My host won't cancel my booking, advise please!

[Jolene53]

I have requested my host to cancel my reservations due to the COVID-19 and they will not oblige. This is my first time booking with AIRBNB. This is sad as everything is closing and we will have to be quarantined for 2 weeks after getting back. I wish hosts cared more about their paying guest. I want this trip but I want to keep my family safe and to be able to enjoy the trip not stay indoors with nothing to do. Defeats the purpose of a vacation! *sighs* 

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Jolene53 

you as a guest can cancel like always. How much you will be refunded depends of your host's cancelation policy at the time of booking.  Cancelation policies (Flexible, moderate, strict etc... are explaned here: https://www.airbnb.com/home/cancellation_policies#flexible

BUT...

due to COVID-19 Airbnb introduced special cancelation policy and it is explained here: https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2701/extenuating-circumstances-policy-and-the-coronavirus-covid1...

OR....

If you and your host agree to MUTUAL CANCELATION then you will be refunded 100% and your host will not be penalized for cancelation. 

I am sorry if your host doesn't want to agree for mutual cancelation 😞

I offered mutual cancelation to all of my guests who booked for the next few months and all of them agreed and canceled. Now is not the time to travel, not the time to be selfish and money shouldn't be a priority right now. We should help each other and stay healthy.

[Jolene53]

I wish she would agree for a mutual cancellation. Maybe it's my fault for being new at this and not doing more researching. Thank you for being the an awesome host for your quests! 

[Ann489]

@Jolene53   as Branka and Sylvia explained, I would just go ahead and cancel under the current extenuating circumstances policy which will refund you 100%--don't worry about the host.  Your health and safety come first.   I am a host as well and have let my guests cancel due to events, flights etc being canceled.  It's the decent thing to do in my opinion.

[Jolene53]

I am 3 weeks out of the current policy. It only goes to April 14th. My reservation is May 7th.  I think I will have to wait to see if they will extend it into May.   Right now she is only willing to offer me 50% back. =( 

[Helen3]

Your host is acting within Airbnb's cancellation policy. If you think you won't be able to travel in May just wait until Airbnb extends it's EC policy for the virus and cancel then @Jolene53 

Most small hosts cannot afford to voluntarily cancel bookings when their livelihoods are at risk.

[Luana130]

I think that the main problem is that you asked the host to cancel. That probably annoyed him @Jolene53. when hosts cancel there are a lot of punishments, we get fined, the dates stay blocked on the calendar so he is unable to get bookings for those dates, he gets a review saying he cancelled on a guest and others.

The correct thing would have been for you to contact the host, say you are going to cancel the reservation and ask if he is willing to give you some refund because of the situation.

But you are the one who needs to make the cancelation.

[Jolene53]

When I was cancelling due to the COVID-19 (as the reasoning) it prompted me to ask the host to get a full refund. She said I could cancel but only receive 50% back. So I think I will have to wait to see if the extend the https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2701/extenuating-circumstances-policy-and-the-coronavirus-covid1...

[Ruttakan0]

This thing happen to me as well. Australia and New Zealand closed their border for non residents so I have no way to enter their countries. I talk to my hosts and request the full refund through COVID policy. All they need to do is click allow the cancellation. What they did were reject my request and wish to keep 50% of my money. Some hosts are very good but some are ** so it depends on your luck which host you’ll encounter. I’ll charge back my credit card and screw those hosts. Wish them to infect the COVID-19 and use those cheat money to heal themselves.

**[Inappropriate content hidden - Community Center Guidelines]

[Susan17]

... and this right here is a perfect example of the vitriol, spite and abuse that hosts are routinely having to put up with in messages from guests demanding full refunds, right now, for stays as far in the future as Sept/Oct/Nov. I've had dozens of examples sent to me of similar hate-filled messages that have been hitting host inboxes in recent days. 

In their ill-advised efforts to win market share and boost their already severely tarnished brand image, Airbnb has created a vicious, nasty host/guest war that will do (is doing) their company irreparable and unsustainable damage. It's getting seriously ugly out there. 

[Ruttakan0]

Take a look at my chat. I was being nice and talked senses with the host. My booking is 15 - 17 April which is a day after Airbnb allow to cancel with full refund.

[Lisa723]

@Ruttakan0 this chat shows you asking the host to cancel for you, which no host should ever do for any guest, as Airbnb penalizes hosts heavily for cancellations. The host asked you to call Airbnb with your concern, and that is what you should do.

[Sarah977]

@Ruttakan0  "All they need to do is click allow the cancellation."

No, that is not how it works for hosts. If a host clicks on Accept, to a request from guests to agree to a cancellation, that is registered as a HOST cancellation. A host cancellation results in hosts being fined $50-$100, the cancelled dates being blocked on their calendar so they can't rebook them, a loss of Superhost status, and a notice on their review page saying the cancelled a reservation.

ALL knowledgeable hosts will decline those requests, whether they are willing to refund all your money or not. If a guest wants to cancel, they have to cancel from their end. Both hosts and guests can cancel anytime they wish, the other party doesn't have to "allow" it. A host declining that cancellation request has nothing to do with refunds, but with the penalties a host receives if they accept it. Hosts can always agree to refund you fully if they choose to, it has nothing to do with clicking "accept" on a guest cancellation request.

"I'll screw those hosts" is a terrible attitude.

[Lisa723]

@Jolene53 yes, I would wait. It seems very likely that Airbnb will have to extend the policy.

@Ruttakan0 it's not correct that your host has to "allow the cancellation." Guests can always cancel at will. In these cases you are cancelling, which is your right, and asking hosts to waive their cancellation refund policy, which is their right-- unless their policy is superseded by Airbnb's extenuating circumstances policy. Some hosts are going to lose their entire livelihoods and even homes due to Airbnb forcing hosts to absorb the entire cost of covid 19 cancellations, via that policy. Maybe try to have a little empathy instead of hoping to screw them and wishing the virus on them.

[Ruttakan0]

I follow Airbnb suggestions on what to do during COVID-19 outbreak. I wouldn’t mind if it was me who change my mind not going there but in my case, their government prevent me from entering their countries. For human being, you wouldn’t try to cheat this money from me. Go get it from your government or something for implementing this regulation. I talked senses to them that the trip is just postponed but once things are back to normal, I’ll book their place again since I changed my air ticket to open status so I can fly whenever I can but they still care nothing. They are just hungry for the free money so I still insist on screw them.