"Penalty Free Cancellation" is a lie ???

[Lucia152]

Please help! What on earth is going on with AirBnB's Instant Book "Penalty Free Cancellation" ???

The ONLY reason I signed up for Instant Book is because of the "Penalty Free Cancellation." I have never cancelled before, but I recently had to because I did not realize the dates ( a year from now!) weren't blocked, because previously my settings only allowed availability 6 months into the future (I changed that after reading horror stories from people saying that THAT setting had caused dates to be unblocked, causing similar problems with reservations).

In any case, THIS PAGE (https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2022/how-do-penalty-free-cancellations-work-for-instant-book-hos...) EXPLICITLY SAYS:

"As long as they do so within 24 hours of booking, Instant Book hosts can cancel penalty-free up to 3x a year if they’re booked on days that should’ve been blocked."

IT FURTHER EXPLAINS:

"100% penalty-free

Penalty-free means:

• No cancellation fee
• No automated cancellation review
• No loss of Superhost eligibility
• No permanently blocked dates"

But, when I went to cancel this reservation, there was a message that I will be penalized by not being eligible for Superhost Status for a year - in direct contradiction to that page! 

So, just to be safe, I called AirBnB Customer Support BEFORE cancelling the reservation, and after waiting for 20 minutes, finally spoke to someone who said, "Don't worry, that happens automatically, but if you give a reason under "Other" [WHICH I DID], you won't be penalized." 

And, just to be doubly sure, I sent a message to an AirBnB Community Expert by following these instructions: https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Help/Contact-Airbnb-A-Community-Help-Guide-UPDATED/m-p/413245#M5...

Now today when I click on the "help" page, it says my case has been "CLOSED." But I received no notification about the results!

And today I received an email that says "Canceling could get you removed from search results." 

And when I look at my Hosting Standards, my Commitment Rate is now 87% and it says: "You've canceled 1 reservation in the past 365 days. This is below Airbnb's hosting standards, and your listings might be suspended."

Prior to this I have had exclusively 5 star ratings, 100% on everything, and no cancellations, and was on my way to Superhost Status.

I  don't know what is going on but this is  deceptive advertising. Again, I would never have turned on "Instant Book" if it weren't for "Penalty Free Cancellation," which I read VERY CAREFULLY before turning on "Instant Book."

At very least their website is offering conflicting information! I'm extremely frustrated because I don't have time to wait on the phone for hours and be given conflicting information.

And I'm very upset because I have spent hours on this listing, I work very hard to be an excellent host, and so far have had a perfect stats. We literally depend on this listing for income that allows us to have this vacation property in the first place.

Thank you!

Lucia

[Marzena4]

Unfortunately, @Lucia152, there is not much we, hosts, can do because Airbnb won't discuss anything with us. Yours is not the first case a host has been treated unfairly. Now possibly you must escalate the issue or reopen the case. Use twitter or any other written form.

[Lucia152]

Thanks, Marzena. How does one escalate an issue?

I realize hosts can't do anything - I really posted to see whether anyone else has had the same issue, if so what they did to try resolve it, and whether they were succssful.

Thanks again so much,

Lucia

[Jay-and-LaRita0]

We joined Airbnb a little over 3 months ago.

Using Instant Book seemed to be a great idea for all of the reasons that Airbnb listed as "benefits". 

In reality, we have had numerous guest Instant Book our property and saying it is only for 1 person but were actually planning very large, out of control parties.

5 times our property has been damaged, or items stolen/items destroyed and the neighbors disturbed...all by guest who have lied about the purpose of their stay. 

Although we have had many NUMEROUS contacts with customer service seeking ideas and resolutions, they have offered little to no assistance nor any resolution.

So we continued getting Instant Book[ings] from people who did not accurately represent themselves or the purpose of their stay having parties which we emphatically state is not allowed. It's listed 1st in the listing's Description and in the interations with the guest when messaging.

Even with Instant Book off, we get the same in Inquiries.

Airbnb is now penalizing us by denying us the option of Instant Book. Their reason: excessive cancellations!

But Instant Book cancellations are supposed to be PENALTY FREE if the guest does not meet the House Rules. 

When we asked them why we are being penalized if Instant Book is supposed to be penalty-free,and as they are aware of our NUMEROUS attempts to resolve such issues with Airbnb customer care? 

Their answer; "this is what we have decided, but you will soon have access to Instant Book, again".

That's not addressing the "penalty free" guarantee.

So, although we have  5-Star ratings and many guest compliments, our listing is not getting the attention that it deserves because of Airbnb's decision not to support host whose guest abuse the house rules!

THIS IS VERY, VERY UNFAIR

Frustrated by the lack of customer service support and/or our own possible lack of experience, we joined the Airbnb commmunity to get help.

We must not be the only Host experiencing this Instant Book nightmare, right?

We now send Special Offers to Inquiries who answer the reason for their stay is "to have a party" with an  upcharge for the total number of guest they will be entertaining.

So far, most decline to book due to the hight cost of throwing parties, we therefore are not the ones declining inquiries.

