Guest cancellation request

[Sam397]

So whats up with the guest cancellation request that I have been getting. Up until yesterday I would get an email saying the guest canceled and was given a full refund, now the last 5 has been a guest cancellation request, stating that the guest wants to cancel for a full refund. And if you dont respond in 2 days the booking will stay active. Whats the purpose of this? .BnB is going to give them a full refund if we decline it so why do it. The host has already wasted enough of their time on a booking that they wont get paid for and they want them to spend more time on it.  Are they trying to cut down on labor cost, thinking that if the host takes care of it they wont have to pay a CS rep to do it. Or maybe they are trying to get the host to issue the refund that way they wont be liable if it comes out that they didnt have the right to issue all those full refunds and have to reimburse the host. I cant think of one reason that doesnt involve them trying to cover their backsides in some form.

[Pat271]

Were these latest cancellations for bookings after April 14th?

[Sam397]

@a Pat271 Yes, I checked when I read you question and 4 were for the month of May and the one that was in the beginning of April was actually a email that said they were canceling and not a request. I take it the request are or dates after the 14th.

[Sarah977]

@Sam397  It's because the booked dates are past the current COVID policy dates- apparently Airbnb has been telling guests to send this cancellation message to hosts if they aren't eligible for a refund (no, all guests aren't getting 100% refunds- several have been moaning about it here on the forums). If the host clicks accept, it goes down a a host cancellation, with all the attached penalties and the guest gets all their money back. Really nasty stuff. Decline those messages. Then the guest has to cancel from their end.

This message has always existed, and hosts have been caught out on them before, because it just looks like you're approving that the guest can cancel, but in fact, it registers as a host cancellation. Savvy scammer guests try this option, and sometimes just guests who don't understand how to cancel from their end. But there seems to be a rash of these now, because I think Airbnb is advising guests to cancel like this if they aren't due a 100% refund.

Airbnb is doing this, of course, so the host will look like the bad guy instead of the guests yelling at Airbnb for not making sure they get refunded in full.

[Elena87]

@Sam397 

Airbnb informs some guests that fall outside 'extenuating circumstances' but meet the conditions stated below, they have an option to ask the host for a 'mutual full refund cancellation' - the host can accept or reject the request.

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2728/what-options-do-i-have-for-canceling-a-reservation-for-a-pl...

If your reservation was booked before March 10, 2020, with a check-in date before June 1, 2020, or booked between March 10 and June 1, 2020, you may be able to request a cancellation directly from your host and get a full refund.

The host will be given up to 48 hours to respond, or 24 hours if the reservation begins within a week. If they agree to the cancellation, we’ll send the refund to your original payment method, including the service fee amount.

If the host doesn’t agree, you can still cancel and your refund will be determined by the host’s standard cancellation policy.

[Sarah977]

@Elena87  I see. So this is a special message they made specifically for the coronavirus cancellations. But it's basically the same as the one guests have always been offered, just with specific dates added. 

Hosts who have accepted these, that you posted above, have gotten the same cancellation penalties as always and have had to contact Airbnb (which is reportedly unreachable now) to remove the penalties. Which apparently they are doing as far as coronavirus, but which they refuse to do normally when hosts get fooled by being asked to "accept" a guest's cancellation request.

[Elena87]

@Sarah977 

It's a bit different.

(Non EC) Guests can choose an option '' COVID-19 (coronavirus) '' as a reason for cancelling.

If a host accepts this, it's treated as a penalty free mutual cancellation so the guest receives a full refund and there is no host penalty auto message.

If a guest initiates a cancellation and chooses ''host needs to cancel'' and also confirm yes to the question ''did they say they can't host you anymore?'' - then there are standard penalties applied to a host *

Without saying, a host( especially if they haven't come across this before) should be attentive to the consequences of these requests.

If you are a host and you don't want your bookings due to covid and if it isn't covered under EC - you can guide the guest to take the top option to cancel without any fall out. There wasn't really that route before without tedious phone calls.

*(nb used in the olde worlde pre-Feb 2020 to stop rogue hosts avoiding cancellation pens)

[Inna22]

One way to look at this (and most likely wishful thinking) is that they are not planning on continuing with free for all refunds but will rather now encourage us to do it 

[Elena87]

@Inna22 

Plus they now nudge hosts to change their cancellation policy, especially from strict.

[Inna22]

@Elena87 your "stay at home" start Saturday in SPb, right? Only for one week?

[Elena87]

@Inna22 

So far one week 'paid' 'holiday'. Buckwheat is sold out everywhere so time to draw ones own conclusions )

[Inna22]

@Elena87 I bought 4 bags at the local Russian grocery store because I thought buying more would be obnoxious. My family sent me right back out to buy more. In all fairness we do eat it all the time. 

[Fred13]

One golden rule I follow with Airbnb for 6 years now; I never, ever cancel a reservation, no matter the circumtances or what Airbnb (or guest) says or promises to do. The host has nothing to gain and a lot to loose if/when they do and Airbnb (and guest) will do what is in their best interest anyway.  

[Danielle476]

This exactly.  I think they've proven by now that what they say today ("Your ratings won't be affected!") can very easily be changed tomorrow.  Hard pass - if a guest wants to cancel, they'll have to do it themselves.  Not falling for this one, AirBNB.

[Clara116]

Hey @Fred13  how goes Belize? I was wondering about you and your awesome island.....that's serious distancing out there. Oh to have your own island and get away from all this crazy days.

Just hello from sunny Pensacola, Fl. the sun shines and the garden is growing wonderfully. Peace, Clara