Service fees and our extenuating circumstances policy

[Airbnb]

We understand there may be some confusion on what happens to service fees for bookings that are cancelled under our extenuating circumstances policy. We want to clarify that Airbnb is refunding all service fees to hosts and guests original payment method for these cancellations.

Airbnb won’t benefit from any reservations canceled under this policy. We're truly in this together.

It’s a difficult time right now - and during times of uncertainty, it is important that we find ways to connect and support each other. Sometimes the little things can go a long way, so please share any tips and supportive words you have for one another.

In the meantime, please refer to our Resource Center and our Help Center to find the latest information on our COVID-19 response, from policy updates to resources for hosts and guests.

Updated March 17th

[Paige172]

I have a long term stay booked for August 8-November 30. Unfortunately, my mother (who I live with at the moment), has tested positive for COVID-19 and I also live in a hot-spot in Florida, so I need to cancel. I have been trying to get a hold of Airbnb customer service for the last couple of days to no avail. I am prepared to give them my mother’s positive test results as documentation so I receive a full refund. Is there any way for me to contact Airbnb in a more direct and timely manner? I feel bad that my host can’t find another guest to stay at her property until I cancel my reservation. Thanks in advance!

[Sarah977]

@Paige172  How have you tried to reach customer service?  If by phone, wait times are ridiculous now. Try them through their Twitter account. 

In the meantime, have you let your host know you need to cancel? If not, that would be a polite thing to do- let them know the circumstances and that you have been trying to reach Airbnb so you can submit the required documentation for a COVID cancellation.  

[Paige172]

@Sarah977 I have contacted them through their twitter account and they responded and said

“Thank you for reaching out, Paige. We've located your account, and have forwarded the matter to a specialized team. They will be following up as soon as possible to assist with this. Please be on the lookout for their correspondence.” 

They sent that yesterday and I still have not been contacted. I finally got to speak to a real person on the phone today and they told me they were transferring me to a different team, that was 2 hours and 45 minutes ago and I’m still on hold. I have told my host and they tried to cancel it themselves so I could get my refund but they realized their superhost status could be penalized from cancelling my reservation.

[Sarah977]

@Paige172  Their Superhost status likely wouldn't be affected, as Airbnb has waived the requirements for Superhost right now, due to all the COVID cancellations. But certainly if the host cancels, they may receive a lot of other penalties, such as their calendar being blocked for the dates of the cancellation, so they wouldn't be able to rebook it to anyone else.

I hope you manage to get this resolved ASAP- you sound like a very responsible guest and it's such a frustrating waste of time trying to get help from CS.

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Sarah977 

Twitter account notifications are now being directed to CS.

Even direct communication with CS and their inevitable “Redirecting to a specialist” is taking 5 days. A guest booked, cancelled and rebooked before a specialist got back to me today to explain that they did have a problem with their buffer system, it’s alright now, but they’ll refer it to another specialist for them fix (!)

And then I’m told - the CS rep is ‘just finishing their shift’ and will arrange an apology and compensation for their error in 2 days time.

Apology and compensation - because I insisted as the first CS Agent was quite happy to blame their incompetence on me and try to argue the irrational behaviour (GLITCHES) as being the way I had my settings saved. Which evidently, was not.

[Sarah977]

@Ian-And-Anne-Marie0 Yes, their first line of attack is always to insist that the problem must result from something you've done wrong. When I ceased to receive my text notifications a couple years ago, the CS rep suggested that "Maybe your text inbox is full". I told him that it was insulting of him to suggest that I was so stupid I wouldn't have made sure that wasn't the case before bothering to contact CS. Then he suggested that "It must have something to do with your phone provider". Uh, no. Only then did he deign to pas it on to the tech team and then get back to me to say, yes, it was a tech glitch on their end.

And yes, they always seem to be going to be "out of the office" for a couple of days just at the point where they need to do something for you. This may be true, though. I can imagine that if staff is only hired part-time, rather than full time, there are employee benefits they don't have to pay. 

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Sarah977 

Their incompetence is causing them more work and causing Host and Guest frustration. There's no excuse for what they're doing, it's called being 'fobbed off'.

