Extenuating Circumstances, Unreasonable refunds! Airbnb just continues to take our money!

[Jeffery5]

I am so tired of the airbnb policies. I have been running my business for 20 years, have 50 properties and almost all 5 star reviews.  But somehow, Airbnb with only a few years under their belt, thinks they need to step in and take control.  No other rental channel interfers in our businesses like Airbnb. 

In life, we as adults, need to be responsible.  We buy car insurance, homeowners insurance, health insurance and trip insurance.  But Airbnb believes that we, as hosts, should also be insurance companies. I can't understand how an illness, a dealth in the family or other "circumstance"  by a guest, somehow makes me they one who should suffer the losses. Yes, it's unfortunate when those things happen but this is business.   People have to insure themselves when they travel, unless they travel on Airbnb.  I even put in my house rules that guests should be trip insurance.  But to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars every year, Airbnb just cancels bookings for almost any reason.  Sometimes they even pay me and then just come back and take money away from me weeks later.   It's out of control.    

Guests who use airbnb are learning how to do it.  Once they get thier first free cancellation, they learn how to set everything up for the next time. 

Then what about these totally unreasonable refunds  Life is not perfect. But again, somehow Airbnb thinks that nothing should ever go wrong in our homes.   If an air conditioner stops working, that's part of life.  So we as responsible hosts, address the issues immediatily and get the repair people there ASAP and fix the issue.  That's how it works in any home. That's a reasonable situation in an hotel or vacation rental.  But Airbnb will refund for anything.  It is there stance that nothing should ever go wrong in any home.  If a guest is without AC for a few hours and the home is still cool, they can easily get a full refund for thier trip.  Infuriating.   Guest are learning how to set up the airbnb thread to get their refunds.  They arrive and start the complaints in the thread.   It doesn't matter what the host does to address the issues, the guest always wins.   Airbnb interrogates hosts, treating us like criminals, demanding we show evidence of everything.   It's infuriating and very expensive to do business with Airbnb. 

All that being said, 98% of my Airbnb guests are wonderful, love our properties and give us great reviews. But the others who know how to game the Airbnb system cost me thousands of dollars a year. 

Hopefully professional property managers and homeowners will start to band together and demand change.  We are not insurance companies.  If Airbnb wants to offer thier guests 100% asssurance of a perfect stay or coverage for any "extenuating circumstance" then Airbnb should sell trip insurance. 

[Daniel1992]

"Pre-existing conditions" isn't an extenuating circumstance according to their rules, so I don't know how they could possibly grab a refund for that.

[Newhaus0]

All great posts and I wonder if Airbnb will soon start screening messages and penalizing hosts for speaking out? 🙂 - I wouldn't be surprised.  The behavior I am seeing come out of Airbnb is very much in line with the oppressive communist leadership we've seen in parts of the world.

The bottom line is this: Airbnb acts as a regulator, similar to a government, and decides on the behalf of everyone participating what the rules will be.  So perhaps the "private regulators" should start getting regulated on these more important issues, and stop getting fooled by the small issues of whether a house should be rented short term or long term (and what each one means).  

The very company that for a while used as their company slogan "Belong Anywhere" and a community built on trust - trusts no one and is afraid of allowing the host to make any decision.  These are alarming issues.

Airbnb does not trust their guests or hosts, and hence does everything technologically possible to prevent real communication between the two parties.  Airbnb does not own your property but they do make decisions on your behalf - such as the examples from the author of the post.  This is extremely frustrating.  

So what should we do as hosts?  We should ABSOLUTELY list on multiple channels and reduce exposure to channels that aren't open and democratic.  Multi-channel distribution is not only good for business but also the right thing to do.  It is proven that healthy competition is healthy for everyone in the long term.

Let me know if I can be of any help.

Emil

**[Name  and e-mail hidden due to privacy reasons - Community Center Guidelines]

[Rest-And-Relax0]

I couldnt agree with you more. I strongly feel AIRBNB promotes and encourages scamming. I had $500 taken back after people stayed at my house in Texas because of a dead fly on the window sell. 

I have a strong Passionate hate toward AIRBNB. I so glad that they are not the only show in town otherwise I wouldnt do this business. 

I have double my prices with AIRBNB compared to other short term rentals due to any thing the guest says gets them back their money. AIRBNB just keeps on promoting scamming.

[Daniel1992]

I wonder if I should increase my rates as well, since I'm the lowest in town currently.

