Partial refund

[Ashley1592]

I booked an Airbnb for a 3 day vacation (booked at 11:30am), arrive Monday, check out Wednesday. When I booked, I messaged the host expressing my excitement to be able to get to the beach this year. (background: it is our "baby moon", and we haven't been able to get to the beach since we got married 3 years ago, so it is probably one of the last times we will get to the beach before we have a baby and wont be able to go for a few years, so we booked the Airbnb as it was the cheapest option) So I asked the host, as I always do, if there is early check in and if we needed to bring anything that isn't supplied such as extra towels, linens, etc. They wrote back just a simple "extra towels" as their response. Ignoring my question if there was early check in, and a response I felt was a little short and stand offish- but okay. So I asked again if they offer early check in. 3 hours later, I had received no response, (which I understand, people work, they have lives, its fine.) However, in the meantime, the hotel that we stay at every time we visit, coincidently, sent me an email for a "guest appreciation deal" (probably because this is the time we are usually booking for a vacation, I imagine I am just such a creature of habit I didn't even realize I book my vacations like clock work) anyway, to stay at the hotel it would be only 40$ more than the cost of the Airbnb. This is the hotel we stay at every time we visit, and the location is better than the Airbnb we booked, honestly, we were compromising for price, because as I said, we are planning for a family and are really trying to have a vacation while also having money for the future little one. So, at 3:20pm, my husband and I decided that the better option for us was the hotel and cancelled the Airbnb. I explained all this to the host, and received no response. It wasn't until I cancelled the booking that the host responded to my original question (and then contradicted their original message and said they DO have extra towels). If I had not already cancelled the reservation I may have cancelled anyway due to the contradiction (especially because there were a few reviews about the host be unresponsive with issues they had after arriving at the location, but I always like to give people the benefit of the doubt and don't just automatically take peoples word in reviews)

I, then, received an automatically generated email from Airbnb that I was only receiving a partial refund on the booking. 

I have been trying to reach out to the host to ask for a full refund because I booked and cancelled within 5 hours, for a trip that is 14 days away but they have been completely ignoring me. I contacted Airbnb for their assistance, and the host has also been ignoring them. 

I understand that if you cancel your booking there could be some costs, and if I had held up the booking for days, I would expect a fee to incur, or if the trip was within a week or less, but I cancelled the booking LESS THAN 5 HOURS after booking it and the trip is 2 weeks away, so I do not feel that the host lost out of any time or money seeing as it was the same day. I do not feel that a partial refund is appropriate. I (and Airbnb) believe I deserve a full refund, but now the host has seemingly fallen off the planet. (thing to note: the host appears to be a company and not a single individual).

Anyone had a similar experience?

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Ashley1592 The host would likely have had one of these policies so your refund doesn't make sense to me. Elsewhere it says service fees are only refunded if the guest cancels in a free of charge situation.

Standard policies

Your standard cancellation policy is for shorter reservations. It applies to all bookings of fewer than 28 consecutive nights.

1. Flexible cancellation policy: Guests can cancel up to 24 hours before check-in for a full refund and you won’t be paid. If they cancel less than 24 hours before check-in and never check in, you’ll be paid for the first night. If they cancel after check-in, you’ll be paid for each night they stay, plus 1 additional night.
2. Moderate cancellation policy: Guests can cancel up to 5 days before check-in for a full refund and you won’t be paid. If they cancel after that, you’ll be paid for each night they stay, plus 1 additional night and 50% for all unspent nights.
3. Firm cancellation policy: To receive a full refund, guests must cancel at least 30 days before check-in. They can also get a full refund within 48 hours of booking if the cancellation occurs at least 14 days before check-in. If they cancel between 7 and 30 days before check-in, you’ll be paid 50% for all nights. If they cancel less than 7 days before check-in, you’ll be paid 100% for all nights.
4. Strict cancellation policy: To receive a full refund, guests must cancel within 48 hours of booking and the cancellation must occur at least 14 days before check-in. If they cancel between 7 and 14 days before check-in, you’ll be paid 50% for all nights. If they cancel after that, you’ll be paid 100% for all nights.

Note: Cleaning fees are always refunded if the guest cancels before check-in, regardless of the Host’s cancellation policy. Refunds on Airbnb guest service fees depend on several factors. Learn more about refunds on fees