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Yesterday I filed for reimbursement for the first time in the Resolution Center. A guest and his gf stayed one night and when they left, they took one of the pillowcases to my matching set and an older towel I leave for pool use. When I messaged him about the missing items, he admitted taking them because the gf was sick during the night and too embarrassed to leave them behind.
So far he hasn’t responded to my claim for $18 which is half the cost for the set of two pillowcases (they’re only sold by the set) and I didn’t charge for the towel.
Before stealing my linens they were 5* guests. Of course I’m not doing the review until the case is resolved, but wondering if he refuses to pay how to do the review. Am I not allowed to mention the theft at all? Or can I mention it if he refuses to pay?
I know it’s only $18, but I did have to eat the other $18 for the second pillowcase I didn’t need. And $18 out of my $59 nightly rate is a chunk of the profit margin. And I’m just ticked they thought it acceptable to steal my stuff.
I know there is a prohibition on mentioning resolution center issues.
So as I understand it, if they had left the soiled items behind all would be well? I’d prefer the guest take them and dispose of them themselves. Ideally they would have fessed up before confronted but on the other hand, maybe they were busy if she really was sick. I’m just trying to think of the guests point of view before reviewing too harshly.
I would charge for a pair because you can’t buy just one! She should have sluiced her sick on the pillowcase down the toilet, apologised and left it somewhere sensible like the bath. There’s no shame in being unwell but plenty of shame for being dishonest and stealing. Thumbs down. Plus you’re not an hotel, not that that would make it right.
They might because you cannot buy just one! You will need to send the receipt to them. When I had to replace a keyring they accepted my forwarding an Amazon order. At least ask!
Did they think that you wouldn’t notice!!! Is there an opportunity for them to launder the items and post them back to you? You could perhaps ask them to do this, with a gloss of your reasonableness put on the matter, perhaps citing the matching pillow slip.
Based on other evidences left behind, I believe the issue to be menstrual blood. I don’t want the white pillowcase with week old blood returned through the mail. Had they just left the items in the suite I probably could have saved them, but not now.
Blood can be one of the easiest stains to treat, especially on white. Biological, then oxygen bleach stain removers then chlorine bleach if they haven’t worked.
Did he admit to taking your stuff on Airbnb messaging system? If yes, then send him a request for $18 through Airbnb. If he refuses, then submit a claim through the resolution center.
Yes, he did message that through the app so good there.
I already used the Resolution Center to request payment. There was an option to check that the “guest took or broke something” and you enter your message to the guest to request the funds. He has 72 hours to respond (now down to 48.) Then I presume Air will intervene.
Do Airbnb actually process claims for damaged linens? I thought that was the cost of doing business. It’s bad that he took the linen but good that he admitted why,I suppose. It would have been better, of course, if he’d just said sorry and left the stuff so you could treat any stains.
I couldn’t be arsed chasing after money for a pillowcase, to be honest. It’s annoying, for sure, but my time is worth more.
I seem to get lots of blood from one thing or another on white sheets. If they are percale sheets (no sateen) I can usually get it out with cold water alone. But if it really set in, I’m adding oxyclean to the soak. You must use cold water though, for blood and coffee at least…
I don’t agree that hosts should factor theft into the cost of doing business. In fact, hosts that suck it up are not doing their fellow hosts any favors. When guests think it’s ok to take things from one listing without repercussion, they may carry that mentality into future bookings.
Linens made hard to launder are costs of doing business because we can alter the colors we use and we have to learn professional laundering techniques to get them clean again.
But, every host is different and these are just my thoughts.
