The cancellation policy doesn't protect hosts

[Aki1261]

I'm an experience host. There's an increase in the number of guests who cancel the experience and ask for a full refund even it's beyond the specified cancellation period. I ask them to go over the cancellation policy once again upon booking, but there are just more people who do it. I know I'm not 100% obligated to give them a full refund, but I feel bad if I don't. It's not like we can get a new booking right away. They take up the slots when they book. There may be others who couldn't book the slots because of it. If they could've canceled earlier, I could've gotten new booking. Whenever I get a cancelation like this, I just get frustrated. And Airbnb offers guests an option to request hosts a full refund without them being penalized. 

[Helen744]

@Aki1261 Do not continue to offer full refunds for guests who do this . Mayb take up a moderate cancellation policy and turn off Instant book for a while. this seems to be happening increasingly . make sure every guest is aware of your booking policy . All the best .. H

[Rebecca1603]

So very frustrating. I’ve had 3 cancellations in the past week. The last one was 3 days before the arrival. I have a “Firm” cancellation policy. Yet everyone who canceled gave me their sob story and wanted a full refund. Which I did give them, because I am a sucker and would have felt guilty if I hadn’t. Even though this is my only source of income and I only have this 1 property. The most recent cancellation was especially angering because he wanted ME to cancel his reservation so he would get his money back. I told him I could not cancel his reservation because I’d get hit with a penalty. But if he canceled on his own, I would contact Airbnb and get his money back. Well I guess he didn’t believe me. Because he called Airbnb and told them that I could “no longer accommodate him” and Airbnb canceled the booking. So basically he lied to Airbnb and now I have to “give my side of the story” to Airbnb or face penalties. Luckily I have the messages through the app that he wrote to me, telling me that his vacation fell through because another host canceled his reservation and he was no longer driving through my area (for that ONE night stop) to his original vacation destination. So I have proof that #1: HE wanted to cancel the reservation, NOT me. And #2: The reason for him canceling had NOTHING to do with my property not being able to accommodate him. I hope it gets sorted out. But I tell you, it really burned me up when, after I went ahead and gave him ALL his money back, I find out that he misled Airbnb at the reason for his cancellation and now I have to defend myself for something I had absolutely nothing to do with. And by the way, I never did get another booking for that night he canceled. So I’m also out that money I could have potentially had….it was the first Friday night my place had no booking thanks to him. I can rest easy knowing I did the right thing. But I kind of wish Airbnb would get involved and take the money back since he lied, or at the very least manipulated the situation to his benefit…even though it was totally unnecessary in the first place.