@Georgia68
Yeah Georgia, it's cruel , but that at times seems to be Airbnb's forte.....being cruel.
The way they are looking at it, it is an 'adjustment', you got paid for a portion of a hosting that did not run its course.....the guest cancelled within a week of the stay, you possibly have a cancellation policy that says you got paid for a night or two that you did not host and Airbnb chose at the guests request to refund the guest in full....which you agreed to. The guest got their money back and you got paid something as per your cancellation policy.....Airbnb were the ones stiffed, and they now want their money back! The only way they can do that is get it from your future hostings!
What they meant by saying you would not be penalised, they meant it would go through as a neutral cancellation and you would not be fined for cancelling a guest reservation.
If I am reading this wrong Georgia I am sorry but my feeling is, this is the case. If the guest cancelled before Airbnb committed money to you, you would not have received an adjustment notice.....Airbnb wouldn't take money from you they had not already paid to you!
It may possibly be worth escalating this case and I wish you luck, but Airbnb are not a company that lets a dollar slip through its fingers readily. You may have to just accept it.
As I said, if I have read this wrong I am sorry!
Cheers........Rob