Guest is being refunded despite strict policy

Erica5
Level 2
New York, NY

Guest is being refunded despite strict policy

I have a guest who wanted to leave early. I have a strict cancellation policy and I told her I would refund her if I could rebook the room for her dates. She sent me a request [after arguing with me] to cancel, and I see that in my pending transactions this guest found a way around my cancelation policy and I now have a pending refund in my account. How is this even possible?

 

I did NOT agree to this, and I am really frustrated. Why even have a policy if my guests can work their way around it? I contacted Airbnb and I was told someone would call me if I close the chat. Still no call, and this guest is STILL in my apt. 

 

This is the second time this week I've had money taken back from me for a refund that I did not agree to. Airbnb WTF?!

6 Replies 6
Bekah-And-Brian0
Level 4
New Orleans, LA

Call them back, Erica, and steel yourself for an argument. Stay calm (I know this is insanely frustrating) and be sure to keep your communication with your guest within the airBNB messaging system. Be prepared for airBNB to list a bunch of trumped-up reasons why the guest wants o leave early. THey may have invented a whole slew of nonsense. 

 

Check your calendar to see whether or not airbnb has already  freed up the canceled days when they okay's the guest's equest. If not, use this as one of your points when discussing how ridiculous it is that they're ignoring your cancellation policy. 

 

If airBNB wants to refund the guest, that's fine, but it should absolutely not come out of your pocket. 

 

Marcia48
Level 2
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

I just had a horrible situtaion with Airbnb that did not protect me as a host and did not respect my strict policy. Very frustrating!

Hi! A guest made a booking 2 months ago for a stay of 10 days in november 2018. Not only have those dates been blocked but I had also blocked the week prior and after their stay. Now the booking has been cancelled without a word of apology and I am shown that I will get no money despite my strict policy. Is airbnb not obliged to inform me of the reasons they let them cancel without having to pay half of the sum? Thanks for your support. Judith

@Judith107

 

Sounds like an extenuating circumstance, you should have been told it was cancelled for that reason.

David

Hi David, Thank you for your reply. The only thing I was told was that the booking was cancelled and airbnb has made it practically impossible to contact them. Anytime I go to "help" and select that booking, it only shows me articles on that topic I should read an when I click on "contact us", it sends me to another page where I can only contact the guest but not airbnb. I contacted the guest and he only said his "team" had to cancel the journey. I mean does anybody verify what he is telling them? Anyone can say it's extenuating circumstances just to get around having to pay the 50%. Why have a strict policy option then? Quite frustrating really...

@Judith107   While I agree that airbnb should stick to the cancellation settings which the host has set, you are talking about a booking that wasn't due to be completed for 9 MONTHS! Would be different if the booking was for a date in the near future. Surely you can get other bookings for a date so far in advance? Why make a big deal about it?