Hey, I want to thank you all for all of your helpful messages I’ve read over the years that have guided me along the way!
About a week ago, I had received a request to book for 2 nights (Saturday & Sunday). After a few messages back and forth, I accepted only to then receive an “Awaiting Payment” notification. I called customer support and successfully had them cancel the reservation. I notified the guest of her payment method being invalid and she claimed to fix it, so not listening to my gut, I accepted her second request.
Communication was good until my mother checked her and her friend in (at 3pm - I was at work). My mother showed them about and I sent her a welcome message with the wifi details and another with a list of restaurants and places nearby to visit. I received no response (does not raise any alarm as some guests get busy settling in and exploring). Sunday morning, I sent a message at 9am asking if they got settled in okay and to let I or my mother know (they were supplied with both phone numbers) if they have any questions or need anything. No response. At about 1230pm my mother (who was out gardening) told me the ladies handed her the keys outside and said they were leaving early. When she inquired if there was anything wrong, the guest stated the place was dusty. My mother went into the property to make sure the air conditioner and lights were off, and saw the toilet seat lid broken off and lying on the tank.
I immediately messaged the guest who claimed it was received that way and that the place was dirty and that she took a video of it all before she left 
. I called Airbnb to report the damage and start a claim.
I know the place was completely clean because I personally clean it with a cleaning woman. I keep (at least) 2 days in-between reservations to make sure the place is aired out for at minimum 24 hours (Covid) before we clean. It would have been entirely impossible for either of us to have missed a broken toilet seat during the cleaning process (who doesn’t clean their toilets?!).
Either way, below are the messages I’ve sent to her regarding damage and replacement cost. She has denied and refused, but is letting the 72 hour timer run it’s course (currently at 53 hours left). Her final message to me is, unsurprisingly, rude. I wrote out a response, but have not yet sent it as the ending is snarky and I’m not sure if I’m doing myself a disservice being so blatant about it/going back and forth.
***** The unsent response*****
Sarle’,
I have never presumed to know you personally, I am simply describing the natural course of events that any person would take upon receiving a service that they consider to be inadequate.
I understand you had a busy schedule, we all have active lives/work outside of Airbnb. I had messaged you 3 times since you had checked in (on Friday at 3pm) – while I was at work both Friday and Saturday – (sending you wifi details, an extensive list of restaurants and places to visit nearby, and to check in and see if everything was okay and if had any questions or needed anything) with absolutely no response from you, let alone notifying us that anything was wrong/broken. According to your statement, that is the reason you did not bring this up using any of the means of communication accessible to you, one that would have taken mere seconds; writing a message via the Airbnb messaging platform, texting or calling my mother or I etc. You did, however, have time to take a video right before you checked out, highlighting that you had no issues to report initially (having received a clean place, slept in freshly laundered linen, and made use of a clean, working, unbroken toilet). You took a video after damage to the toilet had been done because you knew we would raise this damage with you since you did not have the decency to be forthright, upfront and honest about it of your own accord.
My mother walked you in and presented the property to you at check-in. She did not prevent you or your friend from entering the bedroom, kitchen or bathroom. I am sure that if you had seen that the place was dusty/dirty (as you claim), you would have raised it up right then and there (as my mother was showing you about), but that was not the case. My mother did not physically walk you into the bathroom as 3 adult women would not easily fit into it at the same time, as well, trying to respect Covid-19 social distancing guidelines of 2 meters (6 ft.) apart. We rely upon the quality of the cleanliness that we pride ourselves on (high standards that have lead us to have 5 stars and Superhost status since we began hosting in 2018), amongst other things. In hindsight, perhaps a short description of how to use a toilet seat properly seems to have been in order. Going forward, we will endeavor to add this to our check-in procedures.
Thank you for your sentiments and concern regarding our future guests. I hope you stay safe and improve the quality of your mannerism and honesty with other future hosts whose properties you will stay in.
Regards,
Tohar
Should I use this ending (A), or supplement it with (B), or not send any message at all?
A) …In hindsight, perhaps a short description of how to use a toilet seat properly seems to have been in order. Going forward, we will endeavor to add this to our check-in procedures.
Thank you for your sentiments and concern regarding our future guests. I hope you stay safe and improve the quality of your mannerism and honesty with other future hosts whose properties you will stay in.
Regards,
Tohar
B) …Thank you for your sentiments and concerns regarding our future guests, I’m confident our standards will not disappoint.
Regards,
Tohar
Please reference our previous message stream in the attached pictures.
Sorry for the long diatribe, and thank you for any and all help! 
Just as I had submitted this here, that thought passed through my mind. I stupidly allowed myself to get worked/caught up in defense of her lies.
Hey, at least posting it out here (instead of on Airbnb) helped stop this toilet crusade 
