switching reservation

[Sarah-and-Joe0]

Hello,

I have a guest unable to come contacting me the day off wanting to know if they can have a sibling come so he doesn't lose out entirely.

He also was wondering if he can switch the dates, If I let him do this would he be able to cancel and reschedule and be refunded?

Thanks,

Sarah

[Helen3]

@Sarah-and-Joe0 

1) I would say no to having an unvetted visitor stay at your listing ie the brother.

2) it depends on your cancellation policy - I wouldn't agree a change of dates as you're unlikely to rebook the dates

[Huma0]

@Sarah-and-Joe0 

You cannot officially transfer an existing reservation from one person to another, so if you accept this, it is a third party booking and you would not be covered by Airbnb should something go wrong. 

Personally, I would not agree to this. However, if you want to go ahead, perhaps you could agree to it on the proviso that the brother provides a security deposit (enough to put your mind at ease).

[Anonymous]

@Sarah-and-Joe0   I have to differ with @Huma0 on this one: Airbnb's current policy explicitly says that hosts can not charge security deposits: https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/140/security-deposits

Your guest can submit an alteration request to move his stay to a different date, but it only goes through if you approve it. He can also cancel the booking and accept the terms of your cancellation policy. But he can't transfer his booking to another person, and I don't recommend making any suggestion that you'd be open to accommodating that.

[Huma0]

@Anonymous 

I agree with you. Personally, I would NOT do it. I've had similar situations and I always say no. I was just suggesting a deposit if @Sarah-and-Joe0 really do not want to lose this booking. 

Another way around it would be to simply ask the guest to cancel with the promise of issuing a full refund when the brother books (providing the brother is not then eligible for a refund if he cancels), but it would probably mean getting Airbnb involved, and then you need a competent rep. Although I've found it quite straightforward to get CS to cancel a third party booking penalty free. However, this one is a bit more complicated as it means issuing the full refund later, rather than immediately.

[Anonymous]

@Huma0  I wouldn't go to any trouble to accommodate the switcheroo, because I truly don't believe the guest's story. His plans change at the last minute and he can't make the trip, but he just so happens to have a brother who is free on the exact same dates and ready to drop everything and take the same vacation?  Nope. 

More likely, the intended guest had a suspended account or a terrible review and used someone else's profile to place a bait-and-switch booking.

[Huma0]

@Anonymous 

Yes, that's also a possibility. It's just one of the many reasons I don't accept third party bookings. I've head some pretty suspect excuses for it, e.g. "You can't use Airbnb in China, which is why my friends need me to book for them." This is nonsense of course. I've hosted I don't know how many people from China and none ever mentioned having problems making a booking.

[Sarah-and-Joe0]

Thank you so much for your feedback. I totally agree with this. His story was made up I felt & it rained most of the weekend so I feel he didn’t want to come due to his plans outdoors. He ended up not coming. The day of his reservation & I also did not issue any refund. Thanks again!