Guest was allowed to write a review for a cancelled reservation

#1

So a guest booked a reservation the other day which I subsequently cancelled. There were a few red flags with this:

  1. The guest was drinking/partying in his photo.
  2. It was a one-night stay and the guest had a local phone number. We’ve had numerous problems with 1-night locals in the past.
  3. The guests listed city differed from his phone number’s area code.
  4. The guest booked as one person but later admitted there were multiple people.

So I called Air and they helped with cancelling the reservation prior to him entering the apartment.

Later, he wrote a review, which was presumably fairly scathing. I asked Air to take it down (he didn’t even stay) and they refused.

Has anyone else experienced this issue?

#2

The cancellation must have occurred on check-in day? If so, then reviews are allowed both ways. Sadly, they even allow complete lies.

2 Likes
#3

As @Militaryhorsegal said, if the cancellation was made less than 24 hours before schedule check-in, the guest can review even if the guest never arrived at the listing. Airbnb won’t take down the review even if the guest lies unless it somehow violates their terms of service (and you should check it very carefully for violations). However, you can also review the guest and you can respond to the guest’s review of you. If you decide to do either, make sure you are objective and factual so that future guests will see the negative review for what it really is.

4 Likes
#4

Yes, tons of previous posts about this. Check for them using the search function of the forum.

#5

Yes, the guest can leave a review even though they cancelled. I have forgotten the time period involved but I’m sure that Brian is correct and it’s 24 hours before check in.

#6

This seems patently unfair and misleading.

When potential guests see rating for a listing they think of the entire experience. So one review bringing down a tiny portion of the experience reflects on the experience of the stay.

It’s like someone reviewing a restaurant for its menu without even eating the food.

It’s mind-boggling to me.

1 Like
#7

Mindboggling and patently unfair and misleading, or not. It’s their business, and they can do what they please. That’s life in the Airbnb world – and all other home-sharing worlds as well.

3 Likes
#8

Up to a point.

:: goes back to writing legal arguments to move Airbnb off “they can do what they please” (non-EU) to “you cannot do as you please” (European Union). ::

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#9

It could have been worse. What if he got in your home?

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#11

Similar thing happened to me last week At 9 am guest notified me she and the other guest are sick thus cancelling. I asked her to contact Airbnb to cancel.

Moderate cancellation policy so of 3 day stay 1 night charged in full 2nd & 3rd nights 1/2 nightly rate charged / refunded

Guest unhappy not fully refunded. I couldn’t rebook those nights.

I was allowed to review her & her unhappy review is coming. Oh well— life’s not fair.

#12

This is one of those circumstances where I would absolutely wait until the last moment to review. It’s quite possible the guest might ignore Airbnb’s emails prompting her to review (“Eff them if they think I’m going to waste any more of my time on this!”) and really, what can she say: “Airbnb refunded me according to the host’s cancellation policy - the nerve!”? In any event, you’ll have the opportunity to respond with: “So sorry you had to cancel last minute - would love to have you stay if you’re every in XXXXX again!” (whether you mean that or not).

2 Likes
#13

Your guest has the option of proving illness and getting a refund. Hopefully that was explained to her.

#14

I hope Airbnb explained that too.

Something about the cancellation felt “off” so I asked her to contact Airbnb and so I would be out of the middle.

2 Likes
#15

Good thinking!! :slight_smile:
20

1 Like
#16

@jaquo My experience tells me that the reviews are allowed anytime the guest has to pay anything related to the booking cancellation policy. Whether they even made it to the same state or not. It’s all driven by the money. Anyone knows otherwise please let me know.

#17

As I said already, if the cancellation is the day if check-in they are allowed to review.

#18

If the cancellation is within the 5 day window and you received a partial payment for any of the stay whether they showed up not not, they can also leave a review. It’s all about whether money changed hands.

#19

@DozerPug This is interesting because it has not been my experience, yet. I am located in NC, USA.

#20

I am also in NC, on the coast. I have had this happen twice now. Very frustrating.

#21

Wow, interesting. If they are going to allow a review it should be some kind of special review that doesn’t allow a rating for cleanliness, check in, etc. I guess this is a good reminder to not skip a review just because they canceled. Reviews like “Guest reserved a month ago then canceled 3 days before arrival. They sent no message or explanation. I don’t recommend this guest.”