Airbnb cancelling reservations

[Ursula101]

In the last two weeks we have have a total of 3 bookings made by guests that were cancelled by AIRBNB with the below email:

"We closely monitor all bookings and user interactions on Airbnb.  We noticed that the booking xxxzzzxxx does not appear to be lawful.  As a result, we cancelled the booking and refunded the money.  If you feel this was a mistake, please let us know.  Otherwise we hope for your understanding - we do this to maintain the integrity of the marketplace.  Many greetings, Your Airbnb team"

The first two were cancelled 6/7 days after receiving the reservation and both reservations were for dates 3 weeks in advance.  The most recent reservation that was cancelled today was for a reservation starting tomorrow for 4 nights.  The reservation was made 5 days ago.

A friend of ours in our area who also hosts on Airbnb received the same email and cancellation.  She had contact with the guests via another messaging service and the guests came and stayed.

When contacting Airbnb as to WHY their reservation was cancelled, she received the reply that it was a "legal" issue and that no further details could be given.

As a host, if I cancel a reservation for a guest, I am fined, lose super-host status, etc.  However, Airbnb can simply cancel any reservation that they wish  while completely disregarding the host's cancellation policy, offering absolutely no recourse to the host for lost revenue (even for last minute bookings) and offer no explanation other than the above email asking for OUR understanding????

Are any of our future reservations reliable??  Is this a charge-back issue?  Rather than fight a charge-back, simply cancel on the host?  Is this a scam where guests are booking using stolen cards?  As a host, I feel that some answers are needed in order to gain my "UNDERSTANDING".

[Susan565]

Hey, my reservations have also been cancelled in the same way..did you receive any other update?

The reservations that were cancelled on my account were supposed to check-in today.

[Ursula101]

Hi Susan,

Just got off the phone with an Airbnb rep.  Just like our friend who hosts in the area, we were simply told that the cancellations were done for OUR security.  No further explanations as to WHAT the security issue is.

This is a very SCARY development.  It looks like AIRBNB just gave itself the right to cancel ANY reservation that they wish with the only explanation of it being a "security" issue.  We as hosts have to face the consequences.  If AIRBNB is doing this for OUR security, how come I feel that my financial security just flew out the window?  None of my future reservations are safe or guaranteed.

I hope that your guests do indeed arrive and that you are not left "out to dry".

[Eljjov0]

That's sad to hear @Ursula101 . Really hope Airbnb gives us more information regarding these cancellations

www.airbnb.com/rooms/41070840
www.airbnb.com/rooms/28534323
www.airbnb.com/rooms/28445731
www.airbnb.com/rooms/28476715
www.airbnb.com/rooms/28471086

[Barry-and-Lera0]

@Ursula101The reservations could have been made with a stolen credit card. Once Airbnb is notified by the credit card company they will cancel the booking with that message you posted above. 

[Ursula101]

That is what originally came to mind.  It is just a shame that Airbnb cannot CONFIRM this.  That is the real kicker for me.  They give me no grounds that I can understand why they are taking the right to override my policies, cancel reservations on their own behalf and refund guests their money.  The fact that this has happened to 3 reservations in just 2 weeks is also very disconcerting to me.

[Patricia1493]

same thing happened to me but worse...... reservation went thru- guests stayed at my house for the days reserved 1-2 days after check out the reservation got cancelled by airbnb with no explanation. Now, 3 months later i just received an email saying it was fraudulent? but yet they got to stay in my house for free? who pays me for that? why didn't they cancel it before check in date? they also restricted my account for 3 months- no reservations could get thru..... it's very frustrating! who will cover the cost? 

[Julie-Ann21]

That's insane! I'd be very upset. I'm so sorry tgat happened to you. Patricia1493.

[Phuong95]

Same with you but worse! The guests is still in my house now! What I should to do now?

