cancellation terms

Lucio27
Level 2
Sicily, Italy

cancellation terms

Hi, I have the hard cancellation terms, I find it right that customers cancel booking 2 days ago, recovering only half of the rent cost. I, as hosts, have received 2 times losses, as I will not be able to make up for reservations in such a short time. I ask for more neutrality between the customer and the Host, so it only benefits the customer. In the hope that my request will be accepted.

12 Replies 12
Michael846
Level 1
London, United Kingdom

I have been fined when I had to cancel a booking but the guest has no penalty when they cancel

 

Michael846
Level 1
London, United Kingdom

The fine was FOUR times my potential revenue but whenever a guest cancels there is no cost to them whatsoever even when they cancel on the day of the proposed stay and I had no chance to get another booking

@Michael846   You can choose a 'strict cancellation policy' and you will receive at least 50% if they cancel 7 days before and 100% if less time than that, although do check as the terms seem to be everchanging and different for Italy and possibly other countries.  Also if you cancel because of  extenuating circumstances there is not supposed to be a fine to the host.

 

Here in Italy despite I have the hard terms I had a 50% refund of a canceled reservation the same day, why?

John481
Level 2
Amsterdam, Netherlands

Guests can cancel and easily claim extenuating circumstances -- I mean very easily.  So you basically have to accept it and may take a loss.  I just had this happen to me, and I had a strict cancellation policy, and someone cancelelled 24 hours before he was supposed to show up, and I had to give him all the money back.  It is a horrible system unfortunately.

Lena65
Level 2
Amsterdam, Netherlands

Hi John,

May I know more of your story? What tenuating circumstances did they actually claim? I'm also a host for Amsterdam and a bit horrified to hear your case. 

John481
Level 2
Amsterdam, Netherlands

He showed proof that he was sick -- that's it.  A note from the hospital or doctor.

 

I was furious.  I had not only paid money to a cleaner before he came (after the previous guests left) but also someone to check him in -- but most importantly I spent my valuable time.  And I talked to Airbnb people three times.  One woman I spoke to named Florencia hung up on me because I said a few words that she considered bad words.  But I talk this way all day long at work (and have a bunch dutch people working for me!) and I don't get in trouble for that, so it seems like she just didn't want to help.  Or I suppose she KNOWS that Airbnb jacked me over on around 800 euro, and said "deal with it."  I said this is unaccaptable.

 

And you know what's SOOOO bad?  When Airbnb wants you to rent your place out, they send you text messages (SMS) and messages through the Airbnb app for your phone and emails -- and then they send follow-up emails and SMS's.  But when they want to tell me some bad news, like this loss of 800 euro, they sent an email which I didn't get or see because of the box it went into.  So I never knew until I realized I was supposed to have more money in my account.

 

I know this sounds a bit overboard of me -- but since I am an american citizen and Airbnb is ultimately an American company, I can sue them -- maybe only a small claims thing, but I am asking a friend in the US if he can file this for me and she is checking which state is best to start in.  I mean, I don't care THAT much about the money, but what burns me up is that Airbnb basically tried to trick me -- I had a couple outsiders look at this.  So I am going to push this as far as I can until the rules change.  As far as I can see, Airbnb takes advantage of hosts, and inparticular hosts who are not professional hosts.  And what's good is that the NL has not capped the number of days at 60 so they won't have professilonal hosts.  So, at the end of the dat, it will change and they will force people to get insurance so BOTH hosts and guests are protected.  This is a clear situation of taking advantage of hosts, and when Airbnb's risk management people looked at this they said that hosts need the money and will accept it -- but they forgot to think that someone who gets stolen from sometimes get's so angry at it just in princilple.

 

And if Airbnb wants me to quit making honest comments, they can ask me.  Forcing me off here will just cause them much bigger problems, as I am telling the whole truth.

 

Airbnb -- FIX this.

 

 

It depends on how they cancel. A lot of times the system will automatically charge you anyways if you cancel as a guest. It's only if you agree to cancel their stay that they get a full refund. I think this option is apart of the strict cancellation 

John481
Level 2
Amsterdam, Netherlands

Well, the fact that we are all on here speculating while simultaneously renting out places out - letting people in our homes -- and don't have support from Airbnb staff seems to be proof that they aren't going to help us. I just raised the rent per night on my place about 100 euro yesterday, and I also made it a 4 night minimum. If I have to beat all the risk myself, then I need a higher price. This is if I even rent again - which I may not do. Airbnb will not respond to me now. I can't get them to respond 

Caroline335
Level 1
Kilkenny, Ireland

 I recievied a booking by email said I couldn't take the booking as I was already full on those dates then Airbnb deduct from other bookings so I'm out of pocket big time people actually payed them full I only got enough to cover breakfast terrible terrible

Oh my god, that's horrible.  I am totally considering stopping this altogether now.  I don't think airbnb will make me whole again after this money I lost, so it just doesn't make sense to do business with them anymore.  It would be better to go on the list of craig.  🙂

Ngọc0
Level 1
Paris, France

Hello,

It seems that not only me who has this kind of problem. I was charged the total booking fee for having cancelled with a guest his reservation just because my appart' couldn't be available with his timing. I found this unfair because we don't rob the money from our guests but we have to pay all back for just an incident... And plus we don't even have the support team to solve theses problems.