ATTENTION - Cancellations that came BEFORE March 14th are now refunded retroactively by airbnb - STRIKE

[Alex---Michael0]

Until yesterday it was bad, now it is getting worse. Guests who canceled their trip (check-in between March 14th - April 14th) BEFORE March 14th were still subject to the regular cancellation policy, in my case strict. These cancellations were still paid out normally, in my specific case a booking for about EUR 2,200 with check-in date on March 15th, canceled on March 13th. As mentioned, I have received the full payment, but now I discovered in my transaction history that I have to repay this money. New payouts are simply retained until the amount is reached.

Meaning: airbnb has now also begun to refund legal cancellation fees to guests retroactively.

PLEASE CHECK YOUR TRANSACTION OVERVIEW

I wrote my concern to the airbnb support with an urgent request for clarification. I have not received an answer in days.

Does anyone know if that is legally possible? How can I defend myself?

Thank you for your help.

Michael

[Rodney11]

Unfortunately @Monica1645 it appears you have no recourse via AirBnB at this point because you communicated with the host outside the platform. I never communicate with guests outside the platform and if I am contacted in that manner, I reply to the guest's message via an AirBnB message to remind them this is the only communication channel that AirBnB will recognize in the event of a dispute. You are also outside the COVID refund window, which won't help you either.

At this point your best bet is probably to contact the host and appeal to their better nature, failing that a social media campaign might be your only recourse, though success on that front is unlikely. Good luck!

[Rodney11]

@Barbara2157 is quite correct in her assessment. Every single half way competent company in the world has a "Force Majeure" clause in their policies for precisely such a situation as COVID-19. This will override all hosts' cancellation policies.

AirBnB is refunding guests 100% in order to avoid a class action suit from guests, and to save their brand image so guests come back to them when conditions allow for short-term rentals again. Guests have been conditioned by the WalMarts and Amazons of the world to expect a full refund when a product or service is not to their liking; AirBnB is giving them what they expect. 

AirBnB is also offering hosts some form of compensation in order to indemnify themselves from a class action suit from hosts, and because it provides a the relatively good PR story to the public at large to spin the story that hosts are getting 25% of their earnings. 

Hosts who survive this crisis may benefit from AirBnB saving their brand by getting bookings on what is after all the dominant name in short-term booking platforms, once guests are travelling again. 

AirBnB is expecting many current hosts to leave the platform, or no longer own a property to list. They also know that the short-term rental market is dead for the foreseeable future and will be shifting their model to long-term rentals and experiences. They will need a lot of money to do this, in additon to millions of new hosts, as can be seen here: https://techcrunch.com/2020/04/06/airbnb-turns-to-private-equity-to-raise-1-billion/

If you can, switch to a long-term rental model ASAP. But mostly, try to get through this with you and your loved ones staying healthy.

[Maggie427]

Get over it, you accepted the good when the sun was shining now accept the bad. My daughter has lost her job through this, is likely to loose her home. Her wedding venue has cancelled as has her hen do venue. They’ve issued refunds without quibble. The only one refusing any sort of refund is the Airbnb host. If Airbnb will refund even some of the cost it will be money sorely needed. She can’t go with her twelve guests to Brighton next week. It is not her fault so why should she foot the full cost of accommodation she can’t use. You signed up for this, she didn’t. Maggie

[Susan17]

@Maggie427

Do you think for one minute that Airbnb hosts aren't losing their income, their livelihoods, their businesses and their homes too by being forced to take 100% of the hit for travellers and holidaymakers such as your daughter and her 12 friends on their hen party beano?*personal comment removed*

So you think it's fair or reasonable that the host in this instance should lose 13 times the amount that each guest on your daughter's booking would lose? (And that's on one single booking alone - the host has undoubtedly already been hammered by scores of other similar cancellations, with no end in sight) 

And did your daughter not take responsibility for her own travel disruptions, by purchasing her own travel insurance to cover for all eventualities? I guess not - just expects others to pick up the tab when things go wrong for her, like so many others. It's not off the ground she licked that attitude, by the sounds of it.

As the booking was for next week, it does fall within the date-range for the COVID policy, so one can only assume there are other factors that exclude her from qualification. But she'd need to take that up with Airbnb herself, rather than having Mummy posting nasty, snide little "get over it" comments on a forum where a great many of the host contributors are also suffering serious hardship and losing everything they own through no fault of their own. 

