AIRBNB Cancellation policies - Loose Loose for Hosts

[Andrew--Allie0]

Dear Airbnb

What are you thinking with your logic behind your cancellation policies

My airbnb is a business, it is not for fun and games, I cannot afford unnecessary losses.

I have a flexible cancellation policy - the most lenient you can get towards guests, but that is still not good enough for airbnb. Guests have up until 24 hours before check in to cancel.

Case study: It is my busy period, a guest books 4 months in advance for 2 weeks, 1 hour before check in they cancel leaving me open for 2 weeks.

Guests needs to pay for the 1 night ( not the 2 weeks they cancelled)

So I am the one penalised with all of a sudden 2 weeks worth of accommodation to fill, even though I had no wrong doing, and the only way I might be able to fill this id discount my rooms by more than 50%. HOW IS THIS FAIR AIRBNB

Airbnb does not look after hosts on the platforms, you make crazy rules, and hosts are forced to live by them with the threat of always getting blocked, or fined. 

anywhere else in the world you book somewhere and it is no cancellation, meaning no cancellation. not ok loose 7% of your stay and the

other remainder 93% of the loss is for the host.

My Reocmmendation to all future hosts, use partners such as booking.com or expedia who bring in alot more business and do not put their business and guests (who are in the wrong) ahead of hosts.

[Helen3]

Hi @Andrew--Allie0 

I'm not sure why you are blaming Airbnb when you chose to have a flexible cancellation policy.

If you didn't want to risk having guests cancel at the last minute and get their money back you could have chosen a stricter cancellation policy . 

[Andrew--Allie0]

@Helen3 Helen, according to the policy the guests only have until 24 hours before check in to cancel. 

These guests have violated the cancellation policy, and cancelled 1 hour before check in ( so they shouldnt be refunded AT ALL) and the only penalty they get is 1 nights penalty

[Mike-And-Jane0 · Accepted solution]

@Andrew--Allie0 I think you need to re-read the Flexible Cancellation Policy. Guests have a right to cancel at ANY time during their stay namely

• Guests can cancel until 24 hours before check-in for a full refund, and you won’t be paid
• If they cancel after that, you’ll be paid for each night they stay, plus 1 additional night

You really can't complain about something you signed up for and that has presumably got you more bookings than a strict policy would have done.

[Andrew--Allie0]

Thanks - fact of the matter is its airbnbs way or no way.

What if i want to offer my guests flexibility to cancel 24 hours before, but once that time has lapsed they cant. Airbnb doesnt allow it.

Their rules and hoops that they make you jump through are ridiculous. 90% of my income comes off other platforms where I have much better experiences with the guests and the platform. 

Very happy to see the back of working with this company

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Andrew--Allie0 I guess Airbnb can only have a limited number of different cancellation policies.Whilst I don't agree with your logic, if you can't makes sense of what Airbnb offers you should definitely go elsewhere. All platforms are different which is great for consumer choice.

[Andrew--Allie0]

Sorry, I just looked again and no way I agree with what airbnb did

Guest booked the following:

Flexible

Full refund 1 day prior to arrival

the 1 day prior to arrival lapsed, it then became 1 hour before check in and guest cancels

Guest gets 90% of their money back

That was not the agreement, I stipulated that the guest could have as much freedom as they like but had until 24 hours before check in to cancel. they didnt do it, so why was I punished?

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Andrew--Allie0 I showed you the meaning of the flexible cancellation policy. They cancelled before check in so spent ZERO nights in the property and were charged for 0+1 nights = 1 night.

You may not like it but that IS what you signed up for.

[Helen3]

@Andrew--Allie0 

When you signed up to Airbnb you knew what their cancellation policies were

if you didn't think these policies would work for you - I agree look for another STR platform that works better for you and/or take direct bookings.

in this case Airbnb processed the cancellation correctly in line with the cancellation policy you chose . 

if you'd chosen a moderate policy you would have been able to keep the booking fee 

[Carlos-Jonathan1]

Creo que Airbnb ofrece suficientes formas de cancelación, desde las mas flexibles hasta las más estrictas por lo que es de tu responsabilidad haber aceptado algo que estaba bien explicado y que se ha aprobado por usted. Le recomiendo una cancelación algo más moderada para evitar estas situaciones.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Andrew--Allie0 

you misunderstood your flexible cancelation policy

Here are all the options c/p from https://www.airbnb.co.uk/help/article/475

Flexible

• Guests can cancel until 24 hours before check-in for a full refund, and you won’t be paid
• If they cancel after that, you’ll be paid for each night they stay, plus 1 additional night

Moderate

• Guests can cancel until 5 days before check-in for a full refund, and you won’t be paid
• If they cancel after that, you’ll be paid for each night they stay, plus 1 additional night, plus 50% for all unspent nights

Firm

• To receive a full refund, guests must cancel at least 30 days before check-in
• If they cancel between 7 and 30 days before check-in, you’ll be paid 50% for all nights
• If they cancel less than 7 days before check-in, you’ll be paid 100% for all nights
• Guests can also receive a full refund if they cancel within 48 hours of booking, if the cancellation occurs at least 14 days before check-in

Strict

• To receive a full refund, guests must cancel within 48 hours of booking, and the cancellation must occur at least 14 days before check-in
• If they cancel between 7 and 14 days before check-in, you’ll be paid 50% for all nights
• If they cancel after that, you’ll be paid 100% for all nights

Strict Long-term

If you choose this policy, it will apply to all stays of 28 days or longer and it overrides your standard cancellation policy for those stays.

