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Guest coming for one night tonight messaged me that she’s heading home due to a sick pet. I told her to cancel and I’d give a full refund. I told her to cancel and that it would look like she’s not getting a refund (Moderate Policy) but that I’d get an option to refund (the email that usually comes after a cancellation) and would.
She hasn’t cancelled yet. I’ve never had a same-day cancellation. Is the process the same? Will I get an email where I can give a full refund?
I feel like she’s busy driving and/or taking care of the sick pet and would like to help her out but I know that I can’t cancel or I get dinged but am thinking I might just call in, though feel a little untrusting that Air CS could muck it up and make it look as if I cancelled.
Is there a deadline for her to cancel tonight’s reservation?
So, just to be clear, I could just let the reservation run-out instead of having her cancel and then just refund her tomorrow through the resolution center? (I am not intending on re-booking for tonight at this point).
This is a good question. I was under the impression that the guest lost Airbnb’s fees even when I have done a full refund. Do they not? I usually warn the guest that they probably will.
Guests can cancel and get fees refunded 3 times per year, but they have to call. However, I’m not sure if that policy changes on a last-minute cancellation even if the host agrees to the cancellation.
Edit: it would be really crappy if Airbnb asked hosts to allow a full refund of a cancellation that doesn’t fall under extenuating circumstances (which they do all the time), but still keep the fees for themselves.
@Brian_R170 Well, I already mentioned to the guest that she might lose fees to airbnb. I don’t think I’m up to calling in. I would have to open a bottle of wine to do that but am supposed to go out for drinks later and am a bit of a lightweight. My husband would be unamused.
The fees shouldn’t be much anyways and I imagine she could call and get them back at a later date maybe?
It doesn’t in terms of your end in the resolution center. I shoudn’t matter otherwise. When Airbnb hosts want to do something pro-guest about a confirmed booking they are helpful (in my very limited experience.)
So this guest never cancelled and CS was no help when I called in because the reservation was already started and she hadn’t contacted them (I didn’t want them to bother her, so let it go).
I sent her what I was paid through Resolution Center the next day and offered a little discount if she wanted to re-book at another time (she comes to my town frequently for business). I haven’t heard back from her, so fear the worst for the kitty However, she has now left me a review! She was so happy when I told her I’d refund and said ‘I hope they let me leave you a review’, so this is likely a good thing!
But…I’m sitting here trying to review her without her having stayed. This is a first for me. Everything was a positive experience with her but when I start to say “she wasn’t able to stay…” it sounds negative either about her or me.
Wow, how generous of you. My last guest arrived a day late and leave a day early and I did not even for a second consider refunding her. Makes no sense to me.
@RiverRock It was only for one night, she was completely honest about it, she didn’t expect to get a refund (nor demand one) and, of course she had to go be with her sick pet, I would too.
She left me a 5 star review this morning! And I didn’t have to flip the apartment. All’s well that ends well
Maybe it would make sense to you business-wise? As I assume that it’s a ‘business’ angle that you’re coming from when you don’t want to refund in such a case. Because, business-wise, this is a guest with 23 5-star reviews that comes and stays in my neighborhood for 1-3 days a week for 9 months out of the year. One night’s rent and feeling like I did the right thing is really only a very small investment.
However, she has now left me a review! She was so happy when I told her I’d refund and said ‘I hope they let me leave you a review’, so this is likely a good thing!