Airbnb making up their own cancellation policy determination

I have an upcoming trip booked through AirBnB. I tried booking another property for the same dates. The message came up “We noticed that you have another open reservation request starting on Sun, August 06, 2017. If you submit multiple requests and more than one is accepted, you will be charged for each accepted reservation.”

But it does not give me that message if I try to book a different property for part of the time - for instance, checking in on the 7th instead of the 6th or leaving a day earlier.

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Thank you! That was the message I saw I just couldn’t remember it word for word ! That was the message I saw when I submitted multiple requests for the same dates; and it certainly suggests it is a) possible to hold more than one booking for the same dates and that b) Airbnb will hold you responsible for meeting the costs of the multiple bookings.

I had a guest who somehow was able to make two reservations. She Instant Booked for the same day for her daughter. I asked her if her daughter was comfortable with large dogs. The answer was no. She booked another listing and screamed at me on the phone in an effort to get me to cancel her booking. Airbnb paid me fully and refunded her fully.

So they threaten you but if the OP is to be believed, they still stiff the host if the guest whines enough. I’m glad I have flexible cancellation policy so I don’t have to be frustrated by this nonsense.

Yes, I recall reading some blurb in their fine print basically saying they can override whatever they want for any reason.

But can you share any more details about the conversation regarding them not honoring their own cancellation policy? You raised the issue of not being able to keep the money according to the cancellation policy. The rep. quotes some fine print babble saying they can do what they want. Did the conversation go any further? Did you ask the rep. if another future guest decides not to show that they will also be granted a refund from your future payouts?

I wonder if this guest went to their bank and did a chargeback. I find it odd that Air is contacting you three weeks later after you declined the first refund request. If the guest had presented evidence to an “extenuating circumstance” in the beginning, then the rep. should have relayed that the guest qualified for a full refund under extenuating circumstnaces, even if the evidence was bogus.

Even if the guest came back a couple of weeks later trying to present the evidence, the rep. still should have claimed extenuating circumstance as the reason, but instead he is claiming to refund because guest didn’t use the services he paid for.

Another question…did you tell the rep. that this guy booked two places? I assumed you did, but want to be sure. And what did the rep. have to say about that? Did he say guests are now allowed to make multiple reservations and then are entitled to full refund?

The reservations and correspondence was all in their system, which I pointed out to the rep. Still, their mind was made up and my reasoning and pointing to cancellation policy made no difference. They in turn pointed to the ‘We can do whatever we want for any reason’ clause.

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But why would she make two reservations for her daughter?

She reserved my place without realizing that her daughter is not comfortable with large dogs. When I asked her if her daughter was comfortable with large dogs and she found out that the answer was no, she reserved a different place. She did not cancel her reservation with me as she wanted me to cancel.

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Well not always unfortunately :slight_smile:

Here is the cancellation policy. Apparently, you can book multiple listings for the same date. The guest will not be refunded the Airbnb fees, but will be refunded the rest according to the cancellation policy.

https://www.airbnb.com/home/cancellation_policies#flexible

Makes sense to me. I always thought you could book with multiple hosts at the same time as said as much earlier in this thread.

Saying you can cancel in line with a hosts cancellation policy is holding you responsible. I can’t explain why Airbnb haven’t stuck by their own rules in this case but for me that is no surprise.

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They are one sided stories because AirBnB does not allow Hosts any input whatsoever. Anytime I have had any issue with a guest of a reservation AirBnB refuses to hear my side and makes a decision in favor of the guest. It is unacceptable!! I have been consistently disappointed and disrespected by AirBnB and they have no interest in following their own policies. I wish I had another option or recourse because I imagine that the company leadership would be upset to know this is how we are being treated. Anyone know how to best get some attention?

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Lots of shoulds. I and others completely agree but what can we do about it?

That is a crazy policy. So someone could book all the days of the year on my calendar and then decide to cancel at the last minute and not be regulated by the cancellation policy? What is the point of a cancellation policy if is it not recognized.

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I imagine they would act like they are upset but I doubt they are. When you get mad and leave the platform there is someone ready to step in and take your bookings. Almost every individual host is expendable.

Try posting your complaint on twitter.

I imagine the leadership team has trained their reps. on how to treat the hosts.

I know a number of people in the company who are disgusted with the way I have been treated. If AirBnB is like any start-up I have worked for that blew up quickly, the upper leadership is delegating concepts but not on top of how they are treated. I went to an event where the CEO spoke and he was adamant about the “host community” and how important we are. I am sure he has no idea what is happening.

A lot of them will put on a good front and be all apologetic to your face but if they truly cared then they would keep their word with their own policies.

The CEO was feeding you lines of bullshit. You mentioned above that they never want to hear your side of the story and you are consistently disrespected by the company. Well that kind of attitude starts from the top and it trickles down to the front line.

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Of course he was. It would be hard to imagine an event with hosts present where he was adamant about how expendable hosts are. Any single individual host is not important. Do they need “hosts?” Yes. Do they need you? No. I hope you get a happy ending to your story, many hosts do.