Kiikiid

[Sharon1417]

I booked with Airbnb and had to cancel because of Covid exposure. The host told me to cancel the reservation so she could rebook and then she’d give me my money back. I canceled she instantly rebooked told me on the message center she would give me my money back and now is refusing to give me the money back so she actually made double money. Airbnb is backing her in her scheme for ripping people off. I will not use Airbnb ever again it’s not advise anyone not to,

[Sarah977]

@Sharon1417  If you tested positive for Covid and have documentation to prove that, you should have contacted Airbnb to cancel under the extenuating circumstances policy- Covid is covered and you would have received a full refund. 

If you did not test positive, you are subject to the terms of the cancellation policy you booked under. The host has no obligation to refund you, although saying they will and reneging on that is, I agree, unethical. 

But if you don't want to risk losing money, that's what travel insurance is for. Neither the host nor Airbnb are your de facto travel insurers.

And FYI, funds do not get released to hosts until 24 hours after check-in, and it then can take 5 days to get transfered to the host's bank account. So just because a host managed to rebook doesn't mean they have anything to refund at this point- Airbnb has your money, not the host.  

[Sharon1417]

I’ve been fighting for 6 months…Bottom line is Airbnb backs are host and if the house doesn’t wanna give you the money back then she doesn’t have to. And they’re standing behind that.

[Sarah977]

@Sharon1417  It isn't a matter of "backing the host". When you book a place, you are subject to the cancellation policy in place. It's a contract you agreed to.

It should be obvvious to everyone at this point (and even 6 months ago) that travelling during a pandemic is extremely risky. Whether it's being exposed to Covid, ever-changing regulations and requirements re testing and quarantines, airlines cancelling flights, etc, etc, a smart traveler would spring for travel insurance. 

[Sharon1417]

AIRB&B admitted she was on the wrong but says it’s up to her to approve the refund… after she told me on my message thread she would refund 100%. I see other stories of the same… I won’t ever use AIRB&B again… They allow consumers to be ripped off

[Sarah977]

@Sharon1417  "I won’t ever use AIRB&B again…"

That's good, because no host wants a guest who insists on getting refunded in violation of the cancellation policy they agreed to by booking.

[Sharon1417]

And you have all the details to majj mgr that judgement? You sure are judge mental without knowing the details… you must be in on the scheme too! Ha… it figures 

[Sharon1417]

And you have all the details to make that judgement? You sure are judgemental without knowing the details… you must be in on the scheme too! Ha… it figures 

[Sarah977]

@Sharon1417  "In on" what "scheme"? 

As I said, I don't look favorably on hosts telling guests they will refund them if dates get rebooked if they have no intention of doing so, it's unethical,  but I know that some hosts do this from reading other posts by guests who have had this happen to them.  I don't even understand why a host would bother to do that, as if a guest wants to cancel, presumably it's because the guest can't come for their booking, so they would cancel regardless of whether the host offered to refund them if they could rebook. If the host in this case hadn't offered that, would you have decided not to cancel and come anyway? Knowingly having been exposed to Covid?

A guest being held to the cancellation policy is normal- that's what you are accepting when you book. A host lying about refunding is a separate ussue and Airbnb doesn't force hosts to honor a promise to refund, they only go by the cancellation policy.

I don't work for Airbnb and don't make those decisions, nor would I renege on a promise to refund, I don't do things like that to guests, but right or wrong, that is the reality of how Airbnb operates.

FYI it goes the other way, too. Plenty of guests get caught out sneaking in more people than they paid for, or a pet, and promise to pay the extra fee. But if the host doesn't make them pay at the time or get booted out, those guests renege on their promise and Airbnb doesn't force them to pay up just because they said they would.