Airb&b's "Automatic" Refund policy

[Mbua0]

Since I began hosting in January, I've had limited but substantive interactions with AirBnB. In my opinion, they seem a somewhat antihost. My issue is regarding their 'automatic' refund policy. I had a guest book a long term reservation from Feb. 1st through March 3rd, and decided I wanted to cancel/alter his reservation since he left earlier (2/24/19). Disclaimer, there were NO ISSUES between the guest and I; In fact, I never met him during his stay. However, he messaged me the morning of his departure thanking, and notifying me of his exit.

So, I called Airbnb the following day to inform them, and request that they open the calendar so I might accept new offers. Their response was that they needed the guest's permission to alter the reservation, and must refund him for nights unstayed. I then prompted them to close the case, as I was not keen on processing a refund especially if the guest had not requeted it himself.

So, Herein is my qualm. Why is it AirBnB's place to initiate a refund without the guest having requested it? My hope was to open the calendar 1 week early, and begin entertaining others to increase my February earnings. To AirBnB, however, that was 'unfair'.

Am I simply greedy? Please comment your thoughts below.

[Inna22]

@Mbua0 just let it go at this point

[Huma0]

Mmm, I'm noticing things getting a little heated on the community forums this evening. 

@John2374  I'm not sure the comparison you just made is valid. @Sarah977  was replying to someone on a thread who was both being totally unreasonable and very rude to several other posters. 

Whether you agree with @Mbua0  or not, he is not being rude to anyone, not even you after you pretty much attacked him (twice). It's not that I disagree with your point, as it's fair enough that the host does not get to charge twice for the same dates, it's more the way your are saying it. Everyone else on this thread has voiced their opinion without being rude. Perhaps you should take "some adult advice that should give you a little growth as an adult human being," and learn to express yourself in a less offensive tone.

@Mbua0  basically it boils down to this. Your guest has booked those nights and paid for them. It doesn't matter if you gave him a monthly discount or not as you are still getting paid for that month at the rate you advertised/accepted. So, you are not losing any money as you get the same as if he had stayed for the full booking.

Now, if your guest had cancelled, you would have gotten paid for the first month of the booking, according the long-term cancellation policy and would have been able to accept other reservations for the unused dates. However, if you had not booked up those dates, you would have lost out. So, take it as a blessing. You have a room that is empty for a few days and still paid for. That's a win-win in my opinion!

[Huma0]

PS @Mbua0  Airbnb are not operating any kind of 'automatic refund policy' in this instance. You called them telling them you wanted to unblock the dates and they informed you that in order to do so, the existing booking must be cancelled or the dates altered with the guest's consent and the appropriate refund issuesd. It's not like they were going to randomly cancel it and refund the guest without either party's knowledge.

[Mbua0]

@Huma0, thanks for the  insight. As was apparent by my original posting, I was dismayed because I wasn't aloud to "Double-book" (Overbook)? However, you and @Sarah977  clarified the rational and workings for me.... A chance at hitting 125% occupancy was itching me though! 

Another question if you please. What was your strangest guest like? Although I had no problems with Mr. Lee (almost perfrect guest), he was an odd-ball. For the duration of his stay, I NEVER saw him ONCE. My other guest noted that he never left his room, never showered, and made a concious effort not to be seen. Upon exit, I was told he left with 5 bags of trash as well.

[Huma0]

@Mbua0 

Yes, I understand. Of course it is tempting to rebook the nights if the room is empty. It almost seems silly not to, but unless the guest has cancelled, the booking is still technically valid.

Mr Lee does indeed sound like an oddball, but also like he caused you no stress. That's not my favourite type of guest as it makes me feel a bit uncomfortable, but some guests are just really private and/or shy. Did he leave the place clean? I would be worried about a long-term guest who never showered sleeping on my sheets and also about them storing large amounts of trash in their room.

I'm not sure who was the strangest guest. I've had a few oddballs but can't think of one right now who stood out for being weirder by far than the rest!

I have three cats but had a girl book knowing this even though she was clearly terrified of cats and spent the whole week freaking out. She was on another planet to be honest and behaved so weirdly in so many ways, but she was very sweet.

