Guest asking for refund?

[Ashley920]

Hi guys, I’m fairly new to hosting on Airbnb (since May 2020) and I’ve had my first guest ask for a refund. I have contacted Airbnb twice with no response from customer service. I’d like your feedback on next steps. Let me start by saying I have been booked almost every day I’ve had available since I joined Airbnb (7/10 days in May, 21/30 in June, 26/31 in July). I have had not a single complaint about this Issue from other guests. One of my neighbors is remodeling their home. They are to the left of me (I live in a suburb with homes on either side and across the street). The work is intermittent, not every day of the week but the same team of 2-3 workers always comes and is there from 830am-430pm. My guest booked a 5 night/6 day stay. The first day of her stay there was no construction. Second day there was construction. Third and fourth days no construction. Fifth day there was construction but she checked out early. So in total 3 days out of her 6 day stay had a neighboring project from 830-430. She emailed me after the first day and said she was disappointed in the construction next door because she is sensitive to the “sounds of construction” and was disappointed she didn’t know about it ahead of time, but thanked me for providing so many extra amenities.  I apologized for the disruption, explained the project is intermittent with covid, etc and she took no further action. She used all amenities in my house and she did not move out or request a refund at that time. Now, 2 weeks later, she has messaged me to say she would like a refund because the noise ruined her stay, that her children couldn’t take a mid day nap and her husband found it difficult to work remotely on the days he worked. I don’t feel I owe her a refund because she stayed in the house, did not file a complaint, was not affected for every day of her stay, and I can not control what days my neighbors decide to work on house projects. The remodel site is well contained and is a single family home. They were working on the interior. She sent me an article with her complaint about the environmental Impact and health hazards of living near a construction zone but the article was about a high rise apartment complex being built in a residential neighborhood, with probably hundreds of daily workers and skyscrapers etc which is nowhere near to the same situation as the 3 man team who arrives by truck and cuts and hammers intermittently. How should I proceed until Airbnb responds to me?

Thanks all!

Ashley

[Natalie294]

@Ashley920 This guest is being ridiculous. If it was truly such a problem after that first day of construction she should have immediately reached out saying she cannot stay any longer due to the “health concerns” and noise sensitivity... not two weeks later. I wouldn’t call Airbnb at all, but would message this to the guest:

“We will not approve any sort of refund. [Insert all the reasons why you think a refund is unjust - keep it clear and concise and dont get emotional]. Feel free to contact AIrbnb directly to start a claim, but be aware that we will dispute it.”

if she wants the refund badly enough she should be the one waiting on the hour long hold times and trying to state her case, not you! And when Airbnb calls you to get your side of the story, you reiterate all the reasons that you mentioned above. My all time favorite advice to live by as an Airbnb host... “do not let other people make their problems your problems”!!! Stop stressing and put the ball in her court to make a move if she’s so confident she has a legitimate case here.

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Natalie294 

“We will not approve any sort of refund. [Insert all the reasons why you think a refund is unjust - keep it clear and concise and dont get emotional]. Feel free to contact AIrbnb directly to start a claim, but be aware that we will dispute it.”

Saved for future use.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Ashley920 I agree with @Natalie294 except I would not encourage the guest to 'feel free to contact Airbnb.....' as this may encourage her to do so. 

If Airbnb apply their rules (and I am afraid they often don't) the guest has to complain within 24 hours of the problem becoming known to them. They didn't so you should be OK.

[Natalie294]

@Mike-And-Jane0 @Ashley920 This is the language I’ve always used in the few cases when guests demand a refund, and I think the confidence makes them think twice about actually contacting Airbnb! It might seem counter intuitive but I feel like it shows that you aren’t afraid to state your case and makes them less likely to reach out.

(I’ve never had to issue a refund with this wording!)

[Ashley920]

Follow up on this guest refund request. Guest filed complaint through Airbnb. Airbnb asked for my side of the story and in the end opted to NOT refund the guest and not require me to refund the guest. The guest is now threatening to sue me for 100% of her stay, even though she in fact stayed in the house all but one night, and I’ve since gathered new information from my ring doorbell that she invited several friends over and hosted a bbq in the back yard, hardly something that I would do if I was so concerned with the noise of the home next door. Can she actually sue me for her 100% refund or is this a scare tactic??

[Ashley920]

@Natalie294 @Mike-And-Jane0  Thanks got your advice!!! 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Ashley920 As you live in the USA I guess your guest can sue you for whatever they like. However the costs of doing so and the high likelihood they will lose means I wouldn't give it another thought. I would also no longer communicate with the guest and get an attorney quick if they are actually stupid enough to sue you.

Perhaps US based hosts have additional advice.

[Cormac0]

@Ashley920 

What you've got on you hands is an opportunist and most likely a BS artist to boot, ignore her.

How are you responsible for you next door neighbours renovations, this is an legitimate activity carried out between normal working hours and what your law abiding neighbours do, does not fall into your  purview.

[Robin4]

@Ashley920 

'Oh hell it rained for 3 of the 7 days we stayed at your place , not good enough we need a 100% refund!'

'Oh Hell, the outside temperature was so cold it required us to have the heating running full time while we were there, we need a 100% refund'!

'Oh Hell, the crickets chirping  in the garden and the mosquito's kept us up half the night, we need a 100% refund!'

As @Cormac0  says guests are opportunists and will look for any reason to chisel the host out of what is rightfully theirs.

What you do Ashley is scroll down to the bottom of the guests profile and hit the field that says 'Report this Profile' ! You will be asked to state a reason why you are reporting this user, and state 'The guest is using extortion tactics for issues beyond my control  in order to obtain a full refund'  Provided all your contact is in the Airbnb message stream and the guest stayed the allotted stay duration, Airbnb will side with you. 

Don't make any offers, and don't communicate outside of the Airbnb framework.....okay!

Cheers........Rob