I feel like I have been betrayed by a friend

[Heather64]

I had a 90-day booking. The guest wanted to leave two months early. For weeks, multiple AirBnB representatives agreed with me that the guest would not be refunded. Then out of no where, Kaitlyn contacts me and tells me they are refunding him a month. I ask to speak to her supervisor. A few days later Amber called me with the same verdict. When I asked to speak to her supervisor she let me know that "she is the last line of supervision."

Really? I said. "Is your name Brian?"

To which Amber replied with a laugh "Brian doesn't get involved in these matters."

Brian really should get involved. 

I have been damaged by a guest that has a pattern of leaving early (based on previous reviews) and he is being allowed to provide a review. 

I have no choice now but to severe my seven year long relationship with AirBnB for all six of my properties. It's upsetting because I always travel with AirBnB. I have written op-eds in favoring of home sharing. I have testified in front of elected officials about the importance of home sharing. I have opened my home in several disaster and refugee situations. And, of course, I have enjoyed a significant income from my properties. 

But, like all relationships, when the trust is violated, things just aren't the same.

[Heather64]

I understand that fellow hosts want to explain the policy and stick to the facts and I appreciate the input @Mike1034  

From a policy standpoint you and @Anonymous are missing one difference between a lease agreement and an AirBnB agreement. Guests have to request a change in reservation and hosts have to agree to that change. If those two things don't happen, the guest must have a compelling reason. 

Per AirBnB, long term guests can't announce an early departure and expect a refund. If the guests wants to depart early and if the host agrees to alter the reservation. At which time the two can mutually agree upon the departure and refund decisions. 

Even so, my larger point is that AirBnB has changed in the last seven years. And I think it's not a good business partnership when -

one partner can't speak to the same person about the same on-going case

one partner is told six times that AirBnB agrees with them only to have it overruled without notice

one partner asked to continue the conversation with someone more senior only to be told "no"

I could go on but you get my point. 

My post isn't about their policy. It's about their lack of communication and customer service. Policies don't betray you...business partners do.

[Mike1034]

@Heather64  In terms of the change request, what you said is applicable. i.e. Hosts have to agree with the change which guests make. But Airbnb allows the cancellation at anytime. That is why long-term cancellation policy kicks in.

I faced a same situation one month ago. A guest booked for 3 months. But after near a month, she wanted to terminate because she was transferred to a city 30 miles away. She asked me if she could alter the ending date of her reservation. I told her that I would not accept it because I would not be able to get the calendar open till her altered ending date came. It would not be fair for me to have the calendar blocked for three months till the ending date of her alternated date.

I asked her to cancel the reservation on the date of her intended termination date. And she consulted with Airbnb and she agreed. And she canceled on the date she needed to leave and I got the payment of 30 days with the calendar open.

[Sandra856]

@Heather64 When a guest books he and you agree on the cancellation policy - in this case the long term policy. A guest has the right to cancel a reservation whenever he feels like it and he will then get his money back according to that policy. I can't see airbnb is doing anything wrong - what should they say - that the guest can't cancel even if the guest got the right to cancel? 

[Heather64]

If you think a 30 day plus guest can cancel whenever he or she wants to; you don't understand AirBnB's longterm guest policy. 

If you don't think AirBnB has mishandled this situation; you haven't read the lengthy messages here within. 

[Sandra856]

@Heather64 I'm sorry but it is you who do not understand that a guest can cancel whenever he wants to - He will need to pay for the next 30 days on the long term cancellation policy - but he doesn't have to ask anyone if he is allowed to cancel. 

[Sandra856]

[Heather64]

You are wrong.

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1361/how-do-changes-and-cancellations-work-for-longterm-reservat...

And the fact that hosts don't know that is a problem.

Host approvals

If a guest wants to change their reservation, their host may need to approve the change. Guests can follow these instructions to change their long-term reservation.

The host will need to approve a change if:

• It’s before the trip, but less than 30 days before the check-in date
• The trip has started, but it’s less than 30 days before the checkout date
• The guest is changing the check-in date, or extending the reservation

[Sandra856]

@Heather64 A guest do not have to request a change at all. They can do that and you can accept or decline but that has nothing to do with the cancellation policy. The guest has the right to press the cancellation button whenever he wants to do so and the cancellation policy will kick in. You have misunderstood the system.

Best, Sandra 

[Heather64]

Maybe it is different in Denmark but AirBnB USA is as I have stated. Longterm guests (30 days plus) and hosts have to agree to any changes after the guest has checked in. 

[Sandra856]

@Heather64 No, hosts do not have to agree on if a guest chooses to cancel. A guest can cancel whenever he wants to - same policy all over the world. 

[Heather64]

You are wrong.

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1361/how-do-changes-and-cancellations-work-for-longterm-reservat...

And the fact that hosts don't know that is a problem.

Host approvals

If a guest wants to change their reservation, their host may need to approve the change. Guests can follow these instructions to change their long-term reservation.

The host will need to approve a change if:

• It’s before the trip, but less than 30 days before the check-in date
• The trip has started, but it’s less than 30 days before the checkout date
• The guest is changing the check-in date, or extending the reservation

[Sandra856]

@Heather64 There is a big difference between changing a reservation and cancelling a reservation. You have to approve of a change and can deny the change BUT you can't do anything if a guest chooses to cancel. It is 2 different things. 

[Sarah977]

@Sandra856  I believe the part of the policy that @Heather64  is basing her ideas on is:

"If the guest books a reservation and decides to cancel the reservation during their stay, the guest must use the online alteration tool in order to agree to a new checkout date."

Which is extremely poorly written, and makes no sense, as it indicates that the guest, not the host, has to "agree". But if the guest is the one who's used the "alteration tool", then it seems like they'd just be agreeing with their own cancellation. And nowhere does it say the host has to agree.

But Heather did get paid out what she was due according to the terms of the policy, as far as the guest losing one month's fees. He cancelled the remaining 2 months of a 3 month booking, and Heather got paid for 2 months. 

@Heather64  I don't see that any of the instances you showed in your post where a host must approve the cancellation apply to this one.

[Sandra856]

@Sarah977 I agree with you that airbnb is really, really mis-leading in the way they explain and the words they use. . I don't like how they consequently try to nugde us into paying the guest money back they are not entitled to. I had a cancellation about 2 weeks ago where a guest didn't wanted to accept my cancellation policy. I got some strange messages from CS asking me to pay the guest her money back. If I had been new or inexperienced I had probably refunded the guest. 

[Sarah977]

@Sandra856  I know, I've been reading a lot of that here lately- Airbnb sending messages or phoning, pressuring a host to refund in contravention of the cancellation policy. That didn't used to happen. It's really disrespectful and rude. And I can certainly see new hosts being intimidated by it and agreeing, I'm sure many have.

It's not as if a host just makes up some subjective cancellation policy- we choose one from among what Airbnb offers. Why offer it at all, if they're just going to disrespect it? It's almost becoming like their "Million Dollar Guarantee"- an assurance that has no teeth and which the company will do everything in its power to renege on.