[Inna22]

@Ursula101 as frustrating as it may be as a host, Airbnb does anything and everything to keep a reservation. If they’re canceling one – there must be a good reason. I would be inclined to think that you dodged a bullet on this one. There was a post made by somebody where they were in direct communication with such guest and let them in anyway and it turned out to be a disaster.I don’t think they owe you an explanation. I think as humans we love to have an explanation, but I think just telling you that it’s a security issue and seeing their pattern of doing whatever they can to hold onto the worst of guests, we can assume that this is worse than the worst. As for the streak, this is my explanation: Airbnb has an algorithm that’s pretty primitive. It tends to send same type of guest same house. For example, one of my houses gets a lot of guests from Spain. The other one gets a lots of young guests (I am simplifying it). There must be something to the type of the guests that booked with you that created the streak. Or maybe just coincidence. Between the millions of guests Airbnb hosts every night you will find some outlier situations like the one above where somebody ended up staying for free but think of percentages. In any case, you are safer here than other platforms where they do not guarantee payments at all 

[Phuong95]

@Ursula101 Bad news...I have the same case with you today!
Airbnb have sent me the reservation from guest for 1 month.
Today after guest has been checked in, Airbnb just sent me an email for cancellation because of "illegal".

I have tried many many times to contact them, Twitter, Support Center, Email, Calling...but no any answer..no thing.
I am very scare and worry right now. what I can do?

The guests are stll in my house. And now is night, as Airbnb I should to kick off them out at night?
If I keep them, there is any dangeous for me when Airbnb stick them "illegal" - anyone understand for you.
At least, you should to notice me before check in time - Airbnb.
Or you should to let me what I can do when the guest checked in.
You through me a notice "illegal guests are in your house" and keep silents.

WTF?

[Roberta2]

Hi @Phuong95 

You need to remove the guest now.

If Airbnb cancel the booking, you will not be paid.

This people maybe are using fake cards, or did chargebacks on other hosts. When did the guests make the booking?

I would contact the guest via message, and go there and try to remove them.

Yes, Airbnb timing was terrible, as you should have been informed before the guest check in.

[Chris-G1]

I am a guest for air bnb and this happened to me. I paid 700 for a few nights stay and four days in the stay they called and told me to leave for my safety and a refund would be sent. I was sitting with the host. They called him and told him to make me leave for his safety. We called them out on the two oddly different stories and told them we were with each other and that turned into a breach of contract and they  suspended our accounts. 
It does not seem like a host guest error but an airbnb error. I paid the owner cash for my stay because I am a decent human but yet airbnb claims it's our fault. I actually have most of the airbnb call recorded with the different stories being given and sent it to them and they offered me 300 dollars for the inconvenience. 

[Landhaus-Osborne0]

This is some new Airbnb con! We just had the same. Airbnb cancelled a reservation for 3 nights in September. The guest, who has stayed with is 3 times since 2014 had requested to cancel citing COVID-19. We kindly explained that they are not covered by Airbnb's "COVID-19 extenuating circumstances policy" and as we cannot afford to offer free cancellation, if they did cancel, then we would be kind enough to provide them with a discount for the same amount off a future Airbnb reservation.

The guest had cancelled with us in the past and was always happy to accept this offer.

However, this time not.

Then out of the blue, we received an email from Airbnb to say that the reservation "doesn’t appear to be legitimate. As a result we have cancelled the reservation and refunded the payment."

So I contacted this and now they are trying to tell me a bull**bleep** fairy-tale that "This reservation was cancelled due to an issue with the guests profile, and because of data protection I can not provide anymore information"

This guest has had an Airbnb profile since 2012!!!! Has booked with us multiple times since 2014 and now Airbnb want us to believe this story. If their profile was not legitimate, then why is it still active.

I reckon the guest just wanted to cancel for free and probably had contacts at Airbnb who cancelled on her behalf and are now trying to spin me a story.

I cannot accept being bullied by a corporate like this? Don’t they think we have not suffered enough of late?

Any advice on how we stand legally as at the end of the day, the guest entered into a contract with us.

[Sophie1626]

Does someone has any updates about this issue?

I just had a reservation cancelled 2 days before a long weekend and without any details, it's really frustrating. I tried to contact Airbnb but I don't get any answer.