I am not a lawyer, but a deal is a deal. As a host, I suffer devastating repercussions if I cancel a trip on a guest, and I would never do that unless it was a serious emergency like I cannot even imagine--not all the made up excuses I always get from international travelers and read about in these forums. In the guest forums there must be prescriptions for how to get away with canceling on hosts. Hello, we are NOT HOTELS.
Travel insurance exists to protect guests from the unforeseen. End of discussion. Travel insurance companies have time to develop the tools to verify veracity of claims; I'm a host in Napa Valley, I'm busy fluffing the sheets, buffing the tub, recommending wineries and tidying the garden, etc. A host sharing her home (me) MUST be able to rely on my policy to make her own travel and other plans. Full stop.
If my strict policy costs me reservations from noncommittal people, no problem. None at all.
Here's what I don't get--why doesn't Airbnb simply add a button to offer guests travel insurance and fund their own sympathy/marketing payouts through that insurance vehicle, and leave the host out of it.
Bam, problem solved. Guest decides how much risk to take--avoid moderate or strict cancellation policy locations, or buy the insurance. No hassle. Airbnb could contract out the travel insurance with a travel insurance company that knows how to identify a bs claim, and gain a referral commission on every policy. And override whatever they want from their own profits. But we're not involved. We have a stated policy, and made plans around those dates. If someone cancels a 7-day trip, and I've made plans then to check them in, travel day 2-6 then come back to handle the departure, then re-booking a 4-day trip in the middle of the reserved dates does NOT work for me. That's why I have a STRICT cancellation policy.
I have an incomprehensible email in my inbox now too --as with an earlier post, it is from a Canadian resident. Someone with no reviews and no real profile... A third-party booking on top of it all. Story is that she is booking a wedding gift for her brother; I made her explain in the message thread that her brother has seen the listing and agrees to this location and I required that she add the brother to the reservation, but I notice now the brother is not there on the reservation (since he probably doesn't exist?) Next she burdens me with a dozen emails demanding to know why she hasn't received her 50% back yet. How the heck should I know? I am just the host in Napa Valley. How guests are refunded their 50% I have no idea. Especially for a Canadian guest. I made plans, I will be losing 50% on this deal, which is only acceptable because I won't be running Air Conditioning etc. during the dates, but I made plans around their specific arrival and departure dates, so I've had to block the time as I cannot accommodate some other booking in the middle of this stretch.
Note that the Airbnb representative used cut/paste language in their demand (for me to offer in good faith some refund), which cut/paste language has no bearing on my specific situation. They claim "fires near the airport in Canada" a month ago is the extenuating circumstance--which is nuts. They further claim, "The guest stands to lose 100%" which is incorrect. I already received confirmation from Airbnb, confirming that due to the cancellation date, that I will be paid 50% on the day after check-in per policy.
Does Airbnb keep the other 50%???
It's just infuriating. A commitment is a commitment, even if made by and to a Superhost that Airbnb doesn't give a crap about. It's tiresome. And please, David in CO, don't post just to increase post count that the decision is made and I am wrong. In the real world, a commitment is a commitment. Airbnb should offer travel insurance and make fees on this. Hosts must be able to rely on their policy and suffer the consequences of a strict policy = we get real, committed guests, or paid 50% when something goes wrong and if the guest was responsible the other 50% paid by their insurance. End of story.