No strict cancellation policy

[Cameron---RD0]

Hi Fellow Airbnb Hosts,

For those of you who have strict cancellation policies - This is a note to appeal to you all to write airbnb here:  and complain about the lack of enforcement for the strict policy.

https://airbnb.com/help/feedback

We are struggling with a very serious problem - people book long stays then cancel them a day or two before check in.  AirbNB says that we can have a strict policy but in fact they don’t have a policy that’s strict because the moment a guest produces a doctor’s note the entire policy is thrown out. For hosts this is a very serious serious problem. For any stay longer than 4 days it can have devastating effects. For example we had a guest in October cancel a 10 day stay two days before arrival because she had decided to go to Hawaii with her family. When she asked for a full refund and we explained that we have a strict cancellation policy but that if another guest booked for her days we would refund her, the guest’s response was to create a doctor’s note, send it to Airbnb and we received nothing. 

And this exact story has happened 3 other times in this fall already. A two or three day booking cancellation is frustrating but it’s not going to take us down but a 5 day or 30 day booking cancellation has painful consequences. 

This week alone we’ve had two massive cancellations. One for 31 days and the other for 7 days. Our fear of guests using doctor’s notes is so huge that we now offer 50% refund but guests can still turn around send airbnb a doctor’s note and leave us with a month hole and no compensation. Guests now expect a refund regardless and this is creating a tremendous business challenge for us. Frankly - It is not a business we can continue with. Other vacation rental companies require guests to purchase travel insurance to cover illness. If the guest refuses to purchase the insurance then they understand that there is no refund. I am begging you all to write airbnb and ask that they implement the same policy.

We now have a guest that wants to book a whole month over summer for our house and we are terrified to accept. This is our busiest time and the guest could message us the day before check in and cancel, send airbnb a “doctor’s note” and without the income from summer we could lose our home.

Airbnb’s cancellation policy should have no backdoor. We love our guests and take this job very seriously. We should not be responsible for a guest’s travel changes. If airbNB insists on allowing doctor’s notes then hosts should still be protected and paid for cancellations.

if you agree please write a note to airbnb too: https://airbnb.com/help/feedback

[Denice0]

Update:  I just discovered that the guest, who was a no-show, who cancelled the following day, is an Airbnb Sr. Operations Manager.  That explains why the case Manager didn't  care what I, the host, had to say concerning the cancellation.  They automatically overrode their strict cancellation policy, when the boss cancelled.  They plan to steal my funds from my account, and Airbnb is going to keep my money!

Beware of the "Super Guest" with 160+ reviews, who says he is an avid Airbnb traveler - no disclosure in his profile that he works for the company.  No ethics, no fairness, and no integrity in how they handled this no-show cancellation.

[Denice0]

I wrote feedback on this site today - there is no longer a strict cancellation policy. The case manager closed the case today.  A no-show, employee of the company, was given a 100% refund.  Airbnb keeps 100% of my payment.

This is what the help center currently states: "what if my guest does not show up for their reservation":  

If your guest decides to cancel or not show up for an active reservation, we’ll uphold your cancellation policy and any payout for a canceled reservation will be released to you. 

This statement should be updated on the help center.  If a guest is a no-show there are numerous "extenuating circumstances" that a case manager can use to override a strict cancellation policy.  I asked, but the case manager would not disclose the "extenuating circumstance" in this case.  Was it the delayed flight that prompted the guest to request a late check-in, the flu he caught overnight and used as his excuse when he cancelled , because he decided to change his new years eve plans, or because he is an employee of the company? 

[Lee353]

Have you filed for arbitration?  I'm currently undergoing a similar issue with a guest not showing up, not canceling, not doing anything, and the case manager seems likely to refund $2,300 to the guest even though my calendar JUST got cleared after I begged for 5 days into the actual booking.  

If they do refund the guest in full, I plan to file for arbitration given the case manager repeatedly refused to follow the extenuating circumstances policy and flat out told me that it's a not a policy, just a guideline, and case managers can decide a host's fate completely independent of the published policy.

[Denice0]

No, I didn't file for arbitration.  The case manager abruptly "Closed the case".  I could not reply to the case manager's last email - closed.  It was a Senior Operations Manager who works for Airbnb, who was a No show and cancelled the New Years reservation.  Unfortunately, I know how this story ends.  The no show cancelling guest, an Airbnb employee, has a Linked in profile that says he is in charge of customer Arbitration.  I emailed him directly and he did admit working for this platform.   No apology for being a no show or for not communicating that he would not be there for his late night 11 pm check-in, or a thank you for asking if he would like to reschedule his trip.  He just stopped communicating.  He had a very entitled attitude.  It's a shame, but it says a lot about the direction of this company.

Do let us know if you are successful with arbitration.

[Kourtney7]

I just had a guest cancel an 8 night booking @ $3000 during peak season due to extenuating circumstances. They produced a doctor note and airbnb refunded the money to them immediately from what I can tell. Airbnb only sent me a note after they did it, they didn't call to inquire, nothing. It literally has left left a pit in my stomach all week long. I feel sick about the whole thing. It seems very one sided. Thanks to everyone for commenting on this post. I will be sending my feedback to airbnb via the links referenced above. 

[Denice0]

Yes, case managers deciding to override the strict cancellation policy without contacting the Host, is very one sided.  The case manager has no idea if the guest has been texting the host, with their supposed late arrival time, that ends up being a guest no show.  

Thanks for commenting.