Cancelled Reservation

[Kim162]

I am sure this has probably been convered before, but here it goes:

My guest cancelled her reservation before her check in date and I agreed to refund her the entire amount (reasons not relevant).  At the time she cancelled she recieved a $125.00 refund automatically so I then went in to refund her the additional $390.  When I did, I received a message from Airbnb advising that the $390 will be withheld from my next payout.  Are they refering to the payout that I am supposed to receive from THIS guest?  Since the guest did not check in, I never received the any funds from Airbnb so I want to make sure that they also do not withhold $390 from any future bookings.   Will they still send the funds even though the guest does not check in?   Verbage seemed a little odd - I didn't receive the funds that I refunded so seems like it's a double hit if they also withold from my next payout??   Am I missing something?

[Adie0]

From my experience it just means from that payout. You won't ever receive that $390 payout; had you chosen to not refund it to refund only partial (you can according to your cancellation policy) they would have withheld from the payout and you would have gotten partial- that's what happened to me. I recently had someone book- then realize they booked a room in the wrong country 

[Adie0]

Continuation. Since the cancellation happened to a booking that was for that day my policy is that I would not give refunds - of course I have the choice still. In this case I chose to give the refund. My next payout would have been their booking- basically my refund was releasing those funds back to the guest and I therefore never received them. 

[City-Limits-Ranch0]

Airbnb takes the money from the guest, holds it until the day after they check in and delivers it to you.  If the guest does not check in because they cancel or no show, the money is still delivered to you.  The amount is based on your cancellation policy. If they no show, you get all the expected payout.

So, if you choose to refund all  or some of of the money you would have received, Airbnb refunds the guest and then takes the money out of your next payout.  In this case your next payout was the money you would have received had you chosen not to give a refund. 

The reason that the wording of the messages did not make that clear is because sometimes the money from the guest has already been delivered to you before you issue the refund.  In that case Airbnb does not take the money back from you.  They wait and take the money from your next payout.  This is apparently easier for them than trying to get money out of your account so this is their normal policy.

They have only one automated message about how this works.  The single message covers all situations.  You should watch to make sure future payouts are not affected.  If there is an error in future, you need to call them. 

Hope that helps.

Kerrin

[Alice-and-Jeff0]

The accounting goes as such: 

1. Guest books and pays Airbnb

2. Airbnb holds this money until the reservation 

3. Airbnb pays you 24 hours after the check in date

If the guest cancels, the cancellation terms kick in.  

1. Guest books and pays Airbnb

2. Guest cancels and Airbnb refunds based on cancellation policy (supposed to be no more than 50% so really unclear how your guest was getting back a quarter of the money) 

3. Airbnb hangs on to the remainder of the money until the date of check in

4. Airbnb releases remaining funds owed to you 24 hours after the check in date

If you choose to refund the guest more money, it comes out of your pocket now in the form of deductions on current payouts.  You will receive the remaining money, if any is owed to you, at check in date.