Coronavirus and Extenuating Circumstances - A Host Perspective

[Tom-And-Rene0]

We have properties in Bali.  Just a quick paraphrase of the many conversations that we are having with guests and AirBnB right now.

From Guest:

Dear Host,
We want to cancel our stay next week because of Coronavirus because we don't want to travel from Australia (70+ cases) / Germany (670 Cases) / France (653 cases) etc. etc.  to Bali (no cases at all).  We await our 100% refund.

Yours truly

Your Guest

From AirBnB:

Dear Host,
Your guest has contacted us and is unable to travel due to the Coronavirus. We have therefore given them a 100% refund under our Extenuating Circumstances Policy. I am sure you as a host are happy with this policy as if a host has to cancel a booking due to Coronavirus, we also give 100% back to the guests.  Either way the host receives no payment at all and so AirBnB is being entirely even handed and fair. 

 
We realise that it is now far too late for anyone else to book your property, but that is not our concern.  Our only concern is to make sure guests book through us again, and by over-riding the cancellation policy the guests agreed to and refusing to consider any travel insurance the guest may have, making the host give a 100% refund is the best way for us to do that.

We wish you all the best of luck in somehow magically finding a way to keep paying the salaries for your staff (we understand you are a fully serviced villa) and covering your villa bills and running costs and lastly finding a bit of cash for yourselves as we understand your properties your only source of income. If you don't then don't worry that is not any concern of AirBnB.

AirBnB values your business

Yours Truly

A Very Junior Person in AirBnB

[Nicky109]

Below was posted on another thread a couple of days ago.  However what's against going to the small claims court?  That said a smart lawyer may walk all over their 19.11 as Airbnb have already broken their agreement with hosts.

I am keeping a record of each day on the island I host and whether the guests Airbnb have allowed to cancel could vacation here.  Our island is packed with families on vacation.  There is nothing to stop anyone coming here.  In fact as Airbnb cancel people are making inquiries about the dates canceled.  The only problem is they are like vultures trying to bid us half price or less.  I even heard that people are canceling their booking, getting a full refund, and then trying to book the same property again at half price.  Thank you Airbnb!  I agree they have contributed to the panic.  Half our guests would not consider cancelling if Airbnb had not offered them a full refund.

19.11 No Class Actions or Representative Proceedings. You and Airbnb acknowledge and agree that, to the fullest extent permitted by law, we are each waiving the right to participate as a plaintiff or class member in any purported class action lawsuit, class-wide arbitration, private attorney general action, or any other representative proceeding as to all Disputes. Further, unless you and Airbnb both otherwise agree in writing, the arbitrator may not consolidate more than one party’s claims and may not otherwise preside over any form of any class or representative proceeding. If the “class action lawsuit” waiver or the “class-wide arbitration” waiver in this Section 19.11 is held unenforceable with respect to any Dispute, then the entirety of the Arbitration Agreement will be deemed void with respect to such Dispute and the Dispute must proceed in court. If the “private attorney general action” waiver or the “representative proceeding” waiver in this Section 19.11 is held unenforceable with respect to any Dispute, those waivers may be severed from this Arbitration Agreement and you and Airbnb agree that any private attorney general claims and representative claims in the Dispute will be severed and stayed, pending the resolution of any arbitrable claims in the Dispute in individual arbitration.

[Jane2696]

I agree with everyone on here. Completely out of order to expect us to take 100% of the burden. I have had over £2k in cancellations already and that's only until 14th April. 50% each would have been fair and would have allowed my business to tick over whilst we wait for this whole thing to blow over. This is my only real source of income at the moment and as it stands it's unlikely I will have a property to host very soon as I still have all the bills and mortgage to pay.  I suggest we all act with our feet and sign over to HomeAway where your cancellation policy can not be overridden at the whim of the company. I have been refusing to refund for bookings after 14th April to protect my livelihood and be able to feed myself and my family in the coming months. What I am even more frightened of is if they extend their extenuating circumstances beyond 14th April. That will be the end of me. Airbnb did not think this through or if they did they have made a very poor decision which makes no sense at all.

