Host denies receiving date alteration

[Anna11728]

I sent a date alteration two months before the reservation date. The host denied ever seeing this request and instead claimed there was a ‘glitch’ in the Airbnb system.

They wanted to charge an extra £105 to change the dates. We’ve lost out on £360 because the host didn’t see my request to change the dates and I refused to pay the extra.

I want my money back as we couldn’t stay on the original dates. Anyone else ever experienced this? How do I go about getting a refund?

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Anna11728 Did you not notice that the change request hadn't been accepted?

[Anna11728]

No I didn’t, I thought I would only hear back if it was declined. 

The host claims they didn’t receive the date change until a day before check-in. Rather than admitting they missed the request they blamed Airbnb for a system glitch.

[Helen3]

Sorry this one is down to you. If your request wasn't accepted to change the booking, you should have chased up to check with the host @Anna11728 if you knew you couldn't stay on the original dates booked.

Your post is rather confusing what do you mean by saying the host wants to charge you extra for changing your dates. Was your request to spend more time? Or was it because you wanted to change your dates to a more expensive time slot?

What does the £360 amount you mention relate to?

In answer to your question, based on the information you provided I am not sure why you would think there would be a case for getting your money booked. The host provided the accommodation for the dates you requested. 

[Anna11728]

Hello - thanks for your message. 

Having just come off the phone with Airbnb they’ve explained exactly your point about it being two sided when altering dates- I wasn’t aware of this before now. 

I was confused by host referring to a glitch in the system I think.

[Gordon0]

This isn't your first (Airbnb) rodeo, @Anna11728, so I'm surprised you didn't think it was unusual the amendment confirmation didn't come through. Hosts don't look for loopholes not to host (it's what we do) and your review will have damaged their reputation, so I suspect you've taken some level of satisfaction from that. 

[Anna11728]

Hello, thanks for your message. 

I completely understand your points - I was confused by the host mentioning the glitch in the system.  They said that this muddle was down to Airbnb, not them, or me.  It appears that this isn’t the case and they didn’t notice it. I should have chased the request.

[Debra300]

@Anna11728,

Thank for the follow up.  I suggest that you also contact Customer Service, and request that your review of the host be removed.

[Huma0]

@Anna11728 

Even if you were not expecting to hear back unless the request was denied, surely you would have noticed that the dates of your reservation had not changed and your booking was still showing as for the original dates? It's not just on the page with the booking details, but right there in the message thread.

I don't know why the host didn't notice the request. Perhaps they missed it. The Airbnb App notifications are super glitchy anyway, and you often do not get notifications regarding alteration requests, only. Or, it may well have been a technical glitch (there are often glitches on the site) and the host genuinely didn't receive the request until right before the notification.

The thing is, you can't know for sure, but you've left the host a horrible review accusing them of being dishonest and untrustworthy. Meanwhile, they've left a glowing review for you. I find this confusing as your review says you never stayed?

As others have mentioned, there are plenty of reasons for the change in price, even if you were not requesting to stay for longer than the original booking. Some hosts have different prices for different days of the week, e.g. higher at weekends. Many hosts increase their prices as bookings come in. I know I have done this many times. It's perfectly normal to price higher when there is high demand and less dates available. 

Also, changing the dates of your booking often means that the host loses out because they are unable to rebook the nights that you no longer want but that have been blocked for you. This could also explain the extra charge.

At the end of the day, it's you who wanted to change the booking so the onus was on you to follow up when you didn't hear back from the host. If you wanted to return a purchased item in the post, but never got a confirmation that the item was received by the seller, wouldn't you check that a refund had been issued? Wouldn't you follow up with the seller if no refund had been issued after a long period of time?

[Gordon0]

You're aware their rates might be seasonal, right, just as hotel accommodation is, @Anna11728? This may have seen your rate jump (even if your stay moved by a day or two).

Whether they've pulled a fast one or not is hard to say with the limited info you've shared, however, based on their many reviews (with the exception of yours), they seem to be doing a fine job and previous guests have been very happy.

My advice would be to always confirm/follow-up with any changes.

[Emiel1]

@Anna11728 

You should have noticed it was not confirmed (or been expired)

Checking-the-status-of-your-trip-change-request

BTW I host is not obliged to accept a change request.

You now have two options:

- sent a new change request (price can be different for the new dates)

- casncel the reservation.  a refund, if any,  depends on the cancellation policy attached.