Airbnb claiming no cancellations are due to CV

[Richard1762]

I had over $25k in cancellations of orders made before March 14 and for stays between Mar 14 and May 31 All but $300 if stays was denied for one of two reasons

1) I have a moderate cancellation policy that allows cancels up to a few days before

2) Those that cancelled at last minute due to CV I cancelled myself as the customer could not figure out how to do it and Airbnb told me to just cancel and it would get straightened out later.

These are cancellations that are 100% because of CV.. there is chat to prove it and yet Airbnb pulls out these technicalities on a host who al.ways is customer first.

Airbnb is not required to do anything but this is worse than nothing, penalizing those hosts who provide solid customer support.

[Helen350]

@Richard1762 The Covid 19 cancellation payouts were always 25% of your cancellation policy. With a 'moderate' policy hosts always got nothing if cancellations were more than 5 days before he trip. So 25% of nothing = nothing!

So in effect the compensation payout was only ever promised to hosts with a 'strict' cancellation policy. - For reasons others have speculated on.

[Mike2080]

After five years on this platform we have had enough.  Having been pushed into a flexible cancellation policy, we now learn that only those with inflexible/ strict policies will be given compensation.

Brian Chesky needs to be ashamed of this poorly executed PR stunt.   Admitting he has lost a connection with hosts then not supporting them.  

25% of nothing = nothing.  

Now looking for an alternative platform.

[Melodie-And-John0]

@Mike2080 and @Richard1762 , Are you saying you believe you should be able to charge customers and  or Brian Chesky for services you couldn't render or they couldn't actually occupy because of a pandemic, closings and laws affecting travel?   That is paramount to theft unless your insured for such cases which nearly nobody is and Airbnb would have been sued if they didn't give back that money. 

Because we have always had a flexible cancellation policy, we are also in the" No Pay Due" for any stays that cancelled due to "EC".  Its always been a hosts marketing choice, there are consequences for every business decision.    Our spaces have always been that way and up to this moment, its paid us extra to offer this because people that wouldn't book without an "out" have chosen us.  It makes sense that trend will actually be more prevalent with covid and beyond not less.  

The financial losses we have taken as hosts have been awful but they pale in comparison with the human lives that have been snuffed out by a silent but deadly foe.  I really dont know any government, org, business or human that truly was prepared for or responded well to this global viral war, Airbnb wasnt exempt from some of the same failures as giant Corporations and whole economies. 

There aren't that many choices (advertisement, hosting software, bookkeeping, online presence, 24/7/365 customer service, payment processing and more) and what you get for your money (<3% of any paid booking) from Airbnb is gonna be very hard to match.   Also, I would think twice about joining another company that may not have taken great care of their customers during this pandemic choosing instead the short term payoff that might not come back as strong when the markets open back up.  Like it or not, business success is always about customer satisfaction and mine depends on customers trusting they will always get what they paid for, Just my 2 Cents for what thats worth, stay well, JR

[Jean-Pierre198]

We should all OPT OUT OF AIRBNB EN BLOCK AND FORM A NEW PLATFORM MADE BY REAL HOSTS . There is no legal locdown on the Rental of a Hosts Property.

We are also receiving incorrect payouts -   this is against   consumer Law

We are Hosts selling Accommodation Only on this  platform

We do not responsible for transportation lcoddown. We do NOT sell transportation in combination with the rental / accommodation services and as such do not offer travel packages on your system. Therefore we are not at fault if the guest cannot make it to the property by bicycle/ taxi / plane , walk or any other means. Kindly note that our confirmed reservations have been securely held for a long period of time and could have been rented to other prospective local or foreign guests had we not held them securely.

If a guest is local or foreign , living in Malta or not , are to make their own way to the property on check in day.

The properties advertised on this platform that hold a strict 50% cancellation policy chosen by us and agreed to by each and every guest as a legally binding contract of sale.
The properties advertised on your platform hold a strict 50% cancellation policy chosen by us and agreed to by each and every guest as a legally binding contract of sale.

if guests cancel prior to check in , we are entitled to compensation of 50% of the total - ( with the exception of your fees for the booking )
If we are not paid we will invoice Airbnb accordingly.

[Helen350]

@Jean-Pierre198 What you write may be true of Malta, but in the UK is IS illegal to offer ANY  type of accommodation to anyone except essential workers during the lockdown.

And non-essential travel is prohibited.

And there is a law that FULL refunds must be given for accommodation when the law prevents hosting or travelling.

We shall see what happens after 9 May......

