Guest Refund

[Mehdi14]

I had a bad experience with a guest and then with the Airbnb resolution center.

There was a 2 night booking message on my email. Since my listing accepts instant booking the booking was already complete. I could not host the second day, because my family was visiting the morning of the checkout day, and I didn't want to have Airbnb guest in the house when my family arrives. I have sent an alteration request for accepting one night hosting instead of two, ans sent a message saying if he wants to cancel I will refund him, because I have strict cancellation on my listing. The guest started to text me and called me shortly after and said that he was stranded and he really wanted to stay 2 more days in the area. When I told him my reason for accepting one night stay instead of two, he suggested that he can check out at 8 am instead of 11 am to accomodate for my concen. I accepted and offerred him $50 refund for early checkout.

The day he had checked in, after using the room upaking and using the bathroom and towels, he told me that he s not stying, since his friends had offerred him a couch to sleep on.

He left and later he demanded full refund. The resolution center granted one night refund based on my message that I had offerred him full refund. My offer was conditional to him cancelling the booking a week before the check in. He never had cancelled, and my calendar was booked for both nights.

The worst part was that the resolution center completely ignored the fact that my offer of refund was for the time of booking and conditional to the cancellation. 

I think I have learned my lesson. I shall not offer anyone refund any more, unless I have already received the payment and feel the guest booked by error.

Thank you for sharing your time. Please don't hesitate to respond with your thoughts.

[Gillian19]

@Mehdi14 If I am reading your post correctly, your calander was showing a night as available when really the room wasn't available. I'm confused as to what the issue is as your room wasn't actually available for anyone else on the second night anyway, so why was it an issue that Airbnb blocked it? You got paid for one night, so that covers him using the bathroom and towels - you didn't have to change the linen so I would say you are ahead. 

[Mehdi14]

Hi Gillian,

Thanks for your message. Yes the payment for the first night covers the fees, but the second day was not taken off my calendar, and even if it was it would have been too late for others to book. The cancellation rules requires several days before check in. Basically according to the cancellation rules no refund is allowed in case of the day of checking in.

[Sarah977]

@Mehdi14  You need to block off dates on your calendar as soon as you know that you won't be able to host that day. It's not fair to guests to forget or neglect to do this, and can cause you ongoing problems.

[David126]

If you wanted the booking cancelled you should have cancelled and took the consequences.

[Mehdi14]

Yes, you are right. This is what I shall be doing in the future.

Thanks

[Fred13]

Wow, reading this 3 times still left me deeply confused: You had a 2-day stay, needed to get out of the 2nd day because family was coming, the guest left the same day they arrived, you ended up getting paid for 1/2 days, though you offered a full refund. Is that it?

   Why care whether the 2nd day was blocked or not? Why even cover what the cancellation policy is, it is a special accomodation on everyone's part. Oh, and what exactly happened with your family, did they ever come?