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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Upset by a negative Airbnb review. Should I do anything?

291 replies

Daddyjammy · 06/09/2021 14:15

AIBU to be upset by the bad review we've just been given as guests? Worried it will impact on being able to rent other places.

Our family's always had great reviews from our hosts in the past and we try to be as considerate as possible, so this has quite upset me.

We had a lovely stay (won't mention where but in the UK) and left a glowing review of the place, which, to be fair was pretty immaculate when we arrived.

Checkout was supposed to be 10.00 which is at least an hour earlier than we've ever had before and we did try to get up and out in time but with two teenage kids we had managed to get all of our stuff out of the house and by the car by 10.40 and I was just doing final checks, cleaning kitchen and hoovering when the cleaner arrived. She was very curt with me as I was still on the drive but she was able to park on the road just 5 yards away then virtually threw me out of the house before i could even grab the (tied up) rubbish bags to put in the bin and recycling. We had hoovered the night before, cleared away all of our breakfast and generally tidied but apparently didn't put everything back in its right place, "moved artwork" (absolutely no idea what this could be) and left so much dog hair on the sofa it took an extra hour to clean (the dog, which we had checked was ok in advance, was banned from the sofa when we were there but may have got up there when we were out but we certainly didn't notice much hair).

Turns out the cleaner was the owner's mum so I'm guessing I caused offence by mentioning that she was "brusque" with us and maybe they're upset that we broke a dessert bowl, although I left a tenner to cover for this and offered more if I hadn't left enough, or that we accidentally used their Netflix account rather than our own (is that really bad form?).

Genuinely not sure if we sound like really bad guests and need to up our game or if we've come across a particularly picky host who expects too much from guests paying over £1,000 for a week with one bedroom and a sofa bed in a (quite nice) little house.

OP posts:

ScribblingPixie · 07/09/2021 08:57

@SmashingBlouson

It sounds like the hosts only saw the negative in your review and not the positive, and decided to retaliate with a bad review themselves, which is a bit immature. As I said previously they sound inexperienced and not cut out for hospitality if they aren't able to accept a bit of negative feedback.

I stayed in a non-Air B&B place recently that just started out and they welcomed lots of feedback and knew they had room to improve as it was their first try at offering a holiday service. They certainly didn't take everything personally.

Airbnb reviews are written 'blind'. You don't see each other's until they're published. And if you don't write yours until the other person's is published, you can't add one later. So retaliation isn't possible.

IntermittentParps · 07/09/2021 09:03

why havent they logged out of their own netflix before they rent it out
Yes, they seemed to be setting guests up to fail.

Farfalle88 · 07/09/2021 09:09

Surely it’s the previous holiday maker who would be logged in, not the owner? The owner is not goi g to be sitting watching Netflix in a rental property. If it is logged into the owners Netflix, I would assume it is for the benefit of holiday makers and part of the package! I don’t think that is an issue at all. However leaving so late is definitely an issue.

mydogisthebest · 07/09/2021 09:11

I used to clean holiday cottages and hated it when guests were late leaving (and so many were). 40 minutes is a joke. 10am is not even early so you should have definitely been out on time.

Did the owners have any rules about the dog? Most holiday lets don't let you leave a dog alone but they usually state that.

I would never dream of leaving my dog alone in a strange place even though I know he would behave. Also if you knew he would lay on the settee then you should have left him in another part of the house (kitchen/hall) or put a throw on the settee

LawnFever · 07/09/2021 09:12

@seaandsandcastles

Yep, YABU and bad guests. There’s no excuse for leaving late and you were very rude using their Netflix, breaking their things, allowing your mutt on their furniture etc.

I wouldn’t accept you 🤷‍♀️

Lol they left their Netflix logged in, if they don’t want people to use it they should log out. If I went somewhere and an account was logged in I’d assume it was because they we’re happy for guests to use it.

If they don’t want dogs they shouldn’t accept dogs, it’s ridiculous to complain about dog hair if you accept dogs in a property.

The cleaner only turned up as they were already leaving so nothing was lost by them being a bit late.

