When will the 15th July EC policy Update be Updated?

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

The EC update should be done today. What time is it expected?

With many shops already open in the UK and 4th July being the scheduled reopening of B&B's and Hotels, are @Airbnb going to maintain their 15th July relaxation of the EC policy or are they just going to screw hosts further by extending it again?

Airbnb: We will continue to review the application of this policy. Please monitor this page for updates and new information. If you have a reservation made on or before 14 March 2020, with a check-in date after 15 July 2020, please check back here on 15 June 2020 for an update.

https://www.airbnb.co.uk/help/article/2701/extenuating-circumstances-policy-and-the-coronavirus-covi...

[Inna22]

@Ian-And-Anne-Marie0 a guest just got full refund for july 16-19 stay. The only reason was not all bars he wanted to visit for bachelor party are open. First off, this is a month away and second a bar can just close. Plenty of places are already open and bustling. So yes, consider the policy continued 

[Brenda328]

@Inna22   I believe it was you, Inna22, who reported that Airbnb was also clawing back money from reservations that did not meet the cancellation criteria and that we had already been paid on.  I had guests scheduled from June 11-14.  They cancelled about six weeks ago, but did not meet any of the EC criteria - they were concerned that swimming pools and other amenities might not be open! 

I received my 50% payout on my strict cancellation policy on June 12th (day after guests were originally scheduled to check in) only to have it clawed back today.  This was after two weeks ago a customer service rep contacted me asking if I would give these guests a full refund out of the goodness of my heart.  I had already given these guests a 50% credit toward a future stay so I graciously declined and the customer service representative said Airbnb accepted my decision.

However, it appears that the guest just kept asking until they reached an appropriately sympathetic customer service agent who then granted the guest a full refund and I did not even receive an automated notification.

By the way, this is the only property I had that was not booked for last weekend.  This is my most expensive property and sleeps a large group so not easy to re-book on short notice - this guest had it booked since November of 2019.

[Inna22]

Cancellation number 2 for July 17. They were specifically waiting to see if policy gets extended

[Amanda660]

Just had exactly the same happen to me this morning for the 17th - first time a full refund cancellation has gone through without Airbnb asking for approval.  They told me 6 weeks ago they weren’t coming but we’re waiting to see if EC was extended to include their dates. 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Lizzie @Stephanie @Quincy Hi guys,

Any chance of you feeding back to the 'powers that be' that the continual drip feeding of cancellation extensions is damaging as it keeps calendars blocked until a few weeks before the stay that is then cancelled. There appears to be little logic to these extensions given that they are done on a Worldwide basis I assume they will continue to the end of the year (or beyond??) If so then please just allow cancellations for all stays booked before March 14th and then be done. IDEALLY there should be a time limit so that guests have to cancel in the next 2-3 weeks and, post that, bookings become non-cancellable.

I have little hope that this will be actioned but I guess we have to try....

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Inna22 @Amanda660 

What sort of hypocrisy is this? The EC cancellations currently have nothing to do with Covid-19 or 'any health related issues', they have everything to do with Airbnb keeping cash and where long term bookings vs short term bookings prove the case. Any bookings taken after 14th March won't get caught in the EC policy, whereas earlier bookings would. It is entirely safe for you to continue your reservation if you booked after 14th March - apparently.. 😂

So here's how Airbnb sold you the EC cancellations:

https://www.airbnb.co.uk/resources/hosting-homes/a/march-30-a-message-to-hosts-from-ceo-brian-chesky...

Brian Chesky; 

"Now this was not a business decision"

"This was a decision based on protecting the public health"

- Unless a full 100% cash refund is provided to guests including service fees - then, yes, this IS a business decision because Airbnb are keeping all the money to finance their debts.

- This is NOT a decision based on protecting the public health as now, Airbnb, you have bookings going ahead on 'new' contracts which magically avoid any 'health issues'.

Furthermore, it is being applied on a global basis when we know full well that recovery and restrictions are at different stages worldwide and each regions recovery should be accomodated.

@Inna22 Cancellations because bars are not open (yet) is a sure fire health risk! Definitely an Extenuating Circumstance if ever there was one! That's another 'attested' Covid-19 cancellation, for sure.. state 'covid' - get a travel voucher refund. Airbnb keeps the money - There's good money in every booking cancelled under this 'attest' Covid-19 policy. For Airbnb anyway.

@Amanda660  Same here, not any health related issue at all. The groups were quite happy to travel and stay working within the government advised guidelines, but now they'll probably just block up my calendar until they make their mind up, and cancel at the last minute because the weather might be bad. 

I won't be cancelling them. All these EC cancellations have yet to be legitimised and are piling up every week. It will be for Airbnb to defend those. If you search for '10,000 Airbnb hosts arbitration' or '10000 com' you will find a movement enabling claims against EC policy cancellations based on the illegal application and changes in policy. The last thing I'd want to do is legitimise a cancellation. Its using Airbnb approved arbitration, so a welcome invite.

