UK Policy

[Escape-To-St-Ives0]

Has any one seen any information on why Airbnb are routinely allowing cancellations until 31 July despite lockdown ending 4 July?

[Gordon0]

Are these cancelations from UK guests, @Escape-To-St-Ives0? I can understand overseas guests cancelling in some circumstances (restrictions apply to their travel etc) but not home-grown guests.

[Escape-To-St-Ives0]

Yes, they are UK residents.  I am very happy to cancel overseas guests but it seems beyond unfair that this blanket policy has not been reconsidered in the light of the change in regulations.   I have seen no justification from Airbnb and was wondering if I had missed it

[Gordon0]

Agree, very unfair, @Escape-To-St-Ives0. 

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Escape-To-St-Ives0 

Totally unjustified, apart from the opportunity for Airbnb to retain cash and convert refunds to travel vouchers.

The EC policy update on 15th June extended the application of the policy to 31st July despite Airbnb being aware of the 4th July opening date.

[Jen89]

Update 1st July, EC(CV-19 related) policy now extended to 15th August!  It seems bizarrely to be a world wide policy and is not changed according to changes in any particular country's lockdown release dates.  Madness!

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

@Escape-To-St-Ives0 The cancellation policy applying to reservations booked prior to March 14 is not connected to a country or locality's lockdown dates. It would be ludicrous to expect Airbnb to localize it at this point in the pandemic, when every country's rules change almost daily and lockdowns can vary even from one postcode to the next. There's no persuasive evidence that the UK's re-opening won't go as badly as those in the US, so I can't blame travelers who booked before the pandemic struck for recognizing now that whatever optimism they held onto over the last months was misplaced.

Airbnb is extending the cancellation window incrementally to reduce its outflow of cash, unfortunately at the expense of hosts, who would rather have more time to refill their calendars. We can expect that the next policy update will extend it to August 31, and so on. 

[Escape-To-St-Ives0]

I have to disagree - it would not be difficult to set policy at a nation level.  Frankly, it is ludicrous to set a global policy.

If Airbnb wants to continue to be taken seriously, then it needs to think seriously.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Anonymous It would be incredibly easy for Airbnb to have a policy that covers cancellations if people cannot travel or it is illegal for them to stay somewhere with quarantining.

[Helen3]

If Airbnb's policies aren't working for you @Escape-To-St-Ives0 are you listing on other platforms whose T&Cs you prefer. You are in such a popular holiday location and I know bookings are already up massively in Cornwall so you shouldn't have any problem getting your dates filled for the season.

[Escape-To-St-Ives0]

We are on many platforms and airbnb provides about 20% of our bookings.  This proportion is falling rapidly and unless there is a compelling business reason to stay with them it is likely that their performance over the last few months will result in us de-listing.