I have gone back and forth many times and they just keep repeating themselves telling me there is nothing more I can do. This is an instance that makes ZERO sense as the guest made reservations for July 2020 in February 2020. They indicated they were coming to New Orleans for Essence festival that occurs over the 4th of July weekend. Fast Forward to late March/early April when the festival was finally canceled and the guest requests a refund and cancelation. I inform the guest of their options, which at that time, and still the same at this time, was to cancel their reservation and receive back 50% of their amount paid, or alternatively they could still come to New Orleans, as there are many other things they can do. They again demanded and accused me of not caring about them, etc., which I informed them of the situation I was in as a host as well, and that they were able to utilize the cancelation policy that they agreed to at the time of booking if they wanted to do so. They then came up with a different tactic regarding their bringing their elderly parents with them (which I sincerely doubt they were bringing them to go to a music festival, but whatever) and they really wanted to be released. I again told them the options they had available, as AirBnb's Extenuating Circumstances Policy did not apply to travel dates in July at that (or this) time. They went silent and then apparently managed to convince AirBnb that their reservation was actually fraudulent, as I got a cancellation notice from AirBnb saying that their booking appeared to be not "legitimate". I disputed this with AirBnb, pointing to the many conversations with the guest clearly showing it was legitimate, intended, and now just a matter of a person not wanting to utilize the reservation anymore. I then asked AirBnb for additional information to explain why they determined it was illegitimate. They would never really address this question, and then subsequently told me that the guest had initiated a chargeback and that the money had been refunded as the bank determined it was correct to do so. So I have been demanding an explanation from AirBnb as to their actions, why they never stood up to defend their host by providing the information that would dispute that chargeback, and alternatively for the contact information for the bank so I could do so on my own behalf since they wouldn't. None of which has had any effect.
They are draconian, ignorant of the circumstances, and only looking out for themselves it seems, as they won't now honor their own policies nor will they refund me the ~$3000 I am owed, per the cancelation policy. And I have NO RECOURSE against AirBnb they say, and instead just told to relax, six back, and enjoy it basically.