Guest cancelled reservation based on "incorrect" listing information

[muddy]

@faheem

It’s comical that they just keep repeating that it’s not a bug at their end, when I provide evidence that it could be a bug at their end.

Idiots. There are bugs in Airbnb software like crazy. Right now on another hosting forum I read that some hosts have found a random day on their calendar blocked, that they did not block, and that they are unable to unblock.

Sometime during the past year or two, there was a day when every host all over the world, as I recall, suddenly found all the amenities checked. We all had pools, pool tables, hot tubs, all our locations were beach-front, lake-front, ski-in, ski-out, we all provided breakfast and had ice makers and baby cribs.

[faheem]

Hi @muddy,

Well, it’s a bad idea to start with to make the host responsible for the state of some toggles, which can easily be manipulated by software, intentionally or unintentionally. (If a guest wants to confirm a feature, he or she should ask the host. And sometimes people do ask me, about A/C for example, even though I mention that in the actual text.)

I suppose it’s just an on/off setting in some software. As opposed to the actual text in the listing, though even that in theory can be manipulated by an AI bot. Though I don’t think that’s an issue for now. And I’ve never heard of the actual listing text being manipulated.

All software has bugs. And the people who manage Airbnb software are clearly as terrible programmers are the rest of their hoi polloi brethren. I’ve done programming on and off for many years. Most people suck at it

[gillian]

@faheem

So, some background. The guest is a lawyer

yes, I’m on your team, lawyers generally are bullies. others may object, whatever, not backing down, been burned too many times. I’ve known plenty and we’ve paid a small fortune to lawyers over the years, could probably have bought 2 houses with that wasted money…

and I believe you about a glitch in your listing, you’ve made me go back and check mine. And that’s a very helpful reminder to us all, so thanks for that.
I’d shorten your review, the more wordy you are it comes across like you’re making excuses. stay brief and factual, and then her review will look like the crazy one (same goes for if you reply).

[dpfromva]

Just saw this today – recommended for all of us hosts with annoying guests, Airbnb CS incomprehension, platform bugs, mechanicals going kerblooey, etc.
https://wapo.st/44Z4X1C

[muddy]

@faheem Just to show how entirely arbitrary Airbnb’s decisions are, there is a post from a guest on another forum today who Airbnb is refusing to refund- he booked a place that advertises self-check-in (he purposely looked for a listing that had that) but the host is now telling him that there is no self-check-in, that it was an Airbnb glitch, and that if he wants to check in past 10pm. (his flight doesn’t arrive until then), they can’t accommodate that, that he’ll have to find another place to stay the first night. And refuses to refund him.

Airbnb told him they couldn’t do anything about it, that the host has the right not to refund him, regardless of the fact that the listing said self-check-in.

So Airbnb handled this exactly the opposite of what they did to you. (Except this guest actually has a legitimate complaint for which I would say he should be refunded)

[muddy]

@faheem

And the people who manage Airbnb software are clearly as terrible programmers are the rest of their hoi polloi brethren. I’ve done programming on and off for many years. Most people suck at it

I know nothing about computer programming, but when I have asked people who are supposed IT experts why there are always bugs and glitches, they tell me it’s inevitable, that that’s just part and parcel of coding.

I guess that may be true, but it sounds like an excuse for incompetence to me- obviously some programmers are much more adept than others, as there are plenty of websites that seem to work ongoingly without constant bugs. I imagine Airbnb cheaps out on their tech staff, just as they do on their customer service.

[Wolle]

@dpfromva

Guest kept rescheduling the agreed-upon check in time and brought an unexpected second guest, which we accommodated.”

As a host if I read this short review about a guest it would raise huge red flags for a reservation, I wish I could write so simply and clearly.

Regarding the Chowpatty Beach scenario and that the guest works in the Fort area, she would know full well the location etc. In my opinion she is trying it on and that is frustrating when a guest manipulates the system to advantage. I hope you can eventually get past an unhealthy guest behaviour, it took me some months to get over a dishonest guest review. All the best.

[KKC]

@Wolle

I wish I could write so simply and clearly.

Any time you have questions on writing a review you can always ask for help here. There are professional writers here like @KenH and other excellent writers who will be happy to help.

