Airbnb cancellations policy

[Cristina1097]

In what concerns guest cancellations due to Covid-19 reasons, Airbnb must review procedures / policies to be applied. I will now report my personal case:
- A guest coming from Brazil has a reservation for August 9
- I sent him a message on July 23 stating that everything is ready to receive him
- Guest responds on August 8 (the day before arrival) to say that Airline canceled the trip and he opted for Travel Credit.
- I received a message from Airbnb stating that I am entitled to a zero € refund because the reservation is related to Covid-19.

Point 1: The guest must provide proof of the date on which Airline canceled the flight, in this case the flight is intercontinental (Brazil / Porto), so the most likely is that the Company has canceled before.
Point 2: The costs involved in preparing the apartment are high. In addition to the fact that the guest canceled the previous day, it made my calendar blocked, therefore, impossible to receive new reservations or even consultations.
Point 3: Airbnb accepted the Travel Credit and took the guest's money and I, who am a partner, was left without the right to anything. Airbnb should have suggested recalendarization. That would be a partnership between Airbnb and Host, in fact I'm a Super host !!

I am very disappointed and unmotivated with Airbnb, I don't feel well treated. I do everything to fulfill the requirements, treat guests well and in the end I get this reward!
I sincerely consider canceling my ad with Airbnb.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Cristina1097 Given the high levels of Covid 19 in Brazil at present you may well have been better off with this guest cancelling. If he came and brought the virus with him you would lose far more than 1 reservation.

That said it is a real shame the guest left it to the last minute to cancel. I took the decision to pro-actively contact all guests coming from abroad to see if they still planned to come. Working with the guests who could not come has allowed my calendar to be opened up at the earliest possible opportunity.

[Cristina1097]

Nice to hear your opinion, but of course, I'm not putting the question they didn't come...

Of course what is wrong is his attitude in replying to my message 2 weeks after, i.e., the day before arrival. Together with Airbnb policy, by not asking for a proof date and very happily accepting his Travel Credit, meaning receiving his money, instead of proposing recalendarization.

This is not a partnership! This only regards to Airbnb interests!

[Sarah977]

@Cristina1097  I'm sorry this happened to you, but you would be better off understanding that Airbnb is not your "partner". They are just an online booking platform, that wants to control everything, whose interest is in making money. For them, not for you. So your last sentence, above, is entirely correct. That is the reality.

I wouldn't have just waited to hear back from the guest for 2 weeks- when I've had guests who weren't answering messages in a timely fashion, I contacted Airbnb to try to get ahold of the guest for me, which they did and resulted in a quick response from the guest.