Illegal booking

[Helen350]

Today I got a 2 night booking for tomorrow & the day after. Message said the Italian guest is flying from Italy to Edinburgh today, overnighting in Edinburgh, then coming to mine "to see a boat at the marina on Monday."

I sent a welcome message, then checked the  gov. regulations & was shocked to find that Italy has to quarantine (self isolate) for 14 days on arrival! So I messaged the info, and the fact that mine is a shared house with shared bathroom & another guest coming Monday...

He replied "the owner of my first accommodation for tonight in Edinburgh didn't make any problem about it. I don't know the house is yours (!) for me is no problem to ignore such restriction but you have to take a decision."

- Whilst I'm typing this, he's just cancelled! Good! Saves me umming & arring, & feeling a s*** for subsequently asking him to.....

Will he now book with someone else in my town? The landlord with 14 shared houses with other people in them?

Will he still be rampaging round the harbour on Monday (Fresh air at least!)

The problem is thankfully now out of my hands. Yes, his part of Italy (Genoa) may well have less Covid than parts of the UK where my guests come from.... but not the point, they can travel legally.....

DO I OFFER A REFUND??? Yes @Mike-And-Jane0 it's a frustrated contract, - but he chose to make an illegal booking the afternoon before.....

Do I report him to Airbnb?

Thoughts?

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Helen350 I don't think the contract is frustrated as nothing has changed from when he made the booking to when he cancelled. He knowingly made a booking that would have caused him to break the law so I think it is entirely his fault and hence no refund is due.

[Helen350]

Good point, @Mike-And-Jane0 ! 

[Kelly149]

@Helen350 no refund due

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Helen350 

Yes, his part of Italy (Genoa) may well have less Covid than parts of the UK where my guests come from.... but not the point, they can travel legally.....

You need to admit... That really doesn't make sense - does it? That is quite the point.

[Emilia42]

@Ian-And-Anne-Marie0 My parents own a home in Canada which is 2.5 hours away from where we live (200 km.) They cannot drive there because the border is closed and not letting Americans through  - one tiny little northeastern town to another. But they can get a 4-hour bus to Boston then fly to NYC, then have a layover in Toronto, then fly to the Canadian Provence where they own their home and rent a car and drive 2 hours to their house. That's okay.  

[Ann72]

@Emilia42  I didn't know that and that's crazy!  I thought we couldn't cross the border at all.

[Colleen253]

@Emilia42 Reminds me of this story,

https://www.richmond-news.com/news/richmond-manager-making-600-km-trip-to-winterize-trailer-parked-j...

Ridiculousness. @Ann72 

[Emilia42]

@Colleen253 good article, thanks. Very similar situation for my parents. 

[Sarah977]

I don't know that I'd bother reporting him to Airbnb, but I would definitely report him to your health authorities who are in charge of these regulations. He could easily spread COVID throughout your community. That's of far more immediate importance than reporting his behavior to Airbnb. After all, even if all his bookings were cancelled, he could just check into a hotel and still spread the virus around if he happens to be infected.

@Helen350

[Helen350]

Not sure the health authorities could/would do anything @Sarah977 ... Police could, but how would they track him down or know where to find him? - I'd feel a nasty person if I reported him!

Be interesting to know if he DID make it thru immigration at Edinburgh airport..... If he lied & said he had  a 14 day self isolation address, then they'd have no reason to refuse him.... Hope I haven't accidently given him a Heads Up which gives him time to fabricate  a story within the rules, ie. quarantining!

Will have to check out his profile later to see if any of my local rivals reviewed him! 😞

- It's only been 6 days since Italy was added to the countries needing to quarantine...... Maybe he genuinely did not know, & planned the flight  & local boat viewing when it all was still legal?

[Sarah977]

Would you feel like a nasty person if you didn't report him and he happened to be infected and spread COVID around your community and some of your friends or neighbors died from it?

@Helen350

[Helen350]

Well, I'll never know @Sarah977 ,  if future infections here are from him, or people from Liverpool/Manchester/somewhere else.... Thankfully he cancelled before I worded the request from me to cancel... But who knows if he'll still come to our town? The whole purpose of flying to the UK was to see a boat in Whitehaven harbour!! (Fancy!) 

Countless Brits ignore the mandate to quarantine on return from holiday, to say nothing of the other regulations... Not saying that's right, but I'd feel a right s*** singling out one Italian.... And I don't like picking on foreigners, part of me feels awful stopping him from staying! (I bet the professional landlord in town would let him stay if he books!)

[Helen350]

... I've done the right thing by NOT hosting him, ( and sending him info from gov.uk re Italians needing to quarantine) -  can't be responsible for his morals, nor my fellow hosts in our area..........

[Melodie-And-John0]

@Helen350 , perfectly done actually, we cannot be the world, nations or states police as Modern day Inn keeps, were barely able to defend ourselves against frivolous ratings, lawsuits, banning's and worse (which we must, nobody else will).   Keep the money and keep diligent!  Stay well, JR