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Original poster

Air BnB - don't want to leave a review

73 replies

LindorDoubleChoc · 01/09/2023 15:08

I keep getting messages from Air BnB about leaving a review for my recent few days away. I don't want to leave a review because there were many things I didn't like about the place and something fairly major happened which could have seriously hampered our stay had we been in the place a lot more than we were.

But I'm not going to leave a nasty review either. I just want to leave it.

Now I get a message saying that the host has left me a review ... but I can't see it unless I leave a review for him! Eh? Is this how it works?

OP posts:

pinkdelight · 04/09/2023 07:33

I sent the owner a message explaining my issues so they were aware and could look into sorting them (they were nice about this and wanted to fix) then I did a neutral review not mentioning the issues.

WollyParton · 04/09/2023 10:00

Qilin · 03/09/2023 21:02

But, for your visit, it wasn't a 5 star stay or a 5 star accommodation, under a normal (not Air B&b's weird one) rating system. For your visit it was 3-4 at most,

In what way does giving a false rating help potential guests when looking for somewhere to stay?

And this is why the Air B&B rating system is wrong!

Show quote history

True, I agree but I had agonised over it long and hard. I was staying there alone and didn’t feel like I could march over to their house and demand this very poorly man to get the hoover out. When I spoke with the host via PM, she was mortified and very grateful that I had given her feedback and offered me a very discounted repeat stay (I have family in the area, so it isn’t out of the question). Very different to dealing with a faceless host who flat-out denies there’s a problem.

Beetleback · 04/09/2023 11:08

I didn’t know AirBnB penalised hosts for 4 star reviews - that seems pretty ridiculous and seems to defeat the object. Surely a review system should be fairly self-regulating - places with good reviews will get more bookings than those with average reviews. AirBnB should only have to intervene in complaints or repeated negative feedback.

It doesn’t help me as a consumer if everywhere has 5* reviews. I want to be able to distinguish between places which are good and places which are exceptional.

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Femalefootyfan · 04/09/2023 19:27

I guess you don’t have to leave a review if you don’t want to. We’ve never stayed in an Air B&B so I’ve not had that issue but I generally do TA reviews & always try to focus on the positives but if there’s reason to point out negatives then I will, basically if necessary, I leave a shit sandwich review 😁

Playingchesswithpigeons · 04/09/2023 19:45

I wholeheartedly agree with you OP.

Lots of places I stay are amazing, If I'd had such a great experience, I'm usually happy to review. Some places I stay are bloody awful, some have some issues, some not but still not brilliant etc etc
Like you, I don't want to be false, but I don't want to be negative.
I get to choose if I want to review a place.
When did the bloody expectation and further entitlement begin, so you HAVE to leave a review!
The more they keep asking/reminding, the more annoyed I become.
In these instances, I won't give a review.
I am not obliged to, not paid to, not contracted to. Just ignore the requests.

SaponificationQueen · 04/09/2023 20:06

ididntwanttodoit · 03/09/2023 17:42

Like @HoneyPotts , I am sick of being asked to leave a review for everything - especially when they don't actually want a truthful review, what they want is a recommendation. I had repeated requests from Etsy for a review which I ignored at first, and when I finally left a less than glowing (although not inaccurate) review, the business owner came in and pelted me full blast!!! Even though she knew I hadn't liked item and had returned it. That's why some of us would rather not bother!

I Gad a similar experience on EBay. I purchased a clock for my kitchen. When it came, it was way smaller than it appeared in the listing. I gave it a 3 star rating, as it was what it deserved. The person kept emailing me about changing the review. I told them if they didn’t stop harassing me, I would change it to a 1 star review. They wouldn’t stop, so I changed it to a 1 star and said in the comments that I had originally given a 3 star rating, but had changed it to 1 star because the seller would not stop harassing me to change it to a 5 star. That ended that. :-) No more emails from the seller. I ended up giving the clock away be sure there was no way I could use it in my kitchen.

Sillyname63 · 04/09/2023 20:23

I would post review saying " I have been bullied into leaving a review and I say there some good points but these have been outweighed by the bad points"
see if they like that.

suburbophobe · 04/09/2023 20:28

God, I would never stay in an Airbnb.

Someone's rancid's house? No thanks.

I have local friends who hire our theirs. They are "super hosts".
Only book those types.

girlfriend44 · 04/09/2023 21:18

Just ignore nobody can make you leave a review.
I didn't for a recent stay I had. The more they ask the more it turns you off. In the end it goes away.

Empresstea · 04/09/2023 21:34

JaninaDuszejko · 03/09/2023 19:18

We stayed in an airbnb in France and found a dead mouse in the middle of the kitchen floor when we arrived. The flat had only just started being listed on airbnb and was otherwise great so we contacted the owner (who was very nice), let them know that what had happened and said 'for obvious reasons we can't leave a positive review but we don't want to leave a negative review because everything else was great so won't review you'. They were OK with that.

See I wouldn't have reviewed that unfavourably if everything else was fine. A dead mouse, well yes it's unpleasant but if everything else was perfect and they were suitably mortified about said mouse then I'd have still given them a good review

JaninaDuszejko · 04/09/2023 21:35

I really really don’t want to stay in a dirty holiday home…. So how do we differentiate?

Read the reviews.

