Why Airbnb’s new cancelation policies are absolutely wrong

[Andrea374]

Many hosts woke up this morning having received an email from Airbnb informing them that there would be some “minor” changes to the cancellation policies on the website.

As you may know, the world-famous online platform for vacation rentals offers three different policies for guests’ cancellations:

• Flexible: Full refund 24 hours prior to arrival, except fees
• Moderate: Full refund 5 days prior to arrival, except fees
• Strict: 50% refund up to 1 week prior to arrival, except fees

The Airbnb commission for any of those cancellation policies was 3%.

The email received this morning informs us that the commission will change based on the cancellation policy we apply to our listing(s).

If we choose the Flexible one, allowing our guests to cancel with a full refund up to 24 hours before their arrival, the commission will remain the same: 3%, whereas if we choose the Moderate it will be 4% and up to 5% if we choose the strict one.

In addition, guests will no longer have to pay the service fee to Airbnb if they decide to cancel!

It goes without saying, that this unilateral change in the company’s policy is absolutely wrong, and here is why:

Airbnb has once again decided to overprotect guests in damage to the hundreds of thousands of hosts who literally are the backbone of the website and of the industry in general.

Management is clearly forgetting that we, house-owners and managers, are not hotel-like accommodations and that we do not have all the tools, nor the client-base, to have new reservations in a matter of minutes when a guest cancels only 24 hours before.

This new policy will only create damages to the whole system, with guests feeling free to reserve the house and then cancel at the very last minute by choosing another cheaper accommodation, without any consequence.

I, for one, am feeling very frustrated by this sudden change, and consider this only a subtle and not so honest way to simply raise the commission to the hosts, without really considering the consequences.

I do really hope Airbnb’s management will hear our voices, through the feedbacks we are sending to the website and through our social media comments on the official page, and will decide to take a step back and restore the old policy which has led this company the become the world phenomenon it has been for the past five years.

Andrea ***

[Giulia58]

Pienamente d'accordo!!!

Ogni giorno se ne scopre una, non è possibile.

Vorrei anche capire quali host e quali ospiti ha fatto sapere ad airbnb che "preferirebbero che fosse più semplice consultare e capire i termini di cancellazione di Airbnb".

Cosa c'era di non chiaro?

[Antonia6]

Perfect comment!!! clear and precise, now is up to Airbnb to justify this change taking in mind both guests but also hosts that are the backbone of the company.

[Helen3]

@Andrea374

I haven't seen this email. Would you be able to post it into this thread?

Many thanks

Helen

[Claudia12]

@Helen3 Perhaps it is a changement (like a Beta test) only for Italian hosts?

[Claudia12]

@Helen3 trying to post a link...
https://www.airbnb.com/home/updated_cancellation_policies_explained?eluid=0&euid=f6c84611-3da2-94c8-...

[Andrea374]

Hi Helen,

Here is the content of the email in Italian:

"Stiamo aggiornando i nostri termini di cancellazione

Gli host e gli ospiti ci hanno fatto sapere che preferirebbero che fosse più semplice consultare e capire i termini di cancellazione di Airbnb. Per fornire un maggiore senso di sicurezza agli ospiti per le prenotazioni con Airbnb e allo stesso tempo proteggerti dagli inconvenienti delle cancellazioni, stiamo aggiornando le opzioni dei termini di cancellazione a tua disposizione. Queste modifiche saranno effettive in data 18 Ottobre 2016.

Prima di tale data, consulta i nuovi termini e le modifiche dei costi di host associati, comprendendo così quali sono le implicazioni per la tua attività di host.

Visualizza i nuovi termini

Cosa cambia?

Vari livelli di costi del servizio di host
Per usufruire della protezione aggiuntiva per le cancellazioni, gli host pagheranno costi del servizio più alti per i termini di cancellazione moderati (4%) e rigidi (5%).

Nuovi periodi di grazia per i rimborsi
Ogni termine consente agli ospiti di ottenere un rimborso totale se cancellano una prenotazione entro un determinato periodo prima del loro viaggio oppure un rimborso parziale oltre tale periodo di grazia.

Maggiore correttezza degli ospiti
I tuoi termini di cancellazione saranno più chiari e semplici per gli ospiti, che avranno una maggiore fiducia nel prenotare e la consapevolezza del loro impegno per il viaggio.

Costi del servizio di Airbnb annullati
Per ridurre gli inconvenienti per gli host e fornire agli ospiti una maggiore fiducia nelle prenotazioni, stiamo annullando tutti i costi del servizio di Airbnb per gli ospiti in caso di cancellazioni."

[Nadia67]

I fully agree with Andrea's article and comments. There is still time to step back from an awkward decision... 

[Massimiliano17]

Senza parole... Grande tristezza per queste nuove politiche di cancellazione e aumento di commissioni.

[Cindy65]

The first time I have to pay a fee if someone cancels, is the time I will leave Airbnb.

I am already paying  another website for my property and their cancellation

policy is way more realistic that Airbnb.  I think Airbnb is either getting awfull

greedy or they have lost any sense of reality, and are only dreaming of profits

for the company.

[Susan281]

Cindy, you cannot think that profits aren't the first thing on the minds of this company, can you?  This brilliant idea of two young men in San Francisco to create something that they marketed as 'sharing' is really capitalism.  I know this, Airbnb knows this and acts accordingly and you certainly should.  Are you benefitting?  Is your 'product' producing income that makes it worth it to you?  Mine does and I have no illusions that we are part of something besides a business that benefits both us and the company.  Until it becomes unprofitable for me, I will stick around.  These policies move it in that direction so time will tell where this goes.  

[Jessica101]

What other company do you use?

[Sharon114]

It would appear, once again, that we as hosts have no say whatsoever regarding changes to way airbnb operate.  You would think that as there is no airbnb without us, a period of consultation would be available to enable us to express our views on matters which affect us directly.  Instead of sending our emails telling us of changes, why can they not send us information on proposed changes that require us to 'tick a box - yes or no'.  This information can then be reviewed by airbnb before any final decisions are made.  They would know in advance if a particular proposal is strongly opposed.  They really must listen to our views.

[Susan281]

In answer to your questions the company makes decisions for us as long as we stay involved.  Any illusion that we have a say in anything has, so far, not been shown.  Look at the two words they strung together - Sharing & economy.  They are at odds with each other.  We short term rent and they collect monies for us and them.  That's capitalism.  

For the fun of meeting new people who want to have more interactions, I also offer a free room in my home for https://www.couchsurfing.com/ and https://www.warmshowers.org/.  That's sharing.  This is capitalism.  They're a huge profitable company and they get to decide without our input.  I suppose your input could be to shut down your listing.  If enough people do that, they'd consider our opinion.  

[Peggy-And-Mike0]

Susan, I'd never heard of couchsurfing or warmshowers.  Thanks for sharing those as I am intrigued.