[cakeslice]

Hi - hopping in to say we had this same issue. Airbnb randomly added/removed amenities and even reactivated one of our long-dead listings without any action on our part! It’s infuriating and although I fully believe Faheem was victim to this bug, it’s a darn shame that now it falls on him to have to rectify their issue.

[Anglerove]

Way too long to even read, but from what I gathered you are responsible here. You checked off that you’re beachfront and you’re not. That’s it. Also who cares about her religion anyway?

[muddy]

No, he didn’t check off that he was beachfront. It was an Airbnb glitch they refuse to acknowledge. It isn’t at all unusual for hosts to find things mysteriously changed on their listing.

And there was nothing indicating the host “cared” about the guest’s religion. She indicated that she was familiar with a church close by- which means she knew it wasn’t near the beach. That is the context in which he mentioned it.

If the details of a situation are too long for you to read, why comment on it?

[JJD]

@Anglerove

You checked off that you’re beachfront and you’re not. That’s it. Also who cares about her religion anyway?

No need to comment just to say that you didn’t read the post. I can tell

[misterx]

I think the guest is right. She has expectations.

[muddy]

Did you actually read all that happened here? The guest had lived and worked in the host’s area for years- she should have been aware that “beachfront” wasn’t accurate, and asked the host about that before booking. She also would have known that beaches in the area are not places like the French Riviera, they are polluted, not places people hang out on a beach towel all day and go swimming.

The guest used the amenity glitch, which the host never checked off himself (why would he?) as an excuse to scam a refund. The host’s beef is that he is being held responsible for an Airbnb tech glitch. You should read this host’s pages of lovely reviews- he isn’t someone who purposely misrepresents his listing and he communicates extensively with guests (some say overly), before they arrive.

[faheem]

Hi @muddy,

@muddy

Faheem, they did some update on this forum software about six months ago and since then, when you highlight something you want to quote, you have to scroll quite a ways down to see that grey “Quote” box and click on it. Sometimes it’s hard to see because it’s overlaid on other posts.

So, I just fixed up the quoting in all my posts on this thread. Yes, it’s the OCD monster. Also, it looked bad, and the Discord quoting feature (or whatever it is called) is certainly useful for seeing a quote in context.

I just wanted to say that the quote box seems to have returned to its “normal” position, probably. Which is currently just above the highlighted area. I forget if that is where it was before. No idea why it changed and then changed again. Perhaps a bug followed by a bug fix?

[KKC]

@faheem

I just wanted to say that the quote box seems to have returned to its “normal” position, probably. Which is currently just above the highlighted area.

Yes, it just moved again this week. It could be Discourse, or it could be the forum owner logged on for his bi-annual visit and updated the software. It’s usually out of date here, no doubt a consequence of being a free site with almost no ads.

@faheem

the Discord quoting feature

If it were Discord it would probably be a lot cooler site. LOL.

[muddy]

The way the notifications and account features are displayed changed, too. While it was annoying to have to scroll way down to find the quote box, I find the new one really hard to see, being black on white, just like the text. Would be nice if it was a color. Oh well, can’t complain much about a free site.

[faheem]

Hi @muddy,

@muddy

While it was annoying to have to scroll way down to find the quote box, I find the new one really hard to see, being black on white, just like the text. Would be nice if it was a color.

It stands out reasonably well for me here, though I suppose how well it works depends on the particularities of ones browser setup.

[pat]

So, let me get this straight, you don’t like New Yorkers, you don’t like Indian lawyers, you don’t like India, you don’t like most of your guests. I was torn between the ideas that you are either the most disagreeable of hosts or this is a joke in which you diss an ever-expanding variety of people until the forum catches on. I honestly haven’t decided yet, but if you really are an Airbnb host, I seriously suggest you get a different gig, as a general dislike of humanity doesn’t seem like an ideal prerequisite for opening your home to strangers. BTW, I’m a New Yorker. So I won’t be booking in the future. Good luck, sir.

[muddy]

Read his reviews. They are overwhelmingly lovely- guests say he’s a really nice, attentive host and his listing is comfy and just as described. I don’t know where you got the idea he doesn’t like most of his guests. Being a bit of a curmudgeon doesn’t mean someone’s not a good host.