cancellation

[Lin52]

I try to cancel one of the booking and they indicate that I have to pay $50 penalty fee. I have email communication with other community member before and they said I don't need to pay penalty if my listing is an instant acceptance. Is that right??

[Ana1136]

@Lin52 yes that is right but you need to contact Airbnb and explain why are you canceling and have them cancel the reservation.

[Lin52]

I have followed the conversation and procedure I had with other  super host which written the following:

"My name is Sayaka, an Airbnb expert and a Superhost.
Hope this message finds you well and I will try my best to help with any concerns you may have.

If you are an instant book host, you may cancel penalty free. Please follow the steps here to cancel.
https://www.airbnb.com.au/help/article/166/how-do-i-cancel-a-reservation-as-a-host"

I have followed the above link and do the cancellation, but it come back with a $50 penalty, I don't understand!

[Lin52]

I have followed the conversation and procedure I had with other  super host which written the following:

"My name is Sayaka, an Airbnb expert and a Superhost.
Hope this message finds you well and I will try my best to help with any concerns you may have.

If you are an instant book host, you may cancel penalty free. Please follow the steps here to cancel.
https://www.airbnb.com.au/help/article/166/how-do-i-cancel-a-reservation-as-a-host"

I have followed the above link and do the cancellation, but it come back with a $50 penalty, I don't understand!

[Ana1136]

@Lin52 it doesn't work like that. Many here are Superhosts but no one can guarantee anything unless you speak directly to Airbnb. And what is an Airbnb exert? Is it something she calls herself? Because I have never heard of this. Next time you want to cancel just call Airbnb and have them cancel the reservation, that is how this works.

[Lawrene0]

@Ana, it does work like that. There ARE "Airbnb Experts and Superhosts" who are paid (and reviewed, poor things), but whose advice is not always perfect. They are reached when a guest contacts Customer Service. You are right, of course, about how to cancel. 

In defence of those experts, they are working with the same ever-changing rules we all see, and with frantic and angry hosts. It's not an easy job.

@Lin, try again to reach Customer Service if it is very important that you cancel that guest.

[Ana1136]

@Lawrene0 "it doesn't work like that'' was about her canceling on her own withouth having Airbnb to cancel it for her penalty free 🙂 And I just googled Airbnb Experts and it clearly says they are self appointed. Maybe Airbnb has some other experts they appoint but I didn't find anything on the official Airbnb page.

[Lawrene0]

Oh, I see, @Ana, sorry about that. So you are 100% right - cancellation does not work like that. But, yes, there are self-appointed experts (to be found when googling), but there are also those who are hired by Airbnb. Robin from Australia was one for awhile. He was away from this forum while doing it, then came back with battle stories. 🙂

[Ana1136]

@Lawrene0 good to know, I've never had to contact Airbnb I guess that is why I've never heard of it 🙂