The shocking recording of an Airbnb owner’s expletive-filled rant at a guest who wrote a less-than-positive review about his luxury apartment has surfaced.
After she stayed at Clifftop in Hepburn, central Victoria, which was ‘crowned No. 1 among 55,000 rental properties,’ David Penman, 54, sent her a series of emails and left a horrible message on her voicemail.
After her visit in May 2021, the guest left a two-star ‘just ok’ review, prompting a furious response from Penman, who urged the woman to ‘burn in hell.’
The explosive voicemail has been aired for the first time after Penman pleaded guilty in Moorabin Magistrates Court last week to using a carriage device to harass the guest.
‘It’s David from Clifftop. You have gravely misjudged me. You obviously didn’t do your research about the defamation case on Google,’ Penman is heard saying.
‘If you think you’re going to get away with defaming us like this, you have another serious thing coming. Don’t bother removing the review, don’t bother offering to settle.
‘I’ll see you in f******g court. You better have a lot of money.’
‘This is not over, we’re not accepting a payout. We’re going to f**king court, and you will burn in hell.
‘I know you think I’m joking, F*** you.’
But Penman didn’t have much to say when he was confronted and bombarded with questions by A Current Affair.
‘Are you Australia’s worst AirBnb host,’ the reporter asked.
Penman replied: ‘It’s really not appropriate (that) I comment, but I’m very grateful you took the time to come out.
‘My solicitors have asked me not to comment.’
Penman’s barrister Mihal Greener described the outburst as ‘out of character’ and said her client was under lots of pressure and his business was suffering because of the Covid pandemic due to lockdowns and travel restrictions to regional Victoria.
Penman was fined $2,500 and no conviction was recorded by the court.
A Current Affair also revealed Penman also sent a series of text messages and emails to other guests who left unflattering reviews.
He copied his lawyer into an email and told him to ‘sue them (guests) penniless’ and called another guest a ‘slow learner’.
Penman has previously admitted in court to harassing another prospective guest who left a one-star review when his booking was cancelled.
‘Tomorrow 25,000 people in Melbourne are going to know … what a scumbag you are,’ Penman emailed the guest.
Penman also allegedly sent emails to a car dealership.
‘Your parents would be utterly ashamed of the person you have become. I can only hope they aren’t alive to see it in person.’
‘(I) am launching a PR offensive tomorrow … making sure you f——– are rewarded with the PR you deserve.’
The Age also revealed last week Penman sent a text in May 2019 to a bank employee who booked The Clifftop to propose to his partner before leaving a two star review of the property.
‘We have today received a complaint of possible domestic violence in your villa from another guest next door… We will consider this matter before deciding if it should be reported to the police,’ Penman wrote.
Penman also threatened court action against a guest who worked for the Department of Education Training after they cancelled a booking because they had been called to Gippsland after the bushfires in January 2020.
He warned he had launched a defamation case against another guest who left a bad review and they were forced to pay more than $300,000 in legal costs.
Located 120 kilometres from Melbourne, The Clifftop at Hepburn is described on its website as the home of the perfect marriage proposal, unforgettable honeymoon and romantic getaway. You’re invited to live a life less ordinary.
Digital strategist Meg Coffey described Penman’s reaction to bad reviews as inappropriate.
‘They’re completely destroying their brand and their image,’ she told A Current Affair
‘There is a line and people are allowed to have opinions … you don’t tell them to burn in hell.’
She also urged customers to not be misleading.
‘You want to be really careful and make sure that you’re only saying things that are true and factual,’ Ms Coffey said.
‘That said, if it didn’t live up to your expectations, by all means, in a nice, polite, considerate way, you can totally leave a review and explain that.’
