How do I cancel a reservation from a US traveler coming to Canada without being penalized?

[Bonnie335]

Yesterday, I had someone from the US book a week long stay for September at my Airbnb in Canada. They have mentioned they live in Oregon and want to have a trip as a family. The Canada US border is shut for non essential travel and this trip would not be considered essential by any means. The borer is not opening up any time soon either.

I have reached out twice to this guest explaining how the border is shut and also the mandatory two week quarantine required if they do enter Canada. No answer as of yet. How do I go about cancelling their reservation without getting dinged? I would like to open up the dates for other Canadian travelers as the booking calendar is filling up fast.

[Colleen253]

@Bonnie335  How was this guest able to book, if you didn't want the booking from a US traveller? Was it Instant Booked?  

[Bonnie335]

@Colleen253 Hi Colleen. Yes it was an instant book. I never thought to turn that feature off as it didn't occur to me someone would actually book from the US when there are travel restrictions. I have let them know about the fines associated with the non essential travel etc but no response.

[Colleen253]

https://www.airbnb.ca/help/article/2022/how-do-penaltyfree-cancellations-work-for-instant%C2%A0book-...

You can try, per the above. I would turn IB off for now, @Bonnie335 

[Emilia42]

@Bonnie335 The border may be open in September. That is still two months away. I would at least wait until July 21 and see how much longer the closure is extended. 

[Debra300]

@Bonnie335,

I just read Canada's travel resitrictions: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/latest-tra....  As a host, you should review regularly review this information.  Right now, the border between Canada and the U.S. is closed until July 21, 2020.  It's possible that the closure will be extended, but the guest made the reservation for a date that is currently projected when the border will be open.  

[Anonymous]

@Bonnie335  Since the booking was placed well after 14 March, the guests won't exempt from the terms of your cancellation policy even in the event that the border remains closed in September. (That's the policy, anyway - we all know how inconsistent Airbnb has been with applying it).

The guests took a gamble by booking an international trip under such volatile circumstances, especially if your cancellation policy is Strict. But where we'll be with the pandemic over a month from now is anyone's guess - every booking is a gamble at this point, including domestic ones. Leaving Instant Book on was also a gamble. If you're only willing to accommodate Canadian guests, even if the border re-opens, you'll have to disable IB. If you say anything that expresses a bias based on the guests' nationality, you risk running afoul of the discrimination policy.

[Susan737]

Hello neighbors- Love Canada. My AirBnB is in Seattle.  I never turned on instant booking. I know AirBnB encourages it for more business. But because of safety I want to thoroughly review who is staying here. I’m a single woman and my AirBnB is in the lower part of my home.

During the coronavirus which as you know is a crisis in the U.S., poor leadership. I changed my settings to make it easy for people to cancel. 
I’m working on the wording to reinforce, if you are sick cancel your reservation. The hardest thing right now in the US is finding cleaning products that are available. Purell is the best product that disinfects and leaves no after smell. They have a whole product line for surfaces and fabrics. Sold Out everywhere. 
I feel strong as a Airbnb community that we need to protect us as well as the guests that stay.

I would be hard-pressed to except a guest from a state that’s on fire. 
I also changed my settings that will automatically add 48 hrs between guest. 

[Bonnie335]

Thank you everyone for your responses. The guest finally replied. They weren't aware of the current border restrictions and have rebooked for next year. I can't see the border opening up again in September, there's talk about keeping it closed until at least the end of the year.

[Jennifer1421]

Gosh. How can anyone be unaware of travel restrictions and border closures, given the amount that's written on the pandemic and its effects on travel? I'm kind of envious of folks who have managed to stay in blissful ignorance to this point.

[Emilia42]

 @Jennifer1421 It's baffling. My family has a home in Canada. We haven't been able to get there since February. We owe a Storefront so we see a lot of people on a daily basis. Not a day goes by where someone doesn't ask us if we're going to Canada for the weekend . . . I am so sick of the conversation! 

[Jennifer1421]

I don't understand this at all, @Emilia42 . Are people living under rocks?

[Terri38]

@Jennifer1421  @Emilia42  and others

Ha ha!  You think that's unbelievable?  I'm in New Zealand and have fielded two requests in the last week from would-be guests wanting to book for next week.  They are still in their home country.  They thought that as New Zealand has only 25 active cases (all linked to returning travellers), that meant the border was open.  NOPE!

[Sarah977]

@Terri38  "I hear you don't have any COVID cases there now. So we thought you deserved some so you don't feel left out. We're coming from Florida and can't wait to explore your area and spread some infection around! "

Americans have been flying to Alaska and trying to sneak into Canada from there. The ignorance, self- centeredness and disrespect is boggling.

[Sarah977]

@Susan737  "I’m working on the wording to reinforce, if you are sick cancel your reservation."

To me, that does little to make anything safe. Tons of people are infected and asymptomatic. But they can still pass the virus on.