Cancelled reservation due to expired card but guest updated card info, wants to keep booking

Randy145
Level 1
Baltimore, MD

Cancelled reservation due to expired card but guest updated card info, wants to keep booking

Hey Everyone,

 

I had a guest book his stay long in advance.  When his 2nd payment went to process, the card was expired so airbnb cancelled the reservation.  He messaged me right away and said he input the card info and is waiting for airbnb to "resolve the issue".  However, while this was happening, airbnb automatically re-opened the dates from his original booking on my calendar.  A new guest made a booking on the calendar for those dates but I immediately cancelled that newer reservation.  Now, airbnb has blocked those dates because I cancelled that newer reservation.

 

Any suggestions on how I can clear those dates so that the original guest can book his stay as planned, with the updated credit card info?

 

Thanks for your time

 

3 Replies 3
Ana1136
Level 10
Ohrid, Macedonia (FYROM)

@Randy145 you shouldn't cancel the reservation, you should have contacted Airbnb and have them cancel for you. Call Airbnb again and explain the circumstances maybe they will unblock the dates. Does your guest want to book more days than the blocked? https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Help/Contact-Airbnb-A-Community-Help-Guide-UPDATED/td-p/413245

Thanks for the info and the link.  The dates in question are only a week away and I cancelled the newer reservation seconds after it was accepted. I didn't want to wait for airbnb to handle the cancellation as I was worried it would take several days for that to happen and I wanted the newest reservation to have time to make alternate plans.

 

Thanks for the link to contact them. I will reach out and ask them to open those dates back up so the original guest can keep his booking.

 

Thanks again for taking the time to provide this information

Helen3
Level 10
Bristol, United Kingdom

Hi @Randy145 


As an experienced superhost I am sure you know that airbnb takes hosts cancellations seriously and the penalties for hosts who cancel a booking, so i am not sure why you chose to cancel the second booking.

 

If you wanted the original guest to re-book you could have simply blocked the dates out until he had resolved issues with airbnb and then asked Airbnb to reinstate the booking.

 

Quite honestly your original guest would have known he had the second payment due and could have simply uploaded a new credit card for it,  you don't even know if he is telling the truth. Perhaps he didn't have the money in his account to honour the second payment.

 

If you want Airbnb to make an exception for you. Give them a call and see if they can help unblock the dates. Then you would need to remove IB so they don't get rebooked again until the original guest can re-book - IF you want to wait for him to be in a position to rebook.