Should I Report This Guest?

1

I had a guest last week who, while she was here, told me everything was wonderful. She did have one issue she asked me about and I dealt with.

The day she left she sent me a message with a laundry list of issues, most of which were things I could have fixed had she asked me about. (e.g. The pillows were too flat. The bedroom lights were dim. Both of which I fixed after seeing her message with new pillows and light bulbs.)

At the end of the message she asked if “this was the kind of review I wanted left.”

I get the feeling she was trying to coerce me into offering a discount. I replied that “I didn’t think it was a fair review but if it’s how she feels I don’t really have an option, right?” I was hoping she’d clearly state she’d change her review for a refund but she hasn’t replied yet and it’s been 9 days…

She also claimed she stays in AirBnB’s “all year” and that mine was the worst she’d ever stayed in… but looking at her profile she only has two reviews. To be fair those were for super awesome looking AirBnB’s, but it hardly equates to staying in them all year!

I reached out to both hosts and they both also had issues with her, with one claiming she demanded a discount because she brought one fewer guest than originally booked.

I wonder if she has so few reviews because she pulls this threatening review stunt and then no one reviews her because of it. I’ll at least review her, but I’m waiting until the last minute so as not to bait her into posting her negative review.

Should I actually report her though? It seems obvious she’s trying to blackmail me, but it doesn’t really seem explicit enough that she couldn’t argue her way out of it…

2

I would. If every host she pulls this on reports her then maybe she’ll stop or get booted. Thanks for your commitment to review honestly. This fellow host appreciates it.

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3
  1. She has a history of creepy behavior. 2. Hosts often find it difficult to be honest in reviews for fear of a retaliatory review. 3. Yes, please report her. Did she leave her thinly veiled threat on the Airbnb messaging system? If so, yippee.

I glad to hear you plan to leave her the review she earned–and good for waiting until the last moment to do so!

4

I would report her, and thank you in advance for doing so. I agree with your thoughts that she is doing this to other hosts and not getting reviewed back. Maybe she has really stayed “all year” but no one has spoken up?

Hit her with your best shot on the review and the report. Bullies just get worse when they aren’t kicked back.

Good luck!

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5

Ok thanks everyone! I just reviewed her and then reported her. Not sure how the reporting part works though, it just gave me the four options so I picked “Something else” and it didn’t ask for further explanation…

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