My cancellation policy is 'strict' I would only get a 50% payment out of a booking cancellation under those terms. I would be happy with that as thats what was agreed in the contract. A Covid cancellation now makes my losses 100%. Claiming those potentially provides a far better outcome.

@Mike-And-Jane0 

When you get the policy changed, please do let us know. I think a snowball in the fires of hell would stand more chance. I could list many, many reasons why, but you know what, chasing rainbows has become a British trait over the last few years... so why bother?

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Ian-And-Anne-Marie0 Unlike some (well most actually) political parties I don't like to just complain but rather to put forward alternatives that would benefit all parties (except, as you rightly say, Airbnb cash flows).

I agree there is little chance of anyone listening but you never know............

[Brenda328]

I am thinking that my only option at this point is to unlink my Airbnb calendar from my other calendars.  Then dates booked by Airbnb guests will still show as available on my other calendars.  If I am absolutely certain an Airbnb guest is actually going to arrive, I will block those dates on my other calendars.  Manually maintaining multiple calendars is more work, but my only other option appears to be losing thousands of dollars by reserving dates for Airbnb guests who I will never get paid for. 

For every Airbnb guest that is holding out for a full refund (or bargain shopping with the intent of cancelling their reservation with me if they find a better deal), if I get a request to book those dates from a guest through another calendar I will give the Airbnb guest the option to cancel with their full credit or whatever form of alternate currency Airbnb is utilizing or I will cancel them myself if they cannot commit to making the reservation non-refundable. 

I will consider the $50 or $100 penalty (and possible loss of Superhost status) as a cost of doing business.  I can't allow a $3000 booking to be fully refunded last minute - or after the reservation dates have passed!

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Brenda328 

I will consider the $50 or $100 penalty (and possible loss of Superhost status) as a cost of doing business.  I can't allow a $3000 booking to be fully refunded last minute - or after the reservation dates have passed!

Crazy times!

Just reading the updated EC policy dated 15/6/2020 V3.3 which provides a refund to guests for "attesting" Covid-19, this also allows hosts to cancel penalty free. It reads:

Reservations for stays and Airbnb Experiences made on or before 14 March 2020, with a check-in date between 14 March 2020 and 31 July 2020, are covered by the policy and may be cancelled before check-in. Guests who cancel will have cancellation and refund options, and hosts can cancel without charge or impact on their Superhost status.

https://www.airbnb.co.uk/help/article/2701/extenuating-circumstances-policy-and-the-coronavirus-covi...

From Hosting Dashboard Cancel/Change Reservation

No longer do you need to care about penalties or loss of status, here it plainly states this will not occur.

No longer do you need to wait on the guest deciding at the last minute to cancel. Instead, do book elsewhere on another platform, and do cancel Airbnb guests - last minute cancellations would be best.

Do not think that this is some mistake. Under this policy, Airbnb are actively encouraging either guests or hosts to cancel so that their bookings fail to complete and consequently they can retain their hold on cash and issue substitute travel vouchers instead. You will be helping Airbnb by cancelling their guests this way. This seems rather unethical, but nonetheless, is fact. 

@Inna22 @Amanda660 @Mike-And-Jane0 

[Brenda328]

@Ian-And-Anne-Marie0   Then they need to get their business and finance people reviewing  that new policy because they obviously haven't realized that host cancellations will require them to refund cash (as opposed to potentially worthless travel credits) to the traveler AND the Airbnb service fee. 

Of course, there are probably multiple reasons for establishing that host policy including an affirmative defense to some of the many lawsuits that are coming their way that 'we allowed hosts as well as guests to cancel with no penalties so the hosts did not suffer an undue burden.'  

They have also miscalculated that hosts are so desperate for business that we will hang on to those imaginary bookings until the bitter end.  That may still be true in many regions, but right now with recent bookings a couple of my calendars are almost full. 

I have had reservations for some prime summer dates since last fall.  I can't sit around and wait for those guests to cancel just days before their scheduled arrival (or in some cases after their reservation is already over!) for a full refund.  Especially for my properties that sleep 10+ persons.  Those are not last minute stays that I can re-book with a couple of days (or even weeks) notice.

So I am off to unlink my calendars and accept bookings from guests who actually intend to travel!

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Brenda328 

Of course, there are probably multiple reasons for establishing that host policy including an affirmative defense to some of the many lawsuits that are coming their way that 'we allowed hosts as well as guests to cancel with no penalties so the hosts did not suffer an undue burden.'  

Home Run !  Policy, webpage, date and host information duly noted!

Hosts obviously do not want guests to cancel and it is in their best interests to not have guests cancel. However, the reality has been made something very different. I do find that meddling in a situation always forces fixes brought on by the meddling. This situation is no different.

Good point about the possibility of needing to pay guests in cash, not vouchers. However, with these EC Covid-19 (3.3) cancellations who knows whether the cash option will be available? Excuses previously have been made that cash refunds are not available 'due to your hosts cancellation settings'. Really? Where ever can a host set that?

Needless to say, no further information is available until guests start squealing.

It's great to hear that you are proactive in your approach, and this July 31st extension will allow any booking mistakes through linked calendars to be rectified easily and penalty free.