PANDEMIC

[Russell-Sydney0]

We are in the middle of a PANDEMIC !!    (Airbnb needs updated policies !!!)
Airbnb knows better than World Health Org. and CDC. 
Any others out there that have this issue.Here is what I wrote.  

Note: we did not send funds directly to the "Host" you referenced, therefore we will continue to direct our concerns with you.
Are you seriously willing to loose a long-time customer of Airbnb over a technicality? (Check your records). 
However, what the records do not show is the rest of our family (and MANY friends) who will be impacted by your response. There are other options in regard to Rental Agencies. 
It is most troubling to read your response as you suggested that "you chose not to travel" - as if our decision was based on a minor situation. We were heartbroken to not be able to visit our family for Thanksgiving! No, we were not physically restrained nor threatened in regard to our wise decision not to travel. 
Does Airbnb not recognize (as most other companies do) that we are in a PANDIMIC? 
Does Airbnb know better than the World Health Org. or CDC .., regarding travel risks?
CDC plainly states "CDC warns America: DO NOT travel for Thanksgiving" (Quote). This would suffice even for healthy people who want to curb the infection spike - let alone people like us 64 with serious health conditions. Did you receive my Doctors letter?
Now is not the time to quote typical policies that do not reflect these very unique times!
We are being penalized for following our governments strong warnings - and the advice of our Doctors!
We are willing to overlook these prior policy disputes and remain a loyal customer - only if your company does what is right. 
Thank you in advance for your understanding.
We sincerely don't want to pursue this by including outside intervention, however we will if forced to - if for no other reason than the principle at play here. 
Sincerely,

[Russell-Sydney0]

Thanks,

"Amid the mandatory shutdown and corresponding social distancing and travel restrictions, many businesses will be reviewing their contractual relationships to determine whether their obligations can be temporarily, or even permanently, excused."

"A “force majeure” clause is a contract provision that typically relieves the parties to the contract from performing their contractual obligations when certain circumstances beyond their control arise, making performance inadvisable, commercially impracticable, illegal, or impossible."

[Colleen253]

@Russell-Sydney0 “Airbnb should be more flexible during these "Unprecedented" times”.

Airbnb is flexible, IF you choose to book a listing with a flexible cancellation policy. No one at AIrbnb is forcing you to travel. You are simply being asked to honor the cancellation policy in place for the listing you booked. You easily could have chosen a flexible listing instead. 

[Russell-Sydney0]

Yes, we knew there could be developing issues to consider because of COVID. But we did not anticipate at the time that CDC would issue its warning !  These are UNPRECEDENTED times. (Not standard "flexible cancellation policy' times - including the extra $400). Things are changing daily.

So, yes, Airbnb has asked us to disregard CDC Warning in favor of their policy. 

No, they did not force us (how could they do that?) but they are penalizing us at great financial cost - which is most helpful at this time. 
BTW - I wonder if Airbnb has received any federal assistance? 

[Colleen253]

@Russell-Sydney0 Did you even contact the host first to ask them if there was anything mutually agreeable that could be worked out? Perhaps a credit for a future stay, or moving the booking to a future date? Many hosts are facing tough times too. But many would be willing to work with a guest in this situation, depending on how the guest approaches them. 

[Russell-Sydney0]

Yes, we were told the Host is leaving the Airbnb system. (Kinda know why now). 

Therefore, Airbnb would not allow us to postpone to another time. We'd be more than happy to receive a credit or reschedule. (Although we've certainly received a "Good lesson"). 

[Sarah977]

"This is fundamentally incorrect, everything about this Pandemic has been unforeseen and non-predictable! " 

Wrong. By mid-March,. COVID was being reported as a dangerous pandemic that was spreading quickly around the world. If you chose to doubt or ignore that, that's your business. Many other countries took action by locking down and issuing restrictions (my daughter and son-in-law in Canada were told to work from home and were in lockdown the first week of March). That yours didn't is unfortunate, particularly for the hundreds of thousands of dead Americans, but not a reason to assume that the conditions of a contract you entered into should be voided.

