Exceptions for cancellation/higher review by Airbnb

[Tim2736]

After a year and a half of isolation, and self-imposed home confinement, a ray of sunshine came in the form of two Covid-19 shots!  We believed it was time to resume our annual fishing trip of over 50 years!  I booked the trip for my group consisting of four brothers and a friend; retired first-responders, firemen, police officers, and Vietnam-era disabled veterans, (one 82nd Airborne, ex-paratrooper, and one Bronze Star recipient!)  About six weeks before the trip, my wife was diagnosed with advanced stage, colon cancer, a heart issue, and a spot on her lung.  Surgery was scheduled for a week before the trip, then tests, more tests, a long recovery time, and uncertainty!  My trip was over!  My wife is my priority.  I contacted Airbnb and the host and asked, (if we paid the second installment when due in Sep, would they allow us to pick dates for the following year, as we would be paid in full, based on their availability for next year, and they could still rent out our dates, this year!)  A win-win, I thought?  The hosts' answer was, "If you can't make the trip, cancel the trip"!  I got that reply twice!  Not exactly accommodating, welcoming or inclusive!  They have a strict policy, and must stick to it!  No, "sorry to hear about your wife"!  Or, "let's see what we can do"!  Instead, I got, we have return customers who have the first choice for dates, and the dates you want for next year are taken"!  I got their meaning loud and clear!  No help from these hosts!  Out of respect for my wife and me, the rest of the group decided not to go under the circumstances, even after my wife told them not to cancel on her account!  I had no choice but to cancel the reservation before the second payment was due.  Airbnb then advised me that since I canceled before the second payment was due, and the hosts refused to work with us, I would get a $12.24 refund!  The cost of the trip was $1866.33, total.  Airbnb states on the reservation confirmation that if a guest cancels before Sep 9th, (in my case), the guest would receive a 50% refund, minus the $200.00 Airbnb platform service fee for a trip we never took?  All I get from their representatives on the message board is patronizing, disingenuous empathy.  "We understand your situation, but we can't help either"!  The Airbnb rep did apologize for the 'misunderstanding and confusion, as she put it in the wording and meaning of the refund statement on the confirmation.  I paid Airbnb, a $933.00 deposit, and received a $12.24 refund because I canceled the trip for reasons not covered under their policies which were changed or modified because hosts were upset and complaining that some guests were falsely claiming 'extenuating circumstances' to cancel reservations for emergency illness and other unforeseen medical or family issues, and that was not fair to the hosts, according to the hosts!  Several appeals to the Airbnb rep, to escalate this issue for a higher review have been ignored.  Airbnb charged me $933.00 for the first installment down-payment that I now owe my credit card company.  I also owe the trip members, $200.00, each, ($800.00 total) for the deposits I collected from them, for a trip none of us took!?  I'm $1,733.00, out-of-pocket!  Does that sound like a fair resolution, or in keeping with Airbnb's stated corporate mission goals of fairness to all their partners, hosts, and guests alike?  My wife faces some life and death medical issues, pain, suffering, and an uncertain future, and no exception can be offered or worked out by Airbnb, or the hosts?  I'm asking for consideration for a higher review of a policy that has me beholding to two parties, each with different policies and each with a common vested interest to the exclusion of the guest!  How is that fair?  Airbnb and the hosts' have me trapped/caught in a situation that allows only them to refuse a reasonable method of relief that I never agreed to!  I do see a sad irony.  The outstanding humanitarian efforts that Airbnb has gone in committing their worldwide resources to help people fleeing war-torn countries is a true humanity effort and goodwill that deserves to be admired, and makes them leaders in the industry!  By collaborating and working with their hosts/partners to make accommodations available to people in great need, from other countries, living with the pain, suffering, and burden of losing loved ones and other family tragedies.  I'm not asking anyone for pity, just fairness.   I can only ask Airbnb to consider re-thinking their extenuating circumstances policy to be a little fairer to guests or allow an exception to me and my family, under these circumstances.  Please comment!  

[Sarah977]

@Tim2736  I empathize with your situation, but this is what travel insurance is for. Cancellation policies exist for a reason- hosts are not your de facto travel insurers.