Next job - sign up here...

https://www.homeaway.co.uk

[Nicky109]

Homeaway latest:  and it is still up to the discretion of the host whether they offer either.

Both are more reasonable than Airbnb's policy.  I have had to stop taking reservations on Airbnb.  I can't take the risk they will continue to act they way they have so there is no point taking a reservation.

Updates to help with COVID-19 cancellations

Dear Nicky,

In Vrbo's nearly 25 years, we’ve been through a lot, but nothing comes close to the current challenges facing our travelers, partners, and team members around the world. Vrbo is a two-sided marketplace, so for every traveler who paid hard-earned money for a getaway they may not take, there is a partner who is experiencing a loss of bookings and a large number of cancellations. Despite this, the vast majority of you are rising to the occasion and giving credits and/or refunds to travelers in these extreme circumstances. Thank you for exemplifying hospitality — even when it means a financial hardship. Today, we are introducing our COVID-19 Emergency Policy, a series of measures designed to help navigate these extraordinary circumstances. For our part, Vrbo is refunding 100% of money it makes through traveler service fees when someone must cancel a trip due to COVID-19. For your part, we ask that you handle cancellations for trips booked before March 13 with stays that fall between March 13 and April 30 in one of two ways (even if those trips are outside of your set cancellation policy): Option 1 (Default): Offer a credit for full value and flexible stay dates within the next year (at no additional cost) to travelers who can’t take trips now due to COVID-19. Option 2: If a traveler is unwilling to accept a credit, we advise you to issue them a refund. If you are unable to accommodate a full refund, Vrbo expects you to provide at least a 50% refund if the traveler cancels during this time. Our intent is to reward Vrbo partners who offer travelers flexibility during this time of uncertainty with additional visibility in traveler searches on Vrbo and Expedia Group. The idea is that the more you do now for travelers, the more we will reward you moving forward (so a 100% credit/refund will count more than 50% refund and so on). Here’s more on what Vrbo is doing as part of our COVID-19 Emergency Policy: Full Refund of Vrbo’s Fees: Vrbo is refunding 100% of money it makes through traveler service fees when someone must cancel a trip due to COVID-19, whether the cancellation is government-mandated or not. This goes in effect for all stays booked before March 13 with a night between March 13 and April 30. Travelers don’t have to do anything to collect the refund; it will happen automatically over the next few weeks. They do not need to call and confirm. Rolling Out Automated Refunds: Our teams are also working to make refunds and date changes to bookings easier for you. Details on this new process will be communicated in the coming days, so we ask that you wait to call our customer service line until that happens. We acknowledge that credits for future dates will be administered between our partners and travelers, so we only ask that your teams acknowledge the arrangement in writing — ideally via our secure messaging system. Automatically Waiving Related Cancellation Penalties: If you need to cancel due to this event, we will automatically waive the cancellation so it does not impact your ranking metrics or your Premier Partner status. You no longer have to call Customer Service to get the cancellation waived, just select COVID-19 as the cancellation reason code and refund at the minimum 50% to be eligible. The new policy we are implementing is not perfect, but in this unprecedented time we believe it strikes the best balance of protecting travelers, partners, and the public. I am sure many of you have questions. We primarily want you to understand the spirit of how we hope to address this situation. Please review our help portal and Discovery Hub for the most up-to-date information. These resources will be updated every 48 hours with new information. We have been in contact with thousands of you in the past days and I am humbled by your willingness to rise to the occasion and appreciate your sacrifices. The skies will clear and families will want to travel again. We will be there with open arms to provide spaces to heal and recharge when this is over. With admiration and appreciation for your partnership, Jeff President, Vrbo

[Sarah977]

@Jane2696  "What I am even more frightened of is if they extend their extenuating circumstances beyond 14th April. That will be the end of me."

No, dying of coronavirus would be the end of you. There are other ways to make money apart from doing strs.

[Jane2696]

What are strs? And I think that you may have taken me a bit too literally, its obviously not going to kill me!?!?! I'm also not likely to die of coronavirus just like the other 95% of people who contract it.

[Sarah977]

@Jane2696 Short term rentals.

