@Daniel1459
Hi Daniel, we live in topsy turvy times, and the accommodation sector has gone through hell over the past 2 + years. This has not been helped by Airbnb's steadfast desire to not upset guests and most of us have been in a situation where Airbnb have virtually forced us to give ground with one hosting or another in order to keep guests from grizzling.
Guest cancellations have definitely gone through the roof, and from our experience in Australia most of that has not been due to the guest, it has been government (both federal and state) Covid travel restrictions which have been the issue.
From my experience speaking with guests, Airbnb do not require proof of a guest Covid status in relation to a reservation cancellation......they take the guests word for it, just the same as they take the hosts word for it that they are adhering to the Covid cleaning regime! I have had a number of travelling guests say that a previous Airbnb listing they stayed at had been filthy on entry and obviously had not been properly cleaned to Airbnb's required Covid cleaning standards, which we all had to agree to, to remain an active host. Daniel....... nobody is checking!
The Airline industry and travel/tour operators set out their payment and refund terms and conditions in black and white and, they adhere to them...everyone knows where they stand. Airbnb set out their payment terms which they strictly adhere to, but the stated cancellation policies are open to interpretation, there is no black or white, they just run a 'damage minimisation' strategy and expect their hosting community to go along with it!
*
Daniel, it's up to you, you can always appeal a resolution centre decision but, unless we are talking about a considerable amount of money, the damage you might do to yourself by whacking 'the hornets nest' might not be worth the loss of income you are suffering through this refund.
I have just had a guest come to me on day 10 of a 12 night stay and inform me that she would not be staying the last 2 nights because she had been offered early handover to an apartment she had bought.
She of course asked for a refund for the 2 nights she would not be staying......as you do when you are a guest! In fact she was expecting a refund for what she had paid to Airbnb, not the minus 19% that Airbnb gave to me. Can you see how that puts me over a barrel Daniel.....I look like the bad guy!. I explained to her that although I had no obligation to refund, as the nights in question I had essentially lost money on by not being able to rent at short notice, I was prepared to refund what I had been paid, and if she wanted to take it any further she should contact Airbnb and ask them to refund the percentage of their service fee. Even she knew she would be pushing the choke a bit by doing that, so I refunded her less the $40 service fees for those 2 nights.
We shouldn't have to do this Daniel but Airbnb continually put us into a compromising situation by not sticking to their terms of service, and when a refund issue comes up, it's all the hosts fault along with a subsequent caning in the guest's review.
When it comes to taking money, Airbnb are just like everyone else, when it comes to refunding money, they operate in this bloody twilight zone !
Cheers........Rob
