Poor experience with case managers

[Chanelle2]

I have been repeatedly ignored by Nicanor - the case manager. Afwul customer service - who else has experienced this poor service? I am disputing airbnb's cancellation policy at it is misleading and I am being charged for accomodation that I can no longer stay in. They will not reply to any of my emails. How do I escalate this? I am in fact entitled to: (quoted from their policy) -  '"full refund of the nightly rate, cancellation must be made at least 14 full days prior to listing’s local check-in time (or 3:00 PM if not specified) on the day of check-in." but the case manager is advising that I am only entitled to 50% which is not what the policy states. I have 6 weeks until the check in date so therefore I should receive the full nightly rate.

Please can someone help me with this, how can the customer service team just ignore a customer like this?! its outrageous.

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

Hi @Chanelle2 Each host can specify their own cancellation policy which forms your booking contract. What level of cancellation policy did your host specify? 

Customer Services could possibly right but it would help to know your reservation's cancellation terms.

[Chanelle2]

It’s the strict policy which states that if the cancellation is within 14 days of the check in date then I should get the full nightly rate returned but will not receive back the service fee. But the customer service team are stating that I am only entitled to 50% of the nightly rate but according to the policy that’s if I am cancelling 7 days before check in 

[Pauline588]

I had experienced really really poor case manager support in resolution centre. 

Case: Airbnb Resolution Center **

Case Manager: **

Problem: Waited for 2 weeks, no one called me or replied in airbnb chat room. Case got closed by the manager without resolved.

I had hosted a guest 2 weeks ago, the guest Media had a party of more than 20 people at my flat, causing chaos and noise to the neighbourhood, and safety issues with smoking. Neighbours tried to stop the party but failed, in the end they called the police to come at 1AM mid-night.

They also caused huge damages to my flat.

I submitted a case in resolution centre, and chase every single day multiple times as it's super urgent with safety issue and police involved. But unfortunately there is no case manager contacting me by phone or chat in airbnb app. They said they work in different way from support team, it's not transparent system in such way, does not make sense.

Up to today, the case is still not resolved. I have been host for 3 years+ with airbnb, really really sad with airbnb this time. I am not sure if I will continue to host after this case, and I can see airbnb quality is reducing A LOT these months, don't recommend others to start hosting their homes.

**[Sensitive information removed in line with - Community Center Guidelines]

[Mike-And-Helen0]

@Chanelle2 I don't think that is what the strict policy says.

Are you within 48 hours of booking?

[Chanelle2]

This is the information I have on my booking:

Strict (grace period). Full refund if cancellation is within 48 hours of booking.

For a full refund of the nightly rate, cancellation must be made at least 14 full days prior to listing’s local check-in time (or 3:00 PM if not specified) on the day of check-in.

For a 50% refund of the nightly rate, cancellation must be made 7 full days prior to listing’s local check in time (or 3:00 PM if not specified) on the day of check in, otherwise no refund. For example, if check-in is on Friday, cancel by Friday of the previous week before check in time.

[Becca56]

This is what mine says too. I booked a place less than 30 hours ago. I requested a cancel and refund but they are keeping $222 and only refunded $75. That is unbelievable. I emailed my host and hopefully she is understanding. I don't see how they let people keep that much money when they are just going to turn around and book it again. that's crazy. as soon as i canceled it was back on the site for booking. 

[Sandra856]

Hi @Becca56 🙂

When you book you pay airbnb. The host is not paid until after the guest has checked in. Just so you are aware. 

Best, Sandra 

[Becca56]

ah that makes sense. But the host has to approve the refund? This is my first booking and its going sour. I feel cheated, although i know they have policy in place for a reason but its not like i booked it 2 weeks ago and canceled the night before. also the total was $95 a night and I booked for 2 nights and i only got a $75 refund... i guess the math doesn't add up.  Even in if i fell under the 50% that still isn't 50% of both nights. my total was $297 I was already refunded $75. that's $222 still in the total. I put in a request for refund and it said i could only ask for 190. which is fine because airbnb still get their fee whatever that may be and the host isn't out anything. Right? ugh I should have just booked a hotel.

[Sandra856]

@Becca56 It is important to read everything on a listing because you book and block the dates so noone else can book. In many cases the host cannot rebook when a guest cancels so the host is out of money. @Chanelle2 was not entitled to more than a 50 % refund.

