Host wants me to cancel my trip

[Marin5]

Hello, 

I booked trip to France 2 days ago. 
Apartment had an instant book option so I picked my dates and my credit card was charged. 
Host started conversation with me and everything was fine. 

But, today he sent me message and said that he can't host because his family comes on weekend I booked. 

He asked me to cancel my reservation and said that he can refund service fee. 

I haven't been in this situation yet, but I think he has to cancel that reservation?!
I'm not the one who wants to cancel trip. 

What is the best (safest, easiest) way for me to get my money back? 

Thank you! 
Best regards, 
Marin 

[Marit-Anne0]

@Jillian26

The host may have reviews for listings no longer active, nothing fishy about that, but the cancellations are a red flag.

[Jillian26]

You're right, the cancelations were to a different listing that's no longer active.  The listing that doesn't exist anymore is titled private room, entrance, bathroom, trails. The listing I got cancelled for is lg private bedroom, entrance, bathroom, shops, trails. I'm sure there are hosts who have moved so they've had to make new listings, I don't think that's the case here though. 

[Marit-Anne0]

@Jillian26

There can be all sorts of reasons like managing properties for others that now are sold or taken down for other reasons, etc. Hosts come in many shapes and sizes. 

The pont is, the host should not ask you to cancel, so I suggest you contact airbnb with the issue.

[Jillian26]

I have - I added to this thread because had I noticed all the other cancellations before I booked I probably wouldn't have so I figured others might learn from my experience as well. 

[Camil0]

I'm facing a similar situation: I made a reservation for next month (4 nights, 2 people), and then the host started asking me for more money "because it is the high season". I politely declined, explaining that I was only willing to pay the price that she had originally advertised on Airbnb. Her response was: "It's time to cancel then". However, it's been three days and she hasn't canceled my reservation yet.

Obviously, I don't want to cancel the reservation myself, because I would lose some of the money I paid. Moreover, the penalties for host cancellations are there for a reason, like making sure hosts won't just cancel on a guest if they can make more money by reopening those dates.

What I've done is I've submitted a request *that the host cancel my reservation* if that's what she wants. You can find this option here: https://www.airbnb.com/help/contact_us. Look for your reservation and use the section "My host wasn't able to answer my question" in the drop-down menu.

If the host accepts the request or does not respond within 48 hours, then the reservation is canceled. I will be fully reimbursed and she will bear the costs of the cancellation (automatic review, blocked out days on her calendar).

If she declines the request, then the reservation will remain valid and active at the original price.

[Kate380]

Hi, I’m in a very similar situation. I booked a place in Dublin and my host confirmed the booking and then said there was a mistake with dates and I can’t stay. She asked me to cancel the reservation. I went to do this (being none the wiser) and saw air bnb advice is very clear that if the host has cancelled they have to cancel the reservation. I asked them to do this but the host is saying that air bnb make it very hard for her to cancel and so I should do it. We’re going back and forth and I can’t find a way to escalate it with anyone at Airbnb. I tried to resolution centre but there are no options for instances like this. Any advice of what I should do? Thanks, Kate 

[Marit-Anne0]

@Kate380

You would need to contact airbnb directly and report this host.  There should be a contact number on your booking confirmation or in the messages sent to you by airbnb.

Using the help section is another way to find contact details.

Twitter @airbnbhelp is usually the quickest.  

Cancelling from your end, you can choose "host needs to cancel the reservation" - this will be treated as a host cancellation with full refund to you provided the host accepts.

[Clare0]

@Kate380 You can follow the steps in this link.  Do not cancel if it is the host that can't honor the reservation as originally booked.  By sending this request to the host, she will have to either re-confirm your reservation or cancel it so you will receive a full refund.  If she ignores your request altogether, Airbnb will cancel on your behalf and the host will receive all the host penalties. 

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1250/what-should-i-do-if-my-host-needs-to-cancel

This should end the "back and forth" with the host. 

[Dimi5]

My host https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/12609494 requested me to cancel a couple days of my trip. But this definitely puts me at an odd position now and I needs to look for some other place.
Am I understood right that I need to go by thi link: https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1250/what-should-i-do-if-my-host-needs-to-cancel
and from there send a request to the host for cancellation from his side?

Anyway for the cases like some above and personally mine - the hosts should have some penalties. Cause I did everything according to the Airbnb's rules and wanted to feel myself comfortable... but now I should search a new place and plan my trip again... 

Best,

Dimi

[Laura1860]

I've got the same issue... The host was offering a discount rate which she now says was setup wrong and she keeps telling me to cancel.

My trip is in 3 weeks and I've missed out on alternative apartments because they haven't cancelled the reservation.

I'm going to call Airbnb tomorrow because I need to book another apartment asap because it is high season. 

Really stressful because I can't afford to make a duplicate booking and wait for the refund

[Lana83]

The same happened with me today. The host is a family (Ludmilla, Klaus & Christian at Room 'Eagles Nest' near Kings Lake (https://www.airbnb.co.uk/users/show/16487747). And they are a superhost! and I can't even leave a comment that they've cancelled the booking 2 weeks before the trip. The airbnb platform does not allow me to do this!

Therefore, nobody would know about it and potential tenants would choose them. They have super high rating!

First, the host started sending me rude messages sayng that I must cancel the trip. When I explained several times that I need the place. After that the booking was cancelled by the cost.

The original booking was about 70 EUR per night and all the places right now cost about 350 EUR per night and are 30 min away by car from my destination. 

[Letti0]

@Lana83  Were these messages in the AirBnB system? If not can you screenshot? If he was asking you to cancel the before he actually got the reservation cancelled.He lied and used extinuating circumstances because he does not have the reservation was cancelled by host review. It sure sounds like there were not any extinuating circumstances involved. I would go to Twitter and direct message AirbnbHelp and get them to investigate this one provide the messages also. He should have been penalized. The penalties for canceling this reservation include not being a Superhost for a year, getting a public review that shows he canceled, paying a cancellation fee, and having the canceled nights blocked on his calendar. If he was trying to get you to cancel I'd bet he actually double booked or got a longer booking from someone else. They do off site bookings via their website with a phone call. Are your dates blocked on his calendar now?  https://www.mykingslake.com/

[Lana83]

Yep, I've enclosed the screeshot.

I called the airbnb customer support  and spent about 1 hour talking about what happened. They told me that they are very sorry but this is the policy. And unfortunately no potential client would know about what happened (also because this is the policy). And this family would remain superhost. Also, the host did not have to pay any penalty (!!!) because he said that he has to cancel the booking because of the personal conflict (what?!?!). So basically, he would not respond.

This is what the  airbnb support team emaied me:

"I do understand what you are trying to say. And I do apologize for the inconvieniece that you are experiencing regarding this situation. As promise from one of my supervisor that we will monitor the host ticket, and we already escalated this one, and we will notify you for what ever the outcome."

Also, before they cancelled,  these guys made me visit some very strange web site and provide my personal data. They insisted that this is the Germal law and this is how they would register me. 

[Letti0]

@Lana83  It's not going to get you the room back, but at least the host may be penalized. You did send all the screen shots? I'm not sure about German law @Ute may be able to help with that one, some countries requirements. Please let us know what the outcome is. 

[Lana83]

they support team told me that they have the access to the conversation.

It's sad anyway that the airbnb lets these people ruin their clients' vacation. I really regret that I've chosen airbnb and this host in particular. Nobody would return me the money and time that I spent to solve this problem (because 'this is the airbnb policy').  And I am not allowed to comment on the airbnb site about it ( again, because 'this is the policy'). Next time I would not make such a risky choice.