If you have to cancel a stay/lose Superhost status...

Laura2592
Level 10
Frederick, MD

If you have to cancel a stay/lose Superhost status...

Can you respond to the notice that your stay was cancelled on your listing?

 

I am currently in a situation where I will have to cancel a stay due to the rules about COVID 19 in our state. The guest refuses to cancel it saying they will be out a nominal amount. I can't legally host this person. Airbnb support was zero help and it looks like I will have to lose my Superhost listing in order to do this. Which I am okay with. But can I respond to the blurb about my cancellation with something like "cancelled due to COVID-19 safety concerns/state laws?"

16 Replies 16
Sarah977
Level 10
Sayulita, Mexico

@Laura2592  If Airbnb support was zero help, it sounds like you taked to a clueless rep- other hosts have reported here that the same thing happened to them when they cancelled due to COVID restrictions, but those penalties were dropped after they talked to CS. I'd just keep starting new tickets (not communicate with the rep you were talking to again) until you get someone who understands that hosts are not supposed to be punished for cancelling during this pandemic situation.

Pat271
Level 10
Greenville, SC

What Sarah said, except since it sound like you have not actually cancelled the booking yet, write in your messages to the guest that you are willing to have the booking cancelled with a full refund.  Then have the guest call Airbnb and refer them to the message, and have them ask Airbnb to cancel it.  I have asked guests to do this several times without issue; they were refunded, and Airbnb cancelled the booking. I have yet to cancel a booking myself.

 

I haven’t yet had a guest refuse to call Airbnb, but if they did refuse, they would both lose their money and not get the keycode to my place.

Laura2592
Level 10
Frederick, MD

Okay I have called twice. I will call again. This person is a fellow (super)host, is not properly representing the number of people staying and not following posted guidelines in our state and on my listing. And not only have they said they want to travel a fair way to stay with us and violate our current state orders, they want to use our place as a jumping off point to yet ANOTHER state with similar restrictions. Its disappointing and very risky that they won't get stopped and fined or even asked to leave. I have sent them instructions on how to cancel and request a full refund from the resolution center and they have not responded to multiple emails. 

Laura2592
Level 10
Frederick, MD

But if I do end up having to cancel...can I respond to the generic message and say why?

@Laura2592 I don't know if there is a response option for those cancellation notices on your review page. But don't cancel yourself- call Airbnb to do it for you- that's been other hosts' experience from several posts I've read here in the past couple of weeks- get Airbnb to do the cancellation, then it will be penalty free and you won't have to go on some song and dance after the fact.

Yes, @Laura2592 , you can. At least you used to be able to. Once upon a time when I was new and over my head I fell for that "guest wants you to cancel and do it right away so they can make plans!" thing and was hit with the "Host has cancelled" review. I responded to clarify that it had been weather-related and at the guest's request. 

I hope it doesn't come to that for you, but yes, you have that small comfort. 

Emilia42
Level 10
Orono, ME

@Laura2592 What are the dates of their stay? You (as a host) are supposed to be able to cancel penalty-free for reservations with a check-in date before May 31st (as long as the reservation was booked before March 14th.) If the check-in date is after May 31st I would ride it out until Airbnb updates its policy. 

 

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@Emilia42  that is what Airbnb CS is quoting me. Stay was booked after March 14 with a long message about how this person was bringing people not indicated on the reservation and planning to travel across several states. I have been asking this person to cancel since. Very nicely. There is every chance that this trip could end in fines or even criminal charges for them if they insist on taking it. As the individual is a superhost they know all the rules and are asking me to cancel lest they not get a full refund. I am happy to give them a full refund and have told them so. 

Susan17
Level 10
Dublin, Ireland

@Laura2592

Whether or not COVID/EC policy applies, you are still covered under the regular Extenuating Circumstances policy anyway. Applies equally to hosts and guests

 

We may be able to give you a refund or waive the cancellation penalties if you have to cancel because of an unexpected circumstance that’s out of your control. Below is a list of circumstances covered by our Extenuating Circumstances Policy. 

 

Government-mandated obligations including jury duty, travel restrictions, court appearances, and military deployment. You'll be asked to provide a copy of the official notice dated after the reservation was booked, including the name of the person fulfilling the obligation.

Kath9
Level 10
Albany, Australia

@Laura2592, wow, I cannot believe another host would behave like this! And hosts complain about guests being entitled. Oh wait, that's right, I've seen nothing but entitled hosts on this forum in recent weeks...

 

If you lose your Superhost status because of this, though, that to me is injustice. You MUST be able to cancel them without penalty, SURELY. The one thing I don't understand is why Airbnb hires such clueless CS staff. I guess It's a job not many people would want to do. Anyway I'm interested to see what happens - please keep us posted.

@Kath9

The overarching problem is not that CX staff are clueless - it's that Airbnb routinely neglects to train, pay or treat them properly. And no, it's not a job that many people would want to do - nobody likes to be overworked and underpaid - but particularly in the offshore call-centre locations, locals very rarely have the luxury of choice.

 

This is a top-down issue. As clearly evidenced by the chaos and confusion raging all over the Internet, neither hosts nor guests can figure out what the hell is going on with Airbnb's ever-changing policies and practices at the best of times (and we have skin in the game and often years of experience), so how can we expect kids on the frontline who are 5 minutes in the rapidly-revolving door, and given woefully inadequate training before being thrown to the wolves, to have any sort of grasp on issues and technicalities most of us are completely  clueless about ourselves.

 

These kids are just pawns in the game, under horrendous pressure and taking horrible, vicious abuse from incensed callers, all day every day, as a direct result of Airbnb’s systemic and operational failures - not theirs. Its the organ grinders our scorn and contempt needs to be directed at, not the unfortunate poor souls on the frontlines. 

I am currently trying to have my Super Host status reinstated as I have lost it because of cancellations due to bushfires in Australia (during December and January) and now Covid 19. In two cases I had to cancel the bookings myself at  the request of the  guests as they were new to ABnB and were having trouble going through the cancellation processs along with computer problems.   I was of the belief that" in extenuating circumstances", either party could cancel without loss of SuperHost status. I have had around 12 cancellations due to these two events. 

Laura2592
Level 10
Frederick, MD

So just and update the guest finally canceled and sent a claim through the resolution center for a full refund. I agreed and sent it. There was a little blaming that I would not take her reservation but oh well. I am sure that she would not have liked to be fined or forced into a14 day quarantine. It also really annoys me when someone says " I am bringing my young child who is over 2" and then checks the box for "free infant" refusing to pay the extra guest fees. Especially someone who is also a host and therefore should really know better (I just took infants off my listing. I am really tired of this.)

 

Thanks everyone! Glad this ended without my having to sacrifice hard-won SH status.

@Laura2592 

Keep a very close eye on your future payouts to make sure the refund amount isn't deducted for a second time, as happens with alarming egularity in instances where the host has already furnished a refund through the Resolution Centre.