Our recent change to the guest refund policy

[Catherine-Powell]

Hi Everyone, 

Hosts are the heart and soul of Airbnb. I want you to know we value you, we’re working every day to improve your hosting experience, and we’re listening to you. Recently, we updated our rebooking and refund policy to allow guests up to 72 hours to report travel issues, rather than 24 hours. Let me take you through our thinking as a company to get to this decision. 

As a two-sided marketplace, we are always putting ourselves in the shoes of both Hosts and guests. In this case, guests have been telling us 24 hours wasn’t enough time to reach out for help if something goes wrong. For example, if a guest wasn’t able to check in due to a malfunctioning lock, they may be more focused on getting settled in an alternative location and attending the event they traveled for. We also heard from Hosts that 24 hours often wasn’t enough time to resolve a guest’s concerns. For example, if a guest notified a Host that the air conditioner stopped working, it could take more than a day to contact a repair person and fix it. The 24-hour window was causing guests to feel like they had to cancel early, when more time would have been enough for Hosts to fully address the concern and keep the reservations.

We went through a similar assessment when we considered extending the filing period for Hosts to submit reimbursements requests. As part of AirCover—which includes $1 million in Host damage protection—if guests cause damage, you have 14 days to request reimbursement after they check out, even if other guests have already checked in.

I also want to assure you that we rigorously assess claims from guests in order to help protect you from fraudulent claims. And, we take action to hold guests accountable for those types of violations of our Community Standards. If a Host disagrees with our determination about a guest report, they may contest our decision and if after reviewing evidence provided by the Host, we agree with that Host, they will receive their payout for that reservation.

Your house rules are another important tool to help ensure the guest rebooking and refund policy is used as intended. House rules set and manage expectations for guests. For example, if you have a backyard pool, you might include a note that you make every attempt to keep the pool as clean as possible, but at times leaves and debris may end up on the surface. This can help guests understand why there may be leaves in the pool. 

Because of the importance of house rules, we’ve made them visible to guests when they book, and by booking, guests are agreeing to read and abide by them. House rules are also taken into account when guest refund claims are made, if relevant. Here are some helpful tips for writing and updating your house rules for guests.

We design all of our updates to help build trust, and will continue to do so as we actively listen to your feedback and concerns. I hope this note has addressed some of the questions I have heard. I want to end by thanking you for all that you do to provide the best possible hospitality for our guests.

Warmly, 

Catherine Powell
Airbnb Global Head of Hosting

[Waegook0]

Free cancellations is what cost me a lot with Booking.com and eventually led to me withdrawing all my properties with them.

Here is a quote on one of their Facebook ads. I hope I do not have to eat my words and have the same problems here with Airbnb as well:

I have been a happy host with Airbnb for a few years. I am very happy with the simplicity of pre-payment etc.

With rules changing under COVID limiting the amount of guests I can understand why hosts, guests and Airbnb can get caught up in mix-ups with cancellations etc.

I felt agrieved in one case yesterday and just told them I am not happy because I couldn't go against government regulations and they sorted out the matter quickly.

Of course  Booking.con wanted their commissions and threatened with legal action although they owe me much much more for years of cancellation against my cancellation policy but in accordance with their no worry free cancellation policy.

Shame on you Booking.con. Learn from the guys who know how to respond to grievances.

Thanks Airbnb.

Keep up the good work.

[Mary419]

When I used Booking dot com for over a year I never had to give a free cancelation. They had a 30 day rule I could use, and never once overrode my policy.

I only closed my account over the "you pay the difference" if you have to cancel policy, which did come into play when their instant book system allowed a double booking during a momentary third party ical outage. And honestly if I only used one website and it was that one, I would have zero issues with them. My only concern was how fast they booked me for dates that were already taken if the ical synch momentarily failed 

[Quincy]

Hi @Waegook0, thanks for sharing your experiences here with us! 

[Kyle670]

Totally agree 💯 

[Gillian166]

@Katrina314 

thanks for sharing, that was interesting. (not sure what the other commenters were on about, i can't imagine they are going to the same page), there's quite a few interesting articles on that site, i'll be sure to bookmark it. 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Katrina314 Fascinating data in the article you link to. I may have to rethink our use of Airbnb and perhaps move at least one of our listings to one of the other platforms in the UK such as Cottages.com.

[David8732]

I do Booking.com and VRBO I actually put a higher rate for airbnb just because of how unfair I think it’s policies are. I suppose a short sighted view would be it’s better commercially for them to do this. They benefit more by lots of happy guests than a few happy hosts but I think this will have other consequences. 