Does not mention how clean it is = dirty
Says the accomodation is clean = OK if you were visiting friends or family
Says the accomodation is spotlessly clean = Professionally cleaned to a high standard

Airbnb is just a well designed website with a wide variety of more or less professional property owners advertising their accomodation. It's perfectly possible to work out which places are from companies with multiple properties and which are just people who rent out their house for a bit of extra money (if that bothers you, we've stayed in some lovely houses that way).

TestingTestingWonTooFree · 04/09/2023 21:47

This. To be a super host, you have to maintain at least 4.8. I’d be happy to book a 4* on Tripadvisor, but airbnb treats it as a bit crap.

Rottweilermummy · 04/09/2023 21:59

I have stayed in a couple of places I'd rather have not left a review for again don't want to be nasty either one place I think people had same idea as can't imagine they had better experience , so I just look at positives not lying as there were some but I think by review u could pick up that it wasn't brilliant, like I say eg area was nice, certain aspects of accommodation were good .

PurpleWhirple · 04/09/2023 22:44

H34th · 03/09/2023 15:03

I read reviews every time before booking so I really appreciate people writing the good and the bad reviews as honestly as they can.
Not reviewing is basically not changing their 5 stars (or whatever rating overall) and is as misleading as giving a good one undeservingly.

Booked a studio recently. 5 starts all positive reviews. The place was the worst I've ever stayed at. Wish somebody had written a little heads-up what really to expect before we spent our money.

This. I'm honest when I write a review and I appreciate others doing the same. I'm currently in an Airbnb which has a 5 star rating and loads of positive reviews. It's a nice house but smells very strongly of damp which is really ruining the experience. Only one of the 50 reviews I scanned mentioned it, but I will be mentioning it in my review

Unicorntastic · 04/09/2023 22:57

I’m in the same predicament after staying at an air BnB last week, the house was not cleaned to a high standard, they clearly just clean up any obvious marks they see and the garden was overgrown, meaning the pathway to the front door wasn’t clear. Yet it has lots of 5* reviews saying how clean it is, I don’t get it? It also had a king size mattress on a double frame, all in all very amateur in their approach but I feel bad leaving a negative review!

Lolalady · 05/09/2023 07:28

I have an Airbnb at my home. Officially an Airbnb “superhost” for my consistently good reviews. All fine. I
am pet friendly and occasionally have people with dogs staying (recently a lady brought her cat !). My details make it clear i have dogs on the premises.

Then i have a couple stay. Wife comments she likes dog but husband not keen. Fine, dogs kept out of their way.

They left a review stating they were not doggy people and found the dogs “a bit much” ?!!!! Also the room smelt “doggy”and clearly I had used something to mask the smell. So, if you’re not “doggy” people why stay in a dog friendly place. Room most definitely does not smell doggy either. No-one has ever raised that issue - on the contrary they comment on how clean and lovely the room is.

I left them a nice review too !!

Rosejasmine · 05/09/2023 08:00

If you don’t leave a review you will be able to see the hosts review after 14 days. It’s fine not to leave one.

Nopenopenopenopenopenope · 05/09/2023 08:07

Leave an honest review and don't read the response. I don't anymore because if something is that bad I'm leaving a shitty review, I don't care what they have to say. It's not going to add anything to my day!

I always try to give people the benefit of the doubt and if something is wrong I'll tell them. But some businesses just suck and if I prevent someone else from being ripped off, great.

Although with some places I will preempt a snippy response with something like "and I bet they'll respond to this telling me I'm wrong just like they have every other critical review - can't get much more transparent!"

rookiemere · 05/09/2023 08:35

It's really tricky isn't it.
We recently stayed in an Airbnb with great reviews.

The accommodation itself was as described and absolutely fine, but the issue to me was they had two dogs - fine and as described in Airbnb - but weren't totally on top of clearing up the poo promptly. I don't have an issue with dogs at all, but as we were in a converted garage I didn't want to be looking out on dog poo at all. One of the dogs was very elderly and I suspect a bit incontinent as most dogs don't like to do their business in their own garden and stone paving.

I debated mentioning it to her privately rather than in the review, but chickened out and decided that - for a number of reasons- accommodation attached to the hosts house doesn't work for us.

gazingatgoats · 05/09/2023 08:37

I have just tried to leave an honest review about an AirBnb cottage I stayed at last week. However, my review has been removed as it "violates the review policy"
I mentioned that the upstairs windows didn't open and the garden was actually shared between 3 other properties! I contacted AirBnb to find out how that violates the policy and their reply was that my review was used as a form of retaliation against the owner!
So I guess we can't write anything negative in the reviews!
Don't think I'll be using Airbnb anymore.

JaninaDuszejko · 05/09/2023 10:54

Is it even legal to have upstairs windows that don't open in a rental property? And sharing a garden isn't necessarily a bad thing, although it's good to know if you have e.g. small kids.

VeraMay · 05/09/2023 15:12

Just say you found the place OK with sat nav directions. That's positive without being critical.

NecklessMumster · 06/09/2023 23:02

It's annoying that you have to read between the lines of airbnb reviews to try and get a good picture. E.g. it might be self contained but does the owner live next door? I once stayed in a flat on the regents park estate...rats in the garden and a homeless man sleeping under the communal outside steps. All the reviews said 'homely' etc except one that said 'why are all these reviews not telling the truth' (it wasnt my booking).

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