Airbnb Review Removed

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I finally heard back from Airbnb. My review was removed because safety of the neighborhood is beyond a host’s control. Yes they actually put that in writing.

Do you disagree? Obviously lots of other people have stayed there and don’t feel “unsafe”. Whatever feelings you had were not the Airbnb hosts’ fault.

Is this a joke? If they have a policy of removing reviews about safety, then one has no way of knowing whether others felt safe there from reading the reviews because those reviews are removed.

Your fear for your safety was only your perception — you were never threatened or actually unsafe. I agree with the removal of your review. Truthfully you sound histrionic.

Next time instead of saying it is unsafe, try describing the surroundings — graffiti on buildings, open air drug market across the street, whatever. Be specific.

Agree with this. OP, I'm sorry but you are coming off like a really annoying Karen who is mad that Airbnb is not willing to keep up your review that was probably filled with racist and classist dog whistles. Next time, stay in a more expensive place in a nicer neighborhood. It isn't the Airbnb host's fault that you were being cheap or have desires beyond your budget.

As a single woman , I would definitely want to read this poster’s review (perception or not)!

NP who has been following thread. Same, I would want to read the OP’s review.

Sometimes feeling unsafe is just that - a feeling, that you shouldn’t dismiss, and that should not be invalidated by trolls or anyone else with insults and name calling.

If you feel unsafe, you feel unsafe. It doesn’t mean you are histrionic or a Karen or racist or classist.

People should be more alarmed that Airbnb removes reviews.
Of course we want to know what the surrounding area is like, and not just how fluffy the pillows are.

I'm sorry, but I disagree. In March, we went to Philadelphia for spring break for my kids. We stayed about 5-8 blocks from where OP said she booked in Center City and we drove through the South Philly area where OP was scared. I agree that the area might be unsafe for single females after dark, my wife said she would not feel safe walking alone. That said, it did not feel any less safe than many other city locales in virtually every major city in America. I think OP's comments in the original thread and her comments to airBnB were overly exaggerated and suggested that this shoudl be listed as one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in urban America. It was a very common inner city neighborhood where it is not recommended to walk at night. I also think that area was pretty typical of the entire South Philly area. I don't think it was particularly more or less dangerous than other parts of that neighborhood and region. If OP was a single female or a small group of females going to a concert, she should have done better research and not rented anywhere in that neighborhood.

So, I think that airBnB did the right thing. Her comment was about the neighborhood and not the individual listing. The neighborhood is what it is. Patrons like OP should not be renting in that area/neighborhood, but that's up to those customers to research the area and realize that South Philly and Center City were not appropriate places for one or a few females who were not comfortable with inner city living to rent. But it isn't about the individual listing and shouldn't be on the individual listing. Renters need to do a better job vetting the neighborhoods they want to rent in.

I’m the PP you are apparently disagreeing with.

What specific statement are you disagreeing with?

the idea that if you feel unsafe, then you feel unsafe?

Or that some individuals, eg single female travellers, may indeed want reviews that describe the surrounding area and not just the fluffiness of pillows?

Or that we should be alarmed that Airbnb removes reviews?

These were the main points. Not sure why you begin with an apology - there is nothing apologetic in your reply. You even admit your wife said she would not feel safe walking alone at night there!

Well, I'm sorry now that I misphrased that. What I disagree with is that OPs review about the neighborhood was appropriate for the airBnB rental listing. The things that OP objected to were information about the neighborhood and not about the specific unit. Moreover, these were items for which the rental owner had no control over. The rental owner cannot change the crime statistics or the relative feeling of previous renters that the area was unsafe. The OP would need to search for the crime statistics or information about the Point Breeze neighborhood and get that information for herself.

Rental owners should not be required to either provide or justify information about the neighborhood in their rental listings. That's just outside of the scope of a rental. If you have such concerns, you need to investigate the neighborhood and zone yourself. AirBnB provides the location map on each rental that shows you the neighborhood. With the zoom feature, you can find the location within a one block radius so you can definitely do research on the neighborhood if this is relevant to your rental. The fact that she didn't do that research and then blamed the rental owner for not providing that information and blames airBnB from blocking such reviews regarding subjects outside of the owner's control is wholly OP's problem.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I finally heard back from Airbnb. My review was removed because safety of the neighborhood is beyond a host’s control. Yes they actually put that in writing.

Do you disagree? Obviously lots of other people have stayed there and don’t feel “unsafe”. Whatever feelings you had were not the Airbnb hosts’ fault.

Is this a joke? If they have a policy of removing reviews about safety, then one has no way of knowing whether others felt safe there from reading the reviews because those reviews are removed.