Pretty much everyone thinks that the reason they have for cancelling is a valid one that should qualify for an EC cancellation, and they should get a refund.

Some hosts will offer to refund you when you cancel, for any dates they are able to rebook and it's worth asking a host if they would be willing to do this.

But hosts are under no obligation to do so, and upholding the terms of their policy doesn't make them bad people- they are running a business. Guests agree to the cancellation policy for a listing when they book, it's a contract, and the EC policy is there for anyone to read. 

[Tim2736]

Thank you, Sarah977 for your kind, and thoughtful words of inspiration and empathy in our time of fear and uncertainty.  I will pass them on to my wife and family as soon as my wife is out of recovery.  I did all of what you suggested.  It was all ignored!  I never thought I 'should' quality, or I 'should' get a refund.  I asked for consideration under extraordinary circumstances.  Airbnb does not offer Travel Insurance or I would have purchased it, especially if I knew my wife was going to get cancer, and Airbnb and the good people, which I'm sure they are, only care about business!  Putting profit before people is what we must all strive to emulate!  You truly have all the markings of a 'Super-Host', and a real piece of work!  God Bless.   

[Patricia2165]

@Sarah977  Oh what a nightmare I am going through with a cancellation from the guest....10 days and airbnb is still working on it.....It is soooo obvious that the guest is 100% in the wrong...and yes I have a strict one from the jump....airbnb made the decision 2 days ago that guest does NOT get a refund....and now they are still giving the guest more time to negotiate with them, because the original reason was not won on the guest's end.....so they are angling for another reason!!  WTF???  The decision was already made.  The concern was that it smelled like smoke and I have this documented......IT's a SMOKING unit, which states that in my listing!!  Why is airbnb giving them another angle to consider????  This is totally not right!!  If you knew the entirety of the situation, it is soooo obvious that they are trying everything and airbnb is giving them the opportunity to do so!!!  I've got all the documentation that proves it, and gave it to airbnb.....and they are still working on it........headache..

[M199]

@Tim2736 

As a breast cancer survivor and a Superhost, I know the pain, fear and anxiety you are feeling.

If I were that host, I would have and I have, in the past, given 100% refunds for extreme guest circumstances.  There are more important things in life than money, unfortunately,  too many don't understand that until too late.

My thoughts and hopes are with you and your wife.  It will truly be a trying time for you both.  All my best wishes.

[Tim2736]

Hi, M199, Thank you, that is so nice of you to say!  We are hoping for the best!  My wife is a strong woman and I'm so proud of her for her positive attitude and example to all of us in the family.  Stay well!      

[Michelle53]

@Tim2736  Sorry to hear about your situation, but something has me a little confused.    Just in relation to the deposits.   There were 5 of you, as I understand it.  The first installment for the trip was $933.00, which is non-refundable under the host's cancellation policy. 

You collected $200 towards that from 4 of your friends, for a total of $800.  Where did that money go ? Did it not go towards the $933.00 ?   If the $933.00 was non-refundable, should the $200 for each person also not be refundable, or have you an obligation to your friends to return their non-refundable share ?

If it wasn't spent on something else, like gear or supplies, by my calculations, you could return your friends their $200 each, and only owe the $933.00 on your credit card. 

I realize you booked the trip, and later, everyone collectively decided not to go on the trip, even though you were the only one who, technically speaking, could not go, but that should mean everyone shares the responsibility for the up-front payment. 

[Tim2736]

