Free Cancellation ???

Answered!
Jackson95
Level 1
Franklin, TN

Free Cancellation ???

I would like to book places to stay for a vacation in June of '21, and am only willing to do so at this time if the terms are penalty-free - fully refundable fees should I decide it's necessary to cancel later.  I'm seeing the phrase "free cancellation until June" on the listings, but I don't know exactly what that means.  Is that the same thing as "full refund?"  

1 Best Answer

@Jackson95 yes, with a flexible cancellation policy the guest can cancel for a full refund anytime up to 24 hours before check-in. Only caveat is that Airbnb service fee refunds may have a limit of 3x/year.

 

In case you are unaware, Airbnb does not pay hosts until after check-in, so the host will not have your payment, Airbnb will.

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7 Replies 7
Emiel1
Level 10
Leeuwarden, The Netherlands

@Jackson95 

Free cancellation means you can cancel without penalties , but the Airbnb Guest Service Fee is only refunded max. 3 times a year.

Lisa723
Level 10
Quilcene, WA

According to how I'm understanding this policy, I would get a full (penalty-free) refund if I canceled a stay a month in advance of check-in (of a "flexible" policy:  "free cancellations"):

 

For a full refund, the guest must cancel at least 24 hours before the listing’s local check-in time (shown in the confirmation email).

 

Can anyone confirm for me that I am correct about receiving the full refund.  I guess I don't trust myself to correctly interpret the fine print of the policy (I've been burned before making incorrect assumptions about terminology).  Thank you.  

@Jackson95 yes, with a flexible cancellation policy the guest can cancel for a full refund anytime up to 24 hours before check-in. Only caveat is that Airbnb service fee refunds may have a limit of 3x/year.

 

In case you are unaware, Airbnb does not pay hosts until after check-in, so the host will not have your payment, Airbnb will.

@Jackson95 It’s admirable that you are doing your utmost to  inform yourself regarding the terms of the cancellation policy you are agreeing to.  Most guests give it a total pass, and then are surprised and indignant when they are told they aren’t getting all their money back upon cancellation .  I have to agree with @Sarah977 on her point, though. Do try to appreciate the situation from a host’s standpoint. Many hosts are just getting by these days, and losing a booking that can’t be replaced can be tough. 

Sarah977
Level 10
Sayulita, Mexico

Do keep in mind that even if a place has a flexible cancellation policy, it's quite rude to block up a host's calendar for months, only to cancel at the last possible time, preventing the host from being able to fill those dates on short notice. So if you are going to cancel, try to give ample time for the host to hopefully rebook the dates.

@Jackson95

Yes, I would not reserve "in case I decide I might want to go later," nor would I wait until the last minute to cancel.  I've got a detailed itinerary planned and am optimistic that we'll be able to go.  I just think things still seem a little unsure and I don't want to firmly commit (and wouldn't if it weren't refundable).  If anyone can see my rating on Airbnb, they'll see that I'm a highly-rated tenant (my wife is the type that insists on leaving the places spotless even though there's a cleaning services coming in after us).  Thanks to everyone who has responded.