Reimbursement requests mid-trip after guest gets a positive covid-19 test

[Mark4039]

Has this ever happened to you guys, and if so, how was this resolved?

I had a 4 night guest in a property in a large beach resort. On the 2nd day, they said a child on the trip was sick and they were going to get tested for Covid (another side note...this child was not on the reservation ... only adults were listed). On the 3rd day, they discovered the results were positive, so they called AirBNB and AirBnB did a few things. First, they blocked my listing from search. Second, they let her out of her last night and reimbursed her.

According to AirBnB's own Extenuating Circumstance Policy https://www.airbnb.com/.../does-the-extenuating...

If the booking was done after March 14, 2020 (which it was), the reservation is only eligible for reimbursement if all of the following are true

1. The check-in date is within the next 14 days (IT WAS 3 DAYS IN THE PAST ACTUALLY
2. and the guest hasn’t already canceled it (TRUE...IT WASN'T CANCELLED YET)
3. and the guest hasn’t already checked in (THEY WERE CHECKED IN ALREADY FOR 3 NIGHTS)
4. and the guest or another guest in the traveling party is currently sick with COVID-19 (AN UNDISCLOSED CHILD WAS)
   

As a result, AirBnB states that the HOSTS CANCELLATION POLICY is then the Policy that should be enforced ... and in my case, that means no reimbursement for the 4th night.

So I go back and forth with someone in their Case Management Department. She was incapable of pointing to a specific location in the policy that states that the guest is allowed to get reimbursed. This was her last message after going back and forth 10 times with her repeating the same unspecific and factually incorrect information.

"As mentioned in my previous emails, the Extenuating Circumstance Policy overrides any cancellation policy and the Help Center articles don't disclose what kind of actions we might need to take in the case of a Covid-19 infection reported mid-reservation and for that, we have internal guidelines that we need to follow, and they were applied on your case."

First, thoughts? Second, arbitration material?

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Mark4039 A small claims court case would be simpler and cheaper but is it worth the hassle. I might do it out of principle just to try and persuade Airbnb that they can't just make up the rules as they go along.

[Mark4039]

Small claims might be challenging too.  These properties are in Panama ... I don't know the first thing about the Panamanian justice system.

[Fred13]

"..we have internal guidelines that we need to follow, and they were applied on your case."

What she really means is they have ~personal interpretations~ that they are free to apply as they see fit. That is why their collective decisions are so inconsistent and all over the place.  This you-never-know-what-is-next aspect of Airbnb is what makes them so spooky to deal with at times. 

[Mark4039]

This is the big problem.  What's the point of having posted, public policies and then not abide by them?

[Liv]

Hey @Mark4039,

Really sorry to hear about that. Were there any updates to your case?

I have checked with the Support team internally and I was told an ambassador would get in touch with you.

Can you please let us know if you still need help with this?

Thanks,

Liv

[Mark4039]

I have not really gotten anywhere. I have only been able to talk with low level customer support people and they act like robots with their responses.  They never directly answer my questions or are able to explain why actual posted airbnb policies contradict their decision to refund the guest in spite of her already checking in and spending several days on the property and resort.  It's a bit maddening.

[Sybe]

Hi @Mark4039 and everyone,

I just wanted to let you know that some changes have recently been made to the COVID-19 Extenuating Circumstances policy. For bookings made on or after 31st May 2022, COVID-19 is no longer covered under the Extenuating Circumstances policy.

If you haven’t seen it yet, you can find them here: https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Airbnb-Updates/Update-to-our-approach-for-guests-sick-with-COVID...