@Russell-Sydney0 

[Russell-Sydney0]

Your comments were rude and highly offensive to one of those Americans who has lost loved ones. 
Do you anticipate getting a vaccine from ...America?

[Sarah977]

"Do you anticipate getting a vaccine from ...America?"

No.

And how is it offensive to point out that your govt, as well as others did not take appropriate action? I should think that if you have lost loved ones to this disease, for which you have my utmost sympathies, you would realize that if they had, those loved ones might still be among the living.

@Russell-Sydney0

[Debra300]

@Sarah977, I agree with you, but want to make a correction.  There was no federal mandate for a lockdown, but several states, counties and cities have imposed them, as witnessed in California, New York, and Michigan.

@Russell-Sydney0, I understand that you are upset, because you just got taught a lesson the hard way, and that it may be difficult for you to take responsibility for the financial loss.  The date of the booking is unknown, but the Airbnb homepage has posted its COVID-19 information at the top for several months:

Other reservation platforms also have links to similar information on their sites, such as Vrbo.

Vrbo homepage

Clicking the links will take guests to travel and cancellation information that generally one page, and written in full size text.  However, people often look past these bits of critical information, and jump straight into searching for an accommodation.  When you decided not to travel, did you reach out to the host, and ask to reschedule?  You weren't able to spend Thanksgiving at that destination, but you could have possibly went there next year.  Just a suggestion.

[Russell-Sydney0]

"No federal mandate" ?   Define "Mandate" What is this (Direct quote from CDC) "CDC warns America: Do not travel for Thanksgiving".  So, until there is a law enforceable by authorities, we are at liberty to disregard Federal Health warnings. Not to mention my Dr.s strong advice.   We are more civic minded that flippantly going against the WARNING. We must ALL work together to help stop this Pandemic. 

Also this is not the time to be Teaching responsible American citizens "A lesson". Really???

And yes, we tried to reschedule for a latter date (when it is safe to travel). but It was denied - again due to a technicality. (Seems we need to "Lawyer up' always). 

Yes, I am certainly "learning my lesson with Airbnb. A lesson me and my family willl not soon forget.  (Former loyal customers).     How about some good ol' Grace. 

[Helen3]

Was there a reason that you chose a property with a strict cancellation rather than a flexible one, knowing you may well have to cancel because of Covid @Russell-Sydney0 ?

[Sarah977]

It's really difficult to understand the mentality that would lead someone to, on the one hand, state that they were quite willing to travel to celebrate Thanksgiving with family despite the fact that there has been a pandemic raging since early in the year, yet only aren't travelling now because the CDC and their doctor warned against it. And then have the gall to say "We must ALL work together to help stop the pandemic". 

Plenty of us have been doing our part to help stop the pandemic since March, which it doesn't appear that you or the majority of your fellow Americans have. I haven't taken bookings in my home-share listing since March, not because the CDC, or anyone else told me not to, but because I understand what a global pandemic is, how to stop the spread, and that it would be foolish and dangerous for me to continue to host until the virus is no longer a threat. Because I'm not a child who needs someone else to make the appropriate decisions for me.

@Russell-Sydney0

[Sarah977]

Where did I say there was a federal mandate for a lockdown? @Debra300

[Debra300]

@Sarah977,

The context of the excerpt of your post that I've posted below led me to infer that you were implying the US didn't have stay-in-place orders imposed similar to other countries.  I was only pointing out that there were (still are) several orders of stay-in-place orders incurring in different states and municipalities.  Even in the state of Georgia where I live, we had a stay-in-place order for the month of April.  If that is not what you meant, it just wasn't clear to me. 

"Many other countries took action by locking down and issuing restrictions (my daughter and son-in-law in Canada were told to work from home and were in lockdown the first week of March). That yours didn't is unfortunate, particularly for the hundreds of thousands of dead Americans,"

[Sarah977]

Ah, I see why you inferred that. Yes, I know that it has varied by jurisdiction in the US. As it has in many, if not most, countries. That's one reason the virus continues to rage- no comprehensive and consistent approach. @Debra300