Guest wants to alter booking to decrease days after payout

Tammy91
Level 5
Missouri City, TX

Guest wants to alter booking to decrease days after payout

I currently have a guest that is scheduled to check out Thursday morning. Today, Tuesday, she has sent an alteration request to check out Wednesday instead. The payout has already been sent. She is a nice guest...I think waiting for her apartment. Maybe her apartment is ready and she doesn't need to stay. Not sure as she does not communicate. I'm not sure what to do about this. Can guests request to alter to decrease days stayed while they are currently staying in your home so that they can get refunds, especially after payout?? 

 

I'm not a strict person but I take pride in my rooms and make sure that everything is going well for the guests. I had to hurry up and flip this room for this guest arrival because another guest checked out the same day as she checked in. It can be a lot of work for me to prepare for a guest, especially since i work nights and am dead tired when these guests arrive and leave. 

 

How do I handle this? In some ways, I feel that I am owed the money. A hotel would not refund them. She is a nice girl but it just seems sometimes that the sense of entitlement that a guest has is ridiculous.

13 Replies 13
Fred13
Level 10
Placencia, Belize

I would not take it personally, but realistically. In all likelihood, she will be refunded by Airbnb for the last day anyway, considering how much they bend backwards for guests, so why go there. She was to stay 4 days? So she stayed 3/4 days so your cup is 3/4 full, cause to be happy. And the guest be thankful. 🙂

   Just make sure, she is not leaving for anything to do with you; if so, grab the opportunity to address that (i.e. looking ahead at her review of course). 

You always give great advice, Fred! II think she is leaving because her apartment is ready but I will verify. If Airbnb has already processed the payment, how does that work for refunding her the money for tomorrow night?

'Refund' or 'Alter', something along those lines.

I do try to always think what is best for others; we don't have to 'win' every time, just in the long run. You doing well, you take pride in what you do, you come across as a gentle person and people genuinely like you, you are accomodating; you can't fail with that winning combination Tammy. 🙂

@Tammy91 the amount you allow her to not pay will be deducted from your next payout

Marit-Anne0
Level 10
Bergen, Norway

@Tammy91

Try an alteration request using the change or cancel feature.  Make sure the end amount including cleaining fee is correct, if not enter the correct amount and submit. The request will be sent to your guest for approval.

If that not works, you can refund through the resolution center.

@Marit-Anne0, I found the alteration request that she apparently had sent me. So yay, it should be all good. Thank you.

One note for future. That's a personal decision and if she's a nice guest, do what you feel is right. I did have a guest who asked to come one day early. I allowed them to do it without charge because there were special circumstances I was able to verify. They ended up leaving one day early so there was not loss in income.

BUT -- - hotels don't refund for guests that leave early. If you commit to a specific number of dates then the cancellation policy applies. If you choose to modify great. If you choose not to, Airbnb doesn't have a legal basis for deducting the money on it's own. You have to agree to the modification or it isn't valid.  Or you can agree to refund a partial payment.

 

@Christine615, I have the flexible cancellation policy.  I just read it and it says a guest can cancel during their reservation as long as the remaining days are within the 24hr time frame. Maybe I should change my policy?? 

I changed mine to moderate.

I really think the people who book a place then want exceptions and accomodations are likely to have the most issues and be high maintenance. I also think it's ludicrous that Airbnb would allow for cancelation once a  person has moved into your space.  Cancellation policies at hotels don't give you refunds for checking out early that I know of.

Rebecca181
Level 10
Florence, OR

@Tammy91 Curious: What cancellation policy did you choose for your listing? Is she technically due any refund at all? If not, it is up to you whether to offer a refund or not (did she ask you directly for one?), not ABB. 

Good question. Oftentimes Airbnb advocates for the guest and 'muddles' the waters unnecessarily..

@Rebecca181, I have the flexible refund policy. I just read it....how confusing. So, if a guest is here and decides to leave early, as long if it is 24 hours before the date they wish to leave, they get 100! refund. Maybe I should revisit this. Ultimately, she was a great guest and I lost $33....no big deal. But the money was already in my account so I aam not sure how Airbnb gets the money back to refund the guest. What cancellation policy is best?

Rebecca181
Level 10
Florence, OR

@Tammy91 All the cancellation policies are way too lenient for my taste, but I myself chose the 'Moderate' policy. I screen well via my listing description and House Rules and have yet to have an issue with people cancelling last minute, so it's been working for me. Also, to be 'Work Ready' you can not have a 'Strict' cancellation policy (although, as we know, even the 'Strict' cancellation policy is tremendously lenient).