[Jane2696]

@Sarah977 Looking forward to hearing your suggestions bearing in mind the current situation. My next mortgage payment is due on 25th, do you think I might get paid by this new venture by then?

[Catherine2252]

Did you signed the petition? Quite 10 000 hosts. 

https://www.change.org/p/airbnb-airbnb-breach-of-contract-class-action-lawsuit-violate-cancellation-...

[Nicky109]

Good luck with that.  Doing what exactly?  Already over a million laid off in the hospitality industry. You are not going to be able to go out and get a job and nobody is going to have any money so they aren't going to be buying either.  I

If they don't get this sorted fast we are talking Depression.

[Nicky109]

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/19/airbnb-is-listening-to-investment-pitches-despite-large-cash.html

Airbnb are sitting on 3 billion in cash and 1 billion in credit.

And yet even with all this money they screwed us over.

I spoke with VRBO/Homeaway today and they confirmed that yes they have given an advisory regarding refunds credits but ultimately it is the hosts decision and they are not going to force you to do anything.  They also said that insurance companies are not paying out for guests who just don't feel up to traveling.  You have to be legitimately sick from the virus for that.  None of my guests that Airbnb paid refunds to were sick.

They also plan on ramping up the insurance side in the near future so that guests are made more aware of the implications of declining insurance.

We have a voice here.  Vote with your feet and move to another platform.

[Tom-And-Rene0]

Below is the formal Homeaway VRBO response to this crisis.  What a difference to AirBnB!!

I really do believe that Homeaway/VRBO have handled this correctly and respectfully for both hosts and guests. 

Every time I read the formal message from the CEO of AirBnB I just want to punch the computer screen.  Particularly when he tries to claim that AirBnB gives 100% refunds to guests as part of its public spirited efforts to limit travel.

Well done Homeaway/VRBO - and shame on you AirBnB for treating hosts so appallingly.  Vote with your feet hosts - there are far better options out there than AirBnB.

Updates to help with COVID-19 cancellations

Dear Tom & Rene,

In HomeAway's nearly 25 years, we’ve been through a lot, but nothing comes close to the current challenges facing our travellers, partners, and team members around the world. HomeAway is a two-sided marketplace, so for every traveller who paid hard-earned money for a getaway they may not take, there is a partner who is experiencing a loss of bookings and a large number of cancellations. Despite this, the vast majority of you are rising to the occasion and giving credits and/or refunds to travellers in these extreme circumstances. Thank you for exemplifying hospitality — even when it means a financial hardship. Today, we are introducing our COVID-19 Emergency Response Policy (Link blocked by AirBnB), a series of measures designed to help navigate these extraordinary circumstances. For our part, HomeAway is refunding 100% of money it makes through traveller service fees when someone must cancel a trip due to COVID-19. For your part, we ask that you handle cancellations for trips booked before March 13 with stays that fall between March 13 and April 30 in one of two ways (even if those trips are outside of your set cancellation policy): Option 1 (Default): Offer a credit for full value and flexible stay dates within the next year (at no additional cost) to travellers who can’t take trips now due to COVID-19. Option 2: If a traveller is unwilling to accept a credit, we advise you to issue them a refund. If you are unable to accommodate a full refund, HomeAway expects you to provide at least a 50% refund if the traveller cancels during this time. Our intent is to reward HomeAway partners who offer travellers flexibility during this time of uncertainty with additional visibility in traveller searches on HomeAway and Expedia Group. The idea is that the more you do now for travellers, the more we will reward you moving forward (so a 100% credit/refund will count more than 50% refund and so on). Here’s more on what HomeAway is doing as part of our COVID-19 Emergency Policy: Full Refund of HomeAway’s Fees: HomeAway is refunding 100% of the money it makes through traveller service fees when someone must cancel a trip due to COVID-19, whether the cancellation is government-mandated or not. This goes in effect for all stays booked before March 13 with a night between March 13 and April 30. Travellers don’t have to do anything to collect the refund; it will happen automatically over the next few weeks. They do not need to call and confirm. Rolling Out Automated Refunds: Our teams are also working to make refunds and date changes to bookings easier for you. Details on this new process will be communicated in the coming days, so we ask that you wait to call our Customer Service line until that happens. We acknowledge that credits for future dates will be administered between our partners and travellers, so we only ask that your teams acknowledge the arrangement in writing — ideally via our secure messaging system. Waiving Related Cancellation Penalties: If you need to cancel due to this event, we will waive the cancellation so it does not impact your ranking metrics. You no longer have to call Customer Service to get the cancellation waived, just select COVID-19 as the cancellation reason code and refund at the minimum 50% to be eligible. The waived cancellation will show up in your ranking metrics within the next 7 days. The new policy we are implementing is not perfect, but in this unprecedented time we believe it strikes the best balance of protecting travellers, partners, and the public. I am sure many of you have questions. We primarily want you to understand the spirit of how we hope to address this situation. Please review our Help Portal and Discovery Hub for the most up-to-date information. These resources will be updated every 48 hours with new information. We have been in contact with thousands of you in the past days and I am humbled by your willingness to rise to the occasion and appreciate your sacrifices. The skies will clear and families will want to travel again. We will be there with open arms to provide spaces to heal and recharge when this is over. With admiration and appreciation for your partnership, Jeff President, HomeAway

