Refund issue, Payment dispute

[Abla20]

Dear Sir or Madam, 

My name is Abla Skali, and I am contacting you regarding a payment dispute. 

On the 22nd of May 2023, I made a booking on Airbnb that I cancelled on the 23rd. However, I didn't get a full refund for that booking. This situation seems very unfair and frustrating to me, because I was basically tricked and blocked in this situation by my host. 

To explain the situation, around the middle of Mai when I was accepted for a one-month internship in Geneva. Therefore, I needed to rent an apartment. I went on Airbnb and found one. I started to message the host of the apartment and explain to him why I was coming to Geneva. After a long conversation about my internship, he accepted my booking. I booked the apartment and made the payment on May 22. When I booked my apartment, it was written that I had until five days before my arrival to cancel my booking and get a 100% refund. Unfortunately, on May 23, my employer called me and told me that my internship was cancelled due to visa issues. I immediately sent a message to my Airbnb host, explaining to him the situation. I told him that I needed to cancel my booking because my internship was cancelled, and I could not get a visa to come to Geneva. I went on Airbnb and tried to cancel my booking. However, it was mentioned that the cancellation would not give me a 100% refund. I was very confused because I wanted to cancel my booking less than 24 hours after my payment. I messaged the host again, telling him that if I cancelled the booking, I would not get a 100% refund, which wasn’t making sense. He told me that he was confused and that his policy was that I could cancel until five days before my arrival. 

I still have the screenshots of this conversation. I included them in my email. The conversation is in French, I don’t know if you have someone to translate them. But the host said, « My conditions are fully refunded 5 days before » and « My cancellation policy is 5 days. ». He kept repeating this but I still couldn’t get a 100% refund when I was trying to cancel.

Things were getting even more confusing, and the host became super evasive. He was saying that he couldn’t do anything, that he hadn’t received the money yet, so he couldn’t cancel the booking on his side and that he didn't know how to help me. He said he did not receive the money, so he can not refund me for now. He told me he had to wait until he received the money to refund me. I never booked an Airbnb before that; I didn't know how things worked. So I trusted him. He knew that it was my first time booking an Airbnb and took advantage of it. 

At the same time, I called my father, who is the main cardholder, and explained the situation to him, so he called AMEX to block the payment. It was done on May 23, less than 24 hours after I made the reservation.

A bit later, I found the option to make a cancellation request directly to the host. He never told me that this was possible. He kept telling me that there was just nothing he could do and no options for me, except to wait until he received the money. I made a cancellation request; I explained the entire situation about my visa and about my internship cancellation situation again, which my host knew about. The host ignored my cancellation request. He kept sending me messages but refused to answer my cancellation request for days, until it was too late. This situation is so unfair. I have respected the cancellation policy. I tried to cancel 5 days before my arrival. My host kept saying that he couldn't do anything for me when he could have accepted my cancellation request. However, he decided to ignore it for days. I was basically trapped in this situation. I didn't know anything about Airbnb, and my host took advantage of it. I shouldn’t have to pay for this appartement, because I respected the cancellation policy and the host stopped me from getting my money back by refusing to answer my cancellation request. I never came to Geneva, never used this appartement. I can't pay for something that I never used. I can't pay someone who basically took advantage of my lack of knowledge about Airbnb and trapped me in this situation. 

Please, there has to be a solution to get my money back. Please, understand my situation and my distress. 

Kind regards. 

[Sophia]

Hi @Abla20, I'm really sorry to hear about the issues you're experiencing. Could you contact Airbnb Support through the Help Centre: 
https://www.airbnb.co.uk/help/?audience=guest. Hopefully they can look into this soon and get it resolved.

Best wishes,
Sophia

[Abla20]

Hi,

I have not been trying to get my money back after eight months. I have been trying to get my money back immediately since Airbnb charged my account.

After we called AMEX and blocked the payment, we didn't get charged. However, a few weeks after the incident, the money was charged. Since then, we have kept opening disputes for this payment.

The host never mentioned the long-term booking policy. He only mentioned his booking policy. He knew this was my first time using Airbnb. He asked if I was familiar with Airbnb, and I said I wasn't. Still, he only mentioned his short-term policy and confirmed that I had until five days after the payment to get a full refund. The host exclusively lives from renting his apartment on Airbnb. He told me that himself. Which means he is very familiar with Airbnb policies. He knew about the long-term booking policy but said I was booking under his short-term policy. How is that not trapping someone?

Furthermore, he knew that I could make a cancellation request and get a full refund this way. But he never mentioned it. He just said that if he could do something for me, he would, but there was nothing he could do since he had yet to receive the money. That wasn't true. That was a lie. He could have told me to make a cancellation request. He could have told me this was an option to get a full refund and not pay for an apartment I would not use. But he didn't. When I found out about that option and made the cancellation request, he ignored it. He kept messaging me, asking me if I was coming to Switzerland, but he never answered my cancellation request. So he kept telling me that if he had a possibility to refund me fully, he would. But when I gave him this possibility by making a cancellation request, he ignored it. Again, How is that not trapping someone?

