Cancelling a guest in their best interests and Airbnb penalize the host!

[David944]

I am a host in a remote location in the Australian bush who by all accounts looks after guests who visit very well given reviews and Superhost status.

A guest used instant booking for this weekend whilst I was talking to State Forest personnel (the property abuts state and national forest) about a planned hazard reduction burn in the coming days, already aborted a number of times for various changed weather conditions, and long overdue, there will be an extreme fire hazard in summer and even now in winter the risk is high, and with one fire notification nearby, as in 8 km yesterday. The need for a hazard reduction burn is very very high and well overdue.

I sent the guest an email alerting them to the likliehood of the fire and probably local road closures and obvious smoke discomfort, being very aware they have an infant with them as well.

So, no response as yet from the guest, so I, a superhost, who offers my asset to Airbnb without risk to them to make money (including me) attempt to look up the site and cancel the booking.

The cancellation policy penalises me, to the tune of $100 and loss of the dubious honour it seems of being a Superhost for 12 months because I am concerned about the comfort and well being of the guests. I am not some recalcitrant kindergarten child not doing their homework or needing a note from home saying I am allergic to school teachers, but Airbnb are treating me like one. This follows on from having to provide a medical certificate last year proving hospitilisation to avoid a similar penalty, since resolved but, why are we treated like this? We are lauded hosts who risk at the risk of repitition OUR assets to make Airbnb work, and the scale of penalties are heavily weighted against us, not guests who can write frivolous reviews, cancel with impunity and don't get star rated and can put images of pets to represent themselves! 

One of the first lines in the cancellation advice and under   extenuating circumstances claims a death certificate is required for cancellation of a booking without penalty if someone dies and you might want to mourn their death. How charming. How considerate. How caring. 

Am I being childish and petulant, or have Airbnb overstepped the mark and treating HOSTS in a high handed arrogant manner more becoming of a 1950's head mistress/master of a Baptist junior school? (I know because I attended one)

David Williams

[David944]

An addendum, not a tag!

Airbnb have agreed to cancellation without penalty, but what a ludicrous process, I feel like a petty criminal let off with a warning by an adolescent.

DW

[Michael956]

The big lesson is:  NEVER CANCEL A RESERVATION.  Let the guests do it, or don't do it at all.  

[Fred13]

    Also a lesson is: Never Cancel a Reservation, let Airbnb do it (or the guest), so then  you (the host) do not have to prove it was for legitimate reasons.

[Tsigie0]

Airbnb cares about their money! They don't care about the guests or hosts!

[Fred13]

   Airbnb is also running one of the most 'high-maintenance people' business models on Earth - not only are they in the lodging industry but dealing with over 1,000,000 different hosts that have 4,000,000 listings, and in over 190 countries.

   And then there are the 'guests' drawn from the full spectrum of humanity, a most frightening thought.

   Honestly, I can't fathom how they do it and still maintain some degree of enthusiasm. I am sure everyone there can't wait for the upcoming IPO, cash in their stock and leave before the paddy wagon arrives to take them away to the 'Happy House'.