making an exception to my cancellation policy

[Matthew2355]

I want to make an exception to my cancellation policy, which I'm willing to do.  My existing policy would have held 50%.  I want to make an exception for a full refund.  I've received a request for payment back to the Guest, but I have not received any money from the Guest yet.  Does AB&B hold the initial payment from the Guest?  what do I do?

[Guy991 · Accepted solution]

Hello @Matthew2355 ,

I don’t recommend sending money directly to the guest. If you issue the refund yourself, you’re actually losing money.

In my opinion, the proper practice is to tell the guest to request a refund from Airbnb. You can then confirm with Airbnb when they contact you to ensure you agree to the refund. If you send a message to the guest stating that you approve a full refund, it will make the process easier.

If Airbnb hasn’t paid you yet, they will simply cancel the payment per your request. If they have already sent you the money, they will deduct the refunded amount from your next payout.

I once agreed to refund a guest 100%, but they later messaged me, saying Airbnb had only issued a partial refund and asked me to send them the rest. I responded calmly, explaining that since I hadn’t received any payment for the stay, I saw no reason to send money I never received and that they should contact Airbnb.

Other hosts may handle refunds differently, but this method works for me.

[Elisa]

Hi @Matthew2355 😊, 

Thank you for bringing up this topic in the Community Center!

Did you decide what to do? I know it can be a tough situation, but I’m glad our host shared a great comment.

What do you think about @Guy991’s suggestion?

Don’t hesitate to keep us posted!

Warm regards, 🌻