Your fear for your safety was only your perception — you were never threatened or actually unsafe. I agree with the removal of your review. Truthfully you sound histrionic.

Next time instead of saying it is unsafe, try describing the surroundings — graffiti on buildings, open air drug market across the street, whatever. Be specific.

Agree with this. OP, I'm sorry but you are coming off like a really annoying Karen who is mad that Airbnb is not willing to keep up your review that was probably filled with racist and classist dog whistles. Next time, stay in a more expensive place in a nicer neighborhood. It isn't the Airbnb host's fault that you were being cheap or have desires beyond your budget.

As a single woman , I would definitely want to read this poster’s review (perception or not)!

NP who has been following thread. Same, I would want to read the OP’s review.

Sometimes feeling unsafe is just that - a feeling, that you shouldn’t dismiss, and that should not be invalidated by trolls or anyone else with insults and name calling.

If you feel unsafe, you feel unsafe. It doesn’t mean you are histrionic or a Karen or racist or classist.

People should be more alarmed that Airbnb removes reviews.
Of course we want to know what the surrounding area is like, and not just how fluffy the pillows are.

I'm sorry, but I disagree. In March, we went to Philadelphia for spring break for my kids. We stayed about 5-8 blocks from where OP said she booked in Center City and we drove through the South Philly area where OP was scared. I agree that the area might be unsafe for single females after dark, my wife said she would not feel safe walking alone. That said, it did not feel any less safe than many other city locales in virtually every major city in America. I think OP's comments in the original thread and her comments to airBnB were overly exaggerated and suggested that this shoudl be listed as one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in urban America. It was a very common inner city neighborhood where it is not recommended to walk at night. I also think that area was pretty typical of the entire South Philly area. I don't think it was particularly more or less dangerous than other parts of that neighborhood and region. If OP was a single female or a small group of females going to a concert, she should have done better research and not rented anywhere in that neighborhood.

So, I think that airBnB did the right thing. Her comment was about the neighborhood and not the individual listing. The neighborhood is what it is. Patrons like OP should not be renting in that area/neighborhood, but that's up to those customers to research the area and realize that South Philly and Center City were not appropriate places for one or a few females who were not comfortable with inner city living to rent. But it isn't about the individual listing and shouldn't be on the individual listing. Renters need to do a better job vetting the neighborhoods they want to rent in.

You drove through South Philly and that makes you an expert on a listing you know nothing about? There are many neighborhoods in South Philly that are substantially safer then the street where this listing was located.

Location is one of the primary factors guiding choice of accommodation which is why Airbnb does not exclude it as a review topic in its guidelines. The customer service rep made up a rationale for removing a negative review not supported by the company”s own guidelines. How about owners are honest and above board with respect to their listings.

Unlike you, we actually stayed 4 nights in that neighborhood. I was a few blocks from where you purported to be. I drove through the area where you felt threated and I walked several blocks in the neighborhood in the evenings, unlike you who walked in in the middle of the afternoon and felt threatened. I am not purporting to be an expert, but saying that you didn't do nearly enough research on the neighborhood where you would be staying and are trying to blame the rental owner for your own lapse.

This rental and the surrounding area are about normal for a city neighborhood and your review about not feeling safe was not relevent to that particular unit. Your review did not fit the guidelines for airBnB despite your protests and so they took it down. You should not rent when you travel, but should stay in hotels. Everyone would be much happier if you just made better choices.

What drugs are you on? I never gave an address for where I stayed, or identified the rental, so your claims are complete bullshit.

You described the area with some detail in the long thread you had deleted. South Philly, X blocks south of some landmark. When you posted that, I googled and found that we also stayed about 6 blocks south of that landmark, so I guessimated that we were within 5-8 blocks of where you described. You had several posts where you gave info about the neighborhood.

As I said you should just stick to hotels.

No, I did not. What landmark are you talking about?

You said the rental was in the area south of Rittenhouse Square. So I looked it up and we stayed about 6 blocks south there.

You misremember. I said the owner claimed Rittenhouse Square was a stone's throw away. In actuality, the airbnb was 1.5 miles from Rittenhouse Square. I agree-six blocks south of Rittenhouse Square is a safe neighborhood and I would be comfortable staying there. Completely different area from where this airbnb was unfortunately.

My definition of unsafe is as follows: vacant and derelict housing on block, multiple shootings in the past year within a 3 block radius.

If I were ever to rent from airbnb, I now know to google for shootings in the vicinity. I wouldn't think that is necessary, but I now know differently.

Did you ask the host for an actual distance from the square, rather than relying on the vague "close?" If you wanted to be within 6 blocks of the square, it was on you to make sure that was what you were getting.