My case.. Three CS Agents and 5 days to fix a problem which could have been sorted by one in ten minutes, not insulted anybody, and retained a happy guest. And this is still not sorted!

As a guest, how would you think you might feel if you trawled through the limited listings due to availability, booked one in relief - then to be told that you needed to cancel it after possibly your other options were gone too? Probably fuming!

[Sarah977]

@Ian-And-Anne-Marie0  Obviously incompetence is neither productive nor cost-effective, a fact which every business aside from Airbnb seems to realize.

CS reps, as I've suggested before, should each be well trained in one area, not expected to be conversant in all Airbnb issues. There should just be a central switchboard, where you state the issue, like "Enter 1 for reviews, enter 2 for cancellations, enter 3 for damage claims" etc. and your call or message directed to someone properly trained in all aspects of those issues. This business of having to work your way through multiple layers of CS reps, many of whom admittedly have no idea what you are talking about, is a huge time waster for all concerned. 

[Cressida3]

For every cancellation that I asked that the guest receive a full refund I got a message from Airbnb saying that the payout would be deducted from my account. Each time I called or messaged to object and was told ‘No, no money would be taken from my account’.

This has worked every time until the last one, which appears as a minus figure on my account. As a result I have had no payout from my first guest of the season, last weekend. 

I have messaged and rung ABB repeatedly and am given many different excuses, but no resolution.

If it’s true that ‘Airbnb is refunding all service fees to hosts and guests original payment method for these cancellations’ (as stated above) then why are we told the opposite when we offer refunds, and why have I been penalised.

I am exhausted by thinking about this continually. It seems Airbnb are conducting wholesale robbery from their hosts. Get this sorted NOW Airbnb.

[Jennifer2450]

how do you refund a reservation that wants to cancel because of hurricane damaged area?

[Ruth255]

I'm so disappointed like you all. 

First I didn't receive any money for all my bookings before March 15, 2020, which were quite a lot.

Another booking, Canadians, I have since last year for this coming November. They have to cancel because of the travel ban, which is clear, but they can't get a full refund yet. If I cancel them I'm getting punished with fees and the time of their booking will not be available for me to rebook. 

Our place is a condominium with monthly fees and the HOA  Board just decided to allow monthly bookings only.  My Canadians totally understand and want to help me out but not to get punished with none refundable fees.

I'ts a shame and I don't know if I want to stay with Airbnb. 
Answering the phone is a no go for Airbnb, no matter what I'm trying to talk to them.

We are losing money, we are punished with fees and are not getting any problem solved or helped with.

[Oliver495]

My conversation with Aldrin, senior manager with Airbnb. He ended the discussion: "we consider this discussion as closed" (really?!). Its all about Airbnb only concerning about guests while hosts deliver the trade!!

'Covid' being the magic word: no questions asked!

Hi Aldrin,

Here I am again. I write you in English, not my native language, so forgive me the formulation in some sentences.

You refuse to acknowledge my point of view in the matter of Airbnb applying extenuating policy. Now we have had again 2 cases in which the last case Floris, HM24NTQ82Q made his reservation long after march 14! It seems that the guest only has to speak the magic word ‘Covid’ and Airbnb is going down on his knees……

I still am convinced that Airbnb is not the only party to decide! I am as a provider of your content also a part in the deal! Your decisions have cost me about €10k. I think my opinion has to be taken seriously.

And what about the ‘extra payment’ the guest can choose to get 'flexible cancelling’? Who is going to have the benefits? I am not compensated. You get the bonus.

You have to answer me and take me seriously! Out of frustration I have made a listing of my house on Booking.com. If they take me seriously as a host I will switch over to them.

You will have to start the discussion with me again! I also will try to get this conversation to the next level. I don’t stop until I quit with Airbnb.

Yes I am mad! Not about loosing money (there is a risk in every business), but about feeling not being taken seriously.

Waiting for your answer,

Oliver

[Natacha133]

j'ai du annuler deux reservations car j'etais malade et on ne savait pas si c'etait le covid ou on airb&b m'a prelevé deux fois 84e de frais d'annulation c'est inadmissible!!! je vais voir pour changer de plateforme de location a domicile car ils ont trouvé un moyen de replir leurs caisses avec notre argent!! c'est honteux!!! jai reclamé ils ne veulent rien savoir!!!

