** A wonderful result ** to the "Alteration Request" 4 days before stay

[LCL]

@Allison_H

allowed the alteration change but charged them the new stay plus the “non-refundable” portion of their original stay (50% in one case, 100% in the other). I told them I couldn’t fully refund them unless the dates re-booked.

That is genius!

I called ABB and the CS rep agreed that, because of the neighbor “connection” they “pushed an alteration request beyond how AirBnb intends for it to utilized”. He noted the record and opened a case in case they cancel later.

[LCL]

I wish, they rebooked for the weekend after Thanksgiving holiday. Coincidentally the same date that we had started off season rates for the house.

But - looking on the bright side - at least they didn’t get Thanksgiving! I would have been livid if I lost that time to their games.

So not only did we lose the $500 for this weekend, our caretaker lost his cleaning fee for this weekend (and he was already scheduled off to clean the house so he lost his daily wage for his other job), and they booked for less than they would have originally paid.

[georgygirlofairbnb]

Oh so you went ahead and allowed the alteration and you took a $500 loss.
So that’s that ! I misunderstood and thought you were exploring your options.
done is done I guess

[Annet3176]

I’m in NC. I will share info about your listing with friends, just in case they can book. No promises but it never hurts to advertise.

I’ve been bitten by a guest booking during peak season, last minute alteration request to cheaper off-season days, then attempt to cancel.

I accepted the alteration request after they agreed to abide by a stict cancellation policy (no refunds). Because the communication was on the Airbnb platform, when they tried to cancel, they were charged for the full rental (at the off-season price ).

I wish I had been sharp enough to do what @Allison_H did.

[LCL]

Thank you Annet! And yes - I agree with all of this!

I told my husband last night that I was going to post about this on the forum and he rolled his eyes (he stays off all social media) but I have learned so many tricks here and Allison’s was brilliant.

There is a quite a bit of mystery and fear in the declining guests category, that I didn’t know what I was allowed to do (and what I would have done anyway considering the neighbor v/s stranger issue) but I sure do have an arsenal of ideas now! And a case opened so (fingers crossed!) I’m protected (at least as much as I can be)

[LCL]

@cabinhost

No way would I accept that alteration request. Neighbors or not…they need to understand that you are running a business that is your livelihood. […] A hotel would never operate in this manner.

I agree! My friend wanted to book the house for this weekend for her anniversary but couldn’t (1) Because Heidi had it and now (2) Because the Omni hotel won’t let her out of her reservation on short notice.

@cabinhost

I hope it works out in the end though

But - holy cow !!! - We just got a booking for those days!!! YAHOO!!! I must have an angel watching me, and if I find that angel I am going to hug them! Or at least buy them a beer!

[LCL]

@Annet3176

I’m in NC. I will share info about your listing with friends, just in case they can book. No promises but it never hurts to advertise.

I don’t know if this was from you, but we just a booking. YAY!

[LCL]

THANK YOU EVERYONE! Y’all are great!

[KKC]

My Airbnb is completely different from yours but I have found that I often get a replacement booking after a cancellation of alteration. Many people have posted here speculating that you get bumped up in rankings when something like this happens.

[KKC]

@LCL

those days!!! YAHOO!!

There go my plans for a weekend getaway.

[Joan]

@Allison_H

The second and third time I got smarter!

Allison, thanks so much for such a brilliant " ops management technique"! Mr Joan has found info on the net about how to successfully scam Airbnb Hosts’ cancellation policies, and guess what? This is it.

[Annet3176]

@LCL

t we just a booking. YAY!

Can’t take credit; I have been sending out positive bookings vibes though! Glad you got a replacement booking.

[Emily]

@Joan

Exactly that happened to me a few weeks ago. The guest had worked out that he would lose money under our moderate policy if he cancelled there and then, so requested an alteration for two weeks later, which I foolishly accepted. He cancelled an hour later.

I would raise this with Airbnb as a faux alteration to bypass their cancellation policy. They need to change this so that alterations cannot be cancelled. I will certainly be wise to this scam now and will either not alter or will only alter with a written agreement that Airbnb endorses in writing also that they cannot cancel the altered dates.

[Jess1]

Or perhaps we should all be having the strict cancellation policy anyways?

[Jess1]

I just had someone cancel after I said no, I didn’t have a bike they could borrow for their 10 day stay. Imagine the liability of that. I am now right back on strict cancellation.

[LCL]

You are more than welcome if you are in the NC area But yep, I just lost my last-minute weekend get-away too. I was headed that way if it didn’t rent … and if I could get there before my Mom! Haha!

[KKC]

@Jess1

we should all be having the strict cancellation policy anyways?

I don’t want strict. I have flexible and I want to keep it.

[LCL]

I called this morning and got a case opened. I meant it to just be a “How can this be possible? It isn’t with VRBO” question but it took on a life of its own. (Thankfully!)

At first the ABB CS rep didn’t seem too convinced that there was anything off about it, but he then emailed me right away to say a case had been opened and to contact him directly if they try to cancel or continue this endless vacation planning again. He said (quote) that they were using the alteration policy outside of the spirit in which it was intended. I couldn’t agree more! Makes me wonder if ABB is seeing this more. Especially since Mr. Joan found it as a scam too! That egg on ABB’s face can’t be a positive …

Problems happen, I get it. and I have altered requests before - to add or subtract a day here or there, but I’ve never had someone use ABB’s very generous alteration policy to effectively cancel on us last minute. And I would NEVER do that to someone else! I would own up to the issues on my part, and contact the host and hope that they could rebook.

Thank goodness this is over, my caretaker is now making twice his fee and I have Haha!

[EVedder]

Is it an option to just decline the alteration and say they have to cancel the booking? Tell them if you find a replacement booking you will happily refund. Then they can make a new booking for the dates they require. If in fact they do actually want a new booking or are just trying to get around your cancellation policy.

[LCL]

@EVedder

Is it an option to just decline the alteration and say they have to cancel the booking?

From the CS rep that I talked to this morning, I would have been within my rights to have cancelled. I was in a pickle because it was a neighbor’s daughter that booked and I was trying to play nice,

The rep told me that he would have told them to cancel and rebook since they were significantly moving the dates, not just altering a reservation by a day or two. In his message after the phone call, he offered to cancel their rebook on my behalf saying they were using the ABB alteration policy outside of its intended use.