I never said I wanted to be within 6 blocks of Rittenhouse Square. I said the owner misrepresented the location of the house as close to Rittenhouse Square.

A rental further away which was in a safe location , i.e. not plagued by gun violence and other crime, would have been fine.

I'm amazed that you keep trying to defend yourself. I can see exactly why airbnb removed your review that probably included vague references like your last sentence above.

Do you want not vague? There were multiple shootings within three blocks of this listing in the past year. That’s information I consider relevant, you do you.

Not relevant enough to look up those stats ahead of time, apparently!

Nope, I thought Airbnb was a reputable company that didn’t delete reviews, and that wouldn’t list rentals in high crime areas. Now I know differently.

Point Breeze is not a high crime area. Kensington would be a high crime area, for example.

Kensington may be worse. There were two shootings in Point Breeze, including the shooting of an 11 year old girl, the night at issue, so our definitions of high crime probably differs.

Stay in the suburbs where you’ll be safe and sound.

As I already said, I live in the city. Thanks for the well wishes.

Lol, what city? River City?

No, Baltimore City.

Dollars to donuts Roland Park.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I finally heard back from Airbnb. My review was removed because safety of the neighborhood is beyond a host’s control. Yes they actually put that in writing.

Do you disagree? Obviously lots of other people have stayed there and don’t feel “unsafe”. Whatever feelings you had were not the Airbnb hosts’ fault.

Is this a joke? If they have a policy of removing reviews about safety, then one has no way of knowing whether others felt safe there from reading the reviews because those reviews are removed.

Your fear for your safety was only your perception — you were never threatened or actually unsafe. I agree with the removal of your review. Truthfully you sound histrionic.

Next time instead of saying it is unsafe, try describing the surroundings — graffiti on buildings, open air drug market across the street, whatever. Be specific.

Agree with this. OP, I'm sorry but you are coming off like a really annoying Karen who is mad that Airbnb is not willing to keep up your review that was probably filled with racist and classist dog whistles. Next time, stay in a more expensive place in a nicer neighborhood. It isn't the Airbnb host's fault that you were being cheap or have desires beyond your budget.

As a single woman , I would definitely want to read this poster’s review (perception or not)!

NP who has been following thread. Same, I would want to read the OP’s review.

Sometimes feeling unsafe is just that - a feeling, that you shouldn’t dismiss, and that should not be invalidated by trolls or anyone else with insults and name calling.

If you feel unsafe, you feel unsafe. It doesn’t mean you are histrionic or a Karen or racist or classist.

People should be more alarmed that Airbnb removes reviews.
Of course we want to know what the surrounding area is like, and not just how fluffy the pillows are.

I'm sorry, but I disagree. In March, we went to Philadelphia for spring break for my kids. We stayed about 5-8 blocks from where OP said she booked in Center City and we drove through the South Philly area where OP was scared. I agree that the area might be unsafe for single females after dark, my wife said she would not feel safe walking alone. That said, it did not feel any less safe than many other city locales in virtually every major city in America. I think OP's comments in the original thread and her comments to airBnB were overly exaggerated and suggested that this shoudl be listed as one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in urban America. It was a very common inner city neighborhood where it is not recommended to walk at night. I also think that area was pretty typical of the entire South Philly area. I don't think it was particularly more or less dangerous than other parts of that neighborhood and region. If OP was a single female or a small group of females going to a concert, she should have done better research and not rented anywhere in that neighborhood.

So, I think that airBnB did the right thing. Her comment was about the neighborhood and not the individual listing. The neighborhood is what it is. Patrons like OP should not be renting in that area/neighborhood, but that's up to those customers to research the area and realize that South Philly and Center City were not appropriate places for one or a few females who were not comfortable with inner city living to rent. But it isn't about the individual listing and shouldn't be on the individual listing. Renters need to do a better job vetting the neighborhoods they want to rent in.

You drove through South Philly and that makes you an expert on a listing you know nothing about? There are many neighborhoods in South Philly that are substantially safer then the street where this listing was located.

Location is one of the primary factors guiding choice of accommodation which is why Airbnb does not exclude it as a review topic in its guidelines. The customer service rep made up a rationale for removing a negative review not supported by the company”s own guidelines. How about owners are honest and above board with respect to their listings.

Unlike you, we actually stayed 4 nights in that neighborhood. I was a few blocks from where you purported to be. I drove through the area where you felt threated and I walked several blocks in the neighborhood in the evenings, unlike you who walked in in the middle of the afternoon and felt threatened. I am not purporting to be an expert, but saying that you didn't do nearly enough research on the neighborhood where you would be staying and are trying to blame the rental owner for your own lapse.