Hi Michelle53,  Maybe, if that's how you treat you're family and friends!?  This was the first trip I booked with Airbnb, I booked it in March of 2021 we were so eager to go, and wanted to lock in this particular cabin while dates were still open!  In the past, we have used VRBO, and other such services for 40-50 years, or dealt directly with owners.   I collected $200 from each member, ($200 x 5 =$1000) as the first installment towards the total trip cost of $1,866,  I sent that to Airbnb.  I did not know at that time it was non-refundable!   I never would have booked with Airbnb had I known that!  The Airbnb customer service rep even apologized to me for the confusion and misunderstanding in the way it is worded and noted!  So, if Airbnb's employees know it's an issue, and tell guests as much, why wouldn't Airbnb fix it?  Or, at least give a new customer a refund for the confusion and misunderstanding they caused, and their employee acknowledged?!   I saw, the notice on the reservation page that says, "if a guest cancels before a certain date, the guest would receive a 50% refund"!  I  took that to mean, I would receive a 50% refund for what I had already paid!  Who wouldn't think that?  That's what it says.  The first installment was $933, I paid $1000 for easier bookkeeping and a built-in credit for the group. I thought my refund would be half of the $1000 I paid, and due to the extenuating circumstances, (my wife's cancer diagnosis, the reason for the cancellation, and the confusion and misunderstanding mentioned, Airbnb would waive the $200 platform fee charge).  That would be the fair thing to do!  After the second payment, if I had made it, there would have been a small credit for all towards other expenses, food, gas, etc.  And, yes, I was obligated to refund the deposits I collected from my brothers and friend of $200 each, not to mention my own $200 deposit, that was the right thing to do also.  For us it's not a business transaction, it's about friendship, family, and comradery, and remembering good times past!   Why should they lose money for a trip they never took, because of extenuating circumstances, no one could foresee or control?  That's just how we were brought up, to treat people fairly, I'm sure you were too!  So, that made my loss $1000 to four members of the group, and me, plus the $933 charged to MY credit card, for a total loss of $1,933.00 to me that is more than the cost of the Airbnb 'experience' I never took, just pay for!?   Is it just me? 

[Michelle53]

@Tim2736  I'm still wrestling with the math.  How I was brought up is not really relevant. 

Here's what I understand. 

The total trip cost was $1866.     

The first installment was half of the total,  $933.

$933 was charged to your credit card.

But, you sent Airbnb $1000, as you say, to make the bookkeeping easier.  So then why was $1000 

not charged to your credit card ?   How was the $1000 paid ?

Do you see why I am confused ? Did you pay $933 or pay $1000 or somehow pay both $933 and $1000 ?

The cancellation policy pays you 50% of the total trip price (after the total trip price has been paid)

As you now understand, $933 is 50% of the total trip price that you actually owed. 

If you have paid both the $933 and the $1000, you should have receipts for those payments, and  there should be a refund due, under the cancellation policy. 

[Tim2736]

Hi, Michelle, I see my errors, and what you're saying.  My wife's medical issues have made last month rough and challenging, to say the least, then this!  Help me out here, if you would?  In a nutshell, Airbnb was paid $933.00 for a trip costing $1,866.00.  All five in the group split the total cost at $200.00 each, per installment!   I 'collected' $800.00 from 4 of the 5 members, and a total of $1,600.00, over several months, with an overpay credit built-in for other trip expenses 'from all 4 of the 5 in group'. (My deposits, ($400.00), would be deducted when I made the payments to my credit card for the two Airbnb installment charges).  Airbnb was paid $933.00 on March 3, 2021, by my credit card from part of the $800.00 amount, (I wrote a check to my credit card to pay the first installment, and I deducted my ($200.00 deposit amount too, as part of the first payment), so all in the group paid the same amount for each deposit installment that was paid.  No second payment was made to Airbnb as the trip was canceled prior to the second payment due date.  I reimbursed 'four members' what they paid, and overpaid as built-in credit, ($1,600.00).  So they were made whole!  I received $12.24 from Airbnb as a refund, ( I don't know how, or why they arrived at that number?)  Based on this information how much of a loss did 'I' incur?  Thank you, I'm sure there is a simpler account method for the much smarter than me!  Please walk me through my accounting errors.   (I come up with a loss of $533.00, using the numbers above.)          

[Sarah977]

@Tim2736  I can understand that trying to wrap your head around this while preoccupied with your wife's health isn't easy.

Here is where your accounting is  wrong. The $12.24 you received back was just due to some small discrepancy between the total cost of the booking (not what you paid upfront) and the 50% refund you were due according to the cancellation policy. 

Essentially you only paid half the booking total upfront. So with a 50% refund policy, that money you paid upfront was the 50% you forfeited by cancelling. 