My card has been charged, and I am still opening disputes for this payment.

[Abla20]

Hi @Sophia , 

I keep calling the Airbnb custommer service phone number and they haven't been answering me. Every time I ask to get to speak to a specialist, they wait a few seconds and end the call. Do you know any other Airbnb number I could call to talk about this issue? 

Kind regards

[Helen3]

Hello @Abla20 

What a confusing situation. Why are you trying to get your money back nearly eight months after this happened, when your Dad as you say did a charge back on his credit card so you haven't been charged anyway.

You booked a long term booking (https://www.airbnb.co.uk/help/article/1361) - so the hosts cancellation policy doesn't apply. Airbnb's long term cancellation policy applies which tells you when you go to book (twice) that the cancellation policy is that if you cancel there is a 30 day penalty.

If you had been charged and the host chose to do so, you are correct he could have chosen to voluntarily refund you the host fee (you would still have been liable for the Airbnb fee),once he was paid for the booking (which would have been 24 hours after your original check in date). The host was correct he couldn't refund you money he didn't have. 

Your issue was that you are confused and didn't take account of the fact you booked under the long term cancellation policy NOT the hosts more flexible short term cancellation policy. This is compounded by you having a host that also wasn't clear about Airbnb's booking policies which is unfortunate.

So sorry you are incorrect under the longer term cancellation policy you booked under you absolutely should have paid for the apartment. If you are respecting the cancellation policy you booked under you will be liable for the first 30 days if you cancel. No-one trapped you. You unfortunately didn't read the cancellation policy you booked under.

It's a moot point in any case as you said  'At the same time, I called my father, who is the main cardholder, and explained the situation to him, so he called AMEX to block the payment.

That being the case you haven't paid for the booking so why are you asking for a refund?

[Abla20]

Hi,

I have not been trying to get my money back after eight months. I have been trying to get my money back immediately since Airbnb charged my account.

After we called AMEX and blocked the payment, we didn't get charged. However, a few weeks after the incident, the money was charged. Since then, we have kept opening disputes for this payment.

The host never mentioned the long-term booking policy. He only mentioned his booking policy. He knew this was my first time using Airbnb. He asked if I was familiar with Airbnb, and I said I wasn't. Still, he only mentioned his short-term policy and confirmed that I had until five days after the payment to get a full refund. The host exclusively lives from renting his apartment on Airbnb. He told me that himself. Which means he is very familiar with Airbnb policies. He knew about the long-term booking policy but said I was booking under his short-term policy. How is that not trapping someone?

Furthermore, he knew that I could make a cancellation request and get a full refund this way. But he never mentioned it. He just said that if he could do something for me, he would, but there was nothing he could do since he had yet to receive the money. That wasn't true. That was a lie. He could have told me to make a cancellation request. He could have told me this was an option to get a full refund and not pay for an apartment I would not use. But he didn't. When I found out about that option and made the cancellation request, he ignored it. He kept messaging me, asking me if I was coming to Switzerland, but he never answered my cancellation request. So he kept telling me that if he had a possibility to refund me fully, he would. But when I gave him this possibility by making a cancellation request, he ignored it. Again, How is that not trapping someone?

My card has been charged, and I am still opening disputes for this payment.

[Abla20]

Hi,

I replied to you a few weeks ago, and I am still waiting for a reply.

My card has been charged, and I am still opening disputes for this payment.

As I said before, The host never mentioned the long-term booking policy. He only mentioned his booking policy. He knew this was my first time using Airbnb. He asked if I was familiar with Airbnb, and I said I wasn't. Still, he only mentioned his short-term policy and confirmed that I had until five days after the payment to get a full refund. The host exclusively lives from renting his apartment on Airbnb. He told me that himself. Which means he is very familiar with Airbnb policies. He knew about the long-term booking policy but said I was booking under his short-term policy. This way, he trapped me.

Furthermore, he knew that I could make a cancellation request and get a full refund this way. But he never mentioned it. He just said that if he could do something for me, he would, but there was nothing he could do since he had yet to receive the money. That wasn't true. That was a lie. He could have told me to make a cancellation request. He could have told me this was an option to get a full refund and not pay for an apartment I would not use. But he didn't. When I found out about that option and made the cancellation request, he ignored it. He kept messaging me, asking me if I was coming to Switzerland, but he never answered my cancellation request. So he kept telling me that if he had a possibility to refund me fully, he would. But when I gave him this possibility by making a cancellation request, he ignored it. Again, How is that not trapping someone?

My card is still being charged, even if I blocked the payment less than 24 hours after I made it. After we blocked the payment, we didn't get charged. However, a few weeks after the incident, the money was charged. Since then, we have kept opening disputes for this payment, and I haven't gotten my money back.

Kind regards