This rental and the surrounding area are about normal for a city neighborhood and your review about not feeling safe was not relevent to that particular unit. Your review did not fit the guidelines for airBnB despite your protests and so they took it down. You should not rent when you travel, but should stay in hotels. Everyone would be much happier if you just made better choices.

What drugs are you on? I never gave an address for where I stayed, or identified the rental, so your claims are complete bullshit.

You gave the area in your first thread, ma'am

I never gave any information that would be sufficient to identify the block the listing was on, let alone the listing address. You are just making shit up.

And don’t try to claim the neighborhood as a whole is safe, when some blocks are repeatedly the sites of gun violence.

If that's the case, why did you book there?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I finally heard back from Airbnb. My review was removed because safety of the neighborhood is beyond a host’s control. Yes they actually put that in writing.

Do you disagree? Obviously lots of other people have stayed there and don’t feel “unsafe”. Whatever feelings you had were not the Airbnb hosts’ fault.

Is this a joke? If they have a policy of removing reviews about safety, then one has no way of knowing whether others felt safe there from reading the reviews because those reviews are removed.

Your fear for your safety was only your perception — you were never threatened or actually unsafe. I agree with the removal of your review. Truthfully you sound histrionic.

Next time instead of saying it is unsafe, try describing the surroundings — graffiti on buildings, open air drug market across the street, whatever. Be specific.

Agree with this. OP, I'm sorry but you are coming off like a really annoying Karen who is mad that Airbnb is not willing to keep up your review that was probably filled with racist and classist dog whistles. Next time, stay in a more expensive place in a nicer neighborhood. It isn't the Airbnb host's fault that you were being cheap or have desires beyond your budget.

As a single woman , I would definitely want to read this poster’s review (perception or not)!

NP who has been following thread. Same, I would want to read the OP’s review.

Sometimes feeling unsafe is just that - a feeling, that you shouldn’t dismiss, and that should not be invalidated by trolls or anyone else with insults and name calling.

If you feel unsafe, you feel unsafe. It doesn’t mean you are histrionic or a Karen or racist or classist.

People should be more alarmed that Airbnb removes reviews.
Of course we want to know what the surrounding area is like, and not just how fluffy the pillows are.

I'm sorry, but I disagree. In March, we went to Philadelphia for spring break for my kids. We stayed about 5-8 blocks from where OP said she booked in Center City and we drove through the South Philly area where OP was scared. I agree that the area might be unsafe for single females after dark, my wife said she would not feel safe walking alone. That said, it did not feel any less safe than many other city locales in virtually every major city in America. I think OP's comments in the original thread and her comments to airBnB were overly exaggerated and suggested that this shoudl be listed as one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in urban America. It was a very common inner city neighborhood where it is not recommended to walk at night. I also think that area was pretty typical of the entire South Philly area. I don't think it was particularly more or less dangerous than other parts of that neighborhood and region. If OP was a single female or a small group of females going to a concert, she should have done better research and not rented anywhere in that neighborhood.

So, I think that airBnB did the right thing. Her comment was about the neighborhood and not the individual listing. The neighborhood is what it is. Patrons like OP should not be renting in that area/neighborhood, but that's up to those customers to research the area and realize that South Philly and Center City were not appropriate places for one or a few females who were not comfortable with inner city living to rent. But it isn't about the individual listing and shouldn't be on the individual listing. Renters need to do a better job vetting the neighborhoods they want to rent in.

I’m the PP you are apparently disagreeing with.

What specific statement are you disagreeing with?

the idea that if you feel unsafe, then you feel unsafe?

Or that some individuals, eg single female travellers, may indeed want reviews that describe the surrounding area and not just the fluffiness of pillows?

Or that we should be alarmed that Airbnb removes reviews?

These were the main points. Not sure why you begin with an apology - there is nothing apologetic in your reply. You even admit your wife said she would not feel safe walking alone at night there!

Well, I'm sorry now that I misphrased that. What I disagree with is that OPs review about the neighborhood was appropriate for the airBnB rental listing. The things that OP objected to were information about the neighborhood and not about the specific unit. Moreover, these were items for which the rental owner had no control over. The rental owner cannot change the crime statistics or the relative feeling of previous renters that the area was unsafe. The OP would need to search for the crime statistics or information about the Point Breeze neighborhood and get that information for herself.