If your friends gave you all their share of the total booking cost that would have been paid had you actually kept the booking, i.e. $400 each, and you returned that $400 to them, $200 of that isn't a loss for you, as it was never charged by Airbnb  in the first place, it was just in your possession. If you chose to give them back an additional $200, meaning you took the entire loss for the cancellation, that is between you and your friends. If everyone was willing to share the loss, your buddies should only have gotten $200 back from you, the $200 that you never paid to Airbnb. And that means you and your buddies each forfeitted $200- the $1000 you lost by cancelling. 

( I have used whole numbers here just to make it hopefully simpler to understand)

[Rita662]

Hello @Tim2736 

I'm sorry to ear from your wife; I wish a lot's of strenght for her, for you and all the family.

I have 2 cancelations, because the guests have Covid. 1 guest ask to change the reservation 1 month later, the other for the next year.

Before I answer, of course, I said "oh, what a terrible news" and "I hope everything goes alright with you and your family", and I acept this change.

[Mark116]

@Tim2736  I'm also a little confused by the payments, I first understood you said you only paid the first payment of either $933 or $1000, not the second, that you cancelled before the 2nd payment.

The moral of the story is that you should always read the fine print of any legal contract, this sounds like a nightmare and a host who lacks compassion, but it still is the deal you signed up for.

I can see 3 options.  1) go back to the host and try and work out different dates for next year that are available so your payment can be applied.  2) take your story to social media Airbnb in the hopes that fear of bad PR might at least shame them into giving you a partial refund  3) sue either Airbnb or the host or both in small claims court, this is a long shot because the facts as I understand them is that you are being held strictly to the terms of the reservation, not that any changes to the terms have been made by Airbnb or the host.

I would advise #1 is your best option.

[Tim2736]

Thanks!  I did most of what you suggested.  I'm working my way up the latter that's burning as I climb! 

I did not sign-up for unfair business practices or open-ended agreements! 

Check my numbers again, I need all the help I can get, Mark. 

I see my errors, and what you're saying.  My wife's medical issues have made last month rough and challenging, to say the least, then this!  Help me out here, if you would?  In a nutshell, Airbnb was paid $933.00 for a trip costing $1,866.00.  All five in the group split the total cost at $200.00 each, per installment!   I 'collected' $800.00 from 4 of the 5 members, and a total of $1,600.00, over several months, with an overpay credit built-in for other trip expenses 'from all 4 of the 5 in group'. (My deposits, ($400.00), would be deducted when I made the payments to my credit card for the two Airbnb installment charges).  Airbnb was paid $933.00 on March 3, 2021, by my credit card from part of the $800.00 amount, (I wrote a check to my credit card to pay the first installment, and I deducted my ($200.00 deposit amount too, as part of the first payment), so all in the group paid the same amount for each deposit installment that was paid.  No second payment was made to Airbnb as the trip was canceled prior to the second payment due date.  I reimbursed 'four members' what they paid, and overpaid as built-in credit, ($1,600.00).  So they were made whole!  I received $12.24 from Airbnb as a refund, ( I don't know how, or why they arrived at that number?)  Based on this information how much of a loss did 'I' incur?  Thank you, I'm sure there is a simpler account method for the much smarter than me!  Please walk me through my accounting errors.   (I come up with a loss of $533.00, using the numbers above.)  Where did I mess up?  I come up with a loss of $533.00 from these numbers.   What do you think?  Thanks!     

[Michelle53]

@Tim2736  I can totally understand how your wife''s medical issues have made this whole process more complicated that it needed to be. 

The easiest way to reconcile this, I think, is this way.

You can exclude the $1600 since that was money your group gave you, and you paid them back, to make them whole.  Cash came in, same amount went back out.

I don't know what you spent on the other trip costs, but your Airbnb cost was $933.  

If you had shared that amongst all 5 members of the group, that would have been $186.60 each.   But you took the full cost on yourself, so you're basically out the $933 less the $12.24 refund, which is $920.76.    You can take a look at the transaction history for your reservation to see exactly what they refunded you. 

I doubt you have a warm feeling towards your host, but you could as @Mark116  suggested, go back to them and see if you could rebook other dates, applying the money you already spent, or ask they reimburse you further if they rebook your original dates.

If you purchased other supplies, hopefully that won't be a loss, as you can use them at another time.