Refuse to refund service fee for double booking

[Emily1437]

I accidentally booked a second reservation for the same time period before cancelling the first reservation. I immediately went and cancelled the first reservation after booking the second one. But they deducted the service fee.

They are now refusing to refund the €60 service fee. It seems really harsh. It's natural for people to make multiple reservations with free cancellation and then cancel the one they don't want.

Never using Airbnb again.

[Colleen253]

@Elise410 Explain how Airbnb pulled a ‘bait and switch’ on you. YOU booked the two listings at the same time and YOU made the switch. All policies are available, nothing is hidden. Folks like you just don’t like to read, or look at all the fine print, apparently. We hosts get a taste of that all the time, with guests ignoring our house rules/failing to read them, 98% of the time. 

The policy is in place as it is to prevent people like the OP doing what they did, not as some bait and switch scam. 

[Elise410]

@Colleen253 Wow, it sounds like you really don’t like hosting. This service fee is not given to the hosts. It goes to Airbnb. I am a courteous guest who is very respectful of hosts and sensitive to the work they put in and their rules. Again, I have spoken to the host and this was not her rule. It is Airbnb’s veiled policy. I looked over the cancellation policy several times before booking this first rental. When finding this exception later, I had to click through several pages and really hunt for it. It was not stated in good faith. I understand the motivation behind the policy. But I was simply trying to make the best reservation choices for my family. Not taking advantage of anyone. Why have a cancellation policy if you don’t want people to cancel? Plans change, things come up. We’re human. I’m not trying to take advantage of anybody. Now I’m out $150 that’s going to Airbnb because my plans changed and my bookings overlapped by an hour. It’s ridiculous.

[Colleen253]

@Elise410 Not that it’s relevant but at no point did I say I don’t like hosting. I must like it, as I do it. Fact remains, most guests don’t avail themselves of the knowledge that is there for their reading pleasure, like you and the OP. You stated yourself the double booking policy was there, you just didn’t click all the way through. If you were handed a paper contract and only read the first page, it would still be on you that you didn’t read all of it.

As I’m a host, I’m fully aware of where the service fee goes. Without service fees, Airbnb could not have a platform through which they market to you the listings you booked. So you paid for that, and also the transactions related to the two bookings.

You  paid for, and received, service from Airbnb. And the policy is clear that you won’t get a refund of the SF if you have overlapping bookings.

I understand that you booked and then cancelled almost immediately, and I don’t believe you ARE out to swindle  anyone. But the  policy is what it is, and I’m not sure why you would expect that Airbnb would bend it at the whim and pleasure of every guest for every different situation under the sun. Best of luck with your class action though!

[Elise410]

@Colleen253  After five customer service calls, I finally got someone who understood my situation. Earlier, she told me that there wasn’t anything she could do, but she just called me back saying that she kept thinking about my call and that she wanted to help me. She was able to talk to her managers and get a one time exception and refund me the service fee. I’m so grateful for her customer service and that she understood that this was an exception to policy. 

$151 Is a lot for a service fee for a 4 night stay. It was the cost for a whole night at that rental. A 25% service fee is huge. And it wasn’t even going to the host. .$20, $30, fine. I wouldn’t of even fought it. $151  is a big deal to me and my family.

[Colleen253]

@Elise410 $151 is no doubt a big deal to many people. Which is why it makes sense to look out for pitfalls which will take it out of one’s pocket. I’m sincerely glad you had success with a CS rep, after pleading your case. That’s extremely rare and you are very lucky, so I suggest you go now and buy a lotto ticket. 

Clear sailing ahead for you on Airbnb, now you know how things work. 

[Jennifer1773]

@Elise410 I am glad that it worked out for you! I think this is a great example that persistence pays off with customer service. I was concerned about your statements that the "double booking" cancellation rule was so hidden, so I tried to double book over an existing Airbnb reservation I have next month to see what would happen.

Here is a screen shot of the reservation page just above "confirm and pay":

@Colleen253 

[Colleen253]

@Jennifer1773 Great work. Good to know!

[Elise410]

[Elise410]

@Colleen253 Here’s the screenshot of the cancellation policy as it was listed. Seems pretty straightforward, right? I was only able to find the double booking exception when I clicked through several other pages

[Elise410]

@Colleen253 

[Susan1188]

I don't think this is the same.  Above guest was knowingly booking multiple properties at the outset to "get the best deal".  That is different than booking, then cancelling if your plans changed.

[Elise410]

I just got off the phone with customer service again. Got someone who didn’t talk to me like a robot this time. But, still no luck. She said there’s just nothing she can do. The policy is the policy. I guess I’ll wait for that class action lawsuit. 

[Elise410]

@Emily1437 I’m sorry people are being so extremely rude to you on this thread. There are several other threads with the same topic and people are not nearly as volatile. Let’s be clear that the service fee is not going to the host. It’s going to Airbnb. The hosts on here are taking this personally like you’re taking something away from them by wanting your service fee refunded. They’re not getting anything. Everybody should be mad at Airbnb for this.

It is normal for plans to change. That’s why places have cancellation policies. You’re not using a host as a trip insurance. You can be a respectful person and still need to change your booking location. Yeesh. 

[Colleen253]

@Elise410 Pointing out facts is not rude. What hosts are taking exception to is the rather cavalier attitude about tying up multiple hosts calendars to hold bookings while deciding which place one wants.

[Elise410]

@Colleen253 The original poster stated that she immediately canceled the first booking. I did the same. My original booking was only booked for a few hours before I canceled. I was not tying up their calendars. I understand that some people may do that, but that is not what we were doing.

Intent is important. There are multiple reasons why someone would book multiple listings and not all of them are because they are being rude or disrespectful to Airbnb hosts.