"Cancelled by Airbnb" Halfway Into Guest's Reservation - Guest had to move in 2 hours, Host / Guest Perplexed`

[Joan104]

My guest moved in 5 days ago for an 18 day booking. No problems, no complaints on either side. Today suddenly her booking was "cancelled by Airbnb" and Airbnb asked her (by phone) to leave immediately because she's "under investigation." Airbnb won't tell me why but they keep emailing me from the Trust and Safety Department. Guest begged me to let her stay and pay me privately. I said no.

I already got the whole payout since check-in was 5 days ago. Even so, Airbnb hinted to me that they would calculate the amount of the payout once I confirmed that this guest moved out. I have a strict cancellation policy on all my listings. Anyone have experience with this? Can I expect to be paid the  whole payout if I don't get any further bookings on this space for those dates? Or will Airbnb claw back the difference in their next payout to me for a different guest? Also, I understand if Airbnb needs to maintain confidentiality with any guest issues but why can't they at least tell me if this person is dangerous? So that's 2 questions there: financial and danger. Thanks in advance. 

[Brian2036]

@Joan104 

I can only speculate but I would guess that Airbnb encountered some kind of problem with the guest’s payment system. 

If Airbnb doesn’t get paid you don’t get paid, regardless of the cancellation policy.

It could also be that either Airbnb, a bank, PayPal or whomever is involved made a mistake.

 I doubt that the guest is an escaped convict, known terrorist, or anything like that. It’s unlikely that Airbnb would care about anything other than the money.

It is unlikely that they will ever tell you what happened and there’s really no way of knowing if it was anything more than another website malfunction.

Anyway, I think you did the right thing.

[Joan104]

Thanks. I agree that Abb's impulse and strategy is always about the money. It seems unlikely that Abb would give  a payout before they receive the money from the guest. Assuming that's true, and since Abb made a unilateral decision to cancel the rez, what part of our contract with Abb allows them to claw back money? I'm totally happy following any rules or contract but I'm concerned about Abb's over-reach and lack of due process here. I'm a big advocate of fair housing and tenant's + landlord's rights. 

[Colleen253]

@Joan104 As Airbnb cancelled the booking and not the guest, they will refund her for the nights not spent, regardless of your cancellation policy, and regardless of the fact that she’s ‘under investigation.’ Your cancellation policy would only apply if the guest cancelled with no just cause.  In a perfect and just world, Airbnb would refund out of their own coffers, but they will now take the payout for unused nights back from you. Just be glad that you are now free from whatever trouble this guest may have caused you. 

They will never tell you the reason why the guest is under investigation. 

[Joan104]

Understand ur explanation of the cancellation terms. Just wondering where my contract with Airbnb is written so I can read it + operate in accordance w it. No offense meant...to me, the phrase "In a perfect and just world, Abb would refund..." is irrelevant if we have a written contract. So where is that agreement? Thanks again in advance.

[Colleen253]

@Joan104 Your contract is the TOS. All terms and policies are found in the help pages. 

[Helen3]

Look at the TOS on their website 

[Susan89]

Hi Joan,

I'm going through this right now with a four night stay. After two nights our guest was contacted by Airbnb that their reservation will be cancelled and they need to leave. The guests have been super courteous and nice; no problems. I called Airbnb tonight and the person who was helping me said I will be contacted by the case manager, since my guest has already called Airbnb twice. It's going on an hour and not one word yet.

This reminds of another negative experience, when Airbnb wouldn't allow a guest to book the place because they said the guests were going to have parties. They told the guests to get a hotel room, and I lost out on a reservation. It's not okay.

[Brian2036]

@Susan89 

No, it’s definitely NOT OK.

Now their deeply flawed Almighty Computer Program Is not only destroying long-term successful hosts, it’s antagonizing guests with money in hand.

At some point someone is going to have to acknowledge that there is no substitute for human interaction, intelligence and intuition.

At least not yet…

They can issue warnings about destructive parties, they can offer hints and warnings to hosts, but ultimately it is up to the hosts to stamp out the fires before it’s too late.

There should be 100% support for hosts who see a situation developing and take quick and decisive action to put a stop to it, no matter what they have to do.

 I don’t see this happening.

[Susan89]

Thanks, Brian, so helpful and kind of you. I called them again and no help. Hopefully I will get some kind of answer before too long. What a nightmare, to not know why this is happening.

[Joan104]

Susan- I was told the same thing ..still no case manager has contacted me after 72 hours. Keep posting + I'll keep updating here too. Best- Joan

[Susan89]

Hi Joan,

Airbnb again cancelled two more reservations that are checking in today (I have two listings).  I called and they sent a vague message saying they will get back to me within 24 hours. I started calling them 3 days ago to find out what is going on, and no response until my third call today. It very upsetting and stressful, especially for me since they're taking my income away. I need to know soon.

[Joan104]

I decided yesterday to tell all my current and future guests about this potential Abb maneuver. Sometimes 1 party (Abb) benefits from the fact that the other 2 parties (guest/host) don't usually compare notes on these things. 

IMO, the risk of losing money/peace/safety as a result of a non-responsive platform will outweigh peoples' motivation to find housing that suits their needs thru Abb. Unclear if Abb will let it go that far before making corrections in their system. 

Of course, as dedicated hosts, we know that Abb's unilateral inexplicable cancellations won't work in the long run. Brian, I agree 100% that the hosts need the solutions most. But I don't think Abb will give us more support. Instead, it's us who need to come up with strategies and solutions. It's always the front line closest to the customers that feels the most torque when things get heated.  That's when solutions are born. Let's keep thinking together as hosts + sharing what works. 

[Joan104]

Update: it appears this is what happened..

1. Guest received a bad (embellished or fictitious) review, complaint and claim from a host on one of the many listings she stayed at in the past 6 months. Acc to her, the host was retaliating bc she felt unsafe in that listing + left early. Guest  is just guessing that this is the cause for her being blacklisted.

2. Airbnb received the complaint/claim from that host + it took them months to address it - no doubt because the volume of complaints they get makes that department less efficient than the booking machine ..i mean, department. 

3. Meanwhile, guest moves into my listing and 5 days later her profile is coded as "unsafe" or whatever.

4. Customer care department is directed to call guest and tell her she's cancelled. Doesn't matter if it's in the middle of a perfectly good stay. This department also isn't given a reason why. They only know that the computer said to do it. 

5. Guest is perplexed, loses a home. Host is confused, loses revenue + nice guest. Airbnb wins. 

[Brian2036]

@Joan104 

Thanks for the update. It is really surprising if the reason for the cancellation was one negative review.

Several hosts have complaints about being shut down due to one vindictive review despite years of excellent service, but I thought guests were exempt.

 I have to admit that I would be reluctant to accept a guest who has a history of canceling because they “felt unsafe.”

I have had it done to me by ninnies who did not realize that “remote, isolated cabin surrounded by forest” means that there are no visible neighbors, no streetlights, and no traffic noise.

There are also a lot of trees, surprisingly.

On the other hand, if they felt unsafe because they found themselves in a moldy old house on the wrong side of Tchoupitoulis, heard sporadic gunfire during the night, and stumbled over a corpse when stepping out for café au lait in the morning, I would welcome them.

 I really don’t want computers making choices for me.