Not getting full refund from host

[Pier-Olivier0]

Hi! I booked an Airbnb Earlier today in Kimberley, BC for a ski trip. Once I booked the Airbnb, I recieved a message telling me that the Airbnb is available for reservation only for essential and work purposes. It was then written that I could cancel the Airbnb within 1 hour after the reservation and get a full refund if our reason of reservation was not considered as essential. I immediately cancelled the reservation, but I was not refunded the full price of my reservation. The host then told me that she would send me an email link so I could get back my 700$ that i wasn't able to get refunded. After that, I was then told that the message that was sent both by email and on Airbnb telling me that I could get a full refund by cancelling within 1 hour has been sent by error. The host also proceded to block me on Airbnb after I re-asked her for a full refund, so I can't contact her anynome. Could I get help with this situation ? 700 $ is a lot of money and I feel like i've been treated unfairly considered i've been told that I could get a full refund. Thank you in advance !

[Emiel1]

@Pier-Olivier0 

IMO you must contact Airbnb and ask for explanation.

A host who is blocking a potential guest (although obliged to cancel) should be reported to Airbnb (the "flag" option in the message or in the profile)

[Colleen253]

@Pier-Olivier0 You'll need to contact Airbnb. What's odd here is that most cancellation policies that hosts can select on Airbnb have free cancellation with full refund within 48 hours, and the cancellation refund is applied automatically by Airbnb. Were you booking to stay longer term?  Regardless, based on the communication from the host, you should have been refunded. You have been wronged by this host. By the way, this is a community discussion forum, not Airbnb CS, so no one here can do anything other than offer advice. Best  of luck.

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Pier-Olivier0 

If you cancelled immediately after the booking (within 1 hr of paying for and confirming the booking) then it is the Airbnb system that did something wrong with your cancellation and refund - NOT the host. There isn't anything the host can do to help you..... except contact Airbnb and take the guest's side in saying that "Airbnb looks like you made a mistake, please rectify".

The host doesn't have your $700, Airbnb does. The reason the host blocked you is because you kept  asking for money the host never got or saw. The host did nothing wrong, simply tried to help by sending you a link with the hope that it would help you get your money back from Airbnb, but you ended up demanding the host give you the $700. Maybe the host could have explained how things work better to you..... but if someone kept insisting I had to "give money back" when I never saw a dime of their money, I'd probably block them too. 

I agree you were treated unfairly..... but it was not by the host. There is nothing the host can really do and the host has no obligation to help you address a problem that clearly happened because Airbnb system sent you an email in error.  If you want to get your $700 back, please continue to contact Airbnb CS. 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Pier-Olivier0 Was it legal for you to travel to this location at that particular time?

[Pier-Olivier0]

Yep ! I've been in British Columbia for the last 6 weeks. It is totally legal and I had no problems with my previous Airbnb reservations.

[Pier-Olivier0]

Hi ! First of all, thank you all for your useful answers. 

I contacted Airbnb, they told us that the host has a very strict cancellation policy and only the host was the only person able to refund us the full amount of money. Airbnb asked the host, but she refused to refund the 700$. Has anybody faced similar situations ? I'd be also very curious to know your thoughts about this whole situation ! Thank you. 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Pier-Olivier0 The situation is ridiculous. If the host offered a refund on the Airbnb system then surely the support rep can see this and this should allow them to refund you. 

Other approaches that might work are

A twitter message being clear and concise on what has happened might work as Airbnb hate publicity

A threat to take Airbnb to the small claims court as they have all the evidence to refund you.

Good luck and do let us know how it goes

[Colleen253]

@Pier-Olivier0 It's hard to speak to your exact situation without knowing the full particulars of your booking. I'm guessing you instant booked a listing with a stict cancellation policy, at short notice. It's so important that guests be familiar with every detail of the cancellation policy that they are agreeing to. 

https://www.airbnb.ca/home/cancellation_policies#strict-with-grace-period

That said, the host should have been flexible in the situation you've described, and authorized a full refund, especially given what they told you. "the Airbnb is available for reservation only for essential and work purposes. It was then written that I could cancel the Airbnb within 1 hour after the reservation and get a full refund if our reason of reservation was not considered as essential. "  It does sound like the host has taken advantage here. They should really be making note on their listing about any restrictions they have in place, and also should turn off instant book, so that they can review first, and then simply decline bookings they aren't taking. 

I second the advice from @Mike-And-Jane0. 

[Carol6290]

Totally understand!  Here is my story with a host:  

I live in lower Alabama & had a trip planned to Conway Arkansas for my granddaughter's graduation. I booked five days with Old Town Lodge in Conway. I talked back & forth with them. We were set to arrive in Conway on May 20th and leave on May 25th. We had planned to stop half way in Tupelo so we could rest since we're 73. Well at 2:30 a.m on the 20th when we were due to arrive I had a bad seizure which comes with no warning. It ends up causing me to aspirate food into my lungs causing pneumonia & pleurisy. I go through a lot during the seizure & then pass out for a day, sometimes two. These seizures are caused from damage, I had blood clots, from covid which I had in March 2020. My lungs are very scared from it. My husband called the hosts explaining what was going on & telling them he had to turn around and head back home to see my doctor who knows & understands what is happening & how sick I get. I was totally out the whole trip home & that night. I ended up in the hospital two days getting an IV of strong antibiotics.  Then he had a picc line inserted into my upper arm so I could get 14 days of antibiotics straight into the vein. I assumed we could get a refund because of the policy Airbnb has about unforseen extenuating circumstances beyond your control. I certainly qualify. I'm getting little help from Airbnb at all, they offered a $200 coupon for my next stay. Not good enough. I might never book through Airbnb again after this. Well I posted a terrible review on Zach's page explaining what he's done to me & then this morning he sends me an apology of sorts telling me he would give me a full refund & I needed to call Airbnb & tell them to contact him so I did call Airbnb & held for almost 30 minutes before getting a person, told them my story, sent them a copy of the message Zach sent me & now I get a message saying the host refuses to refund me anything out of the $677 I paid him. So can I bring a suit against him & Airbnb through small claims court & if I can, how do I get started on filing it since he is in Arkansas & I'm in Alabama. It's the principle of the thing that gets me. I was robbed basically out of $677 & have no recourse as far as I know. If anybody can help me email me to carol.davis.hampton@gmail.com. & tell me how to move forward