Guests can dispute and get all their money back

We’re occasionally renting our properties on Booking and other sites, using Stripe to collect payments from guests. We have non-refundable rates, meaning if guests cancel or don’t show up we’ll charge the total price. This is clearly stated before the guest book and in the booking confirmation.

The past year we’ve seen an increase in guests contacting their banks, disputing these payments and demanding their money back, this includes guests who have actually stayed with us. And the sick thing, the bank always give them right. Although we’re sending thorough documentation on the booking terms, the banks keep refunding the guests on our behalf.

These decisions are made somewhere in the dark, we’re even not allowed to know the name of the bank or person who have made the decision. All we get is an automated answer saying:

"We know how frustrating it is to lose a dispute, and we’re sorry to say that once a dispute has been lost, that outcome is final.

Disputes are decided by your customer’s bank, according to the bank’s process. The steps Stripe follows to help you respond to the dispute and submit evidence are rigidly defined, but the decision made by the bank can be affected by a number of factors. Often the decision on who wins a dispute comes down to a judgement call by the bank. Stripe has no way to affect this judgement call beyond submitting evidence on your behalf."

Sounds like Stripe need to renegotiate their T & C’s with the banks.

Sounds like you need to get off of Stripe!

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