Does a host really have to pay out so much if this happens...

[Fiona814]

I am battling this company again, after a host cancelled us and it took 4 months for us to get our money back earlier this year, with poor customer service and speaking to over 15 different people and our bank here in UK I vowed to never use them again.

However, before this fiasco, I had to find a new place quickly and am now needing to cancel but with 8 months' notice.

This issue was only raised yesterday with the host and ABNB, but I have been informed I lose over £1600 even though I am giving 8 months notice to cancel.

My question is does an Air b n b host have to pay out a lot of money to air b n b in this situation? The host has said he will have to pay 800 euros to them, why? this is crazy how can ABNB be so greedy?

The hosts cancellation policy states …

Cancel by 48 hours after booking and you'll get a Full refund: Get back 100% of what you paid..
48 hours after booking
Full refund: Get back 100% of what you paid.
Cancel by 24 May at 15:00 and you'll get a Partial refund: Get back 50% of every night. No refund of the service fee..
24 May
15:00
Partial refund: Get back 50% of every night. No refund of the service fee.
Cancel by 9 June at 11:00 and you'll get a No refund.

My 84-year-old father feels with his health deteriorating he will not manage the trip next June so Mum too will not go so we enquired to cancel but to lose so much money seems unfair especially as the host will easily rent a house out again, it is a stones throw from one of the Normandy beaches in June in DDday week!

I will keep you posted on here of the outcome, awaiting a decision from the host as to whether he will refund the full amount.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Fiona814 Would suggest that you try to agree with the host that you will cancel asap if they are then willing to refund you for any of the nights they are able to re-sell. This won't get the Airbnb service fee back but seems fair to me. You did, after all, enter into a contract when you booked and have presumably chosen not to take the offered travel insurance.

[Fiona814]

Thank you for your message. I did not know that when I clicked the "resolution button" ie I wanted to know if we would lose all or most of the money we had paid If we did cancel,  that it would actually cancel it!

The host said that he could not refund because of the fees he gets charged, this seems so unfair, that air b n b charges hosts such high fees! It is daylight robbery.

To cut a long story short, after writing to him in French today, he said he would not refund and I could book again, he had told air b n b he would honour the same dates. Then any refund could be actioned.

So I just had to pay another £2K to rebook it and then wait for the difference to go back to my credit card. I have lost the will to live! we now have to now find 3 new people. I just assumed wrongly I know that now, that 8 months notice makes no difference. As you stated, "we entered into a contract" a fab way to make money then as peoples plans change, people die, get sick but seems this makes no difference,  and 8 months notice is plenty for him to find someone knew and he would have done cos it is Normandy 80th anniversary DDday.  I am just shocked to be honest and will never use them again after this trip, no way, the cancellation policies are very unfair.

[Helen3]

He can refund you  under whichever cancellation policy you booked under just not the Airbnb fee  which you will get charged not him @Fiona814 

if you go through to cancel it will tell you what sort of refund you will be entitled to. 

[Helen427]

Hello @Fiona814  nice to see you back here in CC as it seems a long time ago since I've seen you in here, not that we come in here as often as when the likes of @Stephanie and @Lizzie  were the Admins/ Moderators.

Sorry to read your parents are not well, alas they have had a good lengthy innings so appreciate the good times together you have all had whilst you can.

Yes, there's been a number of weird and questionable goings on within ABB in recent times, the fines / penalties to Hosts for making a cancellation are astronomical, it's unknown who came up with such a concept or if it is even legal to impose such conditions.

It would be interesting to know the impacts on ABB own Reputation and loss of existing consumers because pf these recent 'Policies'.

Some one behind the scenes, perhaps in accounts, is getting a good bonus because it's not going into our pockets.

[Fiona814]

Thank you we all get old and things happen so the one the host is a money gabbing *** and two nodoy is listening. The most frustrating thing is one call handler will say one thing and then another will say something different, this is so frustrating. I was told £900 had been refunded, but it wasn't, then was asked to send them a screenshot of the bank statement to prove I had not got it, surely they have a payment record! This is not a market stall just taking cash, they have been unable to provide any financial statement supporting their claims. Now and then the ticket gets closed and within hours ie the conversation is still going! I then open a new ticket, and off we go again. They call me at least twice a week, they message me almost daily. I assume they will just keep doing this until I go away but I won't until it is settled. The customer service is an absolute disgrace.