Guest threatening a bad review unless you refund? Here's what to do
"Give me a full refund or I'll leave you a bad review." Many hosts get a message like this. Airbnb's review policy does not allow guests to use reviews to pressure hosts into refunds or extras. How you respond in the next few minutes can decide whether that review can be removed later.
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Keep everything in Airbnb messages
Ask the guest to put requests in the Airbnb app. Threats made by text or phone are hard to prove.
Screenshot the threat
Save the exact message with the date. Don't delete or edit anything in the thread.
Don't give in to the threat
Paying a refund because of a threat can make it harder to show later that the review was used as pressure.
Reply calmly once
Offer to fix any real problem, and say you follow Airbnb's refund process. Keep it short and polite.
Report it before the review appears
Contact Airbnb support while the stay is still recent and tell them a guest is threatening a review to get a refund. Share the message. A report made before the review is posted gives a clear record if the guest follows through.
If the review is posted
A review written after a refund threat may break Airbnb's rules on reviews used to pressure hosts. Your removal request should point to the exact message and the policy, without emotion. Hosts report that Airbnb allows only a limited number of removal requests per review, so make the first one count.
How RatingRescue helps
- 1
Send us the review and the guest's messages. It's free to request.
- 2
We check whether it likely breaks Airbnb's policy and email a custom quote for your approval.
- 3
We prepare and submit the removal case. You pay only if the review is removed.
Common questions
Can Airbnb remove a review written after a refund threat?
It may, if the review was used to pressure you. Clear proof of the threat in Airbnb messages helps most. The final decision is Airbnb's.
Should I refund the guest to avoid the review?
Refund only for a real problem, under Airbnb's normal process. Paying because of a threat can weaken a later removal request.
What if the guest threatened me by phone?
Write down the date and what was said, then ask the guest to repeat their request in Airbnb messages. Written proof inside Airbnb is the strongest.
Got a review that came with a threat?
Send it to us for free and we'll tell you if it can be challenged.
RatingRescue is an independent consultancy. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by Airbnb, Inc. Outcomes depend on the facts of each case and Airbnb's decision.