Extenuating Circumstances Policy - SO unfair to hosts

[Maria188]

As a superhost of 6 years standing and 100% 5 star reviews, I have, for the first time, been caught out by Airbnb's Extenuating Circumstances policy. I have lost 780 eur with little or no chance of rebooking the dates as the guest cancelled on the day of booking. I know I have suck it up as it is in the ts and cs - albeit buried deep within of course.  However, I believe this is a grossly unfair policy and amounts to misuse of power by a large corporation over its individual suppliers. I would love to know what any corporate lawyers out there think of this policy. If a host has chosen, as I have to have a strict cancellation policy, should Airbnb not honour this? By all means have an EC policy but the funds to pay for this should come from airbnb or a guest funded insurance policy, NOT out of a host's own pocket. 
 
Whats more, despite having never visited my property, the guest has been invited to leave a review. I imagine they are angry with me for not agreeing to give them a refund as I cannot afford to do so, (although thanks to airbnb I have ended up gving them one anyway) and I am worried they will leave me a bad review. I have worked tirelessly to achieve my great reviews and I cannot believe that now my business could be adversely affected for something that is completely beyond my control. When I called airbnb about this they said it was not possible to stop them leaving a review. The guests did not even reach my town let alone my house, yet they can review me! How is that fair?  Yes, I can review them too, but I am a good person and I am not going to leave the guest a bad review when they have tried understandably to reclaim their money.
 
I want to do something about this and would welcome feedback for other hosts who also feel the policy is grossly unfair to the entire host community. 

[Sandra1830]

I hesitated doing so, for several years, but just listed on airbnb.  I fully appreciate your difficulties, and am hoping for the best-but knowing I'll be as frustrated as you all.  Can somone pleae tell me where/how to post my rental agreement??  Thanks in advance

[Wendy750]

Regarding the guest review, my understanding is that it does not become public unless you as a host also writes a review, then both are made public.  So if you think a bad review is coming from a guest maybe don't do a review on them?

[Maria188]

I was not intending to review them as they never set foot in my property. I guess I can just hope they don’t review me badly because I couldn’t afford to give them a refund (although thanks to Airbnb, that is what I have ended up doing!). 

[Simon579]

No, that's not correct, I found this to my cost.

I had a guest stay last month, I just knew he was going to leave a bad review, he complained about everything : he failed to meet me for check-in so I had to drop keys at the event he was attending, he did not even meet me, asked for a 2 hour extension to his  checkout time on some fake premise, refused to walk back into the property  to complete checkout (he was sat in the passenger seat of the car with his wife driving and did not even get out to meet me even though he had made the reservation). When I went into the property they had made attempt to clear up then left a **bleep**ty 2 star review. 

Naturally I was fuming, but decided not to leave him a bad review because I too beleive that if I did not leava review the guest's review could not be made public; 2 weeks later his review was public and my opportunity to leave him a well deserved poor review on all aspects of his stay was gone.

Now I am going to lose my Superhost status having worked very hard to get a sequence of 5 star reviews (and this continues after) , but one 2 star review drags the average down to such an extent that it will take the same number of 5 star review I had already achieved  just to get Superhost status back; I do wonder if it's worth it.

[Cormac0]

@Simon579 

You reap what you sow, because you did not leave that "bleep"  a bad review (I put the bleep in myself, Airbnb don't allow you call a guest a "rekcuF"), you've now potentially foisted this pair on other hosts.

Let me explain, one of my reviews about a set of guests went as follows,

"Filthy scum" 

[Maria188]

@Simon579  I do not intend to review these guests as they did not stay at my property. I am not angry with them - all they were trying to do is get their money back in an awful situation of a family illness - I would probably have tried to do the same. I am furious, however, with Airbnb for overriding my cancellation policy and giving them a full refund OUT OF MY POCKET. 

[Etienne-Marie0]

Cher Simon,

Don't worry. I experienced that with a terrible guest. Recently.

Wanted to report agressively to Airbnb;  against me the next day. Complained about everything.

Answered firmy he should leave, would be refunded...

But refused. Wished to stay. Was very deceitful.

Authorized him to leave, after full stay with her mother, 6 hours after check out. But pretented he never received my morning mail in relation to the slightly rectified time. Waited for him for 1 hour till 5.15 p.m. More than 5 hours after check out time (I had an important apointment at 6)... Needed to pack things for him. Suitcases were not fully prepared. Things in bathroom....

When he left, recommended both of us don't publish reciprocal reviews. Considering circumstances. Of course, he did a few days later. In return, just sent a "neutral" review. To discover his words. The only thing I could do, following disaster, was to signal him. A strange, unuseful Airbnb procedure. Hope such guest will not rot other's hosts life.

As long as it is "cas isolé", we say in French "c'est l'exception qui confirme la règle". "Les risques du métier". You get good reviews. Hosts appreciate your work. Most important.

Bien à vous.

[Etienne-Marie0]

Cher Simon,

Following my below post, forgot to tell he sent 1 full page of - happily - insulting private comments...

[Kenneth12]

He sent them via Messaging Center?

Block,  report as unwanted contact.

[Maria188]

Hi @Wendy750  Their review will be made public after 14 days whether I review them or not.

