I just want to say after a lousy January, February and now with March looking just as bad if not worse..
THANK YOU AIR BNB FOR YOUR LATEST BEAUTIFULLY COMPOSED EMAIL!
(re corona virus cancellation)
I don’t know if you have one of these beauts, I can’t be bothered to transcribe verbatim but basically... It goes like this:
‘we understand you may be worried about the possibility of a pandemic...being wiped off the face of the planet..or the impact that that’s having on your calendar..
so...we thought now would be a great time to let you know we are giving guests more opportunity to cancel making that stress/uncertainty worse!
feel better??
grrrreat!!
let’s run through what happens just so you really Do go out looking for that train to hop under...
in the event of a cancellation...
you...lose all your money ..and they..keep all theirs..it’s not your fault no..but it’s not theirs either so...
well..it’s you that loses your money..we tossed a coin..
here’s the good news though...we...aren’t going to penalise you for cancelling..because you didn’t! ...see how that works! ?
and more good news...those days youve lost all your money on? Well they can go right back to blowing in the wind on your calendar! It’s going to be a great time for them to be there now everyone’s got it we could be facing extinction..No way do we want to take the chance to rent property away from you at this pivotal time!
and the last bit of good news...?
your superhost is totally unaffected..
you were worried weren’t you??
Thought we’d take away your earnings and your fictitious award too!? ...ohhhh you guys! Silly!! ....that’s what we love about you...
STAY UPDATED!
HIT THE TAB FOR STUFF YOU ALREADY KNEW!”
thats it basically.
My ex works as ward matron at infectious diseases...she said
“the corona is predicted to kill 10,000 world wide..the last flu pandemic killed 125,000...who bothered about that?”
I don’t know how much of this is really as serious as it appears and how much it just sells papers.. and I understand that air bnb needs to clarify things and I have read their policy on the help centre and it seems totally fine to me..sensible enough..but this email hints it may be really slackening off..one thing I will transcribe from this latest masterpiece is now guests can cancel if their “travel is restricted”
today I had my first cancellation citing the virus..I got my money as per cancellation policy.. this ladies work cancelled international travel..and I assume..she got paid out by them..it all went as it should..work called it..work lost.
but if guests in this situation (for example) or a whole lot of others get information like you can cancel penalty free if your travel is “restricted” and they for example DIDNT get paid out..well..I think we are going to see a 400% rise in guests arguing cancellation policy..one hopes these claims will be fruitless but meantime?
so yes THANKS air bnb for setting my mind at rest with this charming communiqué!
jeez! Who writes these things? For a global gazillion dollar Corp..you could get better!
someone who genuinely thinks about the impact and phrasing of an email for example.
(probably not me based on this rant yes..)