Advice on refund

[Nadia698]

Should I request a refund? In short here is what happened.

I booked a stay with someone for a month. Told me she couldn’t go down on the price (which now I see is a lie because she’s decreased the price by $15 a day). So she told me to book through Airbnb for the first month and I could sign a different contract for the next 3 months. So during the first month the oven wasn’t working and I discovered a mouse in the house. Based on the reviews seems like the oven hasn’t been working since fall of 2019. For the mouse she didn’t apologize and said it’s an old house and that’s common and brought measly traps. I had to buy my own but still couldn’t catch it. It was a small studio so being in there gave me anxiety as I seen it often.

Now here’s the tricky part. Prior to finding out all this she booked off the two months on Airbnb for me so no one could book it. About 3 days before the next month I got a good opportunity in a bigger cheaper place by someone I met at my job. I told her last minute I wasn’t gonna he staying there anymore. She told me she was disappointment as she’s losing out since she had booked the place off for me and no one else could book it.

should I request a refund still? I feel bad but I had brought food to cook in the oven that first week and it wasn’t working. You can only make stove top and microwave meals for so long for a month. I couldn’t take it anymore. I didn’t plan on leaving to the point I have packages delivered there I don’t even have access to pick up. I just feel like I got finessed. 

[Danielle476]

It's really up to you if you want to request a refund - and it's up to your host whether they'll agree.

I will say - hosts are well within their rights to adjust or modify prices as they see fit.  I change mine frequently, depending on events in the area, high season, demand, etc.  Sometimes I'll change a nightly price lower and lower as the date approaches, just to try and get it booked.  She wasn't 'lying', she was making a judgement call and it was up to you whether you wanted to accept it or not.  I've had potential guests try and haggle with me before ("My budget is XYZ, can you please lower your price?") and that's an immediate decline from me.  

As for the oven, did you make your host aware of this issue from the moment you realized it wasn't working?  What action, if any, was taken by your host?  Does the listing mention 'oven' in the amenities section?  This should factor into your decision making process.  If the host wasn't made aware and you're only using this now to support your request for a refund, there's not much the host can do retro-actively.  If they were made aware and took no action, that's completely different.  

From a host perspective, I'd be less than impressed if a guest cancelled that much of their stay without much notice.  I might agree to a 50% refund, or offer a full refund if I was able to get those nights booked after all.  

Good luck!

[Nadia698]

Also would like to mention I didn’t cancel anything technically. She booked them off but it wasn’t booked off in my name. She wanted me to pay her in cash. She told me I could avoid fees for the remaining months and pay less but she wouldn’t go down on price. Which now I’m glad I didn’t book with her outside of Airbnb for the following months. That’s why I’m upset about her lowering prices on her multiple of her studios. She told me she couldn’t but now everything’s way cheaper. Seems like she just wanted cash. I don’t know. I could be wrong. 

[Danielle476]

Everything might be cheaper now because as I'm sure you're aware, Coronavirus has deeply affected the tourism industry.  Regardless, that's her right to price her listing how she sees fit - nobody made you accept the rates.

Her idea to have you pay in cash was a mistake, and something no host should do.  Have you already paid her?  Unfortunately when you go outside the AirBNB platform, customer service can't help you recoup any of those funds.  I'd request a refund and see what she says, maybe you can both come up with a solution together?

[Nadia698]

You’ve misunderstand my post. I didn’t pay for anything outside of Airbnb. It was the plan. And since I went with another place I feel bad for asking for a refund so I’m asking if it’s appropriate for me to ask for a refund. Also, just want to mention Corona has been around for a really long time and it’s being blown out of proportion. Can’t be used as an excuse for everything nowadays. I’m sorry. 

[Danielle476]

Go on any Host forum and you'll see hosts are losing bookings left, right and centre because of Coronavirus.  As a travel nurse, you should know that despite 'being around for a very long time', countries have been increasing their preventative and cautionary measures with respect to the virus.  Again - hosts can price their listings how they choose.  They don't owe you anything.  If you wanted a cheaper rate, you should have set your search parameters to find listings that you could actually afford.  Holding her changing her rates against her is unfair and frankly, asinine.

If you haven't paid for anything outside of AirBNB, then what's there to refund?  You said you've already stayed the first month in the listing, as mentioned above, which was the month you booked through AirBNB.  You're now into the second month, which you've stated you haven't yet paid for...are you suggesting you be refunded the first month's fees?  After having already stayed there?  If so, then my answer is no.  You chose to stay knowing the oven didn't work, and you made no effort to reach out to AirBNB customer service to discuss the issues.  You should have brought them up within 24 hours of checking in.  Would you finish a $50 steak and then demand a refund from the restaurant because it wasn't cooked the way you liked?  

It sounds to me like you're being opportunistic.  Perhaps you should choose hotels for future stays.

[Nadia698]

Why are you being so aggressive? You need to evaluate some things.....

I’m no longer entertaining your comments or responding to you because it’s gonna turn into an argument. I will leave it at this though. I’m a nurse. Well educated. Hope you realize media is over doing the Corona thing....I’m sure all nurses and healthcare providers can speak on this. Have a blessed day. 

