Guest stay that should be covered under revised EC policy dates is only given the option of travel credit

[Michael-And-Anna0]

I’m confused by this screenshot provided by our guest: https://imgur.com/a/DeAMgt1. The reservation, for early May,  was made prior to March 14. When canceling they are given three options:

1. $0 refund - host cancellation policy applies

2. Travel credit under the “extenuating circumstances offer”. This is the option that references a payment to the host under the relief fund. 

3. Submitting documentation for full refund under the extenuating circumstances policy. 

Does this mean the guest must choose travel credit in order for the host to receive 25% of what would have been received under their normal cancellation policy?

Does this mean a guest with documentation will be given a 100% refund according to the terms of the extenuating circumstances policy with no payout to host? 

Are there now two categories of COVID-19 cancellations? Undocumented and canceled under the extenuating circumstances offer or documented and canceled under the extenuating circumstances policy?

I have been advising affected guests of the revised policy dates and the following information found in the latest update at: 

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2701/extenuating-circumstances-policy-and-the-coronavirus-covid1...

Reservations made on or before March 14, 2020

Reservations for stays and Airbnb Experiences made on or before March 14, 2020, with a check-in date between March 14, 2020 and May 31, 2020, may be canceled before check-in. This means that guests who cancel will receive, at their option, travel credit or a full cash refund, hosts can cancel without charge or impact to their Superhost status, and Airbnb will either refund, or issue travel credit in an amount that includes, all service fees.

I’m concerned that I am giving them the impression that they will receive a full refund based on my interpretation of the updated policy. 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Michael-And-Anna0 

I propose that you suggest to the guest to go for option 3 and submit the Airbnb URL as their documentation.

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Michael-And-Anna0 

If it were me...... I'd do what @Mike-And-Jane0  suggest and just let the guest handle it and not get involved. 

I wouldn't want to advise or promise guests anything at this point - as always, Airbnb will do what ever they want, how ever they want. 

[Kath9]

 @Michael-And-Anna0 maybe this is a glitch. Under the updated COVID-19 policy, guests will be given the option of a full refund or travel credit. So I don't really understand why it says $0 refund. Even if your cancellation policy were to apply, they should still receive 50%. Submitting documentation is frankly ridiculous. Your guest should contact Airbnb and find out what's going on.

[Susan17]

@Kath9 

No, not a glitch. This phrasing on the notifications the guests are seeing on their side is totally baffling - to the guests, to the bamboozled hosts they're expecting to explain it to them, and it appears, to CX (who in fairness, are probably brain-frazzled at this point with the almost daily amendments and relentless pressure over on them the past number of weeks). In many instances, manual processing by agents who clearly don't have any grasp whatsoever of the ever-changing policies (and who could blame them?) is leading to all sorts of chaos and confusion, including guests ending up with entire refunds in unwanted vouchers, totally incorrect calculations, hosts receiving the refunds instead of the guests, and all sorts of other madness. It seems as if the entire CX system is in total meltdown at the moment, with nobody having the first idea what they're supposed to be doing, or how things are supposed to be working.

[Kath9]

@Susan17 oh dear. I'm glad I'm not an Airbnb CS rep at the moment. 

[Susan17]

I doubt it's much fun at the best of times @Kath9 , but right now, it must be challenging in the extreme for them. I was speaking with one poor girl today and she was on the verge of tears - said she's been getting screamed and shouted at by irate, stressed out callers all day, every day. My heart goes out to them, it really does.