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I know it could have been worse. I had a really nice group of four foreign college students staying with me for five days. On the first morning after their stay I got an email that informed me the bathroom sink was sluggish and that there was RODENT FECES on the sheets.
I was horrified/apologetic. Immediately reminded them of the spare linens in the closets, and offered to purchase new ones if they needed it/asked to see the sheets so I could treat the problem. I also asked to fix the sink.
They let me in, and I plunged the sink, which was a little sluggish, and looked at the sheets. What they said was rat poop were three small black spots left from my washer that I hadnāt noticed.
I remained apologetic, do believe that their complaint was sincere and they really thought it was a pest problem, but also believed they agreed it was not after I visited. I bought new linens, refunded them an entire night of their stay (the sink was sluggish, and the linens shouldnāt have been stained, no matter what). I actually appreciated the washer heads up so I could clean it.
Just got a negative review that gave me a one star for cleanliness (my first non-5) and explicitly mentions rat feces AND that I gave a discount for the issues, which burns me double, since it looks like an admission and now people are incentivized to complain.
Ugh. So mortified. Also angry. I went above and beyond to make right, and it really wasnāt a pest problem :-/
Yes, itās pretty well documented. But nothingās āfalseā so much as it could be argued as a difference of opinion. I think they really do believe it was rat poop. I did give them a discount because of their complaints. I canāt imagine being able to prove this one very well, especially if AirBnb is so guest-friendly.
I mean, thereās no way it was rat feces. I had a guest check out four hours before they arrived, and freshly cleaned/bleached everything before making the bed. The linens had been on the bed all of an hour. The spots were under the comforter. Itās just not realistic they were mouse droppings. The only reason I believed it was possible when I first got their email was because I thought they were talking about the spare linens in the closet, which had been there for some time. But like, as much as thereās a trail of me apologizing for the stains from the washer, thereās their email saying thereās rodent droppings on our sheets.
Ughh. I had similar and refunded like you did, only a whole night and they left a bad review anyway.
You could state in the response that the spots were dryer lint and the guests were incorrect. I hate it when you provide remedy and get blasted anyway. Make sure you feel like not doing anything when guests make up things.
You may want to complain to Air that the feces statement is unsubstantiated and as such the review should be removed. Keep escalating, they wonāt always do it but it is worth a try. Unless they took the spots to a lab and it came back confirmed as feces, then they are well, full of sh*t.
Do not respond to the review until you get the final answer on whether Air will remove it. I bet they will.
Crap guests. They are everywhere, arenāt they? Ugh.
I donāt agree. The guest has no proof (evidence) of rat faeces on your linens, pretty extreme assumption BTW. The balance of probabilities in a civil case is the legal test. Something needs to be more likely than not and if something is going to be substantiated, specific regard to the gravity of the consequences needs to be carefully considered before finding it likely. See Briginshaw v Briginshaw. Were there photos of rats and actual feaces? NO. Where is the evidence the drain was not clogged by them blocking it with ear buds day one and that it wasāuncleanā to warrant 1 star?
I see the consequences as quite serious to you and a belief based on 3 black marks that you have provided a reasonable excuse for doesnāt stack up as evidence. YOUR history of good conduct needs to be considered. Write a detailed and specific request to Airbnb asking for the ugly review to be removed as false due to lack of proof.
Do Not Refund unless Air tells you to. It is an admission of āguiltā however unwarranted, and sets you up for exactly the situation you have ā a public review that shows you ācaved inā to undocumented problems and coughed up moneyā¦
Iād respond calmly and dispassionately that you visited in person and it wasnāt poop, only spots. Then move on armed with your new knowledge. Eventually the review will be buried and most people donāt read all the reviews.
In my rental room I have very bright lights and I am often dismayed to find something after Iāve washed the sheets. I buy lint rollers in bulk and frequently discover a hair on the linens as Iām putting the bed back in order after laundering them. More than once Iāve had to pull the sheets back off and put the back up set on.
Agree with this. I think itās far too tempting to cave in. In a sense, arenāt we trying to ābribeā the guest against writing a bad review even when we are sure the guestās accusation is false?
And then they go ahead and leave a bad review anyway, itās a double whammy!
faeces on your linens, pretty extreme assumption BTW. The balance of probabilities in a civil case is the legal test. Something needs to be more likely than not and if something is going to be substantiated, specific regard to the gravity of the consequences needs to be carefully considered before finding it likely. See Briginshaw v Briginshaw. Were there photos of rats and actual feaces? NO. Where is the evidence the drain was not clogged by them blocking it with ear buds day one and that it wasāuncleanā to warrant 1 star?