Isn’t the flexible more of an advantage to guests rather than hosts? I notice some hotels charge more for free cancellations.
Yes. I consider myself to be in the hospitality business. It seems that you have a different business model than I do.
I’m not a hotel so that’s irrelevant.
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That’s interesting that the rep said they should have cancelled. Reps usually lean towards keeping the guests happy. Well I guess it is a lesson for next time. If a guest tries it on again ask them to cancel. Airbnb advised that is the way to go. It will weed out those that are trying to pull a swifty.
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Ok but we’ve just been talking about guests taking the piss and using alterations to override host cancellation policies etc… If it were a genuine mitigating circumstance then I would be sympathetic, but so often this is abused too. We are allowed to make a living as well as be hospitable. Why must we be the guests travel insurance?
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That is my issue here too Jess.
I was only responding to your comment that we should " all have strict policy." I have a different rental, different model, different needs that you and many other hosts. I would never advocate that we all should have IB, or flexible policy or any of a number of other things that work very well for me but might not for you.
Every listing, every host is potentially different. I don’t like broad brushing all hosts any more than I like broad brushing all Chinese people.
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Chiming in with @KKC—I have a flexible cancellation on one condo and moderate on the other two. If I get a cancellation for one of the moderate condos after the full refund period is over, I ask a few questions and offer full refund if I rebook. I rarely have a problem.
Why must the host be the travel insurance?—it is the Airbnb terms of service I signed up for. If I don’t like it, I am free to go to VRBO or another STR service.
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However if I had a vacation rental like some folks, say in a Hawaiian fly in destination, I would absolutely have strict and a disclaimer in my listing about people needing travel insurance.
I hate to carry on about my hosting philosophy because frankly, it’s sickeningly sanctimonious sounding and people have had quite enough of my self righteousness already. But I also reject the idea that I should adopt other hosts policies because hosts with generous policies and low prices like me make it harder for hosts with higher prices and strict policies. Other hosts needs are not my issue.
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Agreed but my suggestion of stricter cancellation came with a perhaps at the beginning rather than a should … In the context we were discussing it may well have helped.
Yes, this particular case…it pisses me off that someone would do that and Allison’s suggestion for cutting these types off at the knees is a good one. I think if I hosted an entire place in a tourist destination I would be more draconian. @georgygirlofairbnb is my role model for whole home hosters. LOL.
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Yes I was really grateful to learn about that. All my alterations have been genuine and benign to date - people asking to extend their stay. It never occurred to me people would manipulate like that.
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I agree. My properties are drive-to destinations. Occasionally I’ll get a fly-in guest.
I tend to be on the liberal customer service side of things too. I let my long term guests preview the property. I’ve never billed for damaged sheets or towels (less than $100 so cost of doing business). I’ve been fortunate and not had any deliberate damage like another host on this forum who’s TV was scratched & had to be replaced. (Oh - I take that back, I had someone who was unfamiliar with wet beach sand & it’s affect on a washing machine cause me trouble but it was naïveté not maliciousness ). I let guests check in early or stay late if there is NOT another reservation on the same day.
Oh well I’m a push over HOWEVER this booking season was at least 1/3 repeat customers so it works for me.
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Sometimes you can find a diamond in this pile of coal.
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Yes!
202020202020 
Wow, that is great, congratulations!
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I keep seeing “Alliteration Request” 4 days before stay."
Let’s see if I can satiate my wicked brain with this:
Betty Botter bought a bit of butter, but she said, this butter’s bitter; if I put it in my batter, it will make my batter bitter, but a bit of better butter will make my bitter batter better.
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Haha! I had to check to see if I typed that as a title. I wish I had been that clever. All I can think of at this point is something about picking peppers and chucking wood. Maybe a seashell sale or two.
After this day, I am tired. But I promise to be more enterprising tomorrow!
The ungrateful greedy guest was granted a generous gift.
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Yeah, being that they were our neighbor’s daughter, I felt I didn’t have an option … so I picked the $500 loss vs a ticked off neighbor. But I certainly won’t rent to them once this fiasco plays out. It has been MOST helpful to get everyone’s advise here and through ABB as to how to handle this if (WHEN) it happens from a stranger.
Thank you for your help!
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Gotta laugh, and share - I just scrolled through the post list and I swear it said “alliteration”! The brain is a sneaky thing!
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