A guest canceled on the day she was scheduled to arrive. She was coming to Washington DC from Canada and had some problems at the border. I felt sorry for her but I have no plans on giving her a 100% refund. I made her a special offer and gave her a 10% discount. It took her a while to book and I had someone that was interested in booking but declined them so she could book. She automatically got $65 back when she canceled. With the 10% discount I gave her this is a $90 loss when I could have let someone else book. She has escalated her request for a 100% refund to the Resolution Center. How likely are they to side with her? Anyone else have experience with this?
From what Iâve read, AirBNB is very pro-guest, particularly when it comes to weather related incidents and Iâve seen instances where they urged the host to refund money even though the guest could still access the property (in the instance of recent Texas flooding). When this host refused to do so, AirBNB stepped in and decided to refund the money to the guest. With Border issues, Iâd assume that they consider that more guest responsibility to ensure they had proper paperwork or whatever. Iâm curious to see how they handle your situation, please do update.
Billy Bobâs anecdote surprises me because my limited interaction with CS has indicated that they like us to bend over backward to accommodate guests so that they are more likely to continue using AirBNB in the future. Iâm amazed they would be so punitive with a guest booking wrong dates and immediately correcting. It really underscores how they want us to accommodate guests with full refunds even when it falls outside the parameters of our cancellation policies but they stick to their own bottom line when it comes to their fees.
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They will side with you since AirBnB doesnât give a damn about anyone but their own fees, which are not refundableâŚ
At this point you will realize the wisdom of setting your cancellation policy to Moderate or Strict.
But even when we set policies to moderate or strict, AirBNB will often override our policies when guests escalate and will issue them refunds. So AirBNB does give a damn about their own fees and also about guests who they want to keep in the system â itâs the hosts that AirBNB doesnât give a damn about.
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Oh, I didnât know that. Hasnât happened to me yet, knock on wood. I must be more vigilant when screening guests, I guess, although lots of times I just donât feel like bothering. Does anyone use a form letter to make sure guests understand what they are getting into when they seem to be booking without having read the entire ad?
This is not my first cancellation. I have a moderate policy that is in the mid range of if all the policies. Guest get a full refund (minus airbnb fees) if they cancel within 5 days. However, this guest canceled on the first day of their booking by all the cancellation policies they will not get a full refund. This guest thinks she is owed one since the terms to which she could not come were about no having the right papers. Which with the story she told seems to not be her fault but she still should have checked on that before she got to the border.
I think having a moderate policy helps me get more guest. I have had folks cancel within the 5 day window and get their refund back but I have not had a problem with someone else booking to replace them. I have also, like you, had guest make simple mistakes like bookign the wrong dates and contacting me immediately. I give these people full refunds.
i have a moderate policy. This person canceled on the 1st day of their reservation.
I live in the DC area and guest often think I am in the middle of the city. I always ask folks if they will be driving or taking public transportation. If they are taking public transportation I make sure they are comfortable with that before booking. I have had some people decide not to book with me because of it. I am fine with that because it is better than them canceling.
Continuing the discussion from Will Airbnb give guest refunds when they escalate to the resolution center?:
Oh, this doesnât surprise me at all unfortunately. They are all about money. So long as THEY donât lose, they are all good. They are happy to play God and make it so you lose! I would be very surprised that guests treated so punitively for such a small mistake would ever use the service again, and not warn their friends.
We have changed our policy to strict after annoying guests. Nonetheless, airbnb gives little prompts to try to guilt you into refunding. Of course they have no intention to.
In the case of the border, it had to be the guests fault, because if everything is in order, you donât get turned away. We cross many times a year, and the only time we couldnât get back in, was our own fault, for not having our paper work in order. The host should definitely not be made to pay for this.
Iâve heard so many sob stories over the years about why they have to cancel or alter. You donât know if they are telling you the truth. I caught one guest in a lie about why she had to alter (and I had graciously agreed to let her do it) while one said he had a death in the family and the funeral would be for the month he was coming. A likely story.
If I get that again, I will need to see a death certificate or other proof.
I take a hard line on cancellations and you should too. You turned down other guests and tied your place and resources up holding it for her. She probably found a better deal elsewhere and told you a fib about the border.
Air wonât side with you because your policy wasnât set to strict. Set it to strict now and youâll never have this situation happen again.
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Changing my policy to strict didnât change my booking frequency, although I canât account for yours. I will say many people seem to have trouble reading even basic information, so Iâd be surprised if itâs noticed. We never looked back, the first time it happened to us on the night of arrival, and instead of being out of pocket after setting up the room and getting everything all perfect, they were instead. Nothing like being paid, and not even having to put up with the guests! I have found that some NYers book it âjust in case they want itâ, and itâs not even a big deal to them when they donât need it. The last cancellation said âsorry. will pay for everythingâ.
When the hurricane here last year grounded some flights into the Islands, Air sent out a blanket plea to those of here with reservations, urging us to refund. Why? The weather isnât my fault any more than it is the guestsâ fault. I wasnât about to jump the gun and cancel. Also hurricane landfall is tricky to predict, and while the East side of the Big. Island got nailed, we barely got a ripple of wind or a drop of rain on the west side. I sat here on my ocean view lanai watching the hurricane pass by far out at sea. My guests checked in as normal and everything was copacetic. If I had cancelled on the guest because a hurricane might come, we would both be the losers. Yet Air was sending us messages suggesting we cancel without a penalty. Then they get to look like the good guys and we lost a booking.