Rental owners should not be required to either provide or justify information about the neighborhood in their rental listings. That's just outside of the scope of a rental. If you have such concerns, you need to investigate the neighborhood and zone yourself. AirBnB provides the location map on each rental that shows you the neighborhood. With the zoom feature, you can find the location within a one block radius so you can definitely do research on the neighborhood if this is relevant to your rental. The fact that she didn't do that research and then blamed the rental owner for not providing that information and blames airBnB from blocking such reviews regarding subjects outside of the owner's control is wholly OP's problem.

This is nonsense, the host chose to buy and continues to chose to operate a rental at this location. Airbnb obviously considers location a relevant factor as it specifically asks renters to assign a star rating to location when filling out a review.

Furthermore nothing in Airbnb’s review guidelines prohibit reviews addressing location, this was a fabricated excuse. Since you are repeatedly posting here, feel free to review the guidelines and prove me wrong.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I finally heard back from Airbnb. My review was removed because safety of the neighborhood is beyond a host’s control. Yes they actually put that in writing.

Do you disagree? Obviously lots of other people have stayed there and don’t feel “unsafe”. Whatever feelings you had were not the Airbnb hosts’ fault.

Is this a joke? If they have a policy of removing reviews about safety, then one has no way of knowing whether others felt safe there from reading the reviews because those reviews are removed.

Your fear for your safety was only your perception — you were never threatened or actually unsafe. I agree with the removal of your review. Truthfully you sound histrionic.

Next time instead of saying it is unsafe, try describing the surroundings — graffiti on buildings, open air drug market across the street, whatever. Be specific.

Agree with this. OP, I'm sorry but you are coming off like a really annoying Karen who is mad that Airbnb is not willing to keep up your review that was probably filled with racist and classist dog whistles. Next time, stay in a more expensive place in a nicer neighborhood. It isn't the Airbnb host's fault that you were being cheap or have desires beyond your budget.

As a single woman , I would definitely want to read this poster’s review (perception or not)!

NP who has been following thread. Same, I would want to read the OP’s review.

Sometimes feeling unsafe is just that - a feeling, that you shouldn’t dismiss, and that should not be invalidated by trolls or anyone else with insults and name calling.

If you feel unsafe, you feel unsafe. It doesn’t mean you are histrionic or a Karen or racist or classist.

People should be more alarmed that Airbnb removes reviews.
Of course we want to know what the surrounding area is like, and not just how fluffy the pillows are.

I'm sorry, but I disagree. In March, we went to Philadelphia for spring break for my kids. We stayed about 5-8 blocks from where OP said she booked in Center City and we drove through the South Philly area where OP was scared. I agree that the area might be unsafe for single females after dark, my wife said she would not feel safe walking alone. That said, it did not feel any less safe than many other city locales in virtually every major city in America. I think OP's comments in the original thread and her comments to airBnB were overly exaggerated and suggested that this shoudl be listed as one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in urban America. It was a very common inner city neighborhood where it is not recommended to walk at night. I also think that area was pretty typical of the entire South Philly area. I don't think it was particularly more or less dangerous than other parts of that neighborhood and region. If OP was a single female or a small group of females going to a concert, she should have done better research and not rented anywhere in that neighborhood.

So, I think that airBnB did the right thing. Her comment was about the neighborhood and not the individual listing. The neighborhood is what it is. Patrons like OP should not be renting in that area/neighborhood, but that's up to those customers to research the area and realize that South Philly and Center City were not appropriate places for one or a few females who were not comfortable with inner city living to rent. But it isn't about the individual listing and shouldn't be on the individual listing. Renters need to do a better job vetting the neighborhoods they want to rent in.

You drove through South Philly and that makes you an expert on a listing you know nothing about? There are many neighborhoods in South Philly that are substantially safer then the street where this listing was located.

Location is one of the primary factors guiding choice of accommodation which is why Airbnb does not exclude it as a review topic in its guidelines. The customer service rep made up a rationale for removing a negative review not supported by the company”s own guidelines. How about owners are honest and above board with respect to their listings.

Unlike you, we actually stayed 4 nights in that neighborhood. I was a few blocks from where you purported to be. I drove through the area where you felt threated and I walked several blocks in the neighborhood in the evenings, unlike you who walked in in the middle of the afternoon and felt threatened. I am not purporting to be an expert, but saying that you didn't do nearly enough research on the neighborhood where you would be staying and are trying to blame the rental owner for your own lapse.

This rental and the surrounding area are about normal for a city neighborhood and your review about not feeling safe was not relevent to that particular unit. Your review did not fit the guidelines for airBnB despite your protests and so they took it down. You should not rent when you travel, but should stay in hotels. Everyone would be much happier if you just made better choices.

What drugs are you on? I never gave an address for where I stayed, or identified the rental, so your claims are complete bullshit.

