New Mandatory 48-hour Grace Period Under Strict Cancellation Policy Destroys My Ability to Host.

[Michelle838]

I have sent this message to Airbnb support...I imagine some low level minion will read it and send me a canned response. This forum is really the only place I have to vent. If this is problematic for you, please let them know as well. They'll probably just ignore us, but at least we will have let them know why we're disappearing from their site.

"I am in stunned disbelief at the new changes to your strict cancellation policy. I host timeshare properties. Once a guest makes a reservation with me, I can not cancel it for any reason, so if a guest cancels on me I have to eat the loss. Even the 50% refund of a strict refund policy means I occasionally have to take a big hit when a guest cancels, but a free 48 hour grace period will absolutely ruin me. I will be unable to be an Airbnb host if this change is implemented.

If hosts want to offer 48 hour penalty free cancellations, by all means, allow them to offer them. But forcing me to do this literally destroys my business. You claim in your glossy email that everyone who has piloted this change loves it. Well of course they do. Everyone who this would work well for opted in to the pilot. You obviously gathered no data from those of us who chose not to participate in the trial--those of us who chose NOT to participate didn't join in because WE CAN NOT DO IT!

I feel angry and sad all at the same time. I loved hosting. I loved helping my guests create amazing vacation memories. I take great pride in giving outstanding customer service. What I cannot do is offer something that I can't do. You have taken hosting away from me. I feel blindsided. Airbnb, you yanked the rug out from underneath me with no warning whatsoever.

Angry. Sad. Frustrated. Discouraged. Disregarded. Made to feel irrelevant. Thanks a lot, Airbnb. It will take me a while to extract myself from bookings, but as soon as I possibly can arrange everything I will have to be done with my time as a host.

Thanks for the memories and the new friends I made through this program. I can't overstate how disappointed I am to see all this come to an end.

Michelle Smith"

[Tina314]

HI

Just had a look and I have the option to strict or the new strict option. Does this mean there will be two strict options from here on?

This is what I have

- Flexible

- Moderate

- Strict 

- Strict (Updated)  "Full refund for cancellations made within 48 hours of booking, if the check-in date is at least 14 days aways. 50% refund for cancellations made at least 7 days before check-in. No refunds for cancellations made within 7 days of check-in"

Tina

[Ange2]

@Tina314   Airbnb does have two policies on the Cancellation Policy page: Strict (with grace period) and Strict.  But I received a message today saying Airbnb had nixed a host's choice and all is now Strict (with grace period).

[Fred13]

@Ange2I wonder what the 'grace period' will ultimately be for Super Strict 60 Days (my policy) - 30 days?

[Ange2]

@Fred13  Let's hope they ask you first. I am sure there are few listings like yours and fewer that are allowed your policy.   Airbnb obviously sees us as "run of the mill" hosts, easily replaceable so they make  "48 hour cancel at will" mandatory instead of doing a survey to find out why so few chose it when it was a choice.

[Eli51]

I wish there will be another website better than Airbnb to host people, Airbnb has been a nightmare, I have a guest that cancel today he will check in , all because he rang the bell and no answer, and Airbnb refunded back his money in full, and I was at loss. I call them and they told me I chose Strict with grace, I have no idea what the hell that is, because I never chose strict with grace policy. What I use was only strict and now, there is no even other option to chose strict only, than strict with grace. I wish someone out there will open a website like Airbnb, and I can just leave them asap.

[Michele511]

It starts May 1st where it is mandatory. All potential guests will have that option. Not good. They will now have the address, our phone numbers, how to get in, (if shown) and our names before they have truly booked. Plus, it is an open door to hold a spot while still trying to figure out what they want to do.

[Mike340]

"They will now have the address, our phone numbers, how to get in, (if shown) and our names before they have truly booked."

No..see the latest update ...address,phone number, surname deleted until the 48 hours has completed

[Wesley44]

Remember, Airbnb isn't the only game in town.  I have had growing problems with them at all levels, from no SMS / text responses allowed (guess they don't have a deal with AT & T), blocking my calendar because a guest cancelled thus blocking new rentals, not allowing info attachments, keeping guests last names and contact info private even after booking, agents who barely speak English, failure to sync calendars, slow deposts of rental income, internal tech issues that ascribed several unknown phone numbers ot my account (which they claimed to have studied for 8 months without a solution?), etc.  I have nad NOT ONE OF THESE PROBLEMS with v...o and the calendar has filled with great guests through them  and their 23 affiliates, in all of my properties.  Almost every one of Airbnb's policies are restrictive, rigid,  and punitive, instead of supportive and flexible. They need to create a division to study community relations, and to study the pracitces of competitors.

[Fred13]

@Michelle838, it would behoove for you and everyone in which this influences directly to give the reasons WHY this is disastrous, by giving real-world examples. For instance, because many of your bookings do happen on the 'eve' of their stay, say in a matter of days or a week, so 48 hour waiting period is a prohibitive option, because imagine if it happens 2-3 times in a row by different people on the same property all exercising the same option  (reserve with nothing to loose, then shop around, and then cancel if they find nothing better).

   In this scenario it is plausible that properties will go totally unfilled altogether, robbing everyone of profit - including Airbnb. Best to speak in 'Airbnb' terms.

   Just a thought.

[Pete28]

No refund if strict within 7 days of booking so that one is still ok. I do feel bad if people screw up when they book and can't change the booking. But then again hotels do it as well.

[Dianne6]

I am not happy with the new cancellation policy. Does anyone know of another venue similar to Airbnb we can host through? Thanks Di

[Michele511]

I would like to know the same!

[BenkaandKeith0]

VRBO, Home Away, Glamping Hub, all worth your try and seems like they adopt all the great ideas Airbnb is throwing away lately. We've used them all and they are eating A LOT of Airbnb's profits in 2018, compared to previous years. A lot!

[Eli51]

I think someone need to create that, I just cant wait to leave this Airbnb, just tired of using them alone,