Full Refund for Strict Cancellation Policy (TIPS!)

[Farah1]

I always have a strict cancellation policy since I started hosting on airbnb. Fortunately, it has been working very well for me.

Recently, I noticed there are some hosts in the forum with a dilemma for *not being able* to give a full refund for guest who cancel under the strict cancellation when they want to. To hosts with strict cancellation policy, YOU CAN GIVE a FULL REFUND to your guests with your STRICT CANCELLATION POLICY if you want to. Please note to not cancel any reservations from your end.

There are great penalties that hosts can get from cancelling a reservation.

If the guest is the one who wants to cancel, then let them do it from their end. Please also make sure that you do not accept of guests request to cancel as you will also be penalize for it, please read > https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/BEWARE-of-quot-Guest-requests-that-you-cancel-quot/m-p/4...

*If it is really necessary for you to have a reservation canceled, contact airbnb right away and ask for their assistance to help you cancel it from their end (of course this is depending on what is the reason for you to cancel).

*If you are a host with strict cancellation policy and willing to give 100% refund for guest who cancel the reservation, you can do this! Go to Host > Your Reservations > Issue Refund , that way you can refud the remaining balance of the reservation. Please read > https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/165/how-do-i-refund-my-guest

I hope this post helps new hosts/hosts who do not know that this is possible and have been penalize for trying to help guest to give them a full refund by doing the cancellation.

[David4383]

Somewhat along these lines and dealing with Homeaway if anybody can help. I have a host currently staying at our house. He was unhappy with the cleanliness so I gave him the option of a full refund or a 25% discount. He talked it over with his wife then called me back requesting the 25% and he would stay for 5 nights. As I went to issue the 25% off something happened where I accidentally gave him a double refund (2 refunds for $300 each, total $600 refunded). I immediately called Homeaway and they told me I could not pull back one of the $300 and that I must enter a payment request with the renter. Here I am 3 days into the 5 day booking and the payment request is still pending, I'm afraid I may never collect on this mistake.

Was the CS at Homeaway correct? Is this really the only way to pull back a refund? Stinks having to rely on the renter to approve a payment request for a refund that was clearly a mistake. I spoke with the renter immediately after the issue and they seemed pleasant about it considering the situation--however I'm still paranoid. Hopefully this is just a situation where he hasn't had a chance to look at it since he's on vacation.

[Sally690]

I recently had my first negative experience with an air BnB guest who made false claims about the supposed cleanliness of my property after check in, despite the fact o met them at check on and took them through every room, to which the guest indicated they were very happy with my property, which I maintain to a very high standard or cleanliness and furnishings etc. at no time did they indicate there was a problem until 4 hours after I check in, I received an abusive call from the guest Making outlandish and false claims to justify leaving that night. I went around to the property after he had left and found he had put some fluff ( which I don’t ben know where he found it) in the middle of the bed - which definitely was not there when I did my final inspection after the cleaner had been. It was very evident this guest had an agenda and is trying to create a claim to justify leaving for a full refund. I took videos and photos of every room and sent the. To my air BnB case manager, but I have not found them to provide me with very clear information, even claiming I have a “moderate cancellation policy” when I have. A strict one. Can anyone offer any advice to me in a situation like this? 

[Susan1188]

Hi Sally, so sorry this happened to you, your listing looks lovely and it looks like you are well on your way to Superhost!

Some tips and suggestions which helped me through similar situations (guest brought black thread which looked like hair on photos - I was horrified until I went to check and found it was sewing thread - and put it around sheets and towels and inside drawers) and avoid them happening again:

(1) Get all communication on the app.  The guest indicated they were happy with the apartment.  Did you get it on the app?  Or was it verbal? It makes a difference in any dispute!  If you greet them yourself and it was verbal you can always restate in your next message to them on the app.

(2) If anything seems off always restate verbal stuff on the app, after check in you could say "I'm glad you arrived safely and are happy with the apartment!  Let me know if you have any questions or need anything".  In any case you should always send a message like that thru the app the 2nd day

(3) Make sure all communication with the guest on the app is super professional and conciliatory even if the guest is unreasonable.  Propose a compromise.  React immediately.  Propose to send the cleaners back.  etc.

(4) Update your house rules each time you have an issue like this, mine now say that if there is a cleaning issue I will send the cleaners back but not issue a refund or discount.

(5) Try to get guest behaviour and reactions documented on the app.

(6) If people really want to leave, why make them stay?  It will almost certainly end up in huge distress, drama and a bad review.   Issue a partial refund, CS likes it when you take a first step toward compromise, or offer some other solution, such as refunding if you can rent the nights to someone else.

