Post by High Priestess on Nov 20, 2015 2:21:03 GMT
On the new community groups, a host reported about an item stolen by a guest.
See here:
community.airbnb.com/t5/General-Hosting/Realized-item-was-stolen-not-sure-which-guests/m-p/2860#M426
I responded:
See this post I posted a while back, on a similar issue:
community.airbnb.com/t5/Host-Circle/Item-missing-from-hosts-house-after-guests-left-what-to-do/m-p/275#M15
The difficulty you have is that you aren't sure which guests it was who took the headphones. You can't really do anything if you don't know who it was -- and even then if you did know , it is a difficult situation to address since it is a "he said/she said" situation.
Because guests who are accused of something are likely to respond far more defensively than those who are simply asked about a missing item, in cases where the host believes or knows for certain that something has been stolen, it's my advice that host contact the guest or guests who most recently stayed there or who are most likely to have taken the item, and simply ask them a question. State that you noticed your headphones are missing, and ask the guests if they might have accidentally packed them up and taken them when they left. Being confronted about the loss might cause a pang of guilt to arise in the guilty party, who is much more likely to be able to return the item to you if they are given the opportunity to claim, and have you believe, that it was taken "accidentally" as opposed to have been taken intentionally. This is not guaranteed, and many who are capable of stealing something from a person who is generous to allow them to stay in their own home, are fully capable of lying about that. So we have to accept this, and realize that something missing is most likely lost for good. However, I will also mention that I have had a couple things go missing, and contacted the guests who stayed there, and asked if they might have taken something by accident, and I did get the items back. One guest did admit she had accidentally packed up the item. Another guest said, "I thought that item was left by a previous guest." (I suppose she thought that if something in my house was left by someone else, it was hers to take, as opposed to being mine to either keep or contact the previous guest about !)
I very strongly recommend that all hosts lock up ALL valuables, and put a lock on your bedroom door. Having an unlocked bedroom door and some valuable items inside is just too strong a temptation for some guests with low moral development. Hosts have previously told stories of items stolen, including an expensive camera, camera lenses, and other things, and I also recall a story of one host who found a guest inside his private bedroom, just "looking around". Hosts must not be naive, and do not believe you can simply "trust" everyone to be honorable in your home. Be kind and generous to guests, but have a good set of house rules and keep a lock on your door.
See here:
community.airbnb.com/t5/General-Hosting/Realized-item-was-stolen-not-sure-which-guests/m-p/2860#M426
I responded:
See this post I posted a while back, on a similar issue:
community.airbnb.com/t5/Host-Circle/Item-missing-from-hosts-house-after-guests-left-what-to-do/m-p/275#M15
The difficulty you have is that you aren't sure which guests it was who took the headphones. You can't really do anything if you don't know who it was -- and even then if you did know , it is a difficult situation to address since it is a "he said/she said" situation.
Because guests who are accused of something are likely to respond far more defensively than those who are simply asked about a missing item, in cases where the host believes or knows for certain that something has been stolen, it's my advice that host contact the guest or guests who most recently stayed there or who are most likely to have taken the item, and simply ask them a question. State that you noticed your headphones are missing, and ask the guests if they might have accidentally packed them up and taken them when they left. Being confronted about the loss might cause a pang of guilt to arise in the guilty party, who is much more likely to be able to return the item to you if they are given the opportunity to claim, and have you believe, that it was taken "accidentally" as opposed to have been taken intentionally. This is not guaranteed, and many who are capable of stealing something from a person who is generous to allow them to stay in their own home, are fully capable of lying about that. So we have to accept this, and realize that something missing is most likely lost for good. However, I will also mention that I have had a couple things go missing, and contacted the guests who stayed there, and asked if they might have taken something by accident, and I did get the items back. One guest did admit she had accidentally packed up the item. Another guest said, "I thought that item was left by a previous guest." (I suppose she thought that if something in my house was left by someone else, it was hers to take, as opposed to being mine to either keep or contact the previous guest about !)
I very strongly recommend that all hosts lock up ALL valuables, and put a lock on your bedroom door. Having an unlocked bedroom door and some valuable items inside is just too strong a temptation for some guests with low moral development. Hosts have previously told stories of items stolen, including an expensive camera, camera lenses, and other things, and I also recall a story of one host who found a guest inside his private bedroom, just "looking around". Hosts must not be naive, and do not believe you can simply "trust" everyone to be honorable in your home. Be kind and generous to guests, but have a good set of house rules and keep a lock on your door.