[Maggie427]

Her wedding was not a beanie as you suggest it was a one off chance for a young woman being treated for secondary cancer. Your remarks are both uncalled for and rude and would put me off ever using Airbnb if you are what comes of it. She accepted what the host said as true and final. She was not offered another date or any recompense but I will profit by your remarks and contact Airbnb direct on her behalf . Probably time you considered a real job in the real world not the one of make believe where the world is supposed to owe you something.

[Susan17]

I never mentioned a word about the wedding @Maggie427 - I clearly referred to the hen party being a beano.

You wrote:

"Her wedding venue has cancelled as has her hen do venue" (present tense, suggesting it hasn't taken place yet)

You also wrote:

"She can’t go with her twelve guests to Brighton next week" 

No mention of a wedding there, and considering it comes across as if the hen party hasn't happened yet, and your daughter and 12 friends had booked accommodation together for next weekend in Brighton - hen party capital of the UK - you have to admit, your post definitely gives the impression that the planned trip was indeed for a hen party beano, rather than her own wedding. 

Sorry to hear of your daughter's illness, but again, do you think there aren't thousands of hosts in this position battling serious illnesses too? I was talking to a host just yesterday, who's fighting stage 4 cancer, 3 small kids, husband passed away of a sudden heart attack last year at the age of 44. Moved back in with her elderly parents - so six of them in a tiny 2 bed house - and rented out her and her kids' own home on Airbnb, so she'd at least have some income while she was going through her treatment.

Now that income has suddenly been whipped out from under her, with no chance of replacing it for the foreseeable future. Unfortunately, long-term rental of the home is probably not going to be an option for quite some time either, for obvious reasons. Shall I pass on your sage advice that she should go and get a real job in the real world too? 

Finally, I'm absolutely delighted that my remarks (which I believe were very much called for) have put you off ever using Airbnb in the future. Going by your attitude, my fellow hosts have clearly dodged a bullet. 

[Maggie427]

This situation Susan is of nobody’s making and it is very difficult for all of us to cope. I think being rude and offensive does not actually help. Some hosts while not liking this do accept it is what it is; some of us will make it to the other side, sadly some of us won’t. We will all know someone by the end who didn’t make it so surely we should concentrate on that and stop this negativity. It helps no one but mostly yourself.

[Alex---Michael0]

Here is my update and good by:

Airbnb keeps violating their own rules and now overruled me in 4 cases outside their EC policy. They don't even allow a discussion about it and simply send standard messages, not answering a single question of mine.

I had six listings, now I deleted four of them and the two others will follow mid May. I DON'T WANT TO BE PART OF THIS PLATFORM ANYMORE! It's not only the corona situation, it started some years ago since airbnb constantly favors guests, even the liars and mentally sick ones. ENOUGH. I lost this business and will surely give up income. BUT, I want to keep my sanity and not be dependent on a narcissist anymore.

I'm out!

Please follow me and don't let a (former) monopolist take your dignity!!!

[Melodie-And-John0]

Lets face it, These aren't really cancellations for the most part were talking about here, they are exactly the manifestation of  "Extenuating circumstances" (War, pestilence, disease, death...).   Our guests wanted to come here, they weren't able or allowed by law, it should be illegal to keep their money in these circumstances, that would be theft. 

Unfortunately, having bills that we "wish" were paid by those bookings doesnt mean guests or Airbnb should pay them.  Ive lost a hundred plus bookings myself in the last 2 months and Im angry as hell but I don't know of any business model that can work where a customer is forced to pay for goods and or or services they could not have or receive due to a Pandemic travel restrictions, sickness  or death.   Nobody should mistake the "agreement" we have with Airbnb for being insurance, a franchise agreement or even a contract, it is not and most business small or large is a gamble, it comes with risk.    

The good news is that because we have the best times ever for both healthcare and research, this wont last years, only the lessons leaned will!  Most of us will survive this with what matters most, our lives and loved ones.  Then secondly, that which keeps the roof over our heads that we live, our livelihoods.  I pray you will all do the same in your very own unique ways, stay well, JR