Please help with a review

Hi fellow hosts,
I need some help/advice about what to put in the review.
On Friday we hosted a group of 4, plus a baby who stayed 1 night. They were travelling the area together in a car. After they left 1 entered the room to turn it over and noticed the coffee mugs were missing. I suspected they’d been stolen but giving the benefit of the doubt searched everywhere inside and out before messaging the guest politely.
“Hi Xxxx, I cant find the black coffee mugs. Do you know where I would find them? or did they get broken?”
It took a day to ask his fellow travelers and get back to me. It turns out they had taken them and he offered to pay.
I realize that loosing some mugs is the price of business and that’s not a problem but my question is should I mention this for the benefit of future hosts or not?

Yes. Taking things that aren’t yours is theft.

I had some guests take my glass water bottles that I was using to cut down on plastic. After the second time it happened I messaged the guest and they said the guest info sheet said “complimentary water bottles.” It did say that and it never occurred to me that a guest would think the bottle and not just the water in it was complimentary. So I didn’t mention it in the review. I also changed the wording in my guest guide.

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Did they take anything else? Anything broken? Did they leave the place clean? If nothing else is missing and everything was left clean I wouldn’t mention the mugs in the review, especially when the guest offered to pay. It seems like someone in his group took them and not the booking guest. Doesn’t seem fair to penalize him when he didn’t take them. I think he’s embarrass, that should be enough punishment.

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There was an issue, you brought it to the guest’s attention, you were made whole. I wouldn’t mention it. I might even host them again on the theory that they’ll make darn sure nobody in the party makes off with any more dining items.

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Did they think you wouldn’t notice the missing mugs?

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I wondered that too. Would they have confused them with their own coffee mugs? How many people take their coffee mugs on holiday? Especially when space was at a premium. There were 4 adults and a baby in a medium size sedan.

Would you host them again? Did they follow house rules? If so, 5 stars for the booking person, who really isn’t responsible for a light-fingered friend who thought the mugs were free. I bet the guest and friend are embarrassed and you got your money.

@KKC makes a great point about the word “complimentary” and how mistakes can happen. I’ve lost a travel guest mug because they thought “take it while you’re driving around” meant “take it to the airport, too.” I’ve since said “These mugs can be used during your outings during your stay Please leave them when you check out.”

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The reservation was for 4 people + 1 infant. I would assume you had at least 4 mugs in the listing. Were they bold enough to take 4 or more mugs?

Edit: I wouldn’t mention it if you get reimbursed before the review is due.

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We had 8 mugs; 4 black ones that are part of the dinner set and 4 extra patterned mugs. They took the black ones. As they were 1st time Airbnb guests I definitely wanted to bring it to their attention so they wouldn’t help themselves at any future stays (either accidentally or intentionally).

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How do you ‘accidentally’ steal coffee mugs?

This is not the cost of doing business, it’s theft and i would write it in the review (after being reimbursed)

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Ordinarily I would want a host to mention this in the review, it’s theft, not accidental.

But seeing as how it seems the booking guest himself didn’t take them, and was forthcoming asking around and getting back to you and offered payment, I would accept the payment so he makes sure his friends don’t steal from a place next time, and the friends know they can’t just get away with it.

But as long as they pay, I wouldn’t mention it in the review, because the guest himself seems to have acted responsibly.

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I agree with @muddy – take the money, chastise them (through him) and don’t mention it in the review.

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Thanks everyone for your feedback. The guest has reimbursed us and I gave him a positive review, but let him know in the private feedback to be more careful. He gave us a 5 star review.
Great outcome, and we now have some very nice new coffee mugs.

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