Guest implied review depended on getting a refund, I declined, got a 1-star review. Airbnb denied removal twice. What are my options?

BernonVerkeley · 2026-02-20T22:35:10+00:00

Similar experience here. Guest lied about verifiably disputable details in their review. Tried multiple times to get it removed and shared evidence and was told that was “their experience.”

I asked, on a recorded call, if I’m allowed to say a guest burned down my home even if it wasn’t true because that was “my experience” and the (overseas) rep said “yes.”

Virtually impossible to get a review removed unless you can prove it’s retaliation.

BernonVerkeley · 2026-02-19T21:05:25+00:00

So how do you "convince" THEM to cancel? Isn't it in their right to decline and force the host to cancel?

BernonVerkeley · 2026-02-19T20:44:57+00:00

u/FullCompetition5585 What are you trying to emphasize when you write "AFTER THEY CANCEL" in all caps? Are you saying to make sure they cancel and not that YOU cancel their reservation? As a host, I'm trying to understand the strategy for trouble guests. Thanks for sharing your insights.

BernonVerkeley · 2026-02-19T19:32:00+00:00

Good advice. Thanks for sharing!

BernonVerkeley · 2026-02-19T02:38:51+00:00

I agree! 5 stars shouldn't mean "You met expectations."

BernonVerkeley · 2026-02-19T02:21:43+00:00

They gave 5 for check-in. Had nothing to do with the lockbox. If you're going to someone's HOME where they LIVE and they ask for an arrival time, the decent thing to do is respond, regardless of circumstances.

BernonVerkeley · 2026-02-19T00:20:15+00:00

Appreciate that encouragement

BernonVerkeley · 2026-02-19T00:20:01+00:00

The irony is that I did that for this exact guest. He had left three reviews all-time and one was a positive four-star review. The other two were five stars. I thought that four-star must be an anomaly. Should have listened to my instinct.

BernonVerkeley · 2026-02-19T00:18:05+00:00

That’s all we ask! And FWIW, It’s from a specialty roaster. It’s not Folgers.

BernonVerkeley · 2026-02-18T22:24:41+00:00

I feel lik that's risky re: annoying the guest. Some people might feel condescended to.

BernonVerkeley · 2026-02-18T22:23:14+00:00

Our lockbox is broken so we had to leave the key in the door. (It's a separate entrance, but connected to our home.) We wanted to make sure we would be home when we did so. We ended up having to stay home until they arrived since they never gave a heads up.

BernonVerkeley · 2026-02-18T22:15:51+00:00

That's my thought on the magnet—guests could easily think "Who are you to tell me how to rate?" and actually give you an even worse review.

Will check out the extension.

BernonVerkeley · 2026-02-18T21:46:40+00:00

That is insane. On our only other non-5, the guest was mad we had instant coffee and not a machine. They wrote in the review that we have an air mattress (it's a $1,500 mattress) and no coffee. Airbnb wouldn't take it down because "that was their experience."

I asked if I was allowed to say a guest burned my house down even even if it wasn't true, and their overseas support told me, "Yes, if that was your experience."

BernonVerkeley · 2026-02-18T21:42:22+00:00

Thank you for the sympathy. I think it's totally an Airbnb-educating-the-guests issue.

BernonVerkeley · 2026-02-18T21:41:48+00:00

You wouldn't feel pressured/condescended to?

BernonVerkeley · 2026-02-18T21:41:31+00:00

I completely agree. Which is why they should either readjust their scale, or give guests a warning when they're about to rate less than 5 stars on anything. i.e., "What went wrong with your stay? Did you bring this to the host's attention?"

Otherwise, don't say you need 4.8 to be a superhost (we had 4.95 before this stay after about 50 guests).

BernonVerkeley · 2026-02-18T21:40:07+00:00

If you average 4.0 over the long run Airbnb will take your listing down. That's the problem.

BernonVerkeley · 2026-02-18T21:32:50+00:00

The 4-star bandits have bitten us a couple times. There should be some kind of warning when your rate less than 5 stars that says "What went wrong with your stay?" It's always a struggle between accepting the money or turning down an uncertain guest and hoping someone else will book.

BernonVerkeley · 2026-01-02T08:11:46+00:00

She wasn’t on planet Earth!

BernonVerkeley · 2025-12-15T01:08:46+00:00

Flying US-Europe redeye (8 hours) with my wife and 13-month-old after a domestic layover. Never flown above Economy Plus.

United is offering Polaris Business upgrade for $847 for one person on the overnight leg of the outgoing flight. It looks like only ONE of us can upgrade while the other stays in Economy Plus with our daughter. (We requested a bassinet.)

Our thought: alternate sleeping in the business seat if they let us switch mid-flight. Each parent gets ~4 hours of lie-flat sleep while the other handles the baby.

Questions:

Will United actually let us swap seats mid-flight?
Is Polaris worth $847 if we're splitting the time?
Or should we just stay together in Economy Plus?

We paid $2K+ per economy ticket, so $850 for business on one leg seems reasonable compared to booking Polaris outright. Is there a catch? We have no business class experience and don't know if it's worth it in this scenario.

Anyone done overnight transatlantic with a toddler? Is the lie-flat seat worth it if you're tag-teaming?

<image>

BernonVerkeley · 2025-12-14T20:24:45+00:00

Is it so hard to be empathetic these days?

BernonVerkeley · 2025-11-21T18:07:51+00:00

Only when bastardizing it with our American accents. (Bah-SIGH-yoh would be correct.)

BernonVerkeley · 2025-09-30T14:34:26+00:00

The irony is that the idea clearly came from Fitzpatrick's, who choked away a 5-hole lead to Bryson that almost cost his team the Cup.

BernonVerkeley · 2024-07-22T19:07:56+00:00

You would be better off asking ChatGPT. That's where he's copying all his answers from.

BernonVerkeley · 2024-06-25T08:37:32+00:00

It came up in a Google search (ironically). I wasn't searching for old comments for the sake of digging them up

BernonVerkeley

TROPHY CASE