Corona virus email

[Marcus21]

I just want to say after a lousy January, February and now with March looking just as bad if not worse..

THANK YOU AIR BNB FOR YOUR LATEST BEAUTIFULLY COMPOSED EMAIL!

(re corona virus cancellation)

I don’t know if you have one of these beauts, I can’t be bothered to transcribe verbatim but basically... It goes like this:

‘we understand you may be worried about the possibility of a pandemic...being wiped off the face of the planet..or the impact that that’s  having on your calendar..

so...we thought now would be a great time to let you know we are giving guests more opportunity to cancel making that stress/uncertainty worse! 

feel better??

grrrreat!!

let’s run through what happens just so you really Do go out looking for that train to hop under...

in the event of a cancellation...

you...lose all your money ..and they..keep all theirs..it’s not your fault no..but it’s not theirs either so...

well..it’s you that loses your money..we tossed a coin..

here’s the good news though...we...aren’t going to penalise you for cancelling..because you didn’t! ...see how that works! ?

and more good news...those days youve lost all your money on? Well they can go right back to blowing in the wind on your calendar! It’s going to be a great time for them to be there now everyone’s got it we could be facing extinction..No way do we want to take the chance to rent property away from you at this pivotal time!

and the last bit of good news...?

your superhost is totally unaffected..

you were worried weren’t you??

Thought we’d take away your earnings and your fictitious award too!? ...ohhhh you guys!   Silly!!  ....that’s what we love about you...

STAY UPDATED!

HIT THE TAB FOR STUFF YOU ALREADY KNEW!”

thats it basically. 

My ex works as ward matron at infectious diseases...she said

“the corona is predicted to kill 10,000 world wide..the last flu pandemic killed 125,000...who bothered about that?”

I don’t know how much of this is really as serious as it appears and how much it just sells papers.. and I understand that air bnb needs to clarify things and I have read their policy on the help centre and it seems totally fine to me..sensible enough..but this email hints it may be really slackening off..one thing I will transcribe from this latest masterpiece is now guests can cancel if their “travel is restricted”

today I had my first cancellation citing the virus..I got my money as per cancellation policy..  this ladies work cancelled international travel..and I assume..she got paid out by them..it all went as it should..work called it..work lost.

but if guests in this situation (for example) or a whole lot of others get information like you can cancel penalty free if your travel is “restricted” and they for example  DIDNT get paid out..well..I think we are going to see a 400% rise in guests arguing cancellation policy..one hopes these claims will be fruitless but meantime?

so yes THANKS air bnb for setting my mind at rest with this charming communiqué!

jeez! Who writes these things? For a global gazillion dollar Corp..you could get better! 

someone who genuinely thinks about the impact and phrasing of an email for example.

(probably not me based on this rant yes..)

[Pierre85]

Given their policy I will block my calendar on Airbnb and ensure I advertise on other platforms who perform less well but I will focus on them and keep the Airbnb calendar filled until we have gone through the crisis. 
I can afford lower revenue but cannot afford to have all revenues cancelled at the last minutes I have 4 staff depending on this. So Airbnb shame but no thank you. I must reduce my exposure to Airbnb unfortunately.

[Sudsrung0]

Let me tell you right now airlines are not giving refunds unless there is a travel ban to any country I have an argument going on at the moment with another OTA where the guest is trying to claim a refund under this EC i am refusing on the grounds that his flights have not been cancelled and he is clear to enter Thailand and no self quarantine, infact his own words only a few days ago was he wanted to keep his booking and he is free to travel which is recorded in the inbox for all to see.

[Nigel174]

Excellent, so I now understand the policy on Covid-19. Airbnb are in effect telling me that I have to cover the guest's loss if there is a travel advisory, rather then his travel insurance, and they're going to let him wait the next 4 weeks to see if that option is available and if not he'll cancel on the original terms. That's fair right?

