How to Calculate the Time to Review

1

We had a stressful situation with a pair of guests who booked and then turned out to be no-shows, no-cancels who hadn’t read anything about our room/home before booking. And then they got quite snarky by text. None of is it on the platform. I suspect they didn’t have Airbnb notifications turned on but can’t confirm that. Couldn’t get them to communicate on Airbnb.

I plan to review them negatively and decline to have them back. (Big old complicated thing—details not worth going into.)

This is the only time I’ve ever considered waiting the 14 days to review. How do I figure out exactly when that time limit is?

2

14 days from the time the first email from AirBnb prompting you to review.

We need details…

RR

3 Likes
3

Does that mean WHEN it was sent, because it may not arrive quickly?

4

I have always timed it to review five minutes before the time I received the email, I do not know how to see when it was sent. I have only done this 2 times that I remember, a few minutes after I submitted the review it was posted because the time was up.

RR

2 Likes
5

Thanks. That’s exactly what I wanted to know.

Oh, details. Just a mess. Tried to be nice. Failed. Probably screwed up royally.

Third-party IB by new profile “M" for her brother and his girlfriend, one night (same night as reservation), for his birthday. Spent seven hours trying to communicate with M on the platform. No response. Finally occurred to me to text her about the third-party thing. Copied my text to the platform. Two hours later, finally a response from M. By text. Encouraged her to use platform; told her to check Airbnb notification setting. No response.

Agreed (by text, copied to the platform) to accept the third-party booking provided we had names of guests and a cell phone where I could first send them house rules and check-in info.

Two more hours and finally a response from M, by text. Then started getting texts from the actual “guests”—“N" and “K." Explained again re third-party thing but said we’d welcome them, provided our house rules were okay with them.

Another hour—now past the time they said they’d check in. Text request from K for “their” money back. Far as I know, N and K paid no money. M did. And I wasn’t much inclined to refund anything after all the trouble.

Asked them (by text) to have M cancel (if that’s possible after check-in time). Said if the reservation got canceled and we rebooked it (no chance in hell—it was 9 p.m. last night), I’d give M a 50% refund, after Air paid us.

Then nasty texts from K. She had no idea there were “rules.” No idea we lived here. No idea we had dogs. No idea there was a cancellation policy, etc., etc. All worded quite nastily. And none of it on the platform. Fortunately, I doubt that any of them ever knew our address, since M apparently never saw anything from Air.

Finally told M, on the platform, that N and K decided not to check in. Told her she could try to cancel, details about possibility of 50% refund. Suggested N and K use their own profile in future and be sure to read through the entire listing (as well as rules and cancellation policy) before booking. M probably never saw it, since she never communicated at all on the platform. But I was done.

Last time I try to do a third-party booking.

6 Likes
6

Third party bookings always equal Just. Say. No.

I made that mistake a while back and never again. I’m nice, but I won’t go to that much trouble for 1 night and lack of communication.

I currently have someone who booked for the end of next week for 5 nights. She booked a month ago. I have heard NOTHING from her. NOTHING. Last week she shortened her stay (I had approved the change) from 5 nights to 2 nights. Still NOTHING directly. Should she want to make a change after this, she can suck it. She’s tied up a busy week in a busy season for 5 weeks now.

No more Ms. Nice Gal.

Sorry you have to deal with these crazy people.

3 Likes
7

Yup. I’m with you. I have had several successful third-parties in the past. But this one took the cake. Done with ‘em.

1 Like
8

I’ve had a couple as well, but they were easy to set up and proper IDs and names were provided. The lack of communication from M regarding N and K and then everyone yelling at you means that either N or K couldn’t create an account. Which speaks volumes right there…

Ugh. Sorry…

2 Likes
9

We had a fun third-party a while ago. A student was traveling here from Australia. She got notified that her Airbnb reservation was canceled. She never knew why. She only had time from an airport to contact her friends here to ask them to find her another—before her next plane took off.

I ended up communicating with two or three of her friends. They gave me enough info about her that I knew it was all real. They were delightful. Funny, nice, concerned for her welfare after a long flight. We had a blast.

They ended up booking with us for her. And the student herself was terrific, too.

We went out to lunch with all of them. Such kind young people!

4 Likes
10

I’ve had a run of 20-somethings and they’ve been delightful. They’re clean and respectful and so freaking grateful for any kindness. Easiest guests so far.

3 Likes
11

Go to your calendar for that listing, on the website (not the app), and click on that guest. It will bring that guest and their stay info up on the right side of the screen.

Directly above the “Write a Review” banner, it will show you the exact amount of time that you have left to write the review.

My example shows “12 days” but on the last day, it turns into hours and then into minutes and, eventually, it will even show how many seconds you have left to write a review. Be sure to refresh the page when you are checking it so that it updates the timer.

reviewtimer

2 Likes
12

This sounds very handy, but I don’t see it. I’m on my computer. I did what you said. I see guest info on the right side of the screen but nothing about writing a review. (The write a review notice is on my dashboard, however.)

13

I wish I could whisper this because I’m pretty sure that no-one will have a positive response but does anyone else review the guests when they’ve just left (so they and the condition of the apartment are still fresh in my mind) and never bother with the ‘wait until the last minute’ thing?

5 Likes
14

I have never seen this… I guess because 99% of the time I review the day they leave. ]

RR

1 Like
15

I always review the day that guests leave, too. This is the first time I haven’t done that. Maybe I’ll see the notice about when the review time expires if I look tomorrow.

16

I don’t do it when they’ve just left because I start cleaning right away. I usually do that evening after the new guests have checked in - unless I’m busy and then I do it when I get the time or am in the mood. I am a writer and it’s a habit to roll over the words in my mind for awhile before I write. I couldn’t possibly create the review when they’ve just left (I need time to compose it). :woman_shrugging:

I take notes, so no problem :slight_smile:

17

Well, gosh, I’m not sure what to think. It’s always been like that for me. Maybe it’s some beta testing or something? It’s weird that I’d have it for so long though. Sorry, I don’t know.

1 Like
18

Sorry, I should have specified. I don’t review the very minute I’ve waved the guests off but I do so after I’ve done a quick inspection of the apartment. When I say ‘quick’, I mean under ten minutes, probably quicker.

This is easy for me though as both apartments are tiny. I can check everywhere in under ten minutes easily. Then I write the review. I don’t need composing time - I just blather on. :crazy_face:

One of the other main reasons for doing this is to make sure that the guests haven’t left anything behind. (So I check inside drawers, the closet, etc.) This way I can text them and get hold of them when they are only a short distance away (sometimes still on the street waiting for their cab) so I have never had that problem of mailing left belongings back to the guest.

Of course, if they have left good booze, expensive toiletries or quality food I don’t let them know. :slight_smile:

5 Likes
19

@JJD, now that it’s a day after the guest (who never actually arrived here) “checked out,” I see the type of notification you’re taking about. It now says I have 13 days to review her.

Thanks for letting me know. I never knew that was there. But then I don’t think I’ve ever waited a day to review before. It’ll be weird waiting until the last few minutes on the 14th day.

20

I disagree :slight_smile:

We’ve had a few and they’ve been fine; however, I can see the potential for things to go south very quickly, especially if the booker is new to Airbnb.

I think third party bookings are something you look at on a case by case basis, there is no definitive answer, unless of course you want to play it strictly by Airbnb’s rules.

JF

1 Like