(7) Decide yourself if there was any truth at all in their complaints, and address it in the future.

[Sally10]

Good luck !!!! Ive been given so many promises . from airbnb nut here did they keep one .

so Ive learned a lot 13 years a super host .Simply I want to believe that most people are good decent and honest And I would say in all the years Ive had about 90 percent. stellar guests. But there are always a few bad apples. That is why I will never never instant book !!!! I like to screen my guest too come very good at knowing them as vice versa and we usually become good friends.

so its all ok just venting !!!!

[Susan1188]

Savvy guests who "know the system" will ALWAYS try to get the host to cancel, because then they get their Airbnb booking fees back!

Airbnb never gives back the booking fees under any circumstances except the specific extenuating circumstances listed in TOS.  

I have been the target of a guest who booked without reading my house rules, wanted to check in at 3 am which is expressly forbidden all over my listing, and then wanted ME to cancel.

Luckily she sent threatening messages thru the app and so Airbnb cancelled for me.

But just a head's up, that might be why some hosts are getting sucked into cancelling when they shouldn't.

[Sally10]

yes that happened to me after show my stairs ands saying must climb stairs I have strict policy and I an considerate if its truly something bad . But this guest booked 5 months in advance then three weeks out he said he could not stay because of stair . he forgot that he told be he was staying part time at his sisters ,so obviously that was the real reason. 

He pushed and pushed . I foolishly gave in and gave him a 50 percent refund and this days were lost and not booked so beware !

[Susan1188]

@Farah1  I recently had guest who did not read any of house rules or even look at pictures.  3 days after booking wanted to cancel, and I agreed, it was a bad fit.

I was unable . to issue the full . refund despite trying multiple times.

I am superhost 3 years experience I know my way around the website and the app... noo way  to guarantee this guest will get her refund.

So perhaps this is what other are experiencing, my wish is to fully refund this honest guest who is not a good fit for my property and I was unable to do it.

[Leah421]

Hello,

My host has a strict reservations policy but accepted to give me a full refund. 
How can I go about this? 

[Patricia3219]

I am a travel RN who may be needing to cancel a 37 day stay. The policy stated I had to pay the first 30 days regardless. I was really needing a place that I was going to move to two others of the host’s properties in order to do the 37 days. Now my contact may not happen…there was no way for me to know this. I wrote my host saying I may need to cancel and asking if he will work with me…I would like to pay for half of those 30 days, but his places are so busy that I know he will rent it for most if not all those days. The host is great. I know what the policy was when I booked, but feel it fair that he would work with my since he has 2 weeks to rebook these popular properties…I wrote him but have not heard from him yet. I don’t in ANY way want for him to look bad on the site…I would not ask him to cancel me…I do hope he will be amenable to working with the resolution center or however to show some kindness to me and still profit. To the hosts of here, does that seem unreasonable? 

[Brian2036]

@Patricia3219 

It seems reasonable to me.

 I would definitely refund as many days as I am able to rebook.

[Patricia3219]

I thought so. Thanks so much for your feedback. 

[Peter2628]

A guest booked my property for the end of June 2024,  She was then invited  to a family member’s wedding , so cancelled the booking

nearly 12 months before her arrival date.

Airbnb refunded her 50 percent, the guest then requested a full refund, as this booking was for 12 months  hence. I  believed this to be a reasonable request, because  of the time to the booking, so I authorised the request. 

To my utter surprise and disgust, Airbnb then deducted the 50 percent paid to the guest from payments due to me from past guest stays.

So, my guest cancelled, as a conscientious host I agreed  to her request for a full refund and now I am £294..02 out of pocket. How on earth does Airbnb justify this action?

Very angry and disgusted Superhost.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Peter2628 I think it must be a mistake Where we have authorised a full refund it just goes with no penalty to us. How did you refund the guest? I am wondering if you sent money but that the guest had only paid 50% of the cost anyway.

[Peter2628]

The guest cancelled. Airbnb refunded 50%. The guest then requested a full refund via Airbnb. Airbnb sent me this request and i authorised it. Airbnb then deducted this 50 percent off past payments due. They are now saying this will be paid back to me  in June 2024.

Ridiculous

[Helen744]

@Peter2628 you cannot refund money that you do not have Peter , so if you agree to a refund , when you have not been paid then you will be garnished until the original booking commences and you recieve the guests money. Dont refund Peter . Let Airbnb do it , simply ask the guest to request the refund from Airbnb to whom it has been paid . Its not in your pocket Peter , so it cannot actually be refunded.... H