Extenuating Circumstances option is PUSHED on guests

Inna22
Level 10
Chicago, IL

Extenuating Circumstances option is PUSHED on guests

I am travelling tomorrow and staying at an airbnb. Out of curiosity I decided to see what cancellation process looked like and started pressing buttons. The very first screen invited me to cancel penalty free through Extenuating Circumstances policy because there is to quote a "security incident". The security incident has been done and over for several days. And when it was happening, it was in a completely different location, hours away. No guest should be able to cancel using this nonexistent excuse. The fact that it is pushed on the guest is appalling. One thing to have this policy, another is to lead with it and practically invite to cancel when the event in question is not even happening at this time (or ever for this specific location!)

21 Replies 21
Gillian19
Level 10
St Leonards, Australia

@Inna22 Unbelievable

Sarah977
Level 10
Sayulita, Mexico

@Inna22  Well, we can add this to the extensive and constantly growing list of the rapid downhill trajectory of Airbnb. Their policies and features are borderline insane. 

I totally agree. The reservation of my rooms was cancelled by ABB Case manager, without even contacting me,  by quoting Extenuating Circumstances of wild fire in my area. The guest actually happily stayed in my house and there was no fire and no smoke in this safest area. I called the case manager, Mary D, and requested to elevate my concerns to her upper manager. She went ahead and closed my case anyway. Five other case managers did not care to respond. I worked hard, provided accommodation per contrat; but I lost compensation for renting my rooms. The guest did not need to pay the rent per ABB and Mary D. What a shame with ABB's team of case managers and ABB bad policy. I had to fight very hard (spent much time as well) in order to receive a fair hearing and result for just a simple case.  I will send a letter to Brian Chesky, CEO of ABB soon as I know he cares. His address is 888 Brannan Street, Floor 4, San Francisco CA 94103. I  hope others will send him letters of unfair treatment by ABB case managers as well. Thanks.

Kenneth12
Level 10
Chicago, IL

"Security incident?"

 

While I agree with Sarah in many ways,  sometimes a mistake is just a mistake.   

 

An overly broad geographical and time area,  in this case --  is not the same as if they were pushing "extenuating  circumstanes" to everyone.    And depending on the nature of the "incident,"  people may have misapprehensions about travel-- or on the other hand,   (not knowing details),   need to suck it up and deal :).

ABB on the other hand,  seems to have developed a very high mistake-to-getting-it-right ratio,   with little responsiveness to hosts *or* guests.   (Growing pains are one thing,  and typical in such startups,  but they seem to have created a full-fledged,  out-of-control bureaucracy where no one is in control or knows what's going on or how to get the most basic things done).

And I'm sure it would be a true pain to try to get anything out of ABB if you were a poor host impacted by this,  of course.

Robin4
Level 10
Mount Barker, Australia

@Kenneth12

 

Well said Kenneth!

 

Cheers.....Rob

I just had an Airbnb employee stay with me who confided that not that long ago, when something happened, a person went into a map, drew a circle around the area they demeaned was affected and CS personel could just look at the map, scroll in if necessary, and give Extenuating Circumstances cancellation relief if the host home was within the arbitrary boundary.   Unbelievable! 

Ute42
Level 10
Germany

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Hi @Inna22 ,

 

Unbelievable.

 

Could You post a screenshot of the window that invites to "extenuating circumstances"?

Inna22
Level 10
Chicago, IL

@Ute42 I am on the road already so might be too late but let me try! (Hi from Bavaria by the way)

Had the same or something similar two weeks ago -- top of the change/cancellation screen had a bar declaring that "due to the X in the Y area,  you" may cancel or change this reservation without penalty.

FWIW had I not gone to the change screen inadvertently,   I would have never seen or known this.

Wie geht's da druben in Bayern?   There was a "security incident" at Union Station when I arrived last night just having read this thread on the Hiawatha,  hope it didn't result hosts losing business!

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Hi @Kenneth12 , no there was no impact on the hosting business, thank You for asking.

 

You said You have arrived at the Union Station last night. Are You also, like @Inna22 in Germany  right now? How come that You and her are here at the same time? Are You and Inna having an affair Your partners in the US shouldn't know about?

 

And if so, why are You posting all this in public. This thread is under "hosting". Everyone can read that.

 

 

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@Inna22thank's for trying later. Are You "in" Bavaria right now???? Where are You in Bavaria?

 

Inna22
Level 10
Chicago, IL

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Interestingly, I can only do it on my desk top which makes little sense. Who travels with a desk top? 

Inna22
Level 10
Chicago, IL

@Ute42  we had a world’s longest layover so we took a tour of Dachau. At the airport now for final destination. Enjoying Erdinger beer

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@Inna22,

 

have a save trip back and pls give my regards to @Kenneth12 .

Are You both flying in the same plane?