I launched those infernal Ferrero Rocher candies in Canada. We bought a mixed bag of TV time, but a totally unexpected ad popped up in the middle of Grey Cup. Go figure.
@Militaryhorsegal Kelly, how unfair, I feel for you. Iād like to suggest something not particularly ethical but that might be helpful: why not have your friends book your listing (for a reduced rate) and then provide a great review so that it will take the attention away from the revenge review? As for your $19 rate, I really think you should reconsider it as it will attract the wrong kind of guests; plus, most people would be skeptical about the quality of your listing with such a low rateā¦
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No no no no no no no.
Itās not just unethical, it violates federal and state law against false advertising and unfair competition.
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So friends canāt stay? Or they canāt leave a review? And who is a friend and whoās not? When we befriend our guests, arenāt they allowed to leave a review? And what is ethical about someone leaving a revenge review?
I believe that when laws are unenforceable they are rather redundant.
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I kind of like the Airbnb magazine. It certainly made me want to visit Buenos Aires.
When we have guests, it goes on the coffee table along with photo book about the architecture and history of our little town.
I probably wouldnāt pay for it, though.
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This is why people like me like to imagine that karma (or heaven/hell) exists. So when people do things that are unfair or unethical and we canāt do anything about it, we like to pretend that it will all magically even out in the end.
I wouldnāt have a friend stay (or not stayā¦why do they need to stay?) or create an account and write a fake review to balance out a bad review because I think itās wrong, unethical, creates bad karma, bad energy, bad juju. But Iāve had friends stay, they paid a nominal amount, they wrote reviews. Thatās not any less ethical than anyone elseās review. I donāt think itās hard to figure out what is ethical and what is not, aside from legalities.
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Just since it has not been mentioned: for those listing more than 1 room and that suddenly have a distressed listing, just channel some upcoming reservations to your distressed listing.
This works well if it is an upgrade to the originally booked room. If your upcoming guest is ok with the switch, put in a change request and hopefully you will get a few good reviews and resurrect your distressed listing.
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Yes, karma is a b. No sooner had I adjusted the base price and minimum stay at my cheap n cheerful room that the enquiries started all over again, as if the punitive review never happened.
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Thanx but not interested in taking money of friends not doing the unethical. I do like someone elseās suggestion if starting a new listing better but am comfortable with what I have going on right now so would like to still force Airbnbās hand on it first.
I do NOT charge $19. The OP does. I did on my first private room listing when Smart Pricing went below my minimum of $20 3 years ago but have come a LONG way since then.
It would be a possibility but wouldnāt work in my case. It only fits 2 people and although is an upgrade in bed, room size and TV size, couldnāt fit the 3rd, 4th or 5th guest that the lesser listing does.
Amazonās review guidelines offer a good start IMO. On Amazon, you cannot āmanipulateā reviews or provide them for your own products, or those of a relative, a close friend, a business associate, or an employer.
Our guests are entitled (legally) to unbiased, impartial reviews from parties who are not attempting market manipulation.
Taking Amazonās guidelines so as to answer your question, āCan (fill in the blank) provide a review?ā
Friend ā yes
Close friend ā no
Befriended guest ā yes
And this is enforceable, see Amazonās mammoth series of lawsuits against review riggers, the FTC case against the trampoline maker who rigged reviews, etc.
P.S. ā An important caveat ā AirBNB guidelines currently do not forbid rigged, and/or fake, reviews. So until AirBNB catches up to Amazon, three things ā
- You are still in legal jeopardy from either regulators, consumers or competitor hosts who can hit you for $500 a pop in the U.S.
- In Italy, the first travel site fake reviewer has gone to prison
- All AirBNB reviews are pretty suspect until proven otherwise, due to the astounding number of fake reviews shared among the big players
I would add, rather defensively, that $19 was a temporary hit over a week minimum booking, ex cleaning fee, for a couch surf. That on the average itās slightly below average for the industrial section of what was once known as Ontarioās armpit. And that a crack addict temporarily took up residence next door. Heās gone now, but last week push came to shove. Meanwhile, other guest in superior room has extended twice. Who knows? Who cares?
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Forgive me but Iām not sure how people are assigning the $19 price to me or my listings. It was the OP. The one star review I shared in this thread was actually supposed to be a payout of $97 for 2 people for the night including cleaning fee. Airbnb refunded them fully as well, against my moderate booking policy.
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PEOPLE DONāT READ. And hosts are every bit as bad as guests based on posts here on the forum. Like the guy who commented about your camera and then asked you if you have camerasā¦
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Alors, mea culpaā¦The Queen of the Trash Price
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@guthend I echo your sentiments, thank you for the points you have made.
@PuppyLover Counselor, thank you for your wise guidance.
@KKC I agree with you that there is nothing wrong to have a friend stay over for a nominal amount and provide a review ā not a fake review but a review that truly reflects the stay, unlike the malicious review that the guest has left to hurt the host.
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Friends are here on business or doctors visits from time to time. They donāt make the bed or do the laundry. And, in the past they werenāt so good with the rules. Now they are. I still work just as hard, and they still make money.
Havenāt had any for the better part of a year, but thereās rumours of a big contract coming up.
awful situation watching your hard earned work go down the tubesā¦ heres the worse part of it Airbnb have set up such a climate of horrible aggresive competiton between hosts that getting any help on a foum has become challenging too. Youre on your own the others will laugh at your inexperience, in the same way that one hotel motel will laugh at the down fall of others. Theres no air bnb community, its Bull. When it started in 2009 I had a complete different experience with air bnb the guests behaved accordingly the host had some say and my prices were three times what they are now. Im setting up my own site I dont see why I should pay for the horrendous service we get from ABNB and then have to have rogue guests ruin our business while airbnb smirks at us. Im sorry this happened to you. My question would be why are you charging 18 a night? why? chasing reviews is a mugs game. I recently had a guest who destroyed my house and I had only one day to clean it up, before my next guest came. I called airbb resolution centre followed all the steps for a claim they asked me to finalise it there and then. I couldnt so they closed the case and told me to come back when I had the receipts so I have to start over because theres no way to open the messaging and photos I had with them before . Honestly I have little hope for the future and will remove my listings soon.
I would certainly tweet them about compensation.
If someone genuinely asks for help here, they get it and I donāt see much evidence of the OP being ridiculed.
Maybe youāre allowing your obvious disenchantment with Airbnb to cloud your judgement of this place?
JF
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JF find something better to do, like helping the orginal poster, instead of assuming stuff and pushing people around, your opinion is no more valuable than mine. Anyway you just proved my point, this is a D measuring contest for people like you. Dont make assumptions about me based on your own issues.