - ie. If we entered to tidy the breakfast things around her she wouldn’t even glance up at us. On the last morning I tried to chat with them a bit over breakfast, but she kept shooting me these vicious looks, and screwing her face up as if to say she thought I was an idiot. It was highly unpleasant. I believe she was threatened by me in front of her boyfriend (again, I look younger than I am, and some women are hateful about a ‘younger’ woman being about). NY is a trip. It is one of the reasons why I like the younger and the beautiful guests. They don’t give me this attitude. It’s thoroughly depressing, and after enough of it you just admit defeat. There is nothing I can do. I am not dressed up or wearing makeup, I can’t make myself appear less threatening. Some people just have problems.

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@HAVY1994

Please pay attention to the warning regarding “Reviving Old Posts”. A warning appears for any post that is older than 6 months. This post is very old - 4 years …

Thanks!

@HAVY1994

It would probably be easier for us to understand you if you wrote in your native language and used Google translate to English.

Horrible. So much for objectivity.

Last year, an “influencer” made a request at my home share. She is from a nearby town and would not state her business. However her terms included having no human contact for the first 3 hours, and a list of additional amenities we don’t offer.

Turning the request down sounded pretty straightforward. Until I got a call from a CM who begged/argued for nearly an hour to accept it.

To stop the harassment I paid the influencer $50 to go away.

Was it a booking request or an inquiry? Inquiries I simply respond to and do not decline

A CM called you? How totally inappropriate. Unless of course air offered a 30 day PAGE 1 viewing boost :slight_smile:

It was a request. I figured that the influencer told the CM a heck of a story.

Had a CS try to make us remove a review, eighteen months or so ago. Guest left us a glowing review, ours of them was less so. CS said we should remove it due to privacy issues, as we had mentioned the guests partner by name. Our response was that the guest was the one who’d brought her partners name into the booking at initial enquiry. Review still there, I just checked :wink:

JF

thanks, but I don’t need your reply! If using google translate, I’m afraid the message blocked again! Or I just tell you ‘get lost’ would more polite

@HAVY1994 Thanks but if you want us to UNDERSTAND your posts - with respect and not trying to be offensive - I would SUGGEST that you copy/paste from Google translate.

Or even write in your native language and I will actually take the time to translate it afterward - so that I understand what you are saying.

I am trying to tell you - nicely - that much of what you write is not clear. If you choose to be offended that is up to you. Right now, it is difficult to understand what you are writing in many posts, on different subjects.

If you wish to simply be rude, go right ahead. I assure you that we are not shy about returning it in kind.

Jefferson you again may I ask
are you finished?
Sorry I didn’t using google translate, but I believed that you have the ability to understand!

@HAVY1994, I agree with @Jefferson. Your posts are often very difficult to understand because of errors in spelling, grammar, word choice, word order, and syntax.

If you used Google Translate, it would help many of us understand you better.

No reason for you to get nasty about it. I’d use Google Translate if I were writing for someone whose primary language isn’t English.

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Forget it. You clearly think that your English is clear. Several of us have tried to nicely say the same. If you do not wish to listen it is not worth our time to continue.

Namiesto urážky by ste mali počúvať, keď sa vás ľudia snažia pomôcť. Teraz ste sa rozhodli byť hrubí a nemusíme sa starať o pomoc.

Thay vì bị xúc phạm, bạn nên lắng nghe khi mọi người cố gắng giúp đỡ bạn. Bây giờ, bạn đã chọn cách thô lỗ và chúng tôi không cần quan tâm đến việc giúp đỡ bạn.

当人们试图帮助您时,您应该听话而不是被冒犯。现在,您选择了无礼,我们不需要关心为您提供帮助。

當人們試圖幫助您時,您應該聽話而不是被冒犯。現在,您選擇了不禮貌,我們不需要關心為您提供幫助。

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You are angry Jefferson !
Calm down and Breathe, I hope you could feel better!

Ah … so now you FINALLY understood something. LOL.