Guest does not read amenities list & gets full refund (?)

[Nikolas--Roberta-and-Mar0]

Hello,

After lots of great experience with our guests and the services provided by AIRBNB we have now a very unfortunate case at hand.

Our guest left the premises ca 2 hours after check-in as the property did not have  air-conditioning. 

The property does not have and never had AC. Nor AC was never listed as an amenity in the house (this can be easily checked in IT AIRBNB systems).

To our great surprise, AIRBNB cancelled the reservation on our behalf the night between July 7-July 8 (at ca 12AM). We spent the all day on July 8 on the phone with AIRBNB to avoid the issues related to the host cancelling the reservation (e.g. automatic cancellation reviews). Our calendar was blocked the all day on July 8 till we manage to get through somebody and to get the "penalty" (?) lifted.

Now, since July 8 we have been calling AIRBNB and sending email to our "case manager" first trying to understand what happened and then just trying to get the full refund that we believe the guest/AIRBNB owe to us. No answers to our questions despite escalations (or attempted escalations).

Nothing.

Today (26 days later!) our "case manager" informed us that the guest provided a medical certificate that says that he is allergic to mosquito bites. This is how the case manager justify the "urgency" of cancelling the reservation on our behalf in the middle of the night.

Now, here is what we believe and what makes it unacceptable for us to understand the rational that AIRBNB is applying:

1. there was never AC listed as an amenity. If AC was an important feature for the guest he should have booked a house with AC not one without
2. mosquito nets have been professionality installed in 2016. This is an amenity that is not even listed in AIRBNB. The guest found more amenities that he book for.
3. There is no (medical) reason for a person with allergy to be in any danger when sleeping in a room with mosquito nets.
4. furthermore, the allergy did not sudden happen. The guest was allergic before booking hence he had all the info available (no AC, I have allergy) at the moment of booking
5. the host/AIRBNB should not be responsible for the guest negligence to read the list of amenities and decide what they like and what they not

We believe that we have the rights to get fully paid for the week that was booked. What is your view? We read AIRBNB policies and conditions but we can not find the condition that AIRBNB applied in this case

AIRBNB cancelled the reservation of one of the most lucrative weeks of the year (we only rent out in summer to cover our costs) so we will not give up that easily on this. Your experience and opinion is much appreciated! Thanks in advance

Side note: the same guest did not return the keys and ended up leaving the keys 1 hour and 15 minutes away by car in a 4 star hotel. AIRBNB still unable to resolve the matter around this (very telling) guest behavior.

Thanks again!

Roberta, Nikolas & Marco

[Greg156]

Hi Nikolas,

I know where you are coming from, the same thing happend to me Last June 2017, Airbnb cancelled the booking of my guest in my behalf and even tried to penalized me with a $ 50 penalty fr cancellation and blocking the dates for my calendard. let me share with you my experience

        A guest booked my house for one night checked in by 2pm on a very clean house, they where 23 person in which 18 person is my maximum capacity, they where settled already having dinner and enjoying my swimming pool, by 7pm the guest message me that my house if full of pest "Black Bugs", i message her back saying that just turn of the lights and the Black bugs will go away, i also explaned to her that my house is located near a rice plantation area and im not the only one affected with this but all the house in the whole community, the black bugs is a pest coming from the near by rice field and its a natural phenomenon that we do not know when it will arrive even the local authorithy does not know what to do and it was the first time that this phenomenon happen in my area. But the guest insisted the they are un comfortable and it bothers them, we tried cleaning the place for them as much as we can, then again we are not the only one affected but the rest of the community around 28 houses with swimming pool having their own guest at that time. Take note my guess is a local Filifino guest and they should know better than my other foreign guest.

         This guest tried and persuaded AIRBNB to cancel her reservation in my behalf making it like the Black Bugs was there upon their arrival and making the issue so big so Airbnb can Cancel and make a full refund of $ 300 USD to my guest, the bad side of it was the reservation was asked to be cancelled after 7 hours of staying at my houe enjoyed the swimming pool and used electricity for my 4 bedroom listing, and to my surprise my guest who asked for a cancellation still stayed till the following morning had breakfast, sing in the Karaoke machine at 7am took a shower and still enjoyed my facility even though their reservation was cancelled by Airbnb in my behalf, and you know what they left my house 2 hours before the agreed check out atime at 12 noon.

This is very disappointing on my side given that there was a bug problem and my guest feels uncomfortable they should have left my property the moment they experienced the Black bug problem, i have raised this to Airbnb's attention and they where also surprised that the guest was still at my house at that time i tole them that this certain guest just made a hustle just to get a free accomodation, but Airbnb Customer experience response was their decesion is final and can not make a refund on my side. 