Then there was the lady who was strange in many ways, including doing her yoga in my front yard (I live on a busy road) in the dark, when I have a garden and roof terrace she could have used if she wanted to excercise outdoors. It caused some amusement amongst my other guests. She was very friendly though.

The ones who were not sweet nor friendly were the 'constanty complaining couple'. I am sure the lady was on medication because she couldn't even turn on a light switch herself and would scream at me to do it and couldn't remember where she had bought dinner an hour before. Her husband took a hammer from my toolkit and kept it in their room the whole week. My other guests and I were genuinely scared and couldn't wait for them to leave.

[John2374]

I am not being rude and but she is being a hypocrite. So what you are saying her being rude is justified being he was being rude?  I thought over sensitive people like her thought two wrongs don't make a right.

Hypocrisy.

[Huma0]

@John2374no, two wrongs don't make a right, but if someone is being polite, I'm not going to be rude to them even if I think they are wrong. I can tell them I disagree without having to be rude.

If someone is being continually rude, offensive and doesn't respond to polite advice (such as the guy @Sarah977  was responding to), then sometimes they need a stronger statement to help them wake up and smell that coffee, but they must have already crossed a certain line by that point. I don't think that is hypocracy, it's judging things on a case by case basis, which in my opinion is logical.

A guy who is slightly tipsy walks into a bar at closing time and tries to order a drink. He is politely told, no, sorry, we're closing now. He is disappointed, maybe asks again nicely, even tries some charm and humour. It doesn't work, so he accepts the judgement and stumbles out humming a tune.

A guy who is seriously drunk crawls into a bar, knocking over furniture and shoving people out of the way and demands a drink at the top of his voice. He's politely told, no, sorry, we're closing. He proceeds to scream, shout and hurl profanities at the staff and other customers. He starts throwing chairs. He threatens violence. Do you then react to this guy in the same way as tipsy guy number one? No, you need to be firmer. You tell him to leave immediately or you will call the police. You will probably need to raise your voice. You call security. Security will physically remove him from the premises, using force if necessary.

That is not hypocrisy. It's common sense.

A.K.A. pick your battles.

[John2374]

I gave an answer.  It was direct and to the point.  Again, if you are over senstive, move on, do not reply to my answer.  Do not instruct me on how I should act as if you are my mother.  You do not know me.

You are still reply to something that has absolutely nothing to do with the topic here.  You have skewed the topic because you wish to argue and make sure that I agree with your point.  That is how defensive overly sensitive people are and I accept that but I will not cave in to your point of view in life on how people should act according to your standards.

Move on.  My answer has been given to the OP's question.

[John2374]

Simple fact. He does not deserve a refund and to be able to rebook those rooms.

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[Sarah977]

@John2374  There is a difference between calling someone out on their attitude and calling them names, i.e. labelling them, as if that is the be all and end all of who they are. You obviously don't understand this.

[John2374]

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[Huma0]

@John2374  Ah, okay I get it. You are having a laugh and just trying to wind us all up!

I only realised it from your last response, where you said,

"If you do not like it, don't reply, do not agree, do not become my mother and tell me how I need to act. YOU do not know me personally,"

Which is completely contradictory to your statement to @Mbua0   "Welcome to reality Mr. Sensitive. If you don't want responses to your questions, do not ask.  You are not entitled to the answers you want that will make you happy."

So, surely you cannot really mean that @Mbua0 should man up and let you judge him, tell him how to act, be his mother, even telling him what he needs to become an adult, but that @Sarah977 is not entitled to do the same to you, especially having just accused HER of beig a hypocrite.

Of course, no one can contradict themselves so often in such a short space of time and seriously mean it. It's just your wicked sense of humour 🙂

[John2374]

You're still replying, why?

[Mbua0]

@Huma0 & @Sarah977, I highly appreciate your considerate answers and advice. So, I'd like to return the favor. Please treat this thread as a zoo, and refrain from feeding that *bleep*. Nothing good shall come from it.

[Sarah977]

@Mbua0  Congratulations on taking the high road, sir. I can tell you're a good man.