[Danielle476]

I'm not being aggressive, you're just not hearing what you wanted to hear.  Best of luck with your refund.

[Nadia698]

Why because I’m NICE and don’t complain and let things slide? Like how she said there’s heat but there was only one tiny space heater and the place was freezing? I let MANY things slide and never once complained. But when someone try’s to take advantage of others and advertise something that’s not true it becomes an issue for me. The oven was never working to begin with and she knew it but still tried to make money off of me and others from reviews. And actually I CAN request a refund. I have 30 days after my stay to based on Airbnb’s policy. I’m not hurting for money not trying to seek an opportunity. I travel for a living. Never once left a bad review for anyone even though every single Airbnb has played me. Whether it was filled with move, roaches or had a broken fridge, heater or oven. It gets old after awhile when people are making bank off of my hard earned money and their places are never what they say. It’s not called seeking an opportunity. I work HARD. Never take lunches at work or breaks for 12 hours and this is besides the point but it’s frustrating when my hard earned money is given to essentially people that like to lie and play guests. That’s all. 

[Nadia698]

I checked and it looks like people are booking her place through out the month. She owns a mansion and has multiple rooms in there she’s booking out. 

I did tell her about the oven. She said she sent someone to fix it but no one came. She then said “if it’s not fixed she can send someone with more experience to fix it”. I just don’t understand why she didn’t do that to begin with. I’m a travel nurse. I told her since I’m staying for 3 months I need a full kitchen to cook. She told me there was a full kitchen and the ad says the oven is included. 

I’m upset about the oven as it’s been an ongoing issue based on reviews so she played me. I’m also upset I lost sleep over that mouse. 

[Juan63]

You stayed there so why are you asking for a refund now? If you had an issue you should have brought it up during your stay not after. The correct response would have been to call Airbnb, not stay there and then complain. I'm not saying your issues are not legitimate, but it's too late to expect a refund.

A host can't foresee occupancy, so the fact that she now has bookings, in no way does that help your case.

[Lawrene0]

I think there is nothing to be done now, @Nadia698 , but for the future: Within 24 hours of determining the place is un-live-able, and the host unresponsive, you need to contact Airbnb and get rehoused. You cannot, in good conscience, stay in a place for a month and request an after-the-fact refund. You decided at some point that the mouse and the non-working oven were not reason enough to leave, just an excuse maybe to get the place at the price you wanted to pay to begin with? 

Don't put yourself through this -- sleepless nights and microwave meals -- just for a discount. Book a place that has what you need, and if it turns out it doesn't keep its promises, get out with Airbnb's help. 

That said, you don't owe the host anything for the blocked months, as those had been her suggestion. She was taking a risk, and she loses out. 

I'm glad you have found a good place for your next two months. 

[Anonymous]

@Nadia698   Let's say you go to a restaurant. Shortly after being seated, you notice a mouse running across the floor. Your table is not in the section you wanted, and you find the music too loud. But you decide to stay, order a multi-course meal and a bottle of wine, and consume all of it. When the check arrives, do you ask for a refund?

Of course not -  as you say yourself, you are NICE (though that's an odd thing to say while screaming)  and you work HARD  (and therefore must surely appreciate that people are supposed to get paid for their work). You've done plenty of research in your educational career so I'm sure you know how to find the Guest Refund Policy, as @Lawrene0  helpfully summarized. So you must already know that when there's an issue you report it immediately, and if it's not resolved and you leave early, you can get a refund for the days you didn't stay. Nothing in there says the host has to give you money back after the end of your stay.

My Advice On Refund is to drop the matter altogether and enjoy your new and improved accommodation.

[Nadia698]

I’d  like to clarify I wasn’t wanting a refund for the entire stay but for $200-300 at most. It would be insane to stay somewhere for free. I do think I deserve some sort of refund though. I was asking if it would be appropriate to even ask for a refund to begin with given the situation. 

I didn’t see the mouse until the last 2 weeks of the stay. I was in contact with her twice about the oven and multiple other things. It was ongoing communication. I bring a ton of belongings with me since I stay for 3 months. Sounds easy to say “get out” and contact Airbnb when I’m in a small town and no housing is available. I only have so many options and choices. I can go on and on and on about the details but it’s not needed at this point. From now on I’ll just request a refund right away instead of giving people a chance to make things right. 

[Anonymous]

@Nadia698 If something is so wrong with the stay that you believe it entitles you to a partial refund, you should definitely begin preparations to leave. If the host is serious about resolving the issue, they should also be able to provide a time frame, and you can decide whether you find it acceptable. If you don't, then leave.

It really is a difficult situation when you have a long term commitment to a place that isn't what it it was advertised to be and you're stuck without better options. I can sympathize with that. But I don't see how the host has any reason to throw money at you now, when the booking is already over. The only leverage that you would have is in your ability to write a bad review, and if you were to use that leverage it would be extortion, and both the review and your account could be deleted for that. What other reason does the host have to appease a past guest whose last minute change of plans have already caused them an unexpected loss?