Actually, not all of our guest have been bad.  For the good ones, we love them and we find that if all of the guest acknowledge the house rules, Airbnb would be a great business venture.

[Robin4]

@Lucia152

Lucia, I am sorry you have found yourself in this situation. Hosting is a tough enough gig without coping a penalty like this...I know, I am a host!

You are partially correct but you have chosen to quote very selectively from Article 2022! I am going to post as a screenshot the current version of article 2022 that I and most other users around the world see....

This is the entirety of the IB cancellation clause and it does not mention your statement anywhere....

"As long as they do so within 24 hours of booking, Instant Book hosts can cancel penalty-free up to 3x a year if they’re booked on days that should’ve been blocked."

Now you may be seeing a different set of rulings to what I am seeing Lucia, and I am dealing with these rulings on a daily basis, but the situation has always been that you must apply and give a reason why you are cancelling and that reason must be one of the approved reasons in order to have the cancellation deemed penalty free.

Lucia, I am not saying that this applies to you but, everyone who comes to the Resolution Centre has a problem, and most of them are angry and expect that the staff will validate their issue. Staff are expected to have a bottomless well of understanding when dealing with complaints but, an aggressive stance is a surefire way of introducing problems into the claim settlement process.

The more compliant and conciliatory you are, the easier it is to arrive at a satisfactory settlement!

Please don't think I am having a shot at you Lucia, but staff do get their fill of being abused and I think users who use the resolution centre need to be aware of this.

Cheers.....Rob

[Lucia152]

Thanks, Rob - I was very courteous to the Customer Support Team. And I'm a professional editor so I'm aware of representative quoting, and I wouldn't waste my time and others' by giving misleading information. Clearly it is different in the US, because *this* is what I see at this link (https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2022/how-do-penalty-free-cancellations-work-for-instant-book-hos...) - I can't upload the screenshot I took, so I am COPYING/PASTING the entire text of that page - as you can see, I am completely within the parameters of what should receive a penalty-free cancellation (no cancellations, ever, and I am cancelling because I wasn't aware that the dates weren't blocked) - here is the FULL text:

How do penalty-free cancellations work for Instant Book hosts?

Instant Book hosts can cancel 100% penalty-free under certain circumstances. 

Unlimited cancellations

Hosts never have to host a reservation they’re uncomfortable with.

Some examples of when a host can cancel penalty-free include:

• The guest has several unfavorable reviews that concern the host
• The guest hasn’t responded to questions the host needs to know about their trip
• The guest makes it clear they’ll likely break one of the host’s house rules, like bringing a pet or smoking

3 cancellations per year

As long as they do so within 24 hours of booking, Instant Book hosts can cancel penalty-free up to 3x a year if they’re booked on days that should’ve been blocked.

Some examples of when a host can cancel penalty-free include:

• The host didn’t get enough advance notice
• The host got double-booked
• The host forgot to block unavailable dates

100% penalty-free

Penalty-free means:

• No cancellation fee
• No automated cancellation review
• No loss of Superhost eligibility
• No permanently blocked dates

Remember, you can’t cancel for any reason that violates Airbnb's Nondiscrimination Policy.

Was this article helpful?

------------------------------

Thanks again,

Lucia

[Lucia152]

Thanks much, @Robin4 - I agree about the dedication of the staff, and was courteous in my communications with the Resolution Center. As far as my quote from the page, I’m a professional editor so I'm aware of representative quoting, and I wouldn't waste my time and others' by giving misleading information. Clearly it is different in the US, because *this* is what I see at that link - I can't upload the screenshot I took, so I am copying/pasting the entire text of that page - as you can see, and as I explained, I am completely within the parameters of what should receive a penalty-free cancellation (no cancellations, ever, and I am cancelling because I wasn't aware that the dates weren't blocked) - here is the FULL text:

How do penalty-free cancellations work for Instant Book hosts?

Instant Book hosts can cancel 100% penalty-free under certain circumstances. 

Unlimited cancellations

Hosts never have to host a reservation they’re uncomfortable with.

Some examples of when a host can cancel penalty-free include:

• The guest has several unfavorable reviews that concern the host
• The guest hasn’t responded to questions the host needs to know about their trip
• The guest makes it clear they’ll likely break one of the host’s house rules, like bringing a pet or smoking

3 cancellations per year

As long as they do so within 24 hours of booking, Instant Book hosts can cancel penalty-free up to 3x a year if they’re booked on days that should’ve been blocked.

Some examples of when a host can cancel penalty-free include:

• The host didn’t get enough advance notice
• The host got double-booked
• The host forgot to block unavailable dates

100% penalty-free

Penalty-free means:

• No cancellation fee
• No automated cancellation review
• No loss of Superhost eligibility
• No permanently blocked dates

Remember, you can’t cancel for any reason that violates Airbnb’s Nondiscrimination Policy.

Was this article helpful?

-----------------------------

Thanks again,

Lucia

[Robin4]

@Lucia152   This needs to be clarified! It is hopeless if we are all working to different sets of rules. 

That may be the rules that pertain to American hosts but in other parts of the world we are not seeing that. Thanks for bringing that up. I am going to contact the Tech team now and report the obvious differences.

