Booking Agent Ignored House Rules - Now Bullying Me

Kerry228
Level 2
Page, AZ

Booking Agent Ignored House Rules - Now Bullying Me

An agent for a company that books accommodations for health care workers booked my home for a family with a 3-year old even though I have a "No Children Under 12" House Rule.  After asking the agent the child's age, she then debated me about the safety of my balcony for a 3 year old, and seemed to have no concern about the safety of the child. She refused to cancel the reservation before her client arrived, and then had the father of the 3-year old call me AFTER he had arrived at the accommodation parking lot.  When I told him about my concern that my balcony might not be safe for his 3-year old and that I had a "No Children under 12" House Policy that was visible to the booking agent BEFORE booking, he refused the booking and left without a place to stay that night.

 

Now the Booking Agent is harassing me into accepting a penalty by cancelling the booking myself because she says she will be charged if she cancels.

 

I have called the Resolution Center and have been told that an Air BnB manager will call me, but it has been 2 days since this happened, the manager hasn't contacted me, and the Booking Agent is harassing me in the message thread to cancel and says that her corporation has talked to Air BnB and that I have to cancel the reservation so that their company money will be refunded.

 

I'm very stressed about the situation and don't feel I was in the wrong since I have an up front House Rule of No Children, No Pets, No Smoking, etc in the AirBnB setup, and mention that there is a balcony that is not suitable for children in the description.

 

What should I do?  Any suggestions?

11 Replies 11
Sarah977
Level 10
Sayulita, Mexico

@Kerry228 Block the agent from contacting you further (go to your message stream with them, and click on Report user in one of their messages, then follow the prompts), if they text or phone you, block their number, do not engage any further with them, then just wait to see if it goes any further and try not to fret. Whatever you do, do not cancel, do not succumb to pressure from Airbnb to accept a host cancellation, and make sure they understand that the agent is harrassing you and has been since before the booking date, and failed to convey to her client that the place was listed as unsafe for children, which is the only reason he didn't stay. If you have contact information for the guest, I'd also contact him, telling him that his agent is sending you threatening messages and that you were quite clear with her that the place was unsuitable for his 3 year old and she ignored that. That the issue needs to be resolved with her, not with you.

And in the future, do not accept any more 3rd party reservations- they have the potential to be fraught with problems.

Thank you so much for taking the time to write to me -- very good advice.

I have now received a threat of litigation via my personal email address (not the Air BnB thread) from the third party Booking Agent, and am still heeding your advice above. 

@Kerry228   What does this idiot possibly think they are going to sue you for?  Your listing is clear about children under 12.  It is the booking agent's mistake and this booking agent is going to have to suck it up.  Do not be intimidated.  Follow @Sarah977  advice.  Also, airbnb may also lean on you to give some type of refund over and above whatever your cancellation policy dictates, don't do that either. 

Kerry228
Level 2
Page, AZ

Thank you so much for your support. 

 

I also think the Booking Agent is trying to intimidate me into cancelling.  I can't imagine that her company would litigate over such a small amount. 

 

She said that her company refuses to charge the actual hospital for my "fraudulent" charge; indicating that her company will bill the hospital even though she ignored my booking policy and didn't convey it to her client. I find that hard to believe also.  Ruthless.

Ian-And-Anne-Marie0
Level 10
Kendal, United Kingdom

@Kerry228 This 'Booking Agent' thing is new to me but I am assuming that your booking was made with the 'Booking Agent' and she would be the one responsible for making sure that her 'client' would be adequately catered for at your property. Obviously that was not the case and you are in no way responsible for that.

 

Don't pay any attention to her "Airbnb have said that you have to.... whatever" she's only trying to get you to cancel to obtain her money back. 

 

Your booking agent took a calculated risk which backfired on her and now she's looking for a scapegoat. That should not be you.

Kenneth12
Level 10
Chicago, IL

So did the "Booking Agent" use their own account / was this a 3rd-party booking?

At this point it sounds like you have (had) an active booking,   but the guest did not stay,  did not cancel?

Kerry228
Level 2
Page, AZ

The "booking agent" works for a third-party medical housing placement agency.  She  booked my accommodation for a family with a 3-year old, ignoring my House Policy of "No Children Under 12."  After the booking, I asked the agent the age of the child and reminded her of my policy. At that point, she debated my policy and the danger of a 2nd story outdoor balcony for children under 12 and tried to force me to accommodate the family. She had her client call me after he arrived, and when I told him about my policy and described the balcony, he refused the accommodation.  The "Booking Agent" then proceeded to bully me into canceling the reservation. I contacted an Air BnB Case Manager about the situation, and she has contacted the "Booking Agent," but there has not been any resolution and the "Booking Agent" has contacted me personally with threats of litigation.  This has been dragging on since August 5th.  The booking was for 56 days and I have already received payment for the first month from Air BnB. The AirBnB Case Manager told me she was going to contact the "Booking Agent"  and offer to reduce the duration of the booked stay without a cancellation on either side, which seemed like a reasonable way to resolve the issue, but instead the "Booking Agent" is harassing me outside of the Air BnB message thread to cancel the entire reservation.

Helen3
Top Contributor
Bristol, United Kingdom

Personally I would never accept third party bookings through an agent @Kerry228  - unless you accepted it through an Airbnb business account set up for businesses that book for their staff.

 

 

Branka-and-Silvia0
Level 10
Zagreb, Croatia

@Kerry228 

listen to @Sarah977 and stop communicating with this 4th party stupid booker. She is an booking agent (?) but she booked without reading your house rules, she agreed to them, didn't inform her client about the problem, didn't cancel after the client refused to stay and now she is harrasing you. But don't worry, if she doesn't wake up and alter her reservation soon, she will be charged for the next 26 nights as well 🙂

 

If the guest books a reservation and decides to cancel the reservation during their stay, the guest must use the online alteration tool in order to agree to a new checkout date. Regardless of the checkout date chosen, the guest is required to pay the host for the 30 days following the cancellation date, or up to the end date of the guest’s original reservation if the remaining portion of the original reservation is less than 30 days.

 

 

Kerry228
Level 2
Page, AZ

Thanks so much for your help and support -- all of you.  I really appreciate it.  The situation has caused me a lot of stress and your support and knowledge about the process has been invaluable.  It is so kind of you to take the time to write.