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Should we leave review saying guest no showed? Are there reasons not to in terms of the first requesting money back?
This in particular was strange booking, it was a last minute booking with a new to airbnb user so they had no reviews, the photo honestly looked like stock picture from a tatoo/t&a magazine. We called airbnb and she had filed out and had on file all documents… so my question is, Is there something I’m missing? We were thinking not to accept the booking but had decent interaction with brief questions (she said she was a college student in town to visit family and friends) and gave us her approximate check in time… then no showed. It’s the fairly bizarre photo that has me wondering if there is something weird…
I’ve told the story but you’re new so here goes again.
I had a booking from a name of Invisible Vengeance Returns. This is their profile pic
It was an instant booking about 3 weeks in advance. I gave them a straight reply: "Thanks IVV, I’ll send the request for the pet fee via the resolution center…blah blah blah. " They also had bunnies as their pets and they are traveling with them.
Now, they did show up. They also changed their booking name to something that sounded “real.” I had no problems with this previously unreviewed couple. They now have 6 5star reviews. All the posts I see here about the necessity of pictures and real names of everyone in the group just don’t match my experience at all.
As for the direct question, I might say “xx had a same day booking but she didn’t check in.” It annoys me that I get multiple reminders to review them so sometimes I do. It doesn’t matter if you skip it though. Unless they submit paperwork to do an extenuating circumstances refund via Airbnb they shouldn’t get any money back and if the guest asked you to refund I’d advise you to decline.
You might want to warn potential hosts that the guests didn’t show in a review, but as you really don’t know why they were a no-show, this might not be of any particular help to future hosts. Personally I wouldn’t waste the time. The only thing you can say is that she didn’t show up.
Please don’t be afraid of accepting people with no photograph or new users. We were all new once and thankfully, someone took a chance on us. Most guests are lovely and the weirdos are few and far between so don’t assume the worst.
I agree. I’ve had plenty of new guests, plenty of people with no photographs, … and none have been in any way out of the ordinary.
I would review the no show because it is certainly an inconvenience to me as a host. If she had at least informed you you could say that and give 5 stars and recommend but since she left you hanging I would do maybe 3 or 4 stars) less if she wanted a refund) and do not recommend.
I left a 1 star for a no show who kept stringing me along for a 3 day booking and then asked for a refund. I was honest and professional in my response of no and he gave me a 5 overall and mostly 5s on the rest. His review of me: “Good response.”
If you’ve never heard from the guest again, maybe the guest DID have an extenuating circumstance and it is still in that situation and can’t respond.
Also, it’s hardly fair to rate the guest on anything except communication and Airbnb won’t let you submit a review without providing a rating for everything.
I once had guest not show and not contact me. I contacted her the next day and she said, “oh sorry, we just changed our plans, I knew we didn’t qualify for a refund so I didn’t think it mattered.” They are used to dealing with hotels…
Ironically if the guest’s life is done they don’t care if yours is on hold. I’ll be sure to add my Airbnb host’s number to my list of emergency contacts when I travel…not.
I thought that other hosts were like me and scheduled arrivals, check outs and turnovers into their lives. Last time I looked, hosting was part of life.
Absolutely not. Check in is between 3 pm and check out time the next morning. Someone could roll up at 7 am and go in and sleep for 2.5 hours, shower and leave by 11.
More than half the time I don’t know when guests arriving. And I think that self check in and no jumping through any hoops contributes to my high booking rate. That and same day late arrivals. Today my room was available again for the first time since May 15 and I got a booking at 4:43 for arrival tonight. Since it was a same day booking I got the notice that gave a 2 hour check in window: 6-8 pm. She arrived at about 6:15. Sometimes the booking window is open as late as 10pm.
I always give guests a two hour window for check in (4 pm to 6 pm) and when I get a booking, that time is scheduled for me to work at home so that I’m available for those two hours. For example, I wouldn’t arrange a meeting or a medical appointment for during those two hours. Guest arriving after that time check themselves in.
I will have also scheduled the turnover time - 11 am to 3 pm - and that’s an absolute too.
When there’s a check out, some guests like to say goodbye properly rather than sneak out so I schedule time between 10.30 and 11.30 to see them away and start the turnover.
Mind you I am VERY lucky in that I get booked well in advance and I can work from home. So sitting at home for two hours waiting for guests is time that I’m working anyway.
This has happened to me. The guest, who was a programmer, so a nice person, canceled in the last minute, saying an emergency came up. This was the same day booking, so I did nothing and didnt review him. This is stupid to review someone who didn’t show up.
KKC, I laughed my head off. Man, if these people had booked me I would have definitely refused them. ALthough rabbits are cute. I once had rabbits as pets when my son was little, but they jumped and peed all over the house in the process, the walls, the sofa, the carpets, everywhere… So no, still no pets in my house except fish. If they travel with a fish they are allowed. I don’t think there would be people allergic to pet fish.
