Please help me to challenge AirBnB's RIDICULOOUS "Extenuating Circumstances policies!

[Mark1723]

FYI this message was sent to the "Feedback" link (I'll be quite surprised if I get a reply!)

https://www.airbnb.com/help/feedback

Please weigh in if you agree.

Thanks!

AirBnB PLEASE RESPOND!!!!!

I wish to bring attention to AirBnB's PITIFUL "Extenuating Circumstances” Policies!

I own 2 vacation rentals and am I “SuperHost on both! My properties are in the Sequoia National Forest where we have recently been the victims of a very large wildfire.

As a result, I am unable to honor the reservations for a number of guests. I have contacted these guests and tried to work with AirBnB “support” to implement a negotiated outcome that is acceptable to BOTH the guests and myself.

I offered to provide a 50% refund to the guest pointing out that the fire was not the fault of either the guests or myself. ALL OF THE GUESTS I HAVE CONTACTED AGREED TO THIS COMPROMISE!!!

In order to resolve the issue I contacted support to determine the best way to handle this cancellation. I was told that the “Support person” would contact the guest and arrange the 50% refund.

Instead the “support person” informed the guest that they had the option of a full refund due to the poorly considered “Extenuating Circumstances” policy! The guest accepted the full refund and I was left holding the bag!

Please see the conversations, in the message thread, between the guest “Jenny” and myself Confirmation code HMR9Y5YH3M travel date 10/1-10/3. I have a number of other guests in the same position and who have agreed to this sensible compromise.

I was outraged to find that this underling “support person” had the temerity to override MY agreement with MY guest and provide a full refund thereby costing me $155!! I fully expect AirBnB to reimburse me for this egregious overstepping of his authority!

I also find it UNCONSCIONABLE that AirBnB is so insensitive that it can’t see the wisdom of a compromise, in which both parties share in the losses resulting from a totally UNFORESEEABLE AND UNAVOIDABLE SITUATIION!!!

In closing, I’d also add that AirBnB makes it difficult or impossible to air grievances, and receive any feedback whatever from anyone in authority. I find this a really deplorable way to run a business, and I submit that it’s a serious shortcoming that AirBnB management should address and rectify immediately!

The “Feedback” form is essentially an utterly unresponsive “Black Hole” which never elicits any replies and, I suspect, is probably not even reviewed by anyone in authority! Again, this is just another example of poor decision making and an unresponsive management. This is NOT a way to run a quality operation in my view!

PLEASE RESPOND!!!!!

Mark

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[Helen3]

Hello @Mark1723 

I am sorry you feel frustrated but I think in this situation Airbnb was correct in implementing it's extenuating circumstances policy (which you signed up to when you agreed to host through their platform)

If you cannot host because of a wildfire why on earth would you expect to be paid  in part for the booking. It would be highly unfair to try and charge your guests for a service you cannot provide. 

The support person was just doing their job be enforcing Airbnb's extenuating circumstance policy. 

If this had happened to me as it did many times during Covid and I couldn't honour a booking because of local lockdowns, I immediately offered the guest a complete refund. 

There are other listing companies out there and of course you can take your own direct bookings and name your terms  as alternatives if the Airbnb platform doesn't work for you.

However it seems rather unfair to complain about a policy that you signed up to when you joined the platform.

[Emiel1]

@Mark1723 

We (the community) have offcourse no access to your message thread, so can not read the conversations.

If the "extenuating circumstances policy" applies, then guests are entitled to receive a full refund.

This overrules other agreements you make with guests.

Are you questioning the wildfires are a valid "extenuating circumstance" ?

(If not correct,then Airbnb has made a mistake by applying the policy).

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1320/extenuating-circumstances-policy

See: paragraph "What events are covered"

[Kia272]

@Mark1723  If you're unable to host due to the fire conditions, why on earth would you expect a (canceled) guest to pay you anything??? Get a grip! 

I'm 100% with @Helen3 

I also refunded a number of guests during Covid without even a question. 

Fires and other circumstances that affect your ability to host are a cost of doing business, and you need to plan ahead for those things. 

As with any sales contract, if you're unable to offer what was promised, then you haven't fulfilled your end of the bargain, and the contract is null and void. 

I'm actually kind of shocked that you're willing to complain about this publicly. It's not all about money....your "guests" had their planned vacation canceled, so it's not like they're happy about this either. Although I still fail to understand how you would expect them to pay even a penny for something entirely out of their control. That's a "really deplorable way to run a business" in my book. 

[Sarah977]

@Mark1723  Keeping 50% of the guest's money if you are unable to host them doesn't sound like much of a compromise to me. You get money and the guest gets what?

A compromise is "I will let you rebook for future dates and apply the 50% you will lose for this cancellation to a future booking.

I would feel like a jerk to keep half the guest's money when the area was on fire.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Mark1723 I don't know the law in your country but in the UK if a host cannot host then they are required to give a 100% refund. In this case the law and fairness are fully aligned.

[Anonymous]

@Mark1723   If you were booked for a flight, and it got cancelled due to weather conditions, would you think it was a fair "compromise" for the airline to only refund half your fare? 

I can only echo the chorus above. Regardless of whatever agreement you were able to extract from your guests, it would be unconscionable for Airbnb to execute it on your behalf. If the host is unable to honor the booking, Airbnb has no right to collect payment for it. But the extenuating circumstance also means that you're not liable for the penalties that would normally be levied on hosts when they cancel bookings. 

Considering that wildfires are going to be a constant for the foreseeable future, it might be worth expanding your STR insurance to include Business Interruption (BI) coverage.

[Sarah977]

@Mark1723  Using 28 exclamation marks won't help to make Airbnb change their decisions. And  posting your name, phone number, and email address on a public forum is a good way to get your account hacked or facilitate ID theft.

And if you notice, everyone who responded here is also a Superhost- most with higher ratings than yours- it's not that big a deal and not anything most hosts find the need to crow about.