Host Do Not Want To Refund Me!!!!

[Karen2953]

This is the 2nd  time I booked an Airbnb and this particular Host in Glendale, CA will not refund me my full refund. I know this is a  business but I booked a business trip and I got word that my father had passed away and I had canceled my business trip, so then I went to cancel the reserve Airbnb and it was too late because they had already taken the monies from account. I immediately message of the situation and they informed to contact Airbnb support and I did that and Airbnb support contacted them to see if they could get the refund or whatever they do and they still declined to refund me on the strength they  are following the cancellation policy and I understand that, but I don't have $1012.87 just to throw away and if that was the case I would have let my relative used it instead of losing it. Can someone help me get my funds back, I don't like posting bad reviews on people, but I know there are compassion folks out here who have a heart...HELP ME PLEASE!!!!

[Colleen253]

@Karen2953 This is what travel insurance is for.

[Alexandra316]

@Karen2953iI'm really sorry to hear abou the death of your father: my condolences. 

If you don't have specific travel insurance for this trip, perhaps you have some coverage through the credit card you booked it on (if you used a card). Maybe worth looking into. 

If you're still on good terms with the host, perhaps you could request that they refund you for any days they're able to get rebooked? You might not get all your money back, but maybe you could get something. 

If this was a buisness trip, can your employer not cover it? If you're self-employed, you should be able to write it off. 

Unfortunately for you, Airbnb is just upholding the cancellation policy you agreed to. The host may rely on the money, and they are not required to be your insurance policy. 

[Karen2953]

Thank you all for the information, I normally do get insurance for everything, this time I was rushing at the last minute with this business trip and just didn't, someone else was supposed to go and they couldn't and I volunteered...I also didn't expect my Dad to leave me either, big lessoned learned!

[Linda108]

@Karen2953   Losing one's parent is very sad indeed.  To have to deal with this issue right now is difficult in the best of times.  Let me explain one aspect to you about your host's response.  If a guest wishes to cancel for personal reasons and goes to Air BNB for a refund, Air BNB will ask the host to cancel so there can be a refund.  Here is the problem. If the host cancels even if it is your wish, the host is penalized by the Air BNB system.  The dates remain blocked, the host reviews include a nasty "host cancelled" review and the host may also be fined.  So if you are in contact with the host and there is time for the host to rebook the dates, most hosts will refund whatever dates are rebooked.  I don't know if it is too late for you in this circumstance, but in the future keep this in mind.  

[Karen2953]

Thanks I learned a lot from this incident and a valuable one at that but I do understand the host side and I am ok with it now, I just had to bed because I was so full and overwhelm, I wanted them to understand my side only. I felt they weren't being compassionate and they should have but I understand now, it's business not personal! Thanks for everything everyone who chime in!

[Claire-Kimberly0]

Do you get a refund ? Because i have that situation too.