PSA: Stop giving into extortion for sake of reviews
Title says it all. The scheme has been laid out here before. Guest checks in, takes photos of petty issues or maybe a few moderate ones at best. Demands absurd refund, host gives in to not get a bad review.
Just had an iteration of this. Guest took photos of stains on basement rugs. In fairness, there were a few spots that were unsightly, although this is more from a bad design choice on my part (too light of color) and years of shoes walking over and staining them. These types of stains do not come out, even with me having them steamed regularly.
I offer to refund half cleaning fee and send a cleaner. Guest refuses and demands 50% refund. I say no, I’ll refund if you decide to leave. Guest accepted, left and got their money back.
Lo and behold, I still get a 3 star review. Guest mentioned in review that house is older inside than it looks in the photos. The house is not modern- kitchen cabinets and sink are old, but does have fresh paint, floors and updated bathrooms. In hindsight I think the guest was disappointed that she booked a semi dated place and used the rugs as a proxy for a refund.
Moving forward, I’ve gotten rid of the rugs that can’t be revived and will do an extra cleaning monthly from my backup cleaner who will focus on problem areas. Given that, no more giving in with generosity to keep the peace- I will offer a refund of the cleaning fee at best and send someone over, and if they refuse that I will tell them to call customer support. Done with it!
TLDR: Don’t give refunds to save a review, they will still give you a bad one anyway. Petty cleaning complaints could be a proxy for them being disappointed with another aspect of your property that they overlooked in your listing when they booked.