[Bernadette82]

I have had several guests that have cancelled since all of our conventions are being cancelled and casinos are loosing 50+ million in revenue. Last month I did have a guest that it said she lived in China and she was trying to book my place. I had to decline her solely on that. I felt really bad and like everyone else I need the money to put my 2 kids through college. But how was I to know if she was telling the truth that she was already here in Las Vegas. I have elderly parents living here with me and I have to be a little more cautious but isn't Airbnb screening guests first?

[David49]

OK I’ve got a suggestion 

Pergaps Airbnb can support us by giving back the commission they have taken over the year to compensate us through this mass hysteria well they are offering customers full refund 

By the way AIRBNB without us you have no business. We at least have other options to get customers. 

[Amber1]

Is this not what the entire "travel insurance" industry is based on? Getting sick while traveling? Unexpected circumstances? Sorry, we shouldn't be taking the brunt of this. Other platforms aren't...

[Ken60]

My first requests in Mar have been from residents (or recent visitors to) Seattle, Westchester County NY, Raleigh and China. It’s now in DC. Do we get penalized for declining a reservation?

[Eric4367]

AirBnb built their business on the backbone of good and willing hosts and now we are just a commodity to the algorithm. All the money is bing made off of taking interest from the booking money so the hosts are just tools to get folks to put money into an account that generates interest revenue. If this not their intention, it sure feels like it these days.

[Pierre85]

I cannot agree more with what hosts have been saying: de facto here in France not a single hotel will refund a booking by law if cancelled late because of exceptional circumstances however Airbnb has decided to go beyond the law and refund 100% ;  I have 4 staff depending on this and it is very likely that Airbnb will de facto force me to lay them off.... due to this silly policy.

My advice, lets all block our calendars to Airbnb and open them solely to other platforms.  Airbnb needs to learn they cannot simply eradicate people personal responsibilities here. When they book they know the rules for cancelling bookings.

Maybe we should contact an american lawyer and finance a class action against Airbnb. Maybe that will work. 

[Mackenzie52]

some hysteria with this virus. it is not significantly more deadly than ordinary flu.
very much like covering the trade wars of big players.

[Samantha685]

As insurance companies are paying out why should we be penalised? Why can’t it be from countries that have restricted movement. I’m in my first few months of hosting and trying to find my feet 

[Pierre85]

and insurance companies will be propped up by government while small hosting businesses will be left to collapse if Airbnb applies its policy. This unilateral decision by Airbnb must be reversed.

[Inna22]

@Marcus21 while I thoroughly enjoyed reading your post, you neglected one more item in that email: 

we will also be refunding guests our fees (in a form of an airbnb voucher). So high and mighty of them. A true big gesture. I think that was the part where I reached for a Kleenex. But then remembered that those are in shortage this day and I should not waste one.

[Sarah977]

@Inna22  Good laugh. You know, that Kleenex tissue could do double duty, share with a friend. If there's just a few tears on it, there's no reason someone else couldn't use to blow their nose.

[Adriano78]

@Susan17you are true!   the airbnb abusive  EC policy  relieves the guest, it is very easy today to make false medical certificates or all sorts of false certificates.
With a false medical certificate the guest is refund by airbnb at 100%, if the plane is very delayed or canceled the guest is refund  at 100% !!!!............
with the Coronavirus the host is considered by Airbnb as an insurance company !!
as@Pierre85 i must reduce my exposure to Airbnb , block the calendar on Airbnb and advertise on Booking, expedia, Homeaway

[Adriano78]

@Susan17you are true!   the airbnb abusive  EC policy  relieves the guest, it is very easy today to make false medical certificates or all sorts of false certificates.
With a false medical certificate the guest is refund by airbnb at 100%, if the plane is very delayed or canceled the guest is refund  at 100% !!!!............
with the Coronavirus the host is considered by Airbnb as an insurance company !!
as@Pierre85 i must reduce my exposure to Airbnb , block the calendar on Airbnb and advertise on Booking, expedia, Homeaway