BEWARE of "Guest requests that you cancel"

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

It happened to me. And I'm seeing that there have been many others like me.

All hosts~ please be aware~

Upon receiving the message "GUEST requests that you cancel" you will be faced with 2 options (1) Cancel (2) Keep reservation.

Unless you DO want to be penalized for a host cancellation - DO NOT click on cancel.

Click on "keep reservation" because the guest does not need the host's consent or approval or agreement to cancel. This is just another ploy to TRICK hosts into taking the blame.

Guest requests that YOU cancel - the second you click CANCEL this will become a HOST CANCELLATION. 

This will negatively affect your commitment rate, and Airbnb will do nothing about it. They will say, you (host) agreed to cancel so this is a host cancellation - and you only have yourself to blame for agreeing to cancel. 

[Susan608]

I agree! I have 95% 5 star ratings with an overall 4.9 star rating and 100% response rate within 1 hour and I'm no longer a superhost because of a cancellation when a crazy lady using someone else's account showed up drugged out on my door stoop and caused a scene. "A" can keep their stupid superhost medal. People read reviews and ratings and I don't think guests even care about superhost status anyway if 95% of your ratingsare 5 star and you have great reveiws. I do depend on the income so it's not fair to place monetary fines on hosts.

[Blanca33]

hi thanks you for the clarificacion! I'm new on this ,

my guess requested to cancel and I acepted to find out that I was penalized for the cancelation !

[Bella18]

If your guest requested to cancel they need to initiate their cancellation, they need to call customer service, not you

ypu should continue to.write to your potential guest that you are

still ready to host them and don't give up until they cancel

good luck

ready to 

[Darlene23]

Thanks for the info. I am new and did not know

[Stacey27]

I have been hosting for 3 years and I am listed as the primary host for a property my husband and I have out of town. Apparently an email went to my husband yesterday (no Airbnb message, just an email.) saying The guest requested a host cancellation and that if he didn’t respond within 24 hours it will be cancelled under his account automatically.) I am the primary host because I check my email regularly and we both always have the Airbnb app on our phones. He didn’t check his email and the booking was cancelled under his own name on the day of check in (2:58pm) so we didn’t get paid out at all. I was never notified first or last as primary host. We have a strict cancellation policy and it was day of check in...how is this possible?

[Ali40]

There are examples of hosts making this mistake almost daily here on the community forum. I think it's one of the first things I learned when I started hosting. 

[City-Limits-Ranch0]

If your Guest tells AirBnb

"My Host, he wants to cancel Me!"

AirBnb will email you.

They'll  ask you if

This tale is true.

What should you do?

You should decline!

The reservation is quite fine!

Just tell them no.

If he wants out

Then he may go but there's no doubt

The Guest should have to pay the price.

You're quite the Host,  but not THAT nice.

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@City-Limits-Ranch0

🙂 Please post this somewhere where many more hosts and guests can see it.

Made me smile....Thank you!

[Jim-and-Marcia0]

@City-Limits-Ranch0  Sounds like you've been reading a bit too much Dr. Seuss! Love your creativity!

[Kelea-and-Gord0]

1) NEVER accept a guest's request to cancel THEIR booking after it has been confirmed. I recently had just such a situation and the guest tried to assure me he was very well versed in all things Airbnb, and it would cost me nothing. Feeling more than uncertain, and relatively new to Airbnb, I contacted customer support directly and confirmed that I would indeed be the one charged, the guest would be financially saved from his poor planning, and it would affect my overall rating/ranking/approval..whatever, in the process. I was able to get the CSR to waive the nonrefundable cancellation portion that I was entitled to (did this as a courtesy to the guest that he really did not deserve), but it took me plenty of time to make this happen. Avoiding this in future by asking the questions the guest should have in the first place.

2) STAY AWAY FROM INSTANT BOOK. You have virtually no guest vetting or cancellation control beyond back-peddaling, and such circumstances will only result in a mess. Do the up-front work of a 24hr request, screen the guests with whatever questions you need to (you will have history in the dialogue that way as well) and decline a guest request if you feel at all uncomfortable. I'm about to do that in the next 10 minutes as a guest with only one review on her (an unfavourable one, but I was giving her benefit of doubt...Hosts aren't always perfect) elected to disregard specific questions I had asked of her before I would accept her request. She was either lazy and didn't read my note, or conveniently skipped over the pertinent information request. In either case the result comes down to the same...declining as we are uncomfortable with this booking request.

I will always take decline in ranking, or the potential loss of some 'gold star' status that amounts to very little anyway, over an undesirable staying in my home.

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Ali40 Well.....one of the first things I learned thru the community was that setting a deposit would not mean I could expect to get proper compensation for any damages - which is why I don't have a deposit and instead have a personal rainy day fund to cover unexpected expenses from hosting my listing 🙂 I probably still have a lot to learn.......but in the mean time~ my home, my responsibility. 

[Ali40]

@Jessica-and-Henry0 I've always assumed that my listing is my responsibility since I own the property, but I still have a security deposit amount listed, in the event that something happens that would warrant me submitting a claim to Airbnb. If I don't have a deposit listed, my chances of collecting on a claim are less likely. I also think that having a posted security deposit discourages guests that are less respectful of the property of others. 

[Bella18]

I am also a new host , and I am agree that security deposit should be added, but how much ? Or how to calculate tha sum of security deposit? Who can advise?

Bella

[Natalie142]

What I learned about the deposit, is that the guests are not even charged that amount upfront. They CAN be charged if the claim will be approved. One of my guests stole a comforter. The whole queen size down comforter. How did it fit in their luggage -  have no idea. I contacted Airbnb and was instructed to submit a claim. I did. Got pictures, receipts, submitted within the deadline, etc... After my claim was reviewed, I was denied the payment. I was told that "Airbnb is confident that I will have many more positive experiences". I bougth cheap blankets from Walmart, to curb my future losses. I did have a dosen of positive experiences in my first year of hosting. 

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Natalie142 

Your example is exactly why I decided to forego the deposit. Of course, hosts need to provide proof or damage, and that isn't the problem. It's the fact that there are so many hosts who do spend a lot of time preparing evidence only to be refused payment or they end up with an insultingly small amount which is what worried me the most. Why go through the bother of having a deposit if it isn't going to help me in the end?

Of course like someone else said, maybe the probablity of getting compensation is higher if I do have a deposit but in my specific case, I just decided I'd rather put the extra effort in making sure I set my listing up in a way where I I don't have to worry too much about damage, keep a close eye on my listing (which is possible because it is just the guest room+bath in my home), have good communication with my guest about expectations, and maintain a rainy day fund for unexpected expenses. Each host/listing situation is different, but in my opinion for my listing, a deposit would not ensure any kind of safety net.

This past weekend, my guest got new hair coloring which got into my towels. She said that she would pay for the towels before I even said anything - but I told her we'll try using a stain remover first and see if if comes out. It did, so thankfully crisis over. I put out darker towels and removed the lighter colored ones though 🙂