Cancellations: is anyone else seeing this frustrating trend?

[Erin443]

I've been so happy to see booking up again, to the point that nearly all of our summer months were filled. But then this month everything went haywire- we had more cancellations in the last three weeks than we've had for the last 15 months - including the Covid Cancellation Disaster Spree. Two of them - one that booked for seven weeks and another that booked for ten days - both canceled this week! They both booked over six weeks ago. I'm getting the sense these guests are just booking our home like a "placeholder," or something... like blocking out the time in case they really decide to show up. I've never seen this before. The frustrating thing is that potential actual, sincere guests have booked elsewhere because our calendar was filled up. Airbnb is always pushing everyone to ease up on cancellations, but I'm beginning to look at stricter cancellation guidelines. I might get fewer guests, but at least they'd show up.

Is anyone else seeing this? How are you handling it? Have you stayed with tougher cancellation rules? I'd appreciate some advice.

[Debra300]

@Inna22,

I have no difficulty understanding that a seven week reservation would be canceled just five daybe before arrival.  As news of exponential surges in coronavirus and COVID-19 cases have made the news waves this past week, there have also been many accompanying testimonies from people who've said that they've changed/cancelled trips that they'd planned some time ago.  For example, if a family had planned to stay in Galveston or Myrtyle Beach, they may cancel the trip after the governors issued an executive orders to close the Texas and South Carolina beaches.

Something else that I've observed is that offers for internships, consultants gigs or other temporary job relocation assignments are being rescinded by employers with very short notice due to the impact of coronavirus. 

For hosts who are concerned or risk adverse to long-term or far into the future reservations blocking their calendars for several months, I suggest that they update the reservation preferences to limit the advanced booking period to a maximum of 3 months months before the scheduled arrival.

[Inna22]

@Debra300 I think if someone has planned a seven week long vacation and though last week it was still ok, and two weeks ago it was still ok, they can still go as in the next seven weeks it will all change several times over. They didn’t cancel not because they did not know they were not traveling but because the cancellation policy allowed the m to crap on the host

[Erin443]

@Inna22  That's definitely how it feels!

[Debra300]

@Inna22,

I agree with you.  Like you've stated things change frequently, and right now hosts are getting the short end of the stick. However, I believe that without the EC policy that there would be fewer reservations, and less opportunity to get the ones that are fulfilled. The problem is Airbnb's application of the extenuating circumstances cancellation policy. They know it's a way for them to hold onto funds by not paying hosts.

I do think that many guests are unsure of their travel plans from the moment they book.  I have a co-worker that has been telling me for the past three months he's not sure if he and his wife are going on a trip to South Carolina in August. They are supposed to meet up with a group of friends. From my understanding, they all want to go, but are waiting for signs of a true downturn in coronavirus cases before making a final decision. All the whole they are blocking someone's calendar.

[Inna22]

@Debra300 I cannot agree with you about the extenuating circumstances. When guests book, they have no idea Airbnb has it. I really seriously doubt somebody researches extenuating circumstances policy and makes a decision to book based on that. Furthermore, it only applies to reservations made prior to March 14 so any activity we are seeing  now is not protected by it. That policy only hurts us and it needs to be abolished.

[Erin443]

@Inna22 I'm with you. Anyone traveling now knows very well that we're in a global pandemic. They know things change and they're uncertain. If you're choosing to travel, you shouldn't be penalty-free while we take all the risk as hosts.

[Debra300]

@Inna22,

That's cool if you disagree with me, but I do think we are agreeing to some extent. The original extenuating circumstances policy was applied more judiciously. The current EC policy regarding coronavirus is applied in a manner that is too much in the favor of Airbnb, because they can retain the funds on cancellations, but is disguised as being overly favorable to the client.  In theses situations the host always loses, and the way the policy is currently administered needs to change.

Without an EC policy in place, guests will be less likely to make reservations, and this will lessen the amount of bookings that are actually completed.  Presently, Airbnb has no incentive to provide travel insurance on the platform when they can make quick money by

 offering guests vouchers for cancelled reservations, and not make payouts to hosts.  

I think I diverging point is that I do believe many guests are very much aware of Airbnb's propensity to give full refunds despite a host's cancellation policy.  There are far too many host postings with stories about Airbnb giving full refunds to guests for reservations made after March 14 or that have an arrival date after August 31.

[Amanda660]

I have guests with a week long reservation the mid September.  I reached out to them

last week as I knew they were flying in from Oz.  They confirmed that they would not be staying

but they were holding on until the EC was extended to cover their dates.  I offered to refund anything I take in for rebooking these dates or a change of date/credit but they won’t cancel. 

[Erin443]

That is SO frustrating! So they get to hold your dates hostage but you have no recourse? Grrrr!

[Robbie54]

@Amanda660   @Erin443  let's be honest here, we'd all do the same. You cannot guarantee that the dates would be booked if they cancel, so the guest has no idea if they'd get any sort of refund, they certainly wouldn't get the service fee back. Airbnb are the ones who who are the problem here, not your guests from Oz. Airbnb are allowing them to do it with their EC policy. 

[Rebecca181]

@Erin443 On a related note: If you haven't already, do check your area's long-term tenant rights laws: Where I live, anyone that stays in my place for 30 days is protected under long-term tenant rights and I would need to go through an eviction process to get them out of my property if they refused to leave.

[Erin443]

@Rebecca181 Oh, my god! I will. My parents had several apartments and I remember how horrible it was to evict someone- especially having to clean the apartment after they left. Thank you!

[Rebecca181]

@Erin443 Good to hear you will check up on that. Sadly, although such shenanigans are rare, it does happen, and it is a real nightmare to deal with. 

[Erin443]

@Rebecca181 Thank you for reminding me!!!

[Christine615]

I think some empathy is in order. We had a nonrefundable reservation with a small hotel in New Zealand. We can't travel there because the government is not issuing visas and we can't shelter in place on the island for 14 days before our scheduled arrival date. Their no-refund policy was strict. I sent a note and they cancelled my reservation and refunded my credit card. So did Air New Zealand (also a non refundable fare).  I had three cancellations in the spring which destroyed much needed revenue for the mortgage. But I voluntarily refunded because the guests were teachers or families with small children and Covid-19 is rampant.

I just sent my own cancellation notice to a host because my fall conference just cancelled due to the pandemic. The host was quite gracious.

Covid-19 is destroying a lot of people's plans. Now imagine you are stuck paying for an Airbnb (or any travel) when you can't go, have lost your job, and don't have alternatives.