You described the area with some detail in the long thread you had deleted. South Philly, X blocks south of some landmark. When you posted that, I googled and found that we also stayed about 6 blocks south of that landmark, so I guessimated that we were within 5-8 blocks of where you described. You had several posts where you gave info about the neighborhood.

As I said you should just stick to hotels.

No, I did not. What landmark are you talking about?

You said the rental was in the area south of Rittenhouse Square. So I looked it up and we stayed about 6 blocks south there.

You misremember. I said the owner claimed Rittenhouse Square was a stone's throw away. In actuality, the airbnb was 1.5 miles from Rittenhouse Square. I agree-six blocks south of Rittenhouse Square is a safe neighborhood and I would be comfortable staying there. Completely different area from where this airbnb was unfortunately.

My definition of unsafe is as follows: vacant and derelict housing on block, multiple shootings in the past year within a 3 block radius.

If I were ever to rent from airbnb, I now know to google for shootings in the vicinity. I wouldn't think that is necessary, but I now know differently.

Did you ask the host for an actual distance from the square, rather than relying on the vague "close?" If you wanted to be within 6 blocks of the square, it was on you to make sure that was what you were getting.

I never said I wanted to be within 6 blocks of Rittenhouse Square. I said the owner misrepresented the location of the house as close to Rittenhouse Square.

A rental further away which was in a safe location , i.e. not plagued by gun violence and other crime, would have been fine.

I'm amazed that you keep trying to defend yourself. I can see exactly why airbnb removed your review that probably included vague references like your last sentence above.

Do you want not vague? There were multiple shootings within three blocks of this listing in the past year. That’s information I consider relevant, you do you.

Not relevant enough to look up those stats ahead of time, apparently!

Nope, I thought Airbnb was a reputable company that didn’t delete reviews, and that wouldn’t list rentals in high crime areas. Now I know differently.

Point Breeze is not a high crime area. Kensington would be a high crime area, for example.

Kensington may be worse. There were two shootings in Point Breeze, including the shooting of an 11 year old girl, the night at issue, so our definitions of high crime probably differs.

Stay in the suburbs where you’ll be safe and sound.

As I already said, I live in the city. Thanks for the well wishes.

Lol, what city? River City?

No, Baltimore City.

Dollars to donuts Roland Park.

Incorrect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I finally heard back from Airbnb. My review was removed because safety of the neighborhood is beyond a host’s control. Yes they actually put that in writing.

Do you disagree? Obviously lots of other people have stayed there and don’t feel “unsafe”. Whatever feelings you had were not the Airbnb hosts’ fault.

Is this a joke? If they have a policy of removing reviews about safety, then one has no way of knowing whether others felt safe there from reading the reviews because those reviews are removed.

Your fear for your safety was only your perception — you were never threatened or actually unsafe. I agree with the removal of your review. Truthfully you sound histrionic.

Next time instead of saying it is unsafe, try describing the surroundings — graffiti on buildings, open air drug market across the street, whatever. Be specific.

Agree with this. OP, I'm sorry but you are coming off like a really annoying Karen who is mad that Airbnb is not willing to keep up your review that was probably filled with racist and classist dog whistles. Next time, stay in a more expensive place in a nicer neighborhood. It isn't the Airbnb host's fault that you were being cheap or have desires beyond your budget.

As a single woman , I would definitely want to read this poster’s review (perception or not)!

NP who has been following thread. Same, I would want to read the OP’s review.

Sometimes feeling unsafe is just that - a feeling, that you shouldn’t dismiss, and that should not be invalidated by trolls or anyone else with insults and name calling.

If you feel unsafe, you feel unsafe. It doesn’t mean you are histrionic or a Karen or racist or classist.

People should be more alarmed that Airbnb removes reviews.
Of course we want to know what the surrounding area is like, and not just how fluffy the pillows are.

I'm sorry, but I disagree. In March, we went to Philadelphia for spring break for my kids. We stayed about 5-8 blocks from where OP said she booked in Center City and we drove through the South Philly area where OP was scared. I agree that the area might be unsafe for single females after dark, my wife said she would not feel safe walking alone. That said, it did not feel any less safe than many other city locales in virtually every major city in America. I think OP's comments in the original thread and her comments to airBnB were overly exaggerated and suggested that this shoudl be listed as one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in urban America. It was a very common inner city neighborhood where it is not recommended to walk at night. I also think that area was pretty typical of the entire South Philly area. I don't think it was particularly more or less dangerous than other parts of that neighborhood and region. If OP was a single female or a small group of females going to a concert, she should have done better research and not rented anywhere in that neighborhood.