I think sometime weather is a factor to consider if you are flying into Hawaiiâs hurricane season.
Hello All,
Thanks for the responses. Airbnb sent me my money. I think this happened because the money got released and she complained on the same day. I have not heard anymore form Airbnb and donât expect to for a while if at all. After reading some of your responses I think they will side with me since this was a border issue. I agree that there is nothing like getting paid and not having to deal with guest. LOL This is not my first cancellation.
I keep the policy at moderate because I have not had a problem finding someone else to book the room for the same dates so this works for me and IMO being moderate makes me more marketable. I may change to strict someday but not at the moment. I also think I need to clarify something. If someone cancels on the 1st day of their reservation they will not get a full refund back no matter what your cancellation policy is.
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Iâm so glad it was resolved in your favor! I also keep my policy at moderate and havenât had issues so far.
In cases of âextenuating circumstances,â AirBNB will refund a cancellation at 100% at their discretion. It has happened before!
Happy you got good resolution! Air does try in most cases to please the host, or at least listen. After all we are their âinventory.â LOL. 
Hi there all,
Well we have hosted airbab + another homestay company. The good- airbab at least has a contact number .
We do feel that they appear to value the guest more than the host and if you have been hard done by yes it can be annoying. For eg atm we have two guests. Our house rules crystal clear as we work from home. They read if you want to go clubbing on the gold coast all night, and lay in bed all day ,this is not the booking for you-/
Ist night they arrive home 7am drunk throwing up been in bed all day air con going for nothing-- its not hot- we can not work- .
Here is worse=== homestay sent two Koreans-- spend ages driving them into Surfers in the peak Christmas traffic etc extra meals etc. They decide to shower at midnight then ask us where their three dollars change is. I kid you not!
I drive a Chrysler 300c - not to mention our time at Christmas - probably cost us $20.00 in gas.
Absolute RUDE users. When she asked me for the lousy three bucks â i smiled nicely and said sure- there you go ânow get out. Her and her mother whom just btw said she didnt speak English THEN forced their way into my private bedroom and pushed over my friend and shoved me also saying NO we are not going.
The mother suddenly spoke good English!
It took over an hour to get them out and i had to call police.
Aussies are real givers and we were HAPPY to drive them, help them, spoil them and all for 25$pp pn night
We did this because they said they had no moneyâ yeh well they booked top class sea food restaurant.
There is nothing worse than not being appreciated when your a great host or your house rules ignored.
AS for Chinese people , i have met nice and again ones who think Aussies are their maids and servants.
This was not my first cancelation. The person canceled on the day of. I have a moderate cancelation policy do I was gonna get money. I was asking if Airbnb would rule in favor of the guedt because they escalated their concern. In the end I got my money. I have been doing Airbnb for 3 years. I am experienced.
PS
I forgot to say airbab are much better than homestay and thats for sure. Hosting can be great making friends for life or not so great. Dont be scared to tell people to go if they refuse to follow basic house rules.
So long as your fair kind and good and youv done everything possible to fix things you shouldnt feel bad.
Should your guest decide to cancel or not show up, Airbnb will uphold your cancellation policy. Your payout will be released normally â 24 hours after the originally scheduled check-in date (as long as the Host Obligations outlined above were upheld). Payouts for canceled reservations will not be released early.
Cleaning fees are always refunded if the guest did not check in. The Airbnb service fee is non-refundable for guests. However, your 3% host fee will be adjusted according to your final reservation total after the refund. Applicable taxes will also be retained and remitted by Airbnb.
You can always verify the payout in your Transaction History by going to Account > Transaction History.
Hereâs a summary of some important information to consider when deciding which of the three standardized cancellation policies to select:
The cancellation policy you choose will not display until a guest views your Airbnb listing page. For this reason, Airbnb hosts have an incentive to opt for stricter cancellation policies, so long as they are supported by an enticing Airbnb listing that guests want to book.
Iâd therefore recommend erring on the side of conservatism and electing to opt for a Moderate or Strict cancellation policy.
Circumstances When Your Cancellation Policy Wonât Apply:
Airbnb will uphold your listingâs cancellation policy, unless:
- The cancellation qualifies as an âextenuating circumstanceâ
- The cancellation was processed in relation to a documented Guest Refund Policy case; or
- Legitimate safety concerns exist
Extenuating circumstances include:
- Death in the family
- Serious illness or serious illness in the family
- Natural disaster in the destination country
- Political unrest in the destination country
- Civil obligations
Guest Refund Policy:
The Airbnb Guest Refund Policy protects guests from last-minute host cancellations, lock-outs, and listings that are misrepresented, unsanitary, or lacking in promised amenities or items. Airbnb may require that you give your guest a refund if you violate one or more of their Hospitality Standards. These include:
- Accuracy
- Communication
- Availability
- Commitment
- Cleanliness
- Amenities
- Welcome
- Support
In the event of a complaint from either party, notice must be given to Airbnb within 24 hours of check-in. Airbnb will then mediate where necessary, and have the final say in all disputes.