Unhappy with lack of proper refund

Cibele18
Level 1
South Bend, IN

Unhappy with lack of proper refund

Hello, I booked an AirBNB in Austin TX 2 weeks ago for mid-Feb 2021. This morning I received notice that the conference I was going to attend was cancelled. I promptly contacted the host (Renters Club) asking for a cancellation and a full refund. They replied that will refund slightly over half of what I paid, but they are keeping the other half, which amounts to over $1500. I am shocked that I am paying $1500 for NOTHING. I submitted documentation from the conference noting their cancellation to Renters Club. I am wondering if there is anything else that can be done? I plan to report this to BBB and CFPB in 24 hours if there is not a better resolution for keeping a large sum of my money for a property that I can no longer rent, despite me giving them over 3 months notice and proper documentation. Thank you for your attention to this matter. 

9 Replies 9
Emiel1
Level 10
Leeuwarden, The Netherlands

@Cibele18 

When you booked the accommodation the cancellation policy attached was part of the booking and was accepted by you. If you cancel the booking, this policy will be used to calculate your refund (if any).

Offcourse nor the host nor Airbnb is responsible for the conference you wished to attend and is cancelled now. Although a host can decide to provide some more refund voluntary, or maybe give some credit on a future booking, there is no obligation to do so.

 

Sandra856
Level 10
Copenhagen, Denmark

Hi @Cibele18 🙂 Here is AIRBNB'S Covid cancellation policy. Because you booked after March 14th Covid restrictions, lock downs, event cancellations like you mentioned are expected - and because of that not considered extenuating circumstances. 

https://www.airbnb.co.uk/help/article/2701/extenuating-circumstances-policy-and-the-coronavirus-covi...

Ute42
Level 10
Germany

.

@Cibele18 

 

What does Your host has to do with the conference that got cancelled?

 

What You're planning to report to the Better Business Bureau is, that You refuse to live up to the

conditions of a contract You've agreed upon.

 

Mike-And-Jane0
Level 10
England, United Kingdom

Hi @Cibele18 

We have a strict policy and as a result accept we may get fewer bookings and less revenue per night. As a guest you took the risk of a possibly cheaper price when you accepted the cancellation policy which is clearly stated at the time of booking.

The gamble didn’t pay off for you but that is no legitimate reason to complain to the BBB

Mark116
Level 10
Jersey City, NJ

@Cibele18  If you didn't want to risk losing any money, why did you book a place with a strict cancellation policy, and now are going ballistic when they hold you to the agreement that you made?

Jennifer1897
Level 10
Irvine, CA

Screen Shot 2020-11-02 at 1.53.10 PM.png@Cibele18 Here is a screenshot of airbnb's cancellation policies that host can select. From what you have shared it appears your host selected the "Strict." When you make a booking and confirm, you are entering a contract in which you agree to the policies encompassed within the listing, including that nice cancellation policy. 

 

Unfortunately, while you may deem that policy unfair, you agreed to it, whether you actually took the time to read the entire listing or not.  When I was brand new too booking, long before becoming a host, I had the same thing happen to me. To say I was mad was an understatement, but in the end the host was in the right, and I should have read the listing better. The fact that your plans got cancelled has absolutely nothing to do with your refund. The only time a change in plans warrants a full refund is if you qualify for the extenuating circumstances policy, which is something like a death (Proven) or disaster. 

 

I would suggest asking the host to consider refunding more on the grounds that he/she is able to rebook those dates.  Since you are so far out from your actual check in,  there is a higher probability the dates could be rebooked. 

Kelly149
Level 10
Austin, TX

@Cibele18 you absolutely CAN come to Austin in February, you are CHOOSING not to. There is, as you may guess by the responses you're getting here, quite a large difference between the two. Anyway, Austin in February has significantly better weather than South Bend, might be worth a visit.

 

*btw, the NOTHING that you have received is that you booked a 50% fee cancellation place, which has a cost to the vendor because you prevented anyone else who was looking at that time from booking. If you weren't sure that you were ready to commit then it's better to not book and wait to see what happens. Of course then someone else could book the place that you liked, which is why you booked early and why the host has a cancellation policy. Maybe absolutely everyone who is coming to Austin that weekend has now booked and this 'Renters Club' will have no takers for their hotel room and you canceled so they will have an empty place and lose out on the other $1500 they would have made from selling the weekend to a person that will actually come. Anyway, travel tends to have conditions attached, the thing I wanted to do is no longer happening isn't usually a refund reason. 

Sarah977
Level 10
Sayulita, Mexico

If you booked a non-refundable airline ticket and then your plans changed, would you be raging at the airline? What makes guests think that Airbnb hosts should refund you in full in contravention of their cancelation policy that you agreed to by booking the place? If you didn't read it, whose fault is that? Why do you think you shouldn't have to abide by what was written there in black and white when you booked?

@Cibele18

Debra300
Level 10
Gros Islet, Saint Lucia

@Cibele18,

Instead of forfeiting the 50% cancellation fee, and you don't want to travel to Austin next February, I suggest that ask Renter's Club if they have other properties in which you could apply those monies, and book a place for recreation.