Unpleasant host when cancelling

[Nicole2657]

I made a difficult decision to cancel my reservation at a carriage house I'd booked in my hometown - the plan was to visit friends and family for my 50th birthday.

Unfortunately, the weather report showed an intense storm system moving through the day I'd be driving home by myself and I chose to cancel the reservation and postpone my trip.

I reached out to the host, asking if I could reschedule while also noting that I was aware of the cancellation policy (there would be no refund). And I apologized for the late cancellation, explaining why I needed to delay my trip.

The response from the host caught me off guard. He'd looked at the weather forecast and told me that, where I lived, the temps would be in the 70s (true, but there would also be high winds and the possibility of tornados). He seemed to think I was not being truthful. Then, there was a two paragraph note about how cancelling causes hosts to lose money, and how his property isn't a "hotel." 

I get it. Sort of. But the tone struck a nerve with me. 

Please, hosts, understand that sometimes people have valid reasons for cancelling. I erred on the side of safety, celebrated a big birthday alone in a new city, and he kept his money.  

[Anonymous]

@Nicole2657 That's an odd one. Hosts hate being asked for refunds, but most of us are secretly delighted to get paid for cancelled stays. 

[Amanda660]

How many days were there until you were due to arrive and when did you want to reschedule to?

Rescheduling can leave a big hole in a host’s calendar that can be difficult to fill at short notice. 

[Sarah977]

@Nicole2657  Rescheduling is something some hosts will agree to depending on the circumstances. But if you cancel last minute, what you are doing is leaving the host with unbooked nights that they can't get rebooked on such short notice. Nights that could have been booked by others had your reservation not been blocking those dates.

You can't reasonably expect a host to accommodate a request fora refund or reescheduling simply because you are uncomfortable with the weather predictions.

There is no point to having cancellation policies if guests expect hosts to not uphold them. But you can look for listings that have flexible cancellation policies that  can be cancelled up to 24 hrs before check-in.

[Nicole2657]

My point in the post here wasn't clear. 

I felt terrible about cancelling due to weather. I completely understood and was fine with the host keeping the payment. I just didn't feel they needed to check the forecast and, essentially, second guess my reason for cancelling. 

I get how much a host is left in the lurch when cancelling. 

[Sarah977]

@Nicole2657  Thanks for clarifying. 

Hosts, just like guests, are simply human and run the gamut of personality and character. There's all sorts of people you might run into in all sorts of situations whose "tone" rubs you  the wrong way. 

I'm not sure what you are trying to accomplish here. 

[Colleen253]

@Nicole2657 Why did you not just claim on your travel insurance? The host is not your travel insurance policy and it’s unclear to me why you think they should be, and why you think the cancellation policy somehow doesn’t apply to you. The host was under no obligation to accommodate a date change, and they may not have been able to rebook your abandoned dates. If you are choosing not to cover yourself with trip insurance, you should stick to booking listings that have flexible cancellation policies. 

[Anonymous]

@Colleen253  I can't speak for the OP, but to be fair she did acknowledge and accept the cancellation policy when she asked about rescheduling. It sounds to me like the host was being a drama queen with his response.

When I've had guests cancel at the last minute, I've never offered a date change at my own expense. But as long as they didn't demand a refund, I'd invite them to get back in touch when they were ready to book new dates at a discount. Then I'd enjoy the unexpected paid holiday.

[Colleen253]

@Anonymous Yes, however that acknowledgement just rang a bit hollow, set against the backdrop of the rest of the post. jmo. 

[Sudsrung0]

We have only ever had one major cancellation they wanted to cancel on the day of arrival and my calendar had been blocked for over 2 months, They said he had been in hospital and couldn't come, Sorry not my problem and I am not giving you a refund, Make a claim on your travel insurance