I feel that as a host we are a HOSTAGE by Airbnb because they have the ability to cancel a reservation with out checking with the host on what is the real story about a complain of a certain guest, i even told Airbnb what if i have a sack of cockroach then a let them out in my host property and take pictures then claim for a full refund what will they do? There is no check and balance with this kind of situation and we as a host has no full pretection from Airbnb.

Sad to say situation like this happens, but my only concern is balance and just cancellation by who ever represent Airbnb Customer experience department.

Thanks,

Greg

[Linda108]

@Greg156  I think you are correct that the one-sidedness of the Air BNB decision making is not fair, but unfortunately, that is in the terms and conditions of this platform.  In you case, I see your listing allows the 23 guests at no extra charge so you could not use that information against the guest, but that the guests remained after cancellation should negate the cancellation or at least the refund.

Not sure what you could do to have this reversed or whether it is worth your time.  Meanwhile, since the black bug infestation is a known factor, you might want to add this into the description of what guests have to know about your property.

[Greg156]

@Linda108 Thank you for your comment well appreaciated, but my main concern is the level of decesion making of the officer handling the situation on every moment like this, at their level of understanding there should alwasy be check and balance, if Airbnb will only listen on the side of the guest, we as host will always be HOSTAGE by airbnb, if we value customer service then airbnb should also value us the HOST for with out more than 1 million host all over the globe Airbnb will not be here, its just bothering that they will cancel a reservation then will make a refund without checking the actual condition on site, airbnb will only based their judgement based on the report of the guest, Yes it was well wrritten in the terms and condition but what is written there "we can not allow a listeng with pest" but to tell you the guest arrives at my house on a very clean house without a pest, and my reviews can speak for it self that my listing was always clean, the pest or the Black bug arrives after the guest has been in my house for more than 6 hours, and again im not the only one affected and we really do not know when this natural phenomenon will arrive, yes my guest was around 23 person and i have nothing againts that i some time allow more that 23 peron as long as my guest are willing to make them selves comfortable the main issue here is how Airbnb reacts in terms of canceling a reservation and making a refund. Will you gve more credit who has no review, and just became a member of Airbnb on that same month because she booked my house, then she maid things worst by saying that my house is full of pest and she should have a refund, but STAYED two hours before the agreed check out, had breakfast, enjoyed my Karaoke Machine and even took a shower and all 23 persons did that and Airbnb has no idea that the guest was still there, Airbnb repreentative even advice my guest again to vacate my house but this arrogant guest just told Airbnb that they are about to leave but they did not. This is the main issue of poor judgment and one sided decesion making of Airbnb, they so protect their own interest to give favor to a first time guest but not giving enough support to the host that bring them money and booking thats why we as a host is a HOSTAGE here in Airbnb

[Margaux33]

my guest happily stayed 5 days and air bnb cancelled on my behalf and refused to payout it is a scam that guests no about now ..and we are getting taken advantage of on a regular bases switch to vrbo ..they treat there hosts better

[Greg156]

@Margaux33 Hi I know where your coming from, its nice to host here but the down side is we are just a HOSTAGE by Airbnb because they can do what ever they want with out checking the real situation before cancelling a reservation, and I notice on the newbie in airbnb they will just upload pictures that is un reliable, some will upload pictures of a cartoon charcter how can you trust some one like that most specially if your listing is a shared room. Well things happen but what can we do 

[David126]

@Margaux33

Both your listings show kithen access.

You shuld have been paid the day after the arrived.

[Margaux33]

the guests didnt ask for access until today as they used the amenities in there suite for the last 5 days ..these guests were third party booked so the guests themself were unverified men ..there issue was they wanted the door between them and me left unlocked for full access to the kitchen ..i felt unsafe with that solution .i found a solution in 3 hrs and offered them unlimited access ..shaundra then informed me they were leaving early  and she decided i would not be paid for the 5 days they were in my suite ..two things made me uncomfortable 1) an air bnb rep suggested i give two unverified guests access to where i sleep 24 hours a day because thats what they wanted ..as opposed to a reasonable kitchen schedule ..keeping in mind the suite had all amenities except a stove ..a bbq instead of a grill with a built in griddle ...2) why was i dened payment  for the 5 days they stayed ..

[Doris6]

Unfortunately many guests just look at the photos and book.  One our our cabins at 7500 feet in altitude, where the mountain air is always fresh, we do not have AC either.  What I might suggest to you, although people still wont read it, is put "although our home does not have air conditioning, the sea/mountain breeze will keep you cool at night" or something along those lines.  It does seem to have helped a little with our bookings.

[David126]

I am at 10,000 and have been asked if I have Air Conditioning....