Please refund this guest in the spirit of Airbnb

[Inna22]

This is the message I received from Airbnb asking to refund in full a guest who cancelled last minute leaving me with an unbooked week. I host bigger groups and those do not usually decide to travel last minute, I get booked months in advance. The guest got half back per my cancellation policy.

I asked the rep what was that Airbnb spirit she is referring to. The one where Airbnb expect hosts to be the ones taking all the loss, like when the Covid refunds were given to anyone no questions asked? If so, the spirit has left me with those refunds. 

The subject has been beating to death (along with my Airbnb spirit) a year ago and I know there are lots of strong opinions about it and my post is not about those refunds but rather this delusion that we are one with Airbnb. I think the interests of Airbnb and hosts could not be further apart right now and until they see it, it will not get better.

[Colleen253]

@Inna22 Yeah, well, we sure don’t see Airbnb living this ‘refund in the spirit of Airbnb’ crap, do we? Walk the talk…

[Sarah977]

@Inna22   Gag worthy. "Airbnb- please refund this guest your service fees 'in the spirit of Airbnb'."

The spirit of Airbnb means Airbnb wins, guest wins, host gets shafted.

[Mike-And-Helen0]

Three stars for cleanliness!

Is this the spirit?

[Anonymous]

@Inna22   Airbnb always has the power to show its "spirit" by issuing a gift voucher to guests who aren't happy with the refund policy they agreed to. These guys are clearly not ready to be running a multibillion dollar corporation if they think it's still OK to ask its clients to take one for the team. 

[Kelly149]

@Inna22 “The spirit of abb” is every woman for herself. 

for all the times they’ve given garbage service because “that’s policy”… my answer to CS would be same as yours, “you’re welcome to give her as much of YOUR money as you like, from my side the cancellation policy holds”

last year I saw lots of guests saying how much they preferred how ABB gave back a bunch of money and other platforms didn’t, I was surprised that no one seemed to realize that those give aways we’re going to cost someone in the future bc hosts are not magical fairies sitting on pots of gold waiting to be passed out on a whim. 

[Teresa31]

I use other sites to book guests as well as Airbnb. They ALL gave refunds for covid, in fact Airbnb was thee LAST to get on board w refunding guests, then they went overboard, no questions asked. They were looking to look good to possible stock options and travelers, as usual, w NO concern for hosts. 

[Brian2036]

@Inna22 

My reply: In the spirit of Airbnb, please blacklist this guest and try to cripple her source of income.

[Laura2592]

Is this the Spirit of Airbnb Past where guests and hosts had a much less formal  and fun relationship?

Or the Spirit of Airbnb Present  where hosts are expected to do all the heavy lifting,  take all the loss, and deal with all the abuse from guests no matter what?

Or perhaps the Spirit of Airbnb  Future where individual hosts have been booted for large corporate investors with hotel-like listings and the platform is best known for its infamy as guest-held parties make the news?

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

If we will always refund all our guests what is the purpose of cancelation policies?

[Sarah977]

@Branka-and-Silvia0  In fact, what is the point of hosting at all? If we were to give refunds and discounts to every guest who asked, we'd be operating at a loss. I guess the Spirit of Airbnb means hosts should all be happily below the poverty line. 

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Sarah977  in the spirit of ABB we should be happy to host for free... or even better - to pay our guests to stay with us 😄

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

All this time...... I thought not refunding from my own pocket, expecting others to cover the costs of refunds is the spirit of Airbnb. 

[Pedram11]

well i believe Airbnb is respecting your cancellation policies until you provide exactly what you showed in your listing, they play with the host mind when a guest asks for refound, they tell you to refound the guests and in some conditions, they play with the host emotion but soooooo smooth in Persian we say they cut your neck with cotton, even you don't feel the pain (: the way is making a strict cancellation policy and make it clear exactly what you have and what you don't. then if guests cancel you have the right to not accept any refund because we were so clear in our listing and policies, so Airbnb support will say thank you and have a good day, the topic will close...

[Brian2036]

@Pedram11 

I really like that, “Cut your neck with cotton.”

Thank you.