It gives me zero satisfaction to have to write such a negative review, but I feel that others need to know about my family's experience, one which could have so easily been avoided with a modicum of communication and courtesy.
I rented "Little Blue Dream" (6 Godfrey Street) for Christmas week (2pm 12/20/21 to 10am 12/27/21). Family of six, flying overnight from JFK, under UK 48 hour Covid testing and quarantine rules, with an agreement from Will that we could drop bags at the property in advance of our 2pm check-in.
At the end of our stay, I wrote Will the following:
I'm curious if you have final thoughts on our check-in experience. Even allowing for Covid, the holidays, and "I was busy", it was pretty strange.
As you can see from the thread above, you emailed on 17 Dec regarding our 2pm check-in [in part referring to a "full instruction manual" that we still have never seen]. I emailed back later that day for clarification about whether we would be met or whether we would let ourselves in (which presumably would require an access code), in part because you had earlier agreed to let us drop our bags early. There was no reply.
I next emailed on our arrival at LHR on 20 Dec (6am), asking for clarification about check-in and [slightly later] your phone number. No reply. Our next communications began at I believe 2:15pm (after our contractual check-in time) with a phone call from you and texts (which began at 2:38pm with your request for a delay in the check-in by an hour). At that point, three of my daughters [one of whom had a conference call for work] were standing at 6 Godfrey Street in the cold with no access to the property [the rest of us were out trying to get Covid tests]. You provided the code to the lock box, but the lock box did not have the proper keys in it. By the time you sent someone with the proper keys and my daughters finally got access it was 3:53pm.
We can't be the only tenants who fly overnight from NYC and for whom timely and professional attention is important. No real apology, no explanation, no substantive further communication.
Thoughts?
Will's reply:
Huge apologises it’s been a really tough time for us with cancellations and cleaners being sick with covid.
I hope you understand and accept our sincere apologies and find it in your heads to forgive us.
I hope you have safe travels today
My response:
Dear Will,
To be honest, your apology rings false. Had you responded to my communications, had you communicated any of the difficulties you cite above, had you made the slightest effort to reach me on your own initiative at any point, had you initiated an apology, I might understand. You could have notified me in advance (neither Covid, nor cancellations, nor cleaners being sick can have been unknown before you began communicating), you could have called, you could have stopped by the property. You did not.
At this point I think you need to offer an appropriate financial compensation for a breach of contract and for my and my family's troubles. Do I need to remind you that we are a family of six who relied on your offer of a bag drop sometime between our 7am arrival at Heathrow and 2pm, and expected entry to the property at our contractually agreed time of 2pm? As it was we were not even given the access code until after 2pm and could not enter the property until nearly 4pm. Three of us were left standing on the street for over two hours.
Let me know what you think.
Will:
Hi Charles
How much would you like as a financial compensation
Charles:
Given how much of a disaster the first day was, I think you should comp the first day.
Will:
I’m afraid I can’t offer you a full days refund but I am prepared to offer you half a day.
Dear Will,
Had you dealt only with me, I might consider that offer.
However, you also interacted with my daughters. I have had a chance to review their experience of standing in the street after opening a lock box that contained a window bolt but no door or security key. They report that you were condescending and belittling and "made them feel like idiots". When you realized your mistake you promised to dispatch someone immediately with the keys to the house. They waited further in the cold and called you back after twenty minutes only to find that no one had stirred. The person who finally delivered the key did nothing but deliver the key and depart. In this entire episode you have offered not the least gesture of apology to them for your error, rudeness, and lack of consideration.
It is now Thursday and this dispute is disrupting the second half of my family's Christmas holiday. My offer of a day's comped rental ($772.73) stands until 10 pm GMT tonight. After that I shall escalate this dispute to Airbnb and let your prospective tenants what they might expect.
Sincerely,
Charles
Will:
Please escalate thanks
I can tell you Airbnb will be understanding and ask you to put this in your review.
I will also leave you a review explaining my side.
The issue was fixed pretty quickly and I explained there was a coffee shop at the end of the road your daughters could use - I was only condescending to mirror your daughters tone.
I will say good bye here and wish you well
Will [later]:
Hey Charles,
I am sorry to ask you this again but good reviews are very important on Airbnb and for us to keep hosting, so this is just one last reminder to leave us a review if you enjoyed your stay.
Let us know next time you are in London and we would love to host you again.
Thank