Does road closure qualify as extenuating circumstances?

[Quoc19]

We booked a rental in Reno for the xmas week but unfortunately, we had a major snow storm which dumped 17 ft of snow on mountain roads breaking a 50 year long record.  All highways were closed between California and Reno for several days. 

I explained to airbnb that is not the usual weather problem and it was totally outside of my control as i was physically prevented from traveling across the mountains.  Unfortunately airbnb support doesnt agree with this.  

Does anyone had a similar situation? How was it resolved? 

Many thanks

[Quoc19]

Thanks @Anonymous I agree it's a gray area which is why I am asking this question to see whether others were in the same case.

To clarify, I am not asking the host to be my insurer, but there is a policy in place and I am asking whether or not I am covered. Why did you think using the policy is wrong?  Don't assume everyone has travel insurance.

[Sarah977]

@Quoc19  Obviously not everyone takes out travel insurance. But that doesn't mean it's okay for a host to take a loss because you didn't. When you try to get a full refund for a booking, while you may not feel like you are expecting the host to be your insurer, that is most definitely the reality. 

Did you even cancel this booking for Christmas week, when the host could possibly have gotten another booking for those dates, or did you just leave  him with blocked dates he couldn't rebook, and now expect him to give up all his income for that week? 

[Quoc19]

@Sarah977 what does it have to do with my question?  I am looking for clarity on airbnb refund policy.

But yes i did cancel after seeing roads were still closed after the second day.

[Anonymous]

@Quoc19  You already received your answer from Airbnb, so it's probably beating a dead horse at this point. But I don't think you'd get any different results unless you could show that a government order prevented all travel into Reno, or that all entry into Reno was closed in every direction. It doesn't apply if you happen to have the bad luck of having no expedient route available between your home and the destination. Similarly, if you'd happen to be traveling from Hawaii and all flights to the mainland were canceled on your trip date, this is not a qualifying circumstance, despite it being not your fault (nor, of course, the host's). 

Fortunately this very kind of thing is covered by some of the most basic and affordable travel insurance policies. I certainly don't presume that everyone is wise enough to insure their trips. But for those who want protection and reimbursement when unexpected events disrupt their journey, it's essential to do so (or, alternatively, to choose bookings with flexible cancellation). 

[Quoc19]

@Anonymous i am not convinced the support person i spoke with had the right interpretation of the policy.  That is why i am asking if others might hear differently.  I am sure i am not the only person impacted by this multi day road close on a major Holiday.

I am sure i didnt ask airbnb travellers to interpret the policy for me and much less lecture what i should do with travel insurance.  If you were not impacted by such event, why are you commenting and being rude?

[Mark116]

I don't know that an 'emergency declaration' should serve always for a free cancellation.

The Governor of New Jersey declared an 'emergency' yesterday over a predicted snow storm that never came.  It did not snow for even one minute here.  I would be very unhappy if Airbnb were giving out free cancellations solely on the basis of this declaration. 

[Quoc19]

@Mark116 that's a good point, that's why I think it is important the CS should look into the claim and circumstances to understand whether or not the cancelation was avoidable.  I have provided countless links on this event, and not once, they told me why the documentation provided is insufficient.  Which leads me to believe they are not looking closely into it and quickly seek their way out.

That said in your example, if the declaration was coupled w/ forced road closure making your travel impossible, would it matter if it snowed or not?  He might have made the wrong prediction but it is not up to Airbnb to overwrite the governor.

[Linda108]

@Quoc19   I think your question is a legitimate one and i believe you have gotten an answer, just not the one you were hoping for.  At this time, Air BNB is not acting in place of travel insurance, which is always a good idea to have, especially during seasons of potential travel disruptions.  I can certainly understand why you thought you  were "safe" with just a road trip from LA to Las Vegas and you did not get travel insurance. 

However, does the credit card you used provide any sort of protection?  Perhaps that is what you need to pursue.  You probably need to contest the charge for the reservation, as you did not use it and the CC company will determine if the charge is reversible. 

[Quoc19]

@Linda108 that fine if they don't rule in my favor.  But I think I am entitled to some explanation instead of just a stern "No, Sorry".  And then, I find in other threads hosts reporting airbnb granted EC to their guests for this specific snowstorm.  The lack of transparency and consistency is what prompted my question.

[Sarah977]

@Quoc19  This is very typical of Airbnnb CS, no matter what the issue. It seems to depend on the luck of the draw as to whether a rep will rule in one's favor, regardless of whether you are a host or a guest. It's quite inconsistent. You can talk to 4 different reps, and get 4 different answers to the same question.

Some users simply disengage with what they can feel is a clueless rep, thanking them for their time, as if they are accepting the rep's decision, then call or message anew in the hopes they get a more knowledgable and helpful rep the next time. They may have to do this 3 or more times. It's frustrating and ridiculous, but that's pretty much the reality.

[Mark116]

@Sarah977   Agree.  Of course, it would be pretty easy for Airbnb to have a system where a major event, like a hurricane or once in 50 years snow storm that would have regional implications for large numbers of travels was evaluated by the A team, which would then decide, yes or no on extenuating circumstances, giving clear direction to CS.  It is wrong and unfair that anyone either does or doesn't get paid/refunded based on a totally random person's random interpretation of a major weather/health/travel event.  

[Quoc19]

@Sarah977 that's pretty sad considering the high service fee charged.  After so many trips w/ Airbnb, this is my first incident and it seems impossible to get some attention.

[Sarah977]

@Quoc19  Yes, it's a very sad state of affairs that Airbnb should be ashamed of and fix, but they show no will to do so. 

Back in the spring of 2020, after the pandemic hit and all bookings were cancelled, Airbnb let thousands of CS agents go. Some quite publicly, as those agents were eligible for benefits and severence packages, so they touted how well they were treating those they had laid off. But they also quietly laid off thousands more who were part time and not given any benefits.

In theeir place, they outsourced their CS to a third party provider. The reps are ill-trained, many appear barely fluent in English, they are uninformed about Airbnb policy, and are paid according to how quickly they can close cases. 

In the early days of Airbnb, their customer service was actually good and helpful and knowlegeable. Those days are over. 

[Quoc19]

@Linda108 i would add whether my CC covers this or not is not the point.  Airbnb should do its part. Why deflect to the CC?  I am trying to see whether Airbnb fully did its due diligence and trying to honor their own policy.

[Linda108]

Most travel insurance policies, including CC, are secondary to Air BNB policy.  If your situation is not covered under the EC policy, you still have recourse with your travel insurance.  When Air BNB invokes the EC policy, only the host looses.  Seeking recourse with appropriate personal coverage is your option that a host does not have.