• To receive a full refund, guests must cancel within 48 hours of booking, and the cancellation must occur at least 28 days before check-in
• If a guest cancels after that, you’ll be paid 100% for all nights spent, plus 30 additional nights
• If fewer than 30 days remain on the reservation when the guest cancels, you’ll be paid 100% for all of those remaining nights

Firm Long-term

If you choose this policy, it will apply to all stays of 28 days or longer and it overrides your standard cancellation policy for those stays.

• To receive a full refund, guests must cancel at least 30 days before check-in
• If a guest cancels after that, you’ll be paid 100% for all nights spent, plus 30 additional nights
• If fewer than 30 days remain on the reservation when the guest cancels, you’ll be paid 100% for all of those remaining nights

Non-refundable option

Some Hosts earn more money by adding a non-refundable option to their listings.

Super Strict 30 days

This policy is by invitation only and available only to certain Hosts under special circumstances.

• Guests must cancel at least 30 days before check-in to receive a 50% refund for all nights
• If they cancel after that, you’ll be paid 100% for all nights

Super Strict 60 days

This policy is by invitation only for certain Hosts under special circumstances.

• Guests must cancel at least 60 days before check-in to receive a 50% refund for all nights
• If they cancel after that, you’ll be paid 100% for all nights

Special cases

• Italy, South Korea, China and Germany: Different policies apply for all stays in Italy and for South Korean guests staying at places with Strict cancellation policies. The firm long-term policy is not available for stays in China. Additionally, if you are a Host in Germany, please make sure that your selected cancellation policy complies with the local requirements. Learn more about cancellations in Germany.
• Luxe stays: A separate set of policies applies to these types of stays.
• Exceptions: There are some cases where your cancellation policy may be overridden.
• Testing: We sometimes test new cancellation policies. If you can’t find your cancellation policy described in this article, please refer to the reservation details for the booking.

[Kate386]

it’s just simply ridiculous what air b and b is doing. 
i ve been penalised, for really bad behaving guests and I cannot anything to make it right. 
leaving air b and b for good. There are others out there, much better. 

[Paula]

Hi @Kate386  I'm sorry to hear that you've been penalized. Could you provide more details about the situation?  What type of penalty are you referring to? Although we are not part of the Support Team, we can share the details with the team for review.

[Kate386]

Thanks for the Support 

here  is the full story

I’ve got a booking for over a month stay. BOOKED for one guests.On the day of the Jack in my cleaning lady, Fell ill, I had to look for an emergency Cleaner. I have contacted the guest straight away and I said and there is an emergency so the flat will be ready a little bit later, but I told her that she was more than welcome to come at 3 pm when Check In is but there will be a cleaning lady in the flat later on. Out of courtesy, I offered her an extra cleaning session during her stay which she point blank refused. The cleaning lady got to the flat at 5 o’clock and finished just after 6:30 pm. I apologise I just apologised once again and she was not happy, later, I realised why. When the cleaning lady was leaving the guest arriving, with another guest and a cat. 

I called the cleaning lady checking if everything was okay, and she told me that 2 guests and a cat have arrived!!! 
I contacted the person who booked the apartment and asked her very politely what is going on because it was for one person not two guests plus a pet.

She told me that why do I care and it’s OK. The place can accommodate up to 2 people and pets were allowed  anyway, regardless that she booked it or not.

I told her that is not okay and I asked her if she would like to pay for the extra cost. 
later she has complained about the ‘UNKNOWN’ cost in her review.

Instead, the very next day, the guests moved out, made a huge complaints at Airbnb about I don’t know what. 

And now they are getting a full refund. 

I’m not only out of pocket, but air b and b is taking my listing off their site.

Also, she was allowed to leave a review which I also find utterly unbelievable. She wrote  that the 42 m² is smaller than she thought what 42 square metre was.😁

also, she thought the place was dirty and smelt bad. 
bravo air b and b

I found that the person who actually booked it was the mother and the place was booked for the daughter but they decided her boyfriend and a pet cat can come as well. 

Air B&B wrote me, didn’t even  leave 24 hours to me to answer, after 23 hours they said because I haven’t replied therefore my listing will be taken off and a full refund is an issued to the guest, which I have to pay for. They haven’t even listened to my side of the story, it seems the guests are always right, no matter what they do.

air b and b never complained when as a host made them tons of money!!!