Moderate Cancellation Policy

Debbie96
Level 8
Oxford, United Kingdom

Moderate Cancellation Policy

I have a guest with me right now with a long reservation extended another 12 days. 

 

He now has an offer from a friend to stay here in our city for 'free' or for much less and wants to  alter his reservation and leave today. 

 

I know better than to try to bring out my cancellation policy, disappointment or how it's inconvenient for me.   I told him I understood why he wanted to make the change, to contact AIRBNB with his request and that they would handle it for him.

 

I have documented through the AIRBNB msg service what he said at the breakfast table:   about wanting to stay with his friend for free, "enjoying our breakfasts and being very happy with his room and stay while here"....he confirmed all of this with a return message.   

 

He has now sent a change request --- after today's check out time, to check out today!   While I have a moderate cancellation policy, the refund of this request does NOT reflect the fact that I should be receiving 50% of the remainder number of days as per the moderate cancellation policy.

 

I'm told him that I cannot approve any change until AFTER he checks out.   Which makes total sense to me.   Once he's gone, I can then deal with the discrepancy of pay out and how much.   I feel that doing otherwise would increase the the threat of a potential revenge review.   

 

Hope this helps others.

 

As far as I can tell, these so-called MODERATE or STRICT cancellation policies are only things to make the hosts feel like they have some coverage.   In reality, what I have learned is that when a guest sends a changes a reservation, AIRBNB sends through the changes to the host exactly the same as it would look with a flexible policy automatically giving the guest a full refund!

 

It's now clear to me that this moderate or strict cancellation policy means nothing unless the host makes a fuss.   Of course, making a fuss without careful documentation will, more than likely, result in a revenge review.

 

Hope this is helpful to other hosts.

 

26 Replies 26
Emiel1
Level 10
Leeuwarden, The Netherlands

@Debbie96 

The cancellation policy is about cancelling a reservation, not about shortening or extending it.

Offcourse a reservation can not be shortened starting same day if guest is still there after check-out time.

 

So you could sent him an offer by shortening the stay, ("change" option), but calculate manually the  price (considering your cancellation policy attached) and so the refund would be  approx. same (or less, it is up to you) as if guest has cancelled the reservation.

(price field can be manually updated in the change form).

 

Best regards,

Emiel

Elena87
Level 10
СПБ, Russia

@Debbie96 

 

Utter waste of time referring a guest to contact airbnb, it boils down to your decision to either accept or to decline a booking amendment.

 

If it's your hobby, you can accept the change.

 

If it's your business, you can reject the change - tell the guest they made a previous agreement and if they want to break it, they should cancel the remainder of the booking subject to the agreed cancellation terms. You can sweeten it by offering partial refunds offset if any re-bookings appear and explain why to the guest.

 

Long terms bookings, over 27 days, guests are required to give 30 day notice anyway.

 

Trip amendments is a loophole that exists, so guests can and will use it to have a punt to get out of cancellation agreements unless you stick up for yourself. Being scared of reviews, it's a good self excuse to tell yourself to avoid making difficult decisions or confrontations.

 

 

Debbie96
Level 8
Oxford, United Kingdom

Also, wanted to add that the guest just left.   Before he left he wanted something from me in writing which I refused to do.   I would just repeat that I could not accept any change -- given he wanted check out post dated--- until after he left.   I don't like confrontations in my house of any kind ...especially .with a man ... and, I'm but a 'mere' woman.

 

I told him/guest that whatever discrepancy in billing should be taken up with AIRBNB because I could not go against their policies/agreements.

 

He's left and I've just talked to AIRBNB.   I told them I would no longer respond to requests (the second on just came through) for full refunds or conduct any further correspondence with this guest.   This is their job now, not mine.

 

Somehow I know this won't be the end of it but I'm determined to get what was fair and already agreed to.   I pray I continue to have the resolve to stay my ground.

Gordon0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

Stick to your guns/don't cave, @Debbie96

As for referring to yourself as a 'mere' woman, very sad to read in 2019. 

I totally agree with you at this point, @Gordon0 :

 

"As for referring to yourself as a 'mere' woman, very sad to read in 2019."

 

Anyhow, I understand @Debbie96 because I had some confrontations with guests for the House Rules and this is very very stressful, specially if it's a drunk man as it happened tom me once at 3.30am with a guest. I felt fear.