[Sarah977]

@Wendy750  I don't know where anyone gets this "understanding" from. While there are many things which are difficult to find clear information on, the review process is made quite clear in the info on how reviews work on the Airbnb site. There is nothing you can do to keep a bad review from being published. If it clearly violates review policy, you can be successful in having it removed. Unforunately, and inexplicably, outright lies do not violate review policy.

[Kathy252]

If it's one issue that is completely and ultimately aggravating, it's AIRBNB's "extenuating circumstances" policy!  This is my second experience with having a guest cancel last minute, and without any communication to me whatsoever, AIRBNB support made a decision to honor the guests' explanation.  I am out thousands of dollars (like $2K per reservation)!  Fortunately, for one of the bookings, I was able to rebook PART of the days, but lost a $2,500 booking on the first because it was so last minute.  Many of us rely on renting OUR homes for our sole income source, and we have to support our management and cleaning crews.  Many of your are spot on -- it is not fair to us to have this policy.  VRBO/Homeaway has the option of a guest selecting travel insurance for this purpose.  For that reason, I now am preferring to book on that platform.  This policy is so unfair to the hosts, who work hard and do all we can to sustain bookings and the income derived, after paying out our expenses.  I just don't understand, and it's been several years now, why AIRBNB does not consider insurance.  Fortunately, Homeaway/VRBO has much fairer cancellation policies for their hosts, including no chance for guests to slide out of a reservation last minute without consequences.  I am a mental health professional, and have a 48 hour cancellation policy, regardless of the reason.  It should not be up to an AIRBNB support person to be the judge and jury!  Provide guests with the option insurance.  I am taking my annual vacation with a cruise company and myself bought cancellation insurance because I have an ailing parent and you never know.  SO, I am going to be providing booking priorty to other platforms that provide cancellation policies that are fair to us hard-working hosts.  I can be hoping the AIRBNB higher management will be listening, but I've been waiting for several years and nothing.  

[Lisa723]

@Maria188 @Sarah977 @Cormac0 @Simon579 @Kathy252 I've come to see this issue as follows: as an Airbnb host, you are required to provide your guests with travel insurance. Therefore you must build the cost of said insurance into your prices.

[Etienne-Marie0]

To Maria 188, Dallas 1, Kathy 252 & others.

This morning, just sent an opinion in an opened case on French community. In relation to "force majeure".

As against you, Aibnb acted incredibly. Same for rude cancelling guest. Despite my amicable, prior proposal. Behind my back, debited my money and said "please, plan accordingly. Good bye”. My conditions are however “strict”.

Of course, I fully disagree and contested. No answer so far.

1. As former "juriste", think T&C relating to extenuating circumstances are illegal. Unless Airbnb subscribes, for hosts and guests, to a cancellation policy. Airbnb is major actor in tourism. How can it behave like this ? When you buy a plane ticket, if not covered by credit card or others, you may subscribe to a specific insurance. We, hosts & guests, pay high fees. Should be covered. Inadmissible.

If you wish, we may send a common warning letter to Airbnb.  Go too far. As Dallas 1, I lost confidence in them. In 2019. I experience(d) many software unsolved issues (calendar, their home mail box…). This company is heading down.

1. Reviews. Can show very perverse. I experienced it recently. With one traveller. When something goes wrong (guest or host), it should be notified immediately after departure. And Aibnb must, then, cancel all reviews during the famous 14 days period. On French community, I just read that an apartment had been damaged. Host claimed for a refund with his bailout. But guest was able to post a review at the same time. How could he ? Host, with Airbnb, is nothing. No value. Paying guest is all. Yes, faceless and cowardly entity. I have been hosting for almost 5 years now. I am very disappointed.

Sincèrement. 

Cf. https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Aide/Annulation-d-un-voyageur-pour-force-majeure/td-p/139430/pag... Unfortunately in French.

[Etienne-Marie0]

To Maria 188, Dallas 1, Kathy 252 & others.

This morning, just sent an opinion in an opened case on French community. In relation to "force majeure".

As against you, Aibnb acted incredibly. Same for rude cancelling guest. Despite my amicable, prior proposal. Behind my back, debited my money and said "please, plan accordingly. Good bye”. My conditions are however “strict”.

Of course, I fully disagree and contested. No answer so far.

1. As former "juriste", think T&C relating to extenuating circumstances are illegal. Unless Airbnb subscribes, for hosts and guests, to a cancellation policy. Airbnb is major actor in tourism. How can it behave like this ? When you buy a plane ticket, if not covered by credit card or others, you may subscribe to a specific insurance. We, hosts & guests, pay high fees. Should be covered. Inadmissible.

If you wish, we may send a common warning letter to Airbnb.  Go too far. As Dallas 1, I lost confidence in them. In 2019. I experience(d) many software unsolved issues (calendar, their home mail box…). This company is heading down.

1. Reviews. Can show very perverse. I experienced it recently. With one traveller. When something goes wrong (guest or host), it should be notified immediately after departure. And Aibnb must, then, cancel all reviews during the famous 14 days period. On French community, I just read that an apartment had been damaged. Host claimed for a refund with his bailout. But guest was able to post a review at the same time. How could he ? Host, with Airbnb, is nothing. No value. Paying guest is all. Yes, faceless and cowardly entity. I have been hosting for almost 5 years now. I am very disappointed.

Sincèrement. 

Cannot manage to post here the html French discussion link. It appears on French language community at "annulation d'un voyageur pour force majeure"