Refund when guest are asked to leave

[Emily559]

We had guests two years ago damage our apartment, and were asked to leave.

Airbnb offered them a refund-which I now understand was against our “strict cancellation” policy. We technically knew the refund was being issued, but did not understand it to mean it was going to be taken out of our account. Airbnb, unbeknownst to us issued that refund to be taken out of future listings, so when we listed and booked two guests two years later in a different home, we are being told we won’t be paid, that is going towards paying off the refund that was issued to the guests we kicked out years before. We are shocked. No where in the potential earnings did this come up. We’ve booked our trip as if we were getting paid for two sets of guests staying in our home. Has anything like this happened to anyone else?! I’ve always felt like Airbnb was a reputable company-and even after kicking our guests, I felt like they handled it well, and even had our backs. Hence the new listing two years later. We have three kiddos now and thought using Airbnb may be a good way to help fund trips as they get older! Anyone else?! Advice?! 

[Rebecca181]

@Emily559 Yes, this has been happening to other hosts here - I see more and more posts like yours this year, especially. Either hosts are being called by Airbnb customer support and being told it would be "such a good thing" if they would violate their own cancellation policy to refund the guest in full; or, the full refund is given without the host even being notified, even if it violates their chosen cancellation policy.

In Europe, the EU Commission will likely be examining such incidences as it would appear to be violating European hosts' contractual arrangement with Airbnb as per the Terms of Service we agree to. I am not sure what it will take for that to happen here in the U.S., although I do know that at least one host shared in a post here recently that he is reporting such incidences to the Department of Justice and he encouraged other hosts to do the same.

[Kim87]

Yes, you will a few posts here of hosts who were pressured to go against their own policy, sometimes with an unexpected phone call. Very preoccupying.

[Andreas-and-Anna0]

I don’t understand, it appears ABB didn’t agree the guests were kicked out- resulting in a refund to them, which you needed to pay. Is that correct? 

And now that you have new booking, the money is coming out of your funds?

[Andreas-and-Anna0]

You say you knew the refund was going to be issued? 

I don’t understand what a strict cancellation policy has to to with refund- aren’t they two different issues?

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Emily559

When the host asks the guest to leave, the cancellation policy does not apply, and the guests are refunded for nights not stayed. It does not matter who is at fault or why the guest is asked to leave. It's not fair but it's how Airbnb has (as far as I know) always handled these types of situations.

The cancellation policy (strict/moderate/flexible) only applies if the GUEST is the one who cancels.

Also, Airbnb is well known to take money from host payouts based on whatever decisions they make, and they have no obligation to provide reasons for such decisions to the host (or guest). There is no clear criteria, reasoning or logic behind Airbnb decisions and according to them, they have the final say in all disputes. Total tyranny~

[Kelly149]

yes, abb can take the money. So, the question is... do you want to host these next two guests for "free"?