Guests Cancelling Because they want the Condo to Themselves

[MaryJO]

@cabinhost

or they need to just refund her on their own

After reading dabbers last post I thought AirBnB probably refunded her discretely. Wouldn’t surprise me.
And isn’t this all about a less than 10 GPB rate?!

[cabinhost]

I was thinking same thing MaryMac! The reps. supposedly have $200 they can use as they wish. But it’s up to the individual case manager if they want to use that money to reimburse a host or guest.

[Claudette_Bradish]

So if you go to a restaurant and order a hamburger and find out they serve steak, do you demand the steak when you only paid for a burger? SMH. People are crazy.

[Emily]

@dabbers

She then got back to me telling me that she didn’t care that I had involved the police and that it’s not harassment to come back to my home and refuse to leave unless she gets her money.

Total nut , as another poster has stated so eloquently recently on another topic

‘she has more issues than Vogue’.

@dabbers

She then left me a review, which wasn’t all that bad to be honest. It simply said something along the lines of ‘Awful experience. Booking this place was a waste of my time and money. The place is not suitable for anybody to stay in.’

That does sound pretty awful to me. Refer to point 1. Please don’t take it personally, she really is a . Assuming you’re not harmed in any way, I really would like her to come to your home and get arrested and banned from Airbnb. A few days in a police cell and a few thousand in legal costs might help her get it - a referral to a psychologist by the court wouldn’t be a bad thing either.

@dabbers

Apparently they have placed a red flag on her account and, if she books anywhere again, hosts will be notified of the problems she caused with me.

This sounds like total BS from Airbnb. So they will allow her to book my premises, block my calendar and then call to warn me she threatened and harassed a previous host? I don’t think so, if they cared, they would ban her, they have sufficient grounds.

[lordhunt]

That just happened to me but the guest recognized his error as it is obvious that I rent the room. He was nice about it but as the strict cancellation policy had him in a bind he accepted it and I think he was content as he gave me a very nice review.

[dabbers]

I also suspect that Airbnb have decided to take a hit and refund her as there is no way that she would have just dropped this issue without receiving a refund. She hasn’t turned up here, so I believe it is resolved.

I amended the listing after the incident with an all caps description to make it even clearer that the room is a sofa in a living room, while other people are in bedrooms upstairs. That didn’t stop me from getting another booking tonight, only for the guest to cancel when they found out that they hadn’t booked an entire apartment.

I have a feeling this is always going to be the case. I am yet to have a guest pay for the sofa and actually sleep on it. Usually the issue is that a boyfriend/husband rents a cheap place for the night and their partner refuses to sleep on a sofa

[konacoconutz]

If they refund, that my friends, is why we have a whole class of entitled guests. Being rewarded for very bad behavior.

I honestly will take the chance on getting blasted here and venture my opinion again… that super low pricing attracts bad guests… it just does. And look what you endured for a mere 10 pounds. Either charge 40 for the sofa or remove that listing from your offerings, and just do the extra bedroom. If you have a community pool, I would not be allowing any sort of party, gathering or event. It’s asking for trouble.

All of what you endured is a live and learn experience, and can be avoided by not charging so little. I think you could rent a park bench for more!!!

[MaryJO]

@dabbers

I also suspect that Airbnb have decided to take a hit and refund her as there is no way that she would have just dropped this issue without receiving a refund. She hasn’t turned up here, so I believe it is resolved.

Totally agree with your conclusion. Its a small price for them to pay to keep that guest quiet even though it encourages her poor behaviour

[Emily]

@konacoconutz

Either charge 40 for the sofa or remove that listing from your offerings,

I completely agree, ‘sleeping on sofa on communal space’ attracts dodgey guests IMO, what you might want to do is put on your bedroom listing that a lovely sofa bed in the communal area can be made up into a comfy bed for a 3rd person or if the 2 guests (from the room) prefer separate beds. Fee for this extra service is £8 per night for a 2nd guest in a group or £18 for a third person in the group (with the other 2 sharing the bedroom). I have suggested these rates based on you charging x £ for the private room for 1-2 guests, they can work out who pays what between them and all
share the same bathroom if the room has an ensuite.
I really don’t think your current set up of unrelated people renting the room or the sofa really works for either party. If I rented the room and then you asked me if you could rent the sofa I’d be a bit miffed and probably feel obliged to say yes. If I rented the sofa and others had a nice room, id feel awkward and like the poor cousin.

Send a special offer or request $ via resolution centre if they request after booking.

I think this will still allow you to make extra $$ without the dramas of an unrelated party.

[KKC]

@Emily

I completely agree, ‘sleeping on sofa on communal space’ attracts dodgey guests IMO,

JWang offered a sofa in a communal space and I don’t think he got “dodgey” guests. So many variables here. Jim also was only only offering that space, not that space plus two other rooms. I hate to sound snarky about the OP but it sounds like they are trying to monetize every square foot of the condo.

One could probably rent out the bathtub for sleeping when no one is bathing there. LOL.

[konacoconutz]

Jim did get the occasional dodgy guest for absolute sure!!!

[GutHend]

@dabbers

It was obvious from our message history that a big part of her reason for booking my place was because we have a swimming pool. Her group of four were originally supposed to be having a party by the pool, before coming upstairs to continue the party in our living room. When she arrived there were only three members of her group and their plan was to wait for the fourth member to show up before going down to the pool. It was already 18:00 by the time they arrived, which would have given them a few hours in the pool before it was closed. As their friend was running even later than they were, this would have limited their time even more. There’s a good chance that, while I was gone, their friend sent them a text saying that she would either be so late that they would not be able to use the pool, or she would not be showing up at all.

@dabbers Were they actually supposed to pay ONLY 10 pounds for a party of 4 ??? And that would have included a swimming pool . In most places I have lived 4 people going to the swimming pool would cost more.
I also don’t see how you would be making any money after the water and electricity bill.