[Mark945]

Like most hosts I have been impacted by this policy , many reservations cancelled loss of income loss of security and the one that hurts the most is the loss of confidence and trust in Airbnb towards hosts and their total lack of Consideration and understanding that just like Airbnb we are a business and we are trying to preserve that business. Yes these are trying times and we all have to pull together or in your words Partner Up and share the burden but   which must mean too you that hosts carry the load .Hey Airbnb? What good will guests do you if you don’t have the hosts to actually service those guests ? Since March 14th I’ve had many legitimate cancellations throughout this calendar Under the Covid 19 extenuating circumstances policy . I live near a School where people travel take weekly classes.The school has cancelled Classes for the year due to the virus, I get it no class no need for my rental reservation. The most recent cancellation which was for a week in late October has really been icing on the cake . This guest notified me on July 6th that they had just been notified that their classes were canceled and that they regretfully needed to cancel their Oct reservation .I directed them to contact Airbnb and told them that since they made the reservation prior to March 14 and the cancellation reason was Covid 19 related then it should fall under the policy’s guidelines. I didn’t receive any notification of cancellation from Airbnb and  the reservation calendar dates remained remained booked under the guests name . Two days ago ( over 2 months since July 6 th I received a message from the guests saying on July 6th they were told that they could not cancel because they did not meet the date guidelines in the policy and would not receive a refund,  I directed them back to Airbnb who then   2 months after their first request promptly cancelled the reservation which now miraculously qualifies under the Covid 19 extenuating circumstances policy with a 100% refund the same policy That’s great the right thing to do I’m a good understanding partner  I’ll take another hit for the but what I don’t understand is why Airbnb Would not cancel the reservation on July 6 th but chose to wait over two months to cancel keeping those reservation dates booked when they could have been made available On my calendar for booking and potential income for me and them as well. I guess this so called Partnership just works one way . Airbnb if we hosts all go down where does that leave you ? How about a little consideration please .

[Tasha499]

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@Mark945 wrote:

Like most hosts I have been impacted by this policy , many reservations cancelled loss of income loss of security and the one that hurts the most is the loss of confidence and trust in Airbnb towards hosts and their total lack of Consideration and understanding that just like Airbnb we are a business and we are trying to preserve that business. Yes these are trying times and we all have to pull together or in your words Partner Up and share the burden but   which must mean too you that hosts carry the load .Hey Airbnb? What good will guests do you if you don’t have the hosts to actually service those guests ? Since March 14th I’ve had many legitimate cancellations throughout this calendar Under the Covid 19 extenuating circumstances policy . I live near a School where people travel take weekly classes.The school has cancelled Classes for the year due to the virus, I get it no class no need for my rental reservation. The most recent printereasy.com cancellation which was for a week in late October has really been icing on the cake . This guest notified me on July 6th that they had just been notified that their classes were canceled and that they regretfully needed to cancel their Oct reservation .I directed them to contact Airbnb and told them that since they made the reservation prior to March 14 and the cancellation reason was Covid 19 related then it should fall under the routermanuals.net policy’s guidelines. I didn’t receive any notification of cancellation from Airbnb and  the reservation calendar dates remained remained booked under the guests name . Two days ago ( over 2 months since July 6 th I received a message from the guests saying on July 6th they were told that they could not cancel because they did not meet the date guidelines in the policy and would not receive a refund,  I directed them back to Airbnb who then   2 months after their first request promptly cancelled the reservation which now miraculously qualifies under the Covid 19 extenuating circumstances policy with a 100% refund the techtipseasy.com same policy That’s great the right thing to do I’m a good understanding partner  I’ll take another hit for the but what I don’t understand is why Airbnb Would not cancel the reservation on July 6 th but chose to wait over two months to cancel keeping those reservation dates booked when they could have been made available On my calendar for booking and potential income for me and them as well. I guess this so called Partnership just works one way . Airbnb if we hosts all go down where does that leave you ? How about a little consideration please .

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Hello,

I totally agree with you. Hosts are in trouble due to cancellations and refunds.

Best regards.