[April119]

yes i totally agree with you...

100%

HOMEAWAY/VRBO gives hosts more control and are more loyal to their hosts..

shame on AIRBNB and the co-founders messages.

in 2018 over 30,000 Americans died of the common cold...

what about Heart Attacks, and the millions of people dyeing every year of Cancer, and yet the world continues to move along...

[Natalie-And-Jesse0]

Dear Host,

This is an email that AIRBNB sent out yesterday tell us that they will be reaching out to congress to assist us in this crisis.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic has already tremendously disrupted tourism as well as other industries. Many businesses are struggling and I know hosts are too. Congress has been busy passing emergency response measures and we expect more over the next few days, specifically focused on economic relief for affected industries.

We want to ensure help is getting directly to the hundreds of thousands of hosts across the country who need it too. We have only a few days to make our voices heard loudly on Capitol Hill.

Please take a minute to contact your Member of Congress and Senators.

Email your representatives

Our proposal to Congress

As US policymakers consider how to aid economic recovery, Airbnb is asking Congress to include you, Airbnb hosts—who share their homes or offer local tourist experiences to earn income, who make up the backbone of the Airbnb community, and of whom more than half depend on Airbnb income to pay the bills. To ease the financial strain of decreased travel, we believe Congress should:

•	Expand federal short-term rental tax exemptions from 14 days to 60 days to help you keep more of the income you earn.
•	Introduce a federal tax credit, deduction or deferral of taxes on the 1099 income earned by Home and Experience hosts.
•	Ensure hosts qualify for expanded US Small Business Administration economic injury disaster loans.
•	Encourage lenders to make available low-interest loans that assist your small business needs as a host.

You can learn more about our proposed measures to support you here. Your voice matters, and can help shape the conversation as your elected officials address this global crisis. Send an email today.

Sincerely,
Nate Blecharczyk
Co-Founder
Airbnb

Coronavirus (COVID-19) updates
Visit our new site to learn more about how we’re supporting our global community of hosts during this difficult time. From updating you on our cancellation policies to answering your top hosting questions, we’re here to help.

Sent with ♥ from

[April119]

this is really the bottom line ... seeing the co-founder of Airbnb ask for our help now, after they helped destroy our rental business....

why could they not have asked the Hosts what we wanted to do about cancellations during this time.

why could they not support hosts then by allowing us to keep at least 20% of our reservations.

an average month of $3,000 revenue from renting at 20% = $600 which is a start in helping us cover daily expenses that we are now without any income to manage.

and now they are asking us to endure multiple levels of government red tape to possibly get a loan to help us manage this crisis...seems very backwards to me... am i the only host that has been crushed due to airbnb decision to refund 100% to the traveler ?

[Catherine2252]

You are not of course, please sign the petition and tell to everybody to sign it. Airbnb is speaking about the Congress, and what about the non US hosts! Airbnb forget the rest of the world, crushed by them!!

https://www.change.org/p/airbnb-airbnb-breach-of-contract-class-action-lawsuit-violate-cancellation-...