Cancellation Fees and penalites

[Lisa1351]

If I have to cancel a booking due  to emergencies and family issues,  I find that Airbnb is very negative and unsupportive.  Guests can cancel with no fee or penalty, can Airbnb lighten up on its fees and penalities to hosts when they must cancel due to an unexpected situation.

[Robin282]

I agree with you Lisa.  Just had family issues myself that required me to sell my bnb.  It was difficult enough for me to have to cancel on all my wonderful guests whom I've gotten to know well and have been repeat visitors to our home.  But then Airbnb hits me with a $50 fee for each cancellation.  Nothing like being hit when you are down.  Not only am I upset about not receiving that income, and having to sell our house, and inconveniencing my guests, but then they punish me financially with penalties.  But the reason I'm really disappointed with Airbnb is that they don't pass those fees along to my guests.  That is what upsets me.  They instead line their own pockets with that money.  They really don't care about our guests.  They just want to make money.  I have never felt as though they have supported my guests.  If they really did care and felt that cancelling on them was such a problem, they would pass that money along to the cancelled guests in the form of a credit toward another Airbnb stay.  I have most of my guests in my contacts and will find them non Airbnb places to stay in the area.  When I go back into the bnb business again, I won't be using Airbnb.  

[Robin282]

By the way, don't use instant book.  That is what got me into this situation in the first place.  They say you can cancel penalty free, but that requires you to personally message your guest and tell them why you don't want to accept them as a guest.  Who would do that?  If you don't feel comfortable with a guest, you shouldn't have to allow them to book.  I had guests who wrecked my house and didn't watch their kids, even though my policy specifically said that my home wasn't kid friendly, but I had to allow them to stay.  They also bury your listing if you don't agree to instant book.  They are not supportive in any way shape or form to their hosts.  And...also don't really care about their guests.  They do care about making money at your expense.  They've spent some time figuring that out.  Very disappointed in Airbnb.