So, I think that airBnB did the right thing. Her comment was about the neighborhood and not the individual listing. The neighborhood is what it is. Patrons like OP should not be renting in that area/neighborhood, but that's up to those customers to research the area and realize that South Philly and Center City were not appropriate places for one or a few females who were not comfortable with inner city living to rent. But it isn't about the individual listing and shouldn't be on the individual listing. Renters need to do a better job vetting the neighborhoods they want to rent in.

I’m the PP you are apparently disagreeing with.

What specific statement are you disagreeing with?

the idea that if you feel unsafe, then you feel unsafe?

Or that some individuals, eg single female travellers, may indeed want reviews that describe the surrounding area and not just the fluffiness of pillows?

Or that we should be alarmed that Airbnb removes reviews?

These were the main points. Not sure why you begin with an apology - there is nothing apologetic in your reply. You even admit your wife said she would not feel safe walking alone at night there!

Well, I'm sorry now that I misphrased that. What I disagree with is that OPs review about the neighborhood was appropriate for the airBnB rental listing. The things that OP objected to were information about the neighborhood and not about the specific unit. Moreover, these were items for which the rental owner had no control over. The rental owner cannot change the crime statistics or the relative feeling of previous renters that the area was unsafe. The OP would need to search for the crime statistics or information about the Point Breeze neighborhood and get that information for herself.

Rental owners should not be required to either provide or justify information about the neighborhood in their rental listings. That's just outside of the scope of a rental. If you have such concerns, you need to investigate the neighborhood and zone yourself. AirBnB provides the location map on each rental that shows you the neighborhood. With the zoom feature, you can find the location within a one block radius so you can definitely do research on the neighborhood if this is relevant to your rental. The fact that she didn't do that research and then blamed the rental owner for not providing that information and blames airBnB from blocking such reviews regarding subjects outside of the owner's control is wholly OP's problem.

Ok...you must be an Airbnb owner.

It’s just my opinion, as a single female traveller, that Airbnb should allow reviewers to comment on safety of the location of the rental. Owners should be allowed to provide rebuttal if they want.

If Airbnb is deleting reviews, a very obvious disclaimer that reviews cannot comment on safety of location, and are removed, would be helpful.

[Anonymous]

Who are the AirBnB apologists on here? I really don't understand. Valid and truthful reviews should never be deleted from any site. Period. Fake reviews should never be posted. Period. Who disagrees with this?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I finally heard back from Airbnb. My review was removed because safety of the neighborhood is beyond a host’s control. Yes they actually put that in writing.

Do you disagree? Obviously lots of other people have stayed there and don’t feel “unsafe”. Whatever feelings you had were not the Airbnb hosts’ fault.

Is this a joke? If they have a policy of removing reviews about safety, then one has no way of knowing whether others felt safe there from reading the reviews because those reviews are removed.

Your fear for your safety was only your perception — you were never threatened or actually unsafe. I agree with the removal of your review. Truthfully you sound histrionic.

Next time instead of saying it is unsafe, try describing the surroundings — graffiti on buildings, open air drug market across the street, whatever. Be specific.

Agree with this. OP, I'm sorry but you are coming off like a really annoying Karen who is mad that Airbnb is not willing to keep up your review that was probably filled with racist and classist dog whistles. Next time, stay in a more expensive place in a nicer neighborhood. It isn't the Airbnb host's fault that you were being cheap or have desires beyond your budget.

As a single woman , I would definitely want to read this poster’s review (perception or not)!

NP who has been following thread. Same, I would want to read the OP’s review.

Sometimes feeling unsafe is just that - a feeling, that you shouldn’t dismiss, and that should not be invalidated by trolls or anyone else with insults and name calling.

If you feel unsafe, you feel unsafe. It doesn’t mean you are histrionic or a Karen or racist or classist.

People should be more alarmed that Airbnb removes reviews.
Of course we want to know what the surrounding area is like, and not just how fluffy the pillows are.

I'm sorry, but I disagree. In March, we went to Philadelphia for spring break for my kids. We stayed about 5-8 blocks from where OP said she booked in Center City and we drove through the South Philly area where OP was scared. I agree that the area might be unsafe for single females after dark, my wife said she would not feel safe walking alone. That said, it did not feel any less safe than many other city locales in virtually every major city in America. I think OP's comments in the original thread and her comments to airBnB were overly exaggerated and suggested that this shoudl be listed as one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in urban America. It was a very common inner city neighborhood where it is not recommended to walk at night. I also think that area was pretty typical of the entire South Philly area. I don't think it was particularly more or less dangerous than other parts of that neighborhood and region. If OP was a single female or a small group of females going to a concert, she should have done better research and not rented anywhere in that neighborhood.