[Paul60]

@Melodie-And-John0  ' Are you saying you believe you should be able to charge customers and  or Brian Chesky for services you couldn't render or they couldn't actually occupy because of a pandemic, closings and laws affecting travel?'

1.  No - Richard is stating that there is no reason that the host should bear the burden of this virus.

2.  laws affecting travel are not everywhere or always in place.  

3.  There were many more equitable positions that Airbnb could have taken.

4.  There is a much more general issue here with Airbnb not always being forthright, take the 25% for instant.  Airbnb present it as 25% of what the host would usually get if cancelled and they do their hardest to promote guests to cancel prior to the final 7 days.  Thats just sneaky even if rational from a Business perspective.

5.  You won't receive much thanks for being a miss Goody two shoes.  You won't get extra bookings or indeed gold stars.

[Melodie-And-John0]

@Paul60 , Im neither a Miss nor a goody two shoes and to be clear, Hosts are not the only ones that are bearing the burden of the Virus.  The entire planet is paying for this in one way or another and lastly, equity is not what best business practices require , customer satisfaction is.  What your asking for is a partnership and were neither partners with Airbnb nor our guests.   I wish we all didnt lose so much money but happy were still alive to argue about the outcome, stay safe, JR (John)

[Jean-Pierre198]

Hosts Advertising on Airbnb do not offer a Package holiday  that include accommodation flights and transport or actividty in 1 booking - The properties are made available to all whether they are local or foreign -d a Host is not responsible for  how guests make their way to the property rental whether its by Airplane Biycicle  taxi or by walk. That means that the Host is not at fault , is not legally  bound to lockdown a private property ( Which is  different to  Hotel Scenario )  and fully accessible and prepared. I have had a case where i have been holding up dates for a covid19 customer since  October . I could have rented the property to several locals who wanted a long term stay . This entitles a host to claim the exact % Percentage value as shown in the selected cancellation policy - chosen by the host and agreed to by the guest. Here Airbnb cannot favour one side over the other -in this case   Traveller over a host - this is discriminatory and illegal by EU standards. 

Nothwistanding the above -

We also have evidence of some reservations where there is suspicion of possible misappropriation - Some guests are being refunded 50% as per cancellation policy  and the host is paid nothing .  And some guests/ travellers are being refunded in full leaving the host with nothing..

Meaning there is 50% of the reservation value that is missing or not being acounted for . Suport are also hiding their full identity when  these are being reported 

[Jean-Pierre198]

We also have evidence of some reservations where there is suspicion of possible misappropriation - Some guests are being refunded 50% as per cancellation policy and the host is paid nothing Meaning there is 50% of the reservation value that is missing or not being acounted for . Suport are also hiding their full identity when these are being reported 

[Anastacio1]

It is always everyone else's fault and everyone wants something for nothing.  I like your take on all of this.  You're right, no one could have prepared for this and I am sure ABnB isn't being malicious.  Owning your own business always comes with risk, look at the hundreds of thousands closing down across our great country because of this.  Anyone who things anyone owes them anything will fumble in the hardest of times...as is evident here.  Thanks, John for reminding everyone what it means to be a responsible adult and accepting responsibility the way adults are supposed to. @Melodie-And-John0 

[Paul60]

@Melodie-And-John0  Obviously this discussion is in relation to the financial side of hosting.  We're not discussing getting ill or dying from the Covid virus which perhaps surprisingly hosts equally are not immune from.  99.9% of guests only stay with hosts once.  If a guest cancels with you for this summer yes some may stay with you the following summer however if you're not expecting your summer calendar to be already full from new guests then there's something up.  Bottom line - satisfying these summer guests by agreeing to free cancelations won't override the financial loss. 

[Melodie-And-John0]

@Paul60 , I agree, I doubt anything or anybody will override the financial losses I or any of us have taken, I just have to keep things in perspective, "no pay due" is still better than "no day due",   Stay well, JR

[Sarah977]

@Paul60  Feeling that guests should be refunded in full in a pandemic situation has nothing whatsoever to do with being a "goody two shoes", or expecting thanks or earning gold stars. How condescending.

Believe it or not, some people have a social conscience that supercedes their own financial circumstances.

[Paul60]

@Sarah977  here comes the cavalry.

If aligning ones perspective with theft then you can leave me out of your ‘social conscience’

‘ Are you saying you believe you should be able to charge customers and  or Brian Chesky for services you couldn't render or they couldn't actually occupy because of a pandemic, closings and laws affecting travel?   That is paramount to theft’