What should I do? I booked properties in Australia and NZ and now they closed the borders for non residents and hosts rejected my refund.

[Ruttakan0]

I booked 3 places and now I can’t get into their countries due due to Australia and New Zealand new regulation to close the border for non residents so I contacted hosts and inform them and ask for the full refund but hosts came with lots of excuses not to approve me to cancel. At first, they said it’ll affect their superhost status so I showed them that under COVID-19 pandemic policy, they won’t affect anything. Then, they said they couldn’t approve my request and then just reject it. If I cancel now, I’ll get only 50% refund. I know this is the easy way to make 50% of the rent but honestly how an ass they can be to do this for the money. I tried Help center chat but no reply for almost a week now. My next move is charging back my credit card.

Anyone has a way to contact Airbnb such as email or phone number? I call help service in my country number and the machine said no customer service during COVID-19 and asked me to contact to help center chat which is hopeless to contact them.

Here’re those ** hosts who want free money so beware 

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**[Inappropriate content hidden - Community Center Guidelines]

[Helen3]

Have you read Airbnb's EC policy for the virus @Ruttakan0 ????

You haven't said when your bookings are for - but if they fall outside the policy I would wait for it to be extended.

Not terribly impressed with your public naming and shaming of these hosts.

If you are cancelling outside of Airbnb's policy they are entitled to hold you to the cancellation policy you booked under.

[Susan17]

@Lizzie @Stephanie 

Can you take this down please? Hosts are coming under enough abuse already, without this sort of vindictive nastiness. 

[Ruttakan0]

I talked to them nicely and tried to talk sense with them since the beginning till the end. I followed Airbnb steps for COVID-19. 

[Sarah977]

@Ruttakan0  I told you on another thread where you posted about your cancellation that when a host approves a request froma guest for a cancellation, the cancellation goes down as a host cancellation and the host will be severely penalized. That is completely different from what you were trying to tell the host (I'm sure the host is much more aware of how it work from the host end than you are) about how they can approve it without penalties- the Airbnb info you quoted to them has to do with a host initiating the cancellation, not approving a guest request.

Nowhere in the messages you screen shot did the host say they wouldn't be amenable to a larger refund. It doesn't appear that you've even discussed that with them, just gotten on your high horse and are getting nasty. The hosts hasn't yet declined to refund you, they have declined to approve a cancellation- those are 2 completely different things. Just contact Airbnb and cancel yourself- I'm sure you'll get fully refunded since travel is shut down. 

[Jody79]

@Ruttakan0 I just read the exchange between you and the host.  Nowhere is the host saying they won't honor a cancellation.  They are simply stating that you need to cancel the reservation on your end.  The host should not have to cancel for you, this is your responsibility.  If you are having difficulty with this, you can call AirBnB customer service and they can help you with it.