Date change and cancellation issue

[Stephanie2236]

Hoping someone can provide clarification on where I stand. I had a reservation for the upcoming weekend, however due to unforeseen medical reasons preventing travel, I sent the host a request to change my reservation dates to a time later this year. This request was sent 5 days out from my planned stay. The host contacted me and said they didn't receive the request to change dates (even though I received confirmation that my request went through and sent the host screenshots of this) and asked me to cancel my booking completely due to the short notice so that they could find new guests to fill the booking. Being none the wiser, I proceeded to cancel my booking and received a partial refund as per their cancellation policy. Of course now if I try to re-book to new dates, I have to pay the full amount.

I have contacted Airbnb numerous times to understand if there is a way that I can re-book without having to pay again, particularly because I never requested cancellation to begin and was simply following the host's request, however they have advised that because the booking has been cancelled, there is nothing they can do. This does seem unfair as whether it was due to technical difficulties or simply the host choosing to ignore the date change request, I have lost my money and don't have a booking either. Has anyone had this experience before?

[Ann72 · Accepted solution]

@Stephanie2236  I'm sorry the host appears to have misled you!  The only thing you can do now is to ask the host directly to consider crediting what you've already paid to a new booking.  She or he might do this if they were able to re-book the days you canceled.  As a host, I would do this, but that's no guarantee everyone would.  Worth a try, though!

[Sandra856]

Hi @Stephanie2236 🙂
Normally if a guest needs to cancel just 5 days prior to check in - guests will need to cancel the stay and the guest will get refunded according to the cancellation policy as agreed to when the booking was made. I don’t think it is fair to send the host a request to alter the days with such short notice and the host do not have to accept it. As a host I would accept the alteration if it was 1 month or more prior to check in but not 5 days before scheduled check in. It gives the host a very short time to rebook. A listing is blocked for a specific guest so no one else can book it. As a host I always offer a refund should someone else rebook - but it is only fair to respect the cancellation policy and cancel the stay when it is with such short notice. 

[Angela4003]

Thank you for saying this. I am relatively new at this and have found guests try everything they can to “pull a fast one”. And I’m such a pushover but I am becoming more brave. 

literally 20 hours ago my guest asked to change their booking until July because they have Covid. I contacted airbnb to ask if this was a loophole that guests could use to escape one’s cancellation pand while they didn’t use the word loophole, that’s exactly what it was. It seems very suspicious as the guest selected quite arbitrary future dates for her mother to stay with me while visiting her family and this took place the afternoon prior to checkin. The claim is that the family has Covid exposure… not the mother (ie not my guest) and while I’m unsure of how far she is travelling, I’m very suspicious that they’ve made alternative plans or something. In any case, I don’t want to accept the change but I have been putting it off because I don’t know what to say. (This guest had a bunch of specific cleaning requests that I met by working late into the night (just didn’t want any kind of air freshener smell… and I don’t use them but it made me very conscious of any and all smells so I steamed the carpet and other general maintenance which is good to have done… but it need not have taken place until 4.40 am as I pulled an all nighter to be prepared). 

im blabbing on. But I’m hoping to ask for some tips on what to write.  I really appreciate your suggestions so far btw. Thanks again 

[Helen3]

I would say unfortunately it's too late to alter the dates as you won't be able to get a replacement booking . That if they have decided not to travel they need to cancel the booking @Angela4003