How long does a guest have to respond to a request for additional payment?

[Huma0]

Hello, I hosted a couple of girls recently who arrived hours after my check in window because they had missed their train. The train was not delayed or cancelled, they simply missed it because they were being disorganised. When I found out, I messaged, reminding the guest of the late check in fee that is stated in my house rules. She asked how much it is (already stated on the listing) and I told her again. She said nothing more about it.

I have sent a request for the fee, even giving the guest a discount just to be kind. However, I have had no response from her at all and she was always quick to respond to messages whenever she needed anything. My question is, how long does the guest have before they must accept or decline? At what point should I escalate this to Airbnb, or do I not need to do that, i.e. will Airbnb deal with it if she doesn't respond in time? I am not sure because guests usually pay for any agreed fees straight away.

[Ricardo85]

@Huma0

72h

Ricardo

[Huma0]

Thanks @Ricardo85

It has already been five days, so well past the 72 hours. What do I do next as I've had no other notifications from Airbnb about it?

[Ricardo85]

@Huma0

After 72h you will find a button "involve Airbnb".

Ricardo

[Lilly28]

Hi Huma,

Have you ever collected such fees?

I had an additional fee for using the garage-cage, but I  did not know how to ask for the fee to be paid through airbnb - they do not have other dropping menue than that for more days or another person. So finally I erased this fee.

And as I had many guests arriving too late - at 2 a.m., 3 a.m. etc., I decided to have as you - a window, large enough for the check-in time = it is from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. - and a fee after that time. I never collected that fee - the good part to have it is that guests arriving too late just desappeared. But still I wonder - one day I might be in your situation - you see, when it is an usual change - more days, more guests, you go to the reservation and just ask for that money, altering the dates or the number of guests, but in our case? 

[Huma0]

Mmm, the request seems to still be active so I have messaged the guest again about it.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Huma0it would be the best if you charged them immediately on arrival. They are obviously ignoring you now. You can involve Airbnb and they should contact the guest and charge their credit card . The link "involve Airbnb" should be on the same page with your request as far as I remember

[Huma0]

Thanks @Ricardo85 and @Branka-and-Silvia0

Yes, normally the guests checking in late offer the payment as soon as they arrive so I don't even need to ask.

These girls arrived very late at night and I was super tired (late night check ins three nights in a row). I guess I felt sorry for them because they had already lost the cost of the train tickets, had to buy a flight right before Christmas and then paid for a taxi from the airport. They were already complaining about how expensive it had all been. I thought there was no point stressing them out further that night.

Well, they turned out to be quite problematic guests and I had to tell them 'no' a few times. Communication was a nightmare and it was hard enough to get them to understand why they could not hang their sopping wet laundry all over a communal bathroom. So, I thought it best to leave the request for a bit, but I know that was a mistake.

Anyway, I will give them another day or so and then escalate it. I already did them a favour by waiting up so late for them, still being welcoming and then giving them a discount on the fee, not to mention putting up with a lot of noise at 2 or 3am every night, dirty bathrooms, them ignoring the check out time etc. etc. etc.. Not my favourite guests as you can probably tell!

[Cathie19]

Best of luck @Huma0. Let’s us know how things result.

[Yulianna0]

@Huma0, may be last try? Just telling them that you understand that they could forget about it because of being too busy. May be to mention something about review? That guests who do not pay will hardly be able to find next accommodation? 

[Rachel0]

@Huma0 God, these girls sound like a  nightmare - similar to two girls I had a couple of years ago who had the problem in reverse.  When they left me they were heading to Edinburgh on the train from Kings X and ignoring all my advice about leaving here by 2pm for a 4pm train, left at 3pm and missed it.  This apparently was my fault for not making it clear enough, but given that they had taken no notice of a word I said for the time they were here, I was not surprised.  I would get on to Airbnb as soon as, but it may be fruitless.   Message them again as well, but also give them the review they deserve.  Good luck and Happy New Year!

[Huma0]

Thanks @Rachel0 yes, it's very frustrating when guests don't listen to your advice. Another girl who arrived with her boyfriend late evening on Boxing Day when, as you know, transport is more limited than normal, asked for advice on getting here but then kept ignoring everything I was telling her and insisting that getting a coach, then two tubes and a bus was better than the route I was suggesting, which was a train and one tube. The price for the train and the coach were showing as the same so she was not even saving money. It took a lot of messages to convince her.

When I reminded her about the late check out fee, she responded, "What is "the additional fee for check ins after 9pm, as mentioned on the listing"? I don't get it!!" In the end, I didn't even bother asking her for the additional fee as I decided it would be more hassle than it was worth.

RE the two annoying girls in question, I did actually have a gut feeling that they might be trouble from the initial enquiry and tried to subtley discourage them but they went ahead an instant booked anyway so I guess I was too subtle! I had no valid reason to have their booking cancelled, just a gut feeling, so I just hoped I was wrong. Unfotunately, I wasn't!

[Huma0]

Well, I hit the involve Airbnb button and although it took nearly a week, a case manager got back to me and is going to call the guest to request payment. Let's see what happens. Now I'm worried that the guest might leave a less than positive review in light of being chased for the money. I asked the Airbnb case manager about whether such a review could be removed, but she hasn't responded.

[Huma0]

I'm really disappointed with the outcome of this. 

The Airbnb rep finally got back to me and said she had been unable to get hold of the guest so assumes the guest is 'unwilling to cooperate'. She said Airbnb were not autorised to take the payement without the guest's consent so there is nothing more they can do.

I'm really not sure about this. I thought they had the ability to charge a guest's card for any outstanding money and I'm pretty sure they would do this if the guest owed THEM money. What is the point in the 'involve Airbnb' button then?

I'm pretty mad about this, not because it is a large amount of money, but because I feel like I've been taken advantage of. This guest thought that she could check in and out at any time she liked and didn't care about the late check in fee because she clearly had no intention of paying it!

[Helen3]

Hi @Huma0

Of course they can do something they can a) take it out of the guests payment method or b) they can pay it themselves.

Do make sure you leave an honest review, three stars and thumbs down so she can't iB going forward.