Hello community
I had a guest who made a 29 days reservation in my home. However, after a week and 42 messages to me - many on my personal WhatsApp and with personal insults - she moved out and requested I returned her entire fee including for the week she stayed in my home. Her frustration was that my home was too hot (we had a heat-wave in Geneva and with floor to ceiling windows as displayed on my photos, it can of course get warm inside too), that my bathtub was not suitable for elderly (her photo shows a mid-aged women and I did not know anything about her age) and finally that my home is not "comfortable".
I have strict cancellation policy and despite Airbnb supporting that I do not have to reimburse her, I agreed to open up the dates on my calendar again and reimburse the guest partially if I got a new reservation for the same period. After contacting Airbnb 3 times, the dates were not opened, but two weeks later I got an automated email stating that the entire amount was refunded to the guest. In other words, Airbnb changed the answer already given to me and the guest stayed free of charged. The insults I still have screen shots of and I have photos of the damaged towels she left behind in addition to a very dirty apartment.
I'm a superhost and have never experienced this before. I've tried to contact Airbnb on numerous occations, but each time they tell me that a special team is handling it and they will come back to me. They do not - for the past 3 weeks nobody contacted me and Airbnb has refunded USD 5500 to the guest.
I have three questions: I clearly risk that future guests will do the same - stay in my home, complaint and Airbnb will refund all and I will have major expenditures. Which policy in Airbnb support this decision from Airbnb's side?
Secondly, I am in contact with my lawyer. However, I'd like to know if anyone has a lawyer who has already handled Airbnb cases who I can reach out to?
Thirdly, I'm interested in knowing how other hosts have dealt with similar cases. How do you deal with Airbnb overruling what they already told me and overruling strict cancellation policy? And how do you deal with guests sending you personal insults?
I spoke to a journalist this morning who felt we should write about it - as the decision seem to go against national law in Switzerland. However, I'd check it all before we take that step.
Meanwhile, thanks in advance.