It is impossible to give advice when we are all marching to the beat of a different drum!

Cheers.....Rob

[Lucia152]

@Robin240 - great, thank you! Just wanted to let you know, I just recieved an message from the Airbnb Support Team (the "technical issue" mentioned below I'm assuming is referring to the fact that penalties are automatic even when done under the "penalty-free cancellation," requiring extra steps not to in fact be penalized) - I will attempt to update my original post to reflect this:

"I sincerely apologize for the stress this has caused you and after further review this does seem like it may be a technical issue on our end. 

Therefore I will go ahead and consult with our technical team so that the issue can be looked into more closely. Once again I want to inform you that although you were penalized before, those have since been waived.

Thank you so much for your patience in regards to this and we hope you have an amazing rest of your day."

[Robin4]

@Lucia152....Thanks Lucia, I am a part of that support team and I have just logged this report.

"My name is Robin Sxxxxxxx, I am an Airbnb Superhost and part of the Experts team where we give advice to users on company Policy.

I have come across a serious anomaly that needs to be urgently addressed as it is affecting many users.

It appears around the world there are two sets of rules relating to IB cancellations.

This is article 2022 as I and many others around the world see it..

https://imgur.com/a/aIzsT

And this is the way other users (mostly American) are reporting they see that same Article 2022

https://imgur.com/a/HGIv3

There is, you will see, a considerable difference between the two. There is a whole section relating to 3 free cancellations a year which appears in one version and not the other!

I am being hamstrung because I cannot do my job when half the community are marching to the beat of a different drum.

Can you, as a matter of urgency, tell me which set of rules I can quote from. I don't want to give false information, and with the amount of IB questions we get, not just me but the whole organisation is looking suspect!

Cheers.....Robin Sxxxxxxx"

Thanks for bringing that up Lucia, this is where the CC is so valuable many things get picked up here that help to make the platform run better.

Cheers.....Rob

[Lucia152]

Awesome work, @Robin4 - fingers crossed!

[Linda108]

@Lucia152  You have a beautiful home!  Although you have only 8 reviews there is agreement about how wonderful your listing is. 

As for Instant Book, I have had it turned on for a couple of years, ever since I started hosting, and have not had any real problem with it.  Yes, there have been a few cancellations but I have NEVER cancelled without Air BNB doing it for me.  If a system error is the reason for the cancellation  and you call for the Air BNB rep to assist with the cancellation, none of the automated system responses will occur, in my experience.  I also have had a learning curve in the art of effective pricing and sometimes I have had to just grin and bear it when a guest has booked at low rate because of I didn't catch the error in time.

As for the hold time for customer service, my solution is to call very early in the morning when the call volume is low.  It is worth being up at 4:30 AM here in California.

As an entire house, your listing has many other viable options for listing, which I do not have as a shared space.  I hope you will give this platform a chance and by participating in this community forum, you will learn how to use it to your best interest.  Hope this helps.

[Lucia152]

Thanks so much, @Linda108, 

When I spoke to the staff, they didn't give me the option of cancelling for me, and I needed to cancel within 24 hours to receive the "penalty-free" cancellation. I cancelled for one of the reasons they list as receiving "penatly-free" cancellation: I was not aware the dates were not blocked, and I have never cancelled before, so I should not be penalized according to this:

How do penalty-free cancellations work for Instant Book hosts?

Instant Book hosts can cancel 100% penalty-free under certain circumstances. 

Unlimited cancellations

Hosts never have to host a reservation they’re uncomfortable with.

Some examples of when a host can cancel penalty-free include:

• The guest has several unfavorable reviews that concern the host
• The guest hasn’t responded to questions the host needs to know about their trip
• The guest makes it clear they’ll likely break one of the host’s house rules, like bringing a pet or smoking

3 cancellations per year

As long as they do so within 24 hours of booking, Instant Book hosts can cancel penalty-free up to 3x a year if they’re booked on days that should’ve been blocked.

Some examples of when a host can cancel penalty-free include:

• The host didn’t get enough advance notice
• The host got double-booked
• The host forgot to block unavailable dates

100% penalty-free

Penalty-free means:

• No cancellation fee
• No automated cancellation review
• No loss of Superhost eligibility
• No permanently blocked dates

Remember, you can’t cancel for any reason that violates Airbnb’s Nondiscrimination Policy.

Was this article helpful?

------------------------------

Thanks again,

Lucia

[Lucia152]

UPDATE: I just received this message from the Airbnb Support team in response to my query:

"Hello Lucia,

I sincerely apologize for the stress this has caused you and after further review this does seem like it may be a technical issue on our end. 

Therefore I will go ahead and consult with our technical team so that the issue can be looked into more closely. Once again I want to inform you that although you were penalized before, those have since been waived.

Thank you so much for your patience in regards to this and we hope you have an amazing rest of your day."

@Robin4 @Linda108 @Marzena4

[Marzena4]

It's great, @Lucia152, that you pursued it further and it looks like you will make a breakthrough with that - before you many hosts have complained about being penalised against those regulations.