Help- I am a frontline medical professional from NY and not being refunded

[Brenda894]

I had to cancel my travel plans for earlier this month as I am a frontline medical professional in NY and am expected to self- quarantine after patient exposure. I am working non-stop as the demand for medical professionals is unprecedented. I cancelled my travel plans 3 weeks before the date of travel with this explanation. The home I rented has a cancellation policy of 50% refund only after 48 hours booking. I am out a lot of money and all because I am working to save lives. I did not cancel because I changed my mind or plans. I did it to protect the community at large and most of all the host family. How can I get a refund from Eyla A. in Miami? Thank you and please all stay safe. 

[Sarah977]

@Brenda894  Did you actually cancel yourself, or did you just explain the situation to the host and ask her to cancel and refund you in full?

[Brenda894]

I canceled through Airbnb. There was no choice to check for COVID related at that time. I will call. Thank you for your assistance. 

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Brenda894 

You need to contact Airbnb CS directly and request the booking be cancelled. If you meet the requirements for EC then Airbnb CS will inform you what documentation/evidence you need to provide. 

Telling the host you cannot travel and need to cancel is not the same thing as *actually* cancelling - you need to submit a formal cancellation request (iow, click "cancel") Also, you need to understand that prior to an actual check in, Airbnb is the one holding on to any money you paid. Hosts are not paid until several days after the intended check in date. 

Fees are under Airbnb's control, and the most a host could refund you is whatever payout the host receives from Airbnb, after Airbnb deducts their fees from what you (guest) paid. 

While I understand it's a difficult time for all, there are certain procedures, rules, and policies that hosts and guests alike need to follow. 

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/169/how-do-i-cancel-my-reservation-for-a-place-to-stay

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/544/what-is-airbnbs-guest-refund-policy-for-stays

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

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1320/what-if-i-need-to-cancel-because-of-an-emergency-or-unavoid...

[Gordon0]

There is a flow system when cancelling a booking (I did so a day or two ago) which you need to follow, @Brenda894. It asks if your trip is being cancelled due to Covid 19 which you tick. A few more steps and you submit you supporting documents along with the request to cancel. You then hear back within a few hours if it was accepted or not.

This is all dependent of course on when you made the booking, ie. if you made it after the pandemic, you don't get a refund.

Good luck - you'll need to call Airbnb, but your case (subject to booking dates) seems watertight.