reimbursement for declined request

[Yolanda48]

I have a guest whom i declined accommodation. I was not able to block my sister's unavailabilty to meet the guest. He apparently paid by debit card and have not received his payment. I want to help him get his money back but I have no idea who to contact in AirBnB. As superhost, i was told i can communicate quickly but i tried the number they gave me and there was no answer on several occassions.

This is my first time to decline a guest and it is creating me more mess than i thought. Please help.

Yolanda

[Steve143]

Hello @Yolanda48,

Guests pay Airbnb. Yhey don't pay the host, so all payment issues are for the guest to discuss with Airbnb.

There's nothing that hosts can do to help except to ask the guest to contact Airbnb.

Just as an explanation ...

Did the guest send a reservation request and you replied using the "Decline" button?

In this case the reservation is not confirmed and the guest is not charged. Airbnb may have put a hold on his card for the amount but this will be returned automatically in a few days.

Did the guest make a reservation and you decided to cancel the reservation?

In this case Airbnb will refund the guest the full amount in a few days.

Steve.

[Yolanda48]

Dear @Steve143,

Many thanks for your quick reply. Yes, I declined (for the first time) and the guest said that he paid via debit card two days ago. I contacted him and he said he has not received the money yet. 

Thanks for the clarification of declining request and cancellation of reservation, this is declining request. I try to retain my superhost status so bit worried about cancelling reservations.

Best,

Yolanda

[Steve143]

Hello @Yolanda48,

All you can do in that case is to point out to him that guests pay Airbnb and that you don't have his money. He must contact Airbnb to discuss the issue, if what's probably a hold placed on his card by them isn't released in a few days time.

Steve.

[Roberta2]

HI

Are youd declining the booking or are you canceling the booking?

those are 2 different things.

If you decline, then no money is taken from the guests card and all is sorted, he needs to look for some other accomodation.

If you CANCEL, then you need to go into the booking and you will csee "Change or cancel - : and then you can cancel -but you will pay feed and loos your superhost status, and the dates will be blocked in the calendar.

You should not have any payment yet, as you just receive payment a day after the guest check in.

[Yolanda48]

Thanks @Roberta2, 

Very helpful differentiation between declining request and cancelling a reservation.

I was wondering though why the client told me that he was charged because he paid by debit card. 

Best,

Yolanda

[Marit-Anne0]

@Yolanda48

When a guest sends a reservation request, airbnb puts a hold on the card.  It takes some days for that hold to lift. 

[Yolanda48]

Thanks @Marit-Anne0, 

I will let him know. He was a bit upset that i declined his request and so I try to facilitate how he can be reimbursed quickly. I also know that it takes time to get the money back from AirBnB.

Many thanks for your support.

Yolanda

[Marit-Anne0]

@Yolanda48

Putting a hold on the card is not the same as charging, it is just a reserved amount while the host takes time to accept or decline.  airbnb handles all aspects of the payment side of things - there is nothing you can do.