@Reyume0
Hey, I understand your frustration and I love your attitude that you will not waste your energy getting mad with the company....it won't achieve anything and I am glad you see that.
Airbnb came to a fork in the road here with this pandemic refund issue. They could have been adult about it and put in place strategic options that would involve both host and guest the way hotels, airlines, tourist operators, VRBO, Homeaway/Stayz, Booking.com, Expedia have done and kept the cashflow going around. Instead of that they have shot themselves in the foot, cut off their cashflow and are now screaming they need government assistance!
Reyume, I never wanted to admit to myself that Airbnb could operate in such a reckless and irresponsible way but.....that's in the past, they have.
What is going to happen now, the hosts amongst us who are professional and successful....those hosts who have been the backbone of Airbnb's success, will desert this platform for more responsible investment opportunities.
I really hate to see that happening because, although I, like you, are a relative newcomer, I have loved my dealings with Airbnb, they have provided me with 400 + hostings and it hurts me terribly to envision a future that does not have Airbnb in it! But I have to be a realist. Airbnb have never had to fight for business, since their inception in 2007 it has been a one way street all the way up and up. They have become complacent and have got away with telling the rest of the world what they should and shouldn't accept........That has now ended. Through a lack of responsible leadership and decision making, they may get some guests in the future, but the quantity and quality of their available listings will plummet and guests will search elsewhere for something better. Airbnb are going to become.....'bottom feeders'. Your comment about them allowing guests to cancel and rebook at a lower tariff proves that they are already in the bottom feeder, dog eat dog, category.
We can't just sit around and hope that it will all be like a bad dream and tomorrow morning it will be business as usual.....it won't!
So forget about hoping this company will give you what you are owed...the very least being loyalty, we can't ever hope for that again. Now we as a community need to learn from this and put in strategies to make sure we don't get 'lead up the garden path' like this again.
All the best Reyume.
Cheers......Rob