[Kate867]

@Catherine-Powell   Whereas I do understand your thinking, I still feel as though Airbnb have totally thrown their Hosts under the bus here.  Your new 72 hour policy will not only apply to a faulty lock but to ALL issues and it is well known that many guests behave in an extremely ‘creative’ manner in order to get outlandishly large refunds.  You have now increased that ‘window of opportunity’ threefold.  The majority of Hosts are extremely responsive to issues, they don’t want to refund, they don’t want negative reviews and they do want happy guests.  I have had three ‘opportunistic guests’ seeking refunds since I started hosting.. and on every occasion their refunds were denied but I had to fight each and every one to the bitter end with Airbnb customer services causing endless stress and time.  Guest 1 booked a three night stay, stayed one night, left a terrible mess, left, did not cancel her stay and then asked for a full refund several days later claiming the property was ‘dirty’ (we have always had 5 star cleanliness rating) she had no evidence at all and I had to prove to Airbnb that the property was clean.  Guest 2,  Four night stay.  Broadband failed two days before he was due to leave due to a fault on the providers line. I immediately refunded £50 without being asked to cover additional WiFi data, and also offered refund of remaining days if he chose to leave.  He chose to stay.  After departure he demanded a full refund.  Guest 3, Four night stay, fridge broke down the night before they were due to leave, I refunded £50 immediately and suggested they move their few items to the adjacent wine chiller. Two hours after checkout they demanded a two night refund… and adding insult to injury, they had completely disregarded our house rules with regards to safe disposal of hot ashes from the fire and simply dumped them on the ground next to the timber log store.  On EVERY single occasion I had Airbnb customer support begging, pleading (amongst many flowery platitudes) and trying to shame me into giving these totally unjustified refunds.  I also strongly suspect that the reason my wishes were not overridden was because I had already done the right, and more than reasonable thing.  I can now see a scenario, whereby a guest will deliberately or accidentally break something and claim it was broken, dirty, not there etc etc and they had only just ‘noticed’ having been there three days, therefore they want a 3 night refund…. And you don’t even want to get me started on Hosts having to decide if they really need to make a resolution request themselves for damage just to get the inevitable ‘revenge’ review which Airbnb will refuse to take down.

[Catherine-Powell]

Thank you @Kate867 for sharing your thoughts and examples. And I am sorry you had such tricky guests, especially when you went out of the way to accommodate or address the issues as far as you could. I can completely understand your frustration in these examples and agree with you that the process of dealing with our customer service should not have caused stress or taken so much time.

Airbnb as a company is spending a great deal of time and effort ensuring our customer service levels of attention and understanding are where they should be, and they are trained to rigorously assess all guest claims. I believe there is more investment here than there has ever been before. And I hope this will be clear to you should you have the misfortune (and I really hope you don't!) to host a guest who makes a fraudulent claim in the future.

Thank you again for taking the time to share your thoughts,

Catherine 

[Mary419]

How can I politely point out the disconnect here if you believe how well trained the staff is or will be to be fair judge and jury about guests ordering off the menu of possible “travel issues”.

The volume of complaints that airbnb is drumming up now requires an enormous volume of “agents” to hear these complaints. Which in itself means they’re going to rubber stamp most refunds in accordance with your new plan, and fire off copy and paste scoldings to the host.

You’re trying to pay people to analyze photos of dust and spiders instead of letting the host deal with that.

@Catherine-Powell Catherine I really don’t think you’ve experienced what it’s like to be in our shoes as hosts hearing from these agents.

I’ve posted screen shots of communications from customer service and often they get deleted from this forum. As I mentioned before even if we fight it, and get the stolen money returned to us the process is just dismal. And the energy we had for hosting gets used up quickly going through those moments. 

[Suzann0]

I agree with you Mary.

Suggesting that "Airbnb as a company is spending a great deal of time and effort ensuring our customer service levels of attention and understanding are where they should be, and they are trained to rigorously assess all guest claims." is almost an insult to hosts who have to deal with these people. Decisions are made that are incorrect by the call centre without phoning the host to confirm the information or looking at the information provided. Then it is very difficult to actually talk with someone who can change this.

As hosts we provide all the infrastructure for Airbnb at high risk to ourselves for the guests and it now feels as though we have no control over that.

[Connie168]

The truth of the matter is that Airbnb Support does not give us attention.

We have Support tickets out for nine days now with no resolution or response.  Having to listen to being 'shamed' into giving refunds or concessions to rule-breaking guests is not what we want from a support team.  We want to have our concerns responded to right away, not weeks later. 

We don't want to argue about our House Rules.  When pointing out our House Rules to a Customer Support person, he says 'Well, I think that sounds like bait and switch because that rule is in the middle of your other rules' and proceeds to give the guest a full refund. What the heck!  

Or when a guest has seriously violated the policies, Airbnb has told them they have to leave, Airbnb allows them to still write a review-which then Airbnb removes because of violating Airbnb's policies but then suspends the listing for 5 days because of the 1-star review from the violating guest that Airbnb REMOVED.  We couldn't get anyone to help us with the support team they just responded there was nothing they could do - oh just wait the 5 days, etc., etc.  5 days in a 3 month season is significant to hosts.  We asked for the issue to be sent to a manager. Nothing. The Support team simply ignores us.  

[Quincy]

Hi @Connie168, I am sorry to hear that you have had this experience. Would you mind letting me know when this happened? I'd be more than happy to pass this on to the team for you so that they can review this. 

[Nancy1004]

I appreciate your comments to Catherine and hope people do not distract from the issue once again by criticism towards you instead of us all focusing on letting Catherine and Airbnb know that we have issues with these new policies. 

[Rober4944]

Kate 

I think we all should  fight  this new 72 hours rule impoused  here.

I have had  só many  situations  where  guests  breack  the  house rules and try tô come out  like  angels tô  airbnb 

Our  house  is not like a hotel where some have hundred rooms and can change the guests around whatever happens.  Most of  us have  one  house tô let and  in many cases we depend on it