[Letti0]

@Daniel1992  Being the lowest is never a good idea as you attract the wrong type of guests. You don't want the bottom feeders, discount hunters and demanding guests that more than you offer. Raise you price to at least be a mid-point range and your quality of guests will go up with your price. 

[Daniel1992]

@Letti0, thanks!  It was completely unintentional that I was the lowest.  I just went in and updated.  Hopefully I'll stay just as busy, but get a "better" clientele (all though no one was bad) and make more!

[Victoria567]

Hello @Daniel0

As a guest, I tend to avoid very low priced accomodation, as I tend to think, (wrongly perhaps?) there is no way this accommodation, can possibly cover its financial bottom and will cut corners as a result.

Also I think this type of pricing attracts cheapskates, and the last thing I really want to be doing, is sharing a smaller space with such people, as they’re the type I’ve sometimes encountered that like their money’s worth......the “Go on.....FILL your boots” brigade.

These entitled guests will use up all the hot water, they will descend on, any self service type breakfast buffet,  like a plague of locusts...thankfully, I’ve  seen only a tiny amount of such guests, in some hotels, as they tend to go for cheaper accomodation but end up in the hotel as everywhere else was booked up, and will complain anyway as it was poor value= can’t afford it 

[Cheryl8]

I just had a guest cancel the day before she arrived after sending numerous messages for an eta from her. My cancellation is moderate so I was entitled to payment less cleaning fees less Airbnb fees.She managed to go to airbnb and next thing she had rebooked on another day that I have guests going out on so not much time to clean and make beds etc. Airbnb did nothing to contact me in regards to this.

I also wonder what their policies are in regards to this because it was me cancelling then am sure they would have contacted me in this instance

[Kim351]

I do feel your pain! I recently experienced a young guest that started with one excuse after another. I proved the complaints wrong, her reservation was cancelled and issued no refund. But....she was still allowed to leave me a 1 star review. Yep! Even after within minutes I was able to provide pictures that disputed her claim. I asked several times for the review to be removed that it was unfair to me as a host. I just knew I wasnt going to make Superhost again due to this rating and review but to my surprise I did. Had I missed it because of this issue I would have removed my properties and been done with air. Sorry for your frustration!

[Migdalia5]

I AM SUPER SAD IT JUST HAPPENED TO ME. And the airbnb support person told me “only becuase im educating you on cancellations you know you can get a full refund” i felt offended. They are treating us hosts like criminals only when a guest complaints or wants to cancel. They should be on rules too, like any hotel in the worlds, its businesssssssss!! And its frustrating. Every time i listen to airbnb support i loose money, for something THAT IS NOT MY FAULT!!!!!!!!!

[Tom600]

We had guests vandalise our property and bring 6 extra guests ($15,000 in damages) . We claimed this against the airbnb "resty assured with the airbnb million dollar insurance policy" with receipts and photos documenting everything. After three months of an extremely ridiculous Orwellian experience, we received just $3400.

[Vince44]

Hi Tom,

I highly suggest you look into an insurance policy that allows for "business activity", which is typically excluded from a standard landlord/ owner policy. Then the Airbnb policy becomes a backup policy and it will be primarily used for defensive cases. 

I had a guest trip on purpose inside the house and claimed that the change in floor elevation was not visible..., which was all built to code with all inspections passed, but the guest decided to sue Airbnb directly and so it became their case.  They're getting attacked by some of these guests as well.

So the bottom line is, have your own insurance where you control coverage and this will allow you to list your place on all channel more comfortably. 

[Ingrid299]

Totally backs this one!

Happens to us every now and than, guests complaining about the smallest issues = Money back...

Frustrating!

Wish there where a bigger rental site than Airbnb, would have changed in the blink of an eye..

[Mary1222]

Totally agree on this point. With Jeffrey,  it is a lost for us when guests cancel last minute. Hopefully Airbnb will change their policy on this..

[Enrique---Claudia0]

We rent large villas that are typically booked months in advance. The typical group consists of up to 20 guests. If just one of the guests gets sick, and gets a doctor letter, the group can cancel last minute and get a full refund. We will incur a total loss, as it is virtually impossible to find a new group on short notice. You would think the group could travel with one less guest, or bring another friend. Or perhaps it is just a ruse to get a full refund right before check in. Seems totally unfair to the host. Airbnb should offer travel insurance as an option to guests. The host should not have to bear the loss due to the illness of a guest. It is very easy to get a doctor's letter for any supposed ailment. One guest's tummy ache could cost us $ 5000!