A Guest requested to change reservation after checked-in

[Tatyana70]

I had a mid-term guest for 3 months (first time), but after staying 2 months she told me that her job being cut short, she wants to change her reservation and now leaving one month earlier (32 days earlier). I have a strict cancellation policy. I rejected her request and told her that  I’m unable to accept the request due to the short notice, it’s not enough time to find booking replacement. I discounted the rates for her considering the length of the stay. She left, my house is empty now for the whole month and no one can book because the entire month shows booked. Is it any way I can open those booked days since the house is actually available and try to get some bookings? 

[Emilia42]

@Sandra856 There is no cross in the right corner. There was no way to X out of that screen.

[Sandra856]

 

[Sandra856]

@Emilia42 If you look at the picture you can see the cross in the right upper corner - it tells that it is a pop up window.

[Sandra856]

@Emilia42  If you press on the picture you uploaded yourself - you will be able to see it in full including the cross. 

[Emilia42]

@Sandra856 Sorry, I don't see a cross on my photo. That must be on your phone.

[Sandra856]

@Emilia42 If you press on the photo you uploaded yourself in this thread it will expand and you will see the photo in full including the grey cross in the right upper corner. 

[Emilia42]

@Sandra856 I have done that, as well as looked at the original photo that I was sent, and there is no X. 

[Sandra856]

@Emilia42 @But it is in your picture when you press on it? And it makes so much sense that a picture pops up that explains to the guest that they do have a different option than to just cancel? 
I noticed the cross when I wanted to see what your screen shot said  - I didn’t notice the cross before because you can’t see the screen shot in full if you don’t press on it. 

[Emilia42]

@Sandra856 All I know is there when I press the photo I do not see an option to X out (I am on a computer.) Nor is there an X on the original screen shot that the guest sent me. If the guest had the option to X out of that screen and continue with the cancelation they would have done so. This is what they were trying to accomplish but couldn't, so we were unable to cancel the reservation. Maybe this is a glitch within the app. I don't know.

[Sandra856]

[Sandra856]

@Emilia42 @It would be so much easier if we just had an upcoming reservation- then we could just have a look and screen shot our observations 🙂

[Emilia42]

@Sandra856 This situation isn't for an upcoming guest. I still received cancelations for future reservations all the time. I have an upcoming reservation that I am able to easy cancel now. 

This specific situation has happened when a guest is in the middle of their stay and needs to cancel the remaining days. 

[Sandra856]

@Emilia42 Yes, I understand - maybe you can have a look at what it looks like when you have checked in. Because it is a guest’s right to be able to cancel for whatever reason - they have agreed to a cancellation policy that also gives them the right to cancel for whatever reason. Airbnb cannot deny a guest to cancel a reservation before or during their stay. 

[John5097]

@Emilia42 @Sandra856 

This happened to me for the first time in 5 years. 

Guest checked in said the place was beautiful and they would treat it like their own. Then an hour later requested to cancel the last three nights of a 5 nights stay. This guest booked 9 months earlier. 

I instructed them to cancel on their end and I would refund if I rebooked. Instead I got a change reservation request within 5 minutes. I didn't know this was an option after guest checked in. I went ahead and accepted the change request as I was confident I could rebook the nights which I did. But think they also may have gotten this message to request change dates instead of canceling.

The guests  negotiated a last minute booking with another host, as I read the review.  I think they just wanted to lay in bed the entire trip, watch TV and order food delivery, because the two days they stayed with me they didn't go anywhere. So was glad to get rid of them. They also took a bag of coffee to the next listing they booked.

 





I do communicate with guest and explain things from host perspective. I sensed there was some change with Airbnb so just got rid of them and went into salvage mode. 

My listing says the exact distance from the historic distance in the very first sentence of the listing discription and I include a map that shows trip didtance and time to travel. 

This guest also had asked the nearest Enterpise car rental 9 moths earllier. 

Anyway it's clear enough that Airbnb would prefer host to get a lower review and guest use the platform again in the future. 

Another thing to consider is that guest can only send a reservation alteration request during their stay that meets the minimum night settings. For example the reservation above had a two night setting so guest could only send request that included staying two nights.

For these reasons my max number of nights is 5. 

[Tatyana70]

The guest can't cancel because she was already checked in and lived in my property 2 months. She was only able to send me the request to amend/change her reservation because the cancelation policy won't allow her to do this. It doesn't matter anymore in my case.