Farfalle88 · 07/09/2021 09:13

10 am is late these days . Most rental properties are saying be out by 9 am and don’t arrive till 5pm because of the extra cleaning involved.

rosesinmygarden · 07/09/2021 09:13

You obviously think you have valid excuses for everything they've complained about and that they are the unreasonable ones.

However, from their point of view you didn't check out on time and you broke other rules you'd agreed to which has caised them inconvenience, time and money. Not sure why you would think think the review is unfair? Maybe you are used to just doing as you please and facing no consequences? What an entitled, rude attitude.

tommyhoundmum · 07/09/2021 09:13

They are suppose to be in the hospitality business for heaven's sake.
Just uncouth people like lookingfluvely or whatever above.

Fernando072020 · 07/09/2021 09:16

@Glssr195726113493

Ha! You left nearly an hour late, the cleaner couldn’t park nearby and had to lug stuff, you broke something, you used their Netflix, you left dog hair all over the sofa… 😂 oh OP.

This is everything I was thinking!

SmashingBlouson · 07/09/2021 10:30

ScribblingPixie

Didn't know that about Air B&B as never encountered that method of reviewing before and don't use Air B&B.

Still sounds like the hosts aren't really cut out for hospitality though, if they leave their Netflix unlocked and invite dogs in their property, but complain about Netflix being used and dog hair being in the property. Lateness isn't great, but it happens occasionally and you should prepare for it as hosts. Plenty of customers have encountered it the other way round this year where rooms have not been cleaned/ready on arrival, but the difference is the guests are the ones paying.

Can you see if hosts have left bad reviews about guests or is that locked? If potential guests can see what the hosts have written I can imagine it would be bad for business. I certainly would be put off if I read the hosts review before booking - would book somewhere else.

honestpointofview · 07/09/2021 11:40

@SmashingBlouston - I don't think the issue of the Netflix account was mentioned in the review.

OP says she is only guessing that was an issue rather than it being mentioned in the review:

"so I'm guessing I caused offence by mentioning that she was "brusque" with us and maybe they're upset that we broke a dessert bowl, although I left a tenner to cover for this and offered more if I hadn't left enough, or that we accidentally used their Netflix account rather than our own (is that really bad form?)."

takehomepay · 07/09/2021 11:54

@Glssr195726113493

Ha! You left nearly an hour late, the cleaner couldn’t park nearby and had to lug stuff, you broke something, you used their Netflix, you left dog hair all over the sofa… 😂 oh OP.

I'd say 5 yards from the drive is 'nearby' personally.

And it was their responsibility to log out of Netflix and put a throw over the sofa as they allow dogs.

Lweji · 07/09/2021 16:29

@Daisydoesnt

My guess is the cleaner was sat in her car somewhere waiting for the OP to leave and finally found somewhere to park!

I was thinking the same. Even that she waited as long as she thought reasonable, then decided to make herself known. I'd guess she arrived near the house any time between 10:15 and 10:30.

takehomepay · 07/09/2021 16:32

Waiting 40 minutes to park 5 yards closer to the house would be exceptionally stupid.

I suspect the cleaner was brusque because she was wondering why OP was hoovering when she would have had to do it again anyway.

starfishmummy · 08/09/2021 02:41

We once had the owner (who seemingly did her own cleaning) march in at 8.30 saying she was there to strip the beds so she could wash the bedding for the next guests. Checkout was 10.00.
I guess she achieved her wish to get us out as we finished loading the car in record time and were outside the local cafe at 9!!

Tbh she'd been really intrusive all through the holiday and that was the final straw. Shame really as it was a decent cottage in a nice place but just always in our faces.

ScribblingPixie · 08/09/2021 23:00

Smashing Blouson Can you see if hosts have left bad reviews about guests or is that locked? If potential guests can see what the hosts have written I can imagine it would be bad for business. I certainly would be put off if I read the hosts review before booking - would book somewhere else.

You'd have to go looking for them. If you look at the review a guest has left for a property you're interested in, then click on their avatar you can see all reviews left for them and star ratings.

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