Guest wants to cancel trip and we would like to offer a full refund, BUTTTT... please help!

[Katie972]

Hi everyone, 

Just as everyone else is reporting: Airbnb customer service is basically non responsive to hosts at this point so I am hoping one of your knowledgeable people can offer a work around. We have two issues currently:

1. Our custom minimum stay rules are flat out not working. We should have a four night minimum over holidays and yet, the airbnb booking calendar populates it as a three night minimum. I think this is a programming issue and I actually managed to muster a response from an airbnb rep after two plus weeks of emails/calls.

2. We have a guest that would like to cancel a trip next year. Based on our cancellation policy, the guest should automatically receive a refund less airbnb fees when she cancels. However, this is not happening. She sent me screen shots. With that being said, I can't cancel it without damaging our host score/superhost status. Can anyone think of a reasonable work around? If she (guest) cancels, can I refund her money by using the resolution center? Or, would I not receive the funds until her original check in date (next May)? I have a group that would like to book those dates so I am trying to resolve it myself. 

If anyone has any ideas on either issue, I would so appreciate it! I am debating pausing our listing on airbnb until these customer service issues get resolved. Its a nightmare for us as hosts and the guests.

Thank you!

Katie

[Katie972]

@Ian-And-Anne-Marie0  YES! I checked the other thread and it looks like this host received screen shots of the issues cancelling from the guest as well. Our guest did the same and took the same path advising her to contact customer service. She has tried multiple times at this point with no return message or call. Because I wanted those dates back open for new guests, I put in customer service tickets as well. No response on my end of things either. This forum at least gave me a way forward for now, but we'll see if it bites me with a $1000 plus loss in the end. 

I'm really considering pausing our listing on airbnb at this point and only maintaining the other platforms for now. I have some real concerns about trusting the system and payouts at this point.

[Emilia42]

So true @Ian-And-Anne-Marie0 - ask why and question the reasoning behind all of this. But in Airbnbland where would that get us?!

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Emilia42 

If any, only answers from the Disneyland handbook on how to treat suppliers will be provided. Mushrooms and bull**** spring to mind. No answers lead to pure speculation by the linking of facts and actions. I can believe what's happening from what I see and what I find out, but the lack of any direct answer to any direct question does not help make any of that speculation go away. Even worse is answering and contradicting policy. That just makes matters worse.

They would need some seriously swervy answers to justify ANYTHING of what's happening currently, anything to do with money being returned to guests is surrounded by evasion.

Apparently, we're entering a realm of transparency. The emperor's new clothes were as transparent and as existent as this, I think.

[Julie1467]

If anyone else has this issue, why not ask the guest to file a complaint with their credit card? If they have the emails/documentation showing free cancellation within 48hrs and that they canceled within 48hrs, the credit card company should rule in their favor and go after Airbnb for the money.

[Katie972]

I considered that approach as well. This may have worked out in the end, but after waiting a week plus with no response from customer service, we were looking for a way to do it more expeditiously so that the cancelling guest could move on an rebook something that fit the increased size of her group and allowed our calendar to reopen to a new booking. It is definitely a valid approach to consider though.

[Fred13]

How it used to work was:

1. Guest cancels and receives 50% of the money 'immediately'. Host is then slated to receive the other 50% 1 day after the original check-in date. Calendar is cleared.

2. Host can also agree to refund their 50%, when Airbnb informs the host of the cancellation. If so..

3. Guest ends up with 100% (- booking fees) 'immediately'.

4. Host is not deducted nor owed anything since the stay never happened and the host was never paid anything against it.

Has this changed or doesn't quite go this swimmingly any longer all the time?

[Colleen253]

@Fred13  Here is another post that documents Airbnb has changed the process. It seems they  may be inconsistent with it, though.

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Help/Cancellation-refund-rip-off/m-p/1322616#M286863

[Fred13]

I well remember that case ("The Case of the Free Loan to Airbnb"); I took it as a fluke or an absurdity that surely is not 'normal' because it made no sense. If you notice however, the poster didn't answer your request for further details. 

[Colleen253]

@Fred13  Yes, I noticed he ghosted his post altogether. But I had  already become suspicious prior to that, as when going through the resolution center from Airbnb's email prompt to 'authorize full refund' I was prompted to 'send the guest money' and then 'we'll take the money from your payment account" I stopped, as I no longer trusted the process, and after reading of this guys experience, it cemented for me that I would not authorize the remaining refund to my guest. I messaged support and was awaiting a reply from Airbnb. I did want to hear it directly from them whether they would actually take the refund from my next payout or not. Others had told me that despite that ominous wording, it was misleading and they wouldn't do that. But sure enough, CS told me they would, as I shared up above.

"New normal"

[Fred13]

A 'new normal' indeed @Colleen253. This is why I constantly say, "Do your best not to get Airbnb involved if you can help it". I go around them constantly in my dealings with guests, and they always get their commission, but no way I will subject myself to their CS department. In 6 years going on 600+ customers I have never called them about anything. In fact, I have no idea how to even call them.

[Colleen253]

@Fred13  I agree about contacting CS. I sent a message as I was interested to see what I would be told,  and then I’d have something “on the record” either way. The prize for my 17 day wait for an answer was confirmation of my suspicion. 

[Katie972]

@Colleen253 I'll follow up on this thread next week. This is when we are due our next airbnb payment. I'm guessing that I will be able to confirm your story and there will be a 1K plus deduction on our upcoming pay out.

Then, I guess we'll have to wait until mid may 2021 to see if it fully pans out and I receive the "pay out" aka reimbursement.

[Katie972]

@Colleen253 We just received our most recent payout from airbnb and they did not deduct the 1k plus that I refunded the other guest for her cancellation. I'll watch to see if it comes out of any future pay outs as well, but at this point, it has not come out of our other hosting payouts.

[Fred13]

    Then that means next May's payout to you has been wiped out also. The two are related since one is a Liability, the other a Receivable so one can't take effect without the other, their program won't allow it. It is not a human decision. So it can't show as payout next May IF it doesn't show as Pending Deduction -$1,000 now. Unless the guest still hasn't gotten the 2nd half. 

[Colleen253]

@Katie972  You just never know with Airbnb. It’s completely unacceptable how inconsistent they are with their processes. Not a good way to operate.