Guests wants to cancel and refund on day of checkin due to fault tub

[Linzi16]

Hi community / advice please …. 

our guest checked in today for a 30 day booking, and seemed happy. 
however, tonight, 10pm messaged to say the jacuzzi is not working, could she have a refund and leave tomorrow …. 

It was checked and cleaned prior to arrival, and of course I will request to inspect first thing tomorrow to ensure the functions have been operated correctly.

should there actually be an unexpected fault, surely we should have the opportunity to repair?  In which case we could offer a discount/credit for the days of its faults and resume booked rate one repaired. 

it’s a long weekend with public holidays today and Monday. So tomorow being Saturday

the nearest service date would likely only be Tuesday or Wednesday. 

Id like to keep her happy and it is a solid booking of a month worth so would like to make it work … but don’t want issues and stress. 

What should I do if it is found to indeed  be faulty requiring repairs and if she’s not willing to wait wanting a full refund ….?   Eeeek. 

Thank you!! 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Linzi16 I fear there is more to this than the jacuzzi. Surely the guest must have found a better place to stay and/or just doesn't like your place for some reason. Whatever the reason though it leaves you with a problem. I would go around and try and figure out what is going on - Perhaps getting rid might actually be a good solution if the guest is going to continually complain!

[Linzi16]

yeah I hear you…. Frustrating but … 

thanks so much for your valued feedback. We’re just a “little guy” so these things make a huge impact on us 

[Helen3]

Hi @Linzi16 I agree with Mike it feels like an over reaction to want to cancel a long term booking.

As it was working properly when you had it cleaned/checked before the guest checked in, it's good you have plans to check it.

Apologise for the inconvenience,  confirm that you'll be offering a discount for the days it is out of action and bring over some Easter eggs .

do let us know how it goes . 

[Linzi16]

Thanks so much Helen. 
when I got there this morning she was already packed and had already booked alternate accommodation 2 blocks down. 

we checked the jacuzzi at first I wasn’t sure but then I flipped a switch and all hunky dory. 

She said that it took too long to heat up and that was inconvenient, even though on check in she was advised it took 2hrs at least and her response was “well I probably won’t be using it that much”. 
then all of a sudden her cancellation reason was that it was the key reason why she booked the unit. 

I definitely sense a simple “change of heart” but kindly and gracefully accepted her departure, gave her a lift to her new accommodation, and requested that she use the Airbnb platform to process her cancellation. 

I called Airbnb this morning and they were very helpful. Although my cancellation policy is strict, they advised me that irrelevant of that, should a guest find that any amenity provided is faulty or missing, they are eligible for a full refund. 

I’m sad to not have been able to save the booking but did everything I think was fair and necessary and accommodating, however it was clear she’d already made her decision before I even got there.  Even after showing her it was working fine. 

We certainly prefer happy grateful guests so it’s fine she chose to exit. However I’m now really confused about what to do about the “full refund” even though she offered to cover the first 3 nights as compensation for cancellation. 

Gosh. I guess I’ll just wait for her to cancel officially on the app?? She’s not done that yet as far as I can see and so my calendar is also still blocked …. Eeeeek. 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Linzi16 I would consider sending a change request to the guest shortening her stay to 3 days.

[Dee32]

Hi Linzi16

Here's my 2 cents-

"should a guest find that any amenity provided is faulty or missing, they are eligible for a full refund." But the Jacuzzi tub is fine. I agree with the other hosts,it's not a valid reason to cancel.  Stick with your policy and let it speak for you. Airbnb will always ask you to refund the guest. It doesn't mean you should. It's in their best interest not yours. Just let them know you have a "strict" policy to protect yourself and refunding the guest is clearly not what's best for you. It also rewards this guest for lying about your amenities, and green lights future bad behavior. You can always send her a refund if you are able to re-book the dates. Also,once the guest cancels the reservation you most likely will need to unblock the dates yourself,sometimes they automatically open,sometimes they don't. 

[Linzi16]

True. Thank you so much! I was just caught so off guard and panicked, snd always want to follow the rules and abide by any boundaries in place for good reason for either party.  But yeah the more I think about the more it’s clear she’d already made up her mind, she clearly said “you can come and look but I’m checking out anyway”. 
I really thought she’d be amicable when I got there and allow for any remedy. But she had already packed and had already paid for onward accommodation… so … yeah … 

[Branka-and-Silvia0 · Accepted solution]

@Linzi16  Cancellaton policy for Long term bookings (28+ nights) is strict. It means the guest will not be refunded for 30 nights after they said they will leave.
She left on day 3., she will not be refunded for the first month.

Your jaccuzzi works as it should so it is not a reason for a cancellation. She clearly changed her mind, her plans changed, she left and that's Ok... but she will not be refunded.

To be refunded she has to send you refund request. You decline it and reply in short and very clearly that all offered amenities worked fine and her departure is her own will therefore you decline to refund her.

Yes you can get a bad retaliatory review but you work for money, not for rating. If your listing is new and hit hard by her review you can always delete it and make a new listing.  I got a few retaliatory reviews in my 7 years of hosting but who cares! i am still here and working 🙂

[Linzi16]

amazing reply and advice @Branka-and-Silvia0 . I really appreciate the support very much! 
you are so right! This is my moms retirement fund … how do we respect an agreement and plans around the expectation of those funds if people just Willy-nilly change their minds. 
just not a pleasant experience I’m trying not to take it personally 😞 

onwards snd upwards 🙂