Death in family and won’t refund

[Alana218]

My father in law passed away the night before our holiday. 
our flights and car we got a refund for but I do not understand why air BnB will not refund us. They are blaming the host and the host is blaming air bnb.. they then said we can re book, so when I’ve now asked them to re book they said I have to repay and then will refund me ? How does this work ? I do not understand when they already have my money why i

have to re pay ??! 

help !! 

[Frances3408]

@Alana218. Hi Alana, I'm sorry to hear about your Dad; that must have been very traumatic.

Airbnb doesnt provide booking cancellation insurance, instead they expect you to have separate travel insurance, which generally covers accommodation in the event you need to cancel.

This is because each host sets their own cancellation policy, from flexible to non refundable. Check your original booking to see what you signed up for. Sometimes there is enough time for a host to find another person to book, often when its like your situation, there just isnt time.

It sounds like the host is uncomfortable opening their booking calendar for you for another date, worried you might cancel again.

I recently had a weekend guest cancel a few days out from check in and I was unable to find someone else (strict cancellation so no refund). It wasnt a huge amount so I am offering them a credit for the amount paid towards their next booking. Not all hosts can afford to do this upfront (especially if its a large booking amount) and we dont have a way to insure this risk ourselves either.

Hope this helps and all the best.

[Zheng49]

You can send an reservation alteration request, and see if the host accepts. 

[Helen3]

I'm sorry to hear about your father in law .

whether you will be be refunded for any booking will depend on the cancellation policy you booked under @Alana218  it sounds like for your car hire and flights you booked under a policy that allowed you to cancel at any point and get a full refund .

what cancellation policy did you book under for your Airbnb accommodation ? 

Normally where cancellation charges apply for travel  you should claim under your travel insurance, rather then expecting the host to be out of pocket .

you paid  the host for a booking that unfortunately you weren't able to use and should use your travel  insurance to cover . 

i am not sure what  discussions you had with the host regarding  rebooking but you will need to go back to them if you are unclear . They certainly  aren't under any obligation to let you rebook for free so if they are doing so that's very decent of them. 

[Jennifer1897]

Per Airbnb Policy: In general, cancellations and refunds for Airbnb reservations are governed by the listing’s cancellation policy. In the rare circumstances that large-scale events prevent or legally prohibit completion of a reservation, the Major Disruptive Events Policy (the “Policy”) may apply. Unfortunately, passings of family are no longer considered extenuating circumstances so therefore the listings specific cancellation policy remains in place. 

That being said, you can contact the host (which it sounds like you have) and they can agree if they want to refund you outside their policy.  Most hosts will not cancel from their end as they will be penalized. They will likely request you to make the cancellation. As someone else mentioned, if you are planning to rebook, you can also request a reservation alteration and try to reschedule for a different set of dates. The host will have to approve this though.

Given that you were so close to the reservation date when the incident occurred, that host lost an ability to rebook those dates. While I sympathize with your situation, and know passings are unexpected, for a lot of host Airbnb is their livelihood and way to support themselves. By refunding you they are essentially losing income.

My suggestion would be to come to an agreement regarding rebooking since this is already something it appears you talked about. Be clear on the amount that is to be refunded. I would ask the host, "if I rebook can I expect to be refunded for the original reservation in the amount of X within 24 hrs. " If they agree, make the reservation and then see if the refund is processed. If not, you are allotted 48 hrs. to cancel penalty free if the reservation is 14 days out. This way the host is offered security in the rebooking, and you are offered flexibility in cancelling in the event the refund agreed upon is not honored.