Airbnb gives back the Service fee as a coupon for the next trip not money.

[Andrei4]

I have just found that the Airbnb "refunds" guests their service fee as a coupon for the next trip, not as money. They leave hosts alone with their problems but  find it fair when it comes to their own money... What a hypocrisy. 

[Daria175]

 I am both host and a guest. First of all I support everyone who is saying that full refund to guest is unfair and Airbnb simply leave us without any choice or income. Secondly, as  a guest I am also disappointed  how they treat us and all cancelations. I canceled reservation before the new update regarding COVID and full refund, received money back for stay but not Airbnb service fee. When I tried to contact support the bot replied that apparently (??) the fact that both countries from/to which I was about to travel close their borders and restrict entrance is the argument to return money back, but they are not sure. No refund after that, no updates, no nothing.  I do understand that all this situation is force majeure but they could at least make automatic refund. Instead, their support doesn't work, refund doesn't work normally, hosts' support doesn't exist at all. 

[Troy159]

Why do the hosts have to take on 100% of the loss?  Is someone’s cancelled vacation more important than someone’s livelihood?  Airbnb has no right to steal from the hosts.  When i cancelled my Alaska flight they gave me no refund and no credit. Hosts run the business, they set the policy, the guests agreed to it.  Everyone is in this together, share the loss, don’t put it all on one party.