 

Insulting and fightings means 1* in Communication and the story in the review. I don't wish anybody experience that.

Mike-And-Helen0
Level 10
England, United Kingdom

@Debbie96 what @Elena87 said nails it. He's trying to use the loophole (love to know where that expression originated).

@Gordon0 I believe @Debbie96 was using a wry irony!

Debbie96
Level 8
Oxford, United Kingdom

Well, I'm really surprized how this ended.   I had clearly communicated with AIRBNB about this situation immediately before the change request, during and after the fact (boy was it an endless waste of time!)  I had been told/written by AIRBNB that they would honor and enforce my moderate cancellation policy.    After an endless amount of messages, phone calls, requests for futher information, AIRBNB stated that the guest would be refunded the remainder of his stay in full -- even though he send through his request AFTER my check out time for that day and wanted a refund for that as well.   "AIR" stated that ehe guest refused to send a cancellation request and, because I refused his repeated change requests, he had them withdrawn.   Essentially, AIRBNB said that if he showed up at my doorstep tonight that I had to let him in and stay with me (I rent out a bedroom).   Well, that sure forced my hand.     

 

In essence what I have learned is the the Moderate and Strict cancellation policies mean nothing from the Host's point of view.   I'll know this in the future when I more carefully vet the guests.   

 

Another thing that irks me is that this guest was a PhD student from China who was receiving a full reimbursement for his accommodation.   I'm guessing he already had his 'bloated' receipt in hand and was going to pocket the extra from the refund for himself.   I was just a vehicle for this underhanded plan.   

Jeff158
Level 10
Caernarfon, United Kingdom

@Debbie96 

I'm gobsmacked, how dare they turn it on to you.

Sandra856
Level 10
Copenhagen, Denmark

@Debbie96 I'm getting so angry!

The guest shouldn't have ANY option to modify a reservation but should respect the policy that the guest agreed to when he booked. It really, really puts us hosts in such a sh*tty situation 😕

Ricardo85
Level 10
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

@Sandra856 

 

Modification only happens if BOTH sides agree.

 

Ricardo

 

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@Ricardo85 Yes, I know that. But the guest gets angry/annoyed if the host refuses to refund and the chance to get a bad review gets much bigger. The guest shouldn't have the opportunity to modify - if they can't stay they must cancel and get the money back according to the cancellation policy - exactly as the accepted contract says. If the host wish to refund it is easily done afterwards. 

@Ricardo85 I want to ad that if @Debbie96 guest didn't had the change to modify @Debbie96 wouldn't be in this situation. The system should tell the guest that in case the guest wants to cancel the guest will get his money back according to the policy. Because that was what the agreed deal said. It puts Debbie in a crappy situation she didn't asked or signed up for when the guest booked. 

@Sandra856 You've got that right *perfectly*.    It was essentially AIRBNB that put me in the 'crappy situation' in the first place.    Any requested changes in bookings should be the sole perogative of the host NOT the guest.   The only changes the guests should be allowed to make are 1) extend their stay, 2) increase the number of guests and 3) cancel.   That's it.    Giving them the option to initiate a change --- which I might add is the only option easily and readily available to the guest ---  in the first place put me in this crappy position.     I'm sure AIRBNB is well-aware of what they were ultimately doing.    This is another reason why I won't loose any more control than I have to  i.e. Instant booking (NO!),   recommended pricing (NO!), send special offers (NO!),  suggestions to send offer discounts on extended (NO!).    Anything that is initiated or suggested by AIRBNB as far as I'm concerned is a NO.     All of them are a ruse to manipulate us hosts.       

 

I'm so glad this isn't one of my 'main' sources of income since I've feel a slave and victim to their tactics which I guarantee do NOT protect or serve us.

@Sandra856"The guest shouldn't have the opportunity to modify - if they can't stay they must cancel and get the money back according to the cancellation policy - exactly as the accepted contract says."

 

Your are right about this and I agree 100%.   In practice, however, it appears that AIRBNB will, given my experience, do everything they can to keep the guest happy and push for a full refund regardless of the cancellation policy.   

 

I wish my experience had been otherwise and that this 'contract' were enforceable.   I felt compelled, however, to share my experience so that other hosts can see how it actually works.