Guest request refund without canceling the booking

Mike1034
Level 10
Mountain View, CA

Guest request refund without canceling the booking

Hi Hosts,

 

Just share with you my recent experience with a guest. The guest booked one night. At check-in, she and her friend came. She told me that her friend is going to stay and she would leave for work at 11 pm. I told her that she would need to have her friend registered with Airbnb and provide me with the identification. She did give me her friend full name, phone number, and showed me the ID. Then I let them check in the house and gave them time for her friend to register on Airbnb.

 

After 15 minutes, they came out and told me that they wanted to leave. I did not insist on them staying. One day later, she sent me full Refund Request through resolution center. I contacted Airbnb support and Airbnb support replied that I could either reject the request or just leave it without replying.

 

Just have a few questions for your answers if you encounter the same

(1) Will you reject the refund request or ignore it?

(2) Would you ask the guest to cancel when they decided to leave the house?

(3) What do you think is reasonable or appropriate by selecting following?

a) Refund none

b) Refund 50%

c) Refund cleaning fee

d) Refund full.

(4) What and how will you review the guest?

10 Replies 10
Andrea2893
Level 4
Las Vegas, NV

Since the guest did not cancel the booking upon leaving the listing, this caused you to lose the chance to get the dates rebooked as your calendar was blocked. Based off this, I would review the refund request again and see what you feel would be reasonable or if you would prefer to uphold your cancellation policy.

@Andrea2893  My thinking is to refund the cleaning fee since they just stayed in the bedroom for 15 mins. Thanks for your response!

My pleasure Mike! Wishing you the best moving forward.

@Mike1034  You could also view the "Cleaning Fee" as the charge for preparing the room for guests, rather than cleaning up behind them. So from that perspective there's no need to refund it just because they chose not to stay.

Linda108
Level 10
La Quinta, CA

I would direct the guest to Air BNB to cancel the reservation, request a refund or any other booking changes.  That is what we pay Air BNB fee for.  Also, let Air BNB adjudicate any refund based on your cancellation policy.  You can offer more refund if you so choose.

 

The guest will be able to review.  You will be able to respond.  Keep it simple and don't over think it. 😄

@Linda108I should have thought about asking the guest to contact Airbnb for cancellation. I just did not know what to say  when they told me that they wanted to leave. Good suggestion! Thanks, @Linda108 

@Mike1034 

(1)  I would reject the request, but at the same time ask that the guests follow the cancellation protocol and uphold the terms of the cancellation policy that they contractually agreed to.

 

(2) Yes, I would ask for the guests to cancel, because even for a one-night booking, you never know when you'll need documentation of the time and circumstances of the departure.

 

(3) No refund except that which is automatically granted by your cancellation policy. That is, unless the guests left because you failed to provide all the advertised amenities in clean condition. (You have a great record so I doubt this is the case)

 

(4) I don't think 15 minutes is enough basis for a review, so I would only write one if I get notification that the guest submitted one first. Then, it's basically butt-covering mode. The review should plainly state that the guest departed without explanation but chose not to cancel their booking.

 

The star ratings are pretty insignificant in the host-to-guest direction, and it's ridiculous that you have to rate the tidiness of someone who didn't actually stay there. But if I'm not allowed to publish a text review without filling in those stupid stars, I guess I'll go 1* straight down the board. 1* forcommunication (failing to supply an accurate guest count or explain the early departure), 1* for following house rules (cancellation policy is very much a rule), 1* for cleanliness because that refund request made me feel dirty. 😉

Mike1034
Level 10
Mountain View, CA

@Anonymous  Thanks for your detailed answers. I agree with most of your points. The guest has three previous reviews, which are all good. She should have some knowledge of the policy and rules.

 

She probably just did not feel comfortable at checkin time, when I asked her to comply with Airbnb ToS. Then decided to leave. Upholding Airbnb policy and rules may be good for the guests in the long run too.

Kath9
Level 10
Albany, Australia

@Mike1034, I agree with everything @Anonymous says. It also entirely depends on why they were cancelling. I mean, if a guest has a valid reason for wanting to cancel (e.g. poor cleanliness, inaccurate listing, etc.), then that might warrant a refund. However, if they simply changed their mind, then why should they get a refund? Twice I have had people leave immediately after arriving because they hadn't read the listing properly - one thought they had the whole house to themselves and the other didn't realise they couldn't use the kitchen to cook. There is no way I would have considered refunding them, although I did refund them both the cleaning fee. This whole refund thing is becoming ridiculous. I would never turn up to a booking and then ask for a refund because I'd changed my mind.

@Kath9  The guest did not tell me the truth of leaving. She said that she would leave to work at 11pm, which might disturb us. I answered that was not a problem. But I did not invite them to stay either because I felt their uneasiness after I requested her friend to provide full name, to show ID, and to register on Airbnb.

 

I did not expect that they would request full refund on second day after their one night reservation expired.