Guest wishes to cancel but isn't sure yet - I am taking on risks and costs

[Val43]

hi 

I've sent messages over the last 5 weeks to my guest to confirm check in times etc.. she has ignored every single message, until today, when she said she isn't sure if they can travel.. can they have a couple more days. The trip starts in 3 weeks. I am taking on all the risk, and I want to relist.  What should I do? How do I make her cancel? Rather than me cancelling, and taking on the penalties? 

[Lilian20]

simply ask your guest to cancel

[Marit-Anne0]

@Val43

Give her the few days, then make contact again. If still vague, you could contact airbnb and try and have them cancel for you on the grounds you have explained above and the recent correspondance between you. 

Or just be happy with what you will receive anyway under a strict cancellation policy.  Depends on the booking and how much income is at stake. The guest will probably be reluctant to cancel under a strict cancellation policy, so better be proactive.

[Dionne2]

From what I am trying to understand, this guest has paid and booked your place?

If so, as @Marit-Anne0 mentioned do that.

I wouldn't worry too much if she has booked it, but if you fail to hear from her, just mentioned the pick up instructions any if she fails to do this, then that is her own responsibility to find out herself, but make sure that you were fully accessible should she needed your help. Her uncertainity is her own problem not yours.

If you do want to cancel, I AM ADVICING you to do it with great  care. I once did when a guest booked and wanted to cancel immediately and with the lack of clear how to and a phone call to Airbnb I got penalised. My dates were blocked and I had a bad host remark. If a guest requests you to cancel NEVER NEVER accept it. This is where I got the penality from. They need to cancel through airbnb. 

You can also argue you are uncomfortable with this guest who has not been communicative and very unreliable with their planning. 

I actually said once to an Airbnb agent, I want to cancel because not only do they want to cancel but why would I would to have them stay at mine who doesn't want to stay there. I not allowing someone I don't feel good about staying there.

But I'm not too sure what you mean about taking risks and costs if they have already paid and booked ? or did they just enquire? I have never once held a booking, my place gets rented out all the time , so if they snooze they loose. I had one guest asking if the place was still available after 2 weeks asking. 

My brain went silent with a cricket cricking when I read his message.

Like seriously. Get your act together, like most guests do. Like it booked it , with payment confirmed. BOOM, done.

Why does it have to be so hard?

[David126]

Not sure ablout costs but certainly a risk as if they cancael moe that a week out you lose half your booking fee, assuming you can not re book.

If they are able to cite Extenuating Circumstances you lose everything.

In this sort of case I would tell them they need to decide asap if they want to get any money back. I may also mention i will refund more if I am able to re book but at the moment those dates availablity can not be seen by anybody else.

[Joanna85]

I would leave it alone.  Just wait and see what they do.  If they cancel, so what, then your calendar will open up and you can rebook and it's no big deal.  Part of the thing with being a host is having people you don't know at all staying with you and you really can't 'make' them be good planners.  Most people stink at planning ahead.  I"ve noticed a lot of people book and I never hear from them until they are 30 minutes away.  Some guests I"ve had I wonder how they heck they have travelled such distances and navigated through things they way they are just horrible planners!!!  They might be really nice people but awful planners.  Also, remember messaging doesn't always translate well--you can't always get messages to come across properly to be able to guage what the people are like.

[Kate157]

I agree with @Joanna85. Why sweat over a booking? I would let it be and see what happens. Wanting a guest to cancel three weeks out because they may change their plans does not seem reasonable to me.

[Allen42]

Val, you seem to be concerned about an isolated instance. If this is a typical scenario that you are often confronted with, then it is indeed a problem. If this situation is not typical, then it is important for you to understand that different situations arise. I had a guest cancel two days before the reservation and she told me her uncle had died, so they were rearranging things to attend the funeral. Had there actually been a death? Did she actually even have an uncle? Honestly, I have no idea but that's what she said so that's what I dealt with. I dealt with it by giving her a full refund, wishing her well, and not dwelling on it. When she canceled, I looked at the big picture and realized that some dates will go unbooked. It's the way it is. Keep your eye on the big picture.

[Renee23]

Change your reservation rules. You set the restrictions on how long they have to commit, and you will not get the "cancellation".