So, I think that airBnB did the right thing. Her comment was about the neighborhood and not the individual listing. The neighborhood is what it is. Patrons like OP should not be renting in that area/neighborhood, but that's up to those customers to research the area and realize that South Philly and Center City were not appropriate places for one or a few females who were not comfortable with inner city living to rent. But it isn't about the individual listing and shouldn't be on the individual listing. Renters need to do a better job vetting the neighborhoods they want to rent in.

I’m the PP you are apparently disagreeing with.

What specific statement are you disagreeing with?

the idea that if you feel unsafe, then you feel unsafe?

Or that some individuals, eg single female travellers, may indeed want reviews that describe the surrounding area and not just the fluffiness of pillows?

Or that we should be alarmed that Airbnb removes reviews?

These were the main points. Not sure why you begin with an apology - there is nothing apologetic in your reply. You even admit your wife said she would not feel safe walking alone at night there!

Well, I'm sorry now that I misphrased that. What I disagree with is that OPs review about the neighborhood was appropriate for the airBnB rental listing. The things that OP objected to were information about the neighborhood and not about the specific unit. Moreover, these were items for which the rental owner had no control over. The rental owner cannot change the crime statistics or the relative feeling of previous renters that the area was unsafe. The OP would need to search for the crime statistics or information about the Point Breeze neighborhood and get that information for herself.

Rental owners should not be required to either provide or justify information about the neighborhood in their rental listings. That's just outside of the scope of a rental. If you have such concerns, you need to investigate the neighborhood and zone yourself. AirBnB provides the location map on each rental that shows you the neighborhood. With the zoom feature, you can find the location within a one block radius so you can definitely do research on the neighborhood if this is relevant to your rental. The fact that she didn't do that research and then blamed the rental owner for not providing that information and blames airBnB from blocking such reviews regarding subjects outside of the owner's control is wholly OP's problem.

Ok...you must be an Airbnb owner.

It’s just my opinion, as a single female traveller, that Airbnb should allow reviewers to comment on safety of the location of the rental. Owners should be allowed to provide rebuttal if they want.

If Airbnb is deleting reviews, a very obvious disclaimer that reviews cannot comment on safety of location, and are removed, would be helpful.

Oh please I’m a single female traveler and I do my due diligence. Do yours and stop being such a baby and Karen. You just ruin it for everybody.

God you must be insufferable in real life.

[Anonymous]

“Safe area” is not objectively defined. Even in the areas with highest crime, crime is still very rare. So a random person on the internet telling me somewhere is safe or unsafe makes no difference because I have no idea what their comfort level is. That’s the point - it’s unfair to the owner to diminish their business based on perceptions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who are the AirBnB apologists on here? I really don't understand. Valid and truthful reviews should never be deleted from any site. Period. Fake reviews should never be posted. Period. Who disagrees with this?

OP posted a fake review.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who are the AirBnB apologists on here? I really don't understand. Valid and truthful reviews should never be deleted from any site. Period. Fake reviews should never be posted. Period. Who disagrees with this?

Exactly. There seem to be a lot of trolls and Airbnb hosts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:“Safe area” is not objectively defined. Even in the areas with highest crime, crime is still very rare. So a random person on the internet telling me somewhere is safe or unsafe makes no difference because I have no idea what their comfort level is. That’s the point - it’s unfair to the owner to diminish their business based on perceptions.

All reviews are subjective opinions. You sound like you just don’t want renters to be able to provide any negative feedback.

[Anonymous]

This thread reminded me of a Airbnb listing I came across in Europe where someone left a review saying that the area was undesirable with too many immigrants. It stayed up but I’m assuming that the host let it go since they were a supervisor and there were enough reviews commentating on the vibrant neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread reminded me of a Airbnb listing I came across in Europe where someone left a review saying that the area was undesirable with too many immigrants. It stayed up but I’m assuming that the host let it go since they were a supervisor and there were enough reviews commentating on the vibrant neighborhood.

Superhost

[Anonymous]

If you’re nervous about neighborhoods your best bet is a hotel. We went to one of Caribbean Islands in April and stayed in a neighborhood where there were no tourists, just people who lived there. There was a secured fence around, something the other houses didn’t have.

I couldn’t stand the idea of being at a cookie cutter hotel with a bunch of Europeans and Americans. It’s interesting to see how others live. Talk to different people.

A lot of people would judge this neighborhood as “unsafe” because of the poverty and rundown houses. It was safe of course, no problems at all.

If you didn’t even stay there I don’t think you have the right to deem the neighborhood as unsafe.