The cancellation policy is quite clear. Cancel within 48 hours IF there is more than 14 days til check-in. After that 50% back. When less than 7 days til check in the guest will get the cleaning fee back. I think that is reasonable. 

You have to cancel from your side and you will automatically get the momey back you are entitled too. I personally think it is unfair to ask your host for more money than the already agreed agreement. 

When you cancel you will get your money back according to the cancellation policy that the listing had. You shouldn't feel cheated on as it is not the hosts fault that you choose to book and occupy the place? 

[Becca56]

Yes but the place is back on the site for booking 5 min after canceling with plenty of time to book this same weekend. I actually refereed another couple in our group looking  to the same property. So the host get the money at the expense of me? because i chose to book and theatrically occupy the place for all of 30 hours?  so they will book it for this weekend and get double the money because i had  to cancel? like i said, i understand the policy. i also understand its fair to ask a host to refund if they are not out anything. if i kept the booking for more than 48 hours and held up the place so it couldn't be rebooked then yes i agree a decline on the refund is understandable. but to not refund both nights out of pure fact that "well you booked it" is not good. Like is said. i message the host and hopefully she understands. if not then i am out $222 on my first time booking and i wont use airbnb again. 

Also "Cancel within 48 hours IF there is more than 14 days til check-in." leaves no room for human error and entraps customer for a lot of money. if i am booking 7 days in advance (which i was booking 6 days in advance) and need to cancel 24 hours - 5 days before stay) doesn't earn the host $222.  that's the part that makes it a little sour. Charge a flat fee for canceling in these cases where there is no interruption in ability to book. 

[Sandra856]

@Becca56 Yes, the listing is of course available again the minute you cancel but in many cases the host won't be able to rebook. Especially if the cancellation happens only a couple of days before check-in.

If you had booked flight tickets would you feel just as cheated on? Or would you respect the cancellation policy? 

If I book a place and occupy that spot so no one else can book it I don't expect someone else to pay for me. 

Maybe your host will refund you if she gets a new booking. 

[Sandra856]

@Becca56 I'm sorry if I sound angry (I'm not at all :-)) in any way. I'm just trying to explain why there is a cancellation policy. I sure understand it is annoying to loose money. I always refund if I'm able to rebook as I think it's fair. I respect if my guests choose to cancel just before "the 7 days before check-in date limit" (even if they booked and blocked the dates for 2 month so no one else could book) and I'm left out of money and unable to rebook. So I'm also expecting my guests to respect the cancellation policy from their side. 

[Sarah977]

@Becca56  It may seem to you that 7 days would be plenty of time for a host to rebook dates, but that isn't necessarily true at all. I have almost never gotten a booking that wasn't made at least 3 weeks before check-in. In my case, that's because most people fly in to where I live for a holiday- they need to get airline tickets booked well ahead of time before the prices go up closer to the dates, they are booking time off work, they need to plan ahead and get everything lined up. It's also a very busy area during the winter and spring- so people book way ahead to make sure they have a place to stay.

So if you booked and cancelled my place a week before arrival, I would most likely have an unbooked slot in my calendar, right in the middle of my busy season, which would almost certainly have been booked if it hadn't been blocked until a week before.

Airlines have cancellation policies, stores have return policies. No one forces a guest to book a place, no one forces a guest to book a place with a cancellation policy they don't want to abide by, or feel cheated because the cancellation policy was applied in exactly the way it was stated. I understand that it hurts to lose money, but I'm not sure what you mean by "doesn't leave room for human error". What's the error? 

[Chanelle2]

The cancellation policy does not say IF. So that’s where the problem is.... 

Copy and paste from their cancellation policy:

Strict (grace period). Full refund if cancellation is within 48 hours of booking.

For a full refund of the nightly rate, cancellation must be made at least 14 full days prior to listing’s local check-in time (or 3:00 PM if not specified) on the day of check-in.

For a 50% refund of the nightly rate, cancellation must be made 7 full days prior to listing’s local check in time (or 3:00 PM if not specified) on the day of check in, otherwise no refund. For example, if check-in is on Friday, cancel by Friday of the previous week before check in time.

Therefore , I was entitled to my full nightly rate but not the service fee. IF I was cancelling 7 days before check in then I would be entitled to a 50% refund of the nightly rate. The information is there plain and clear