Help needed with refunding a few days please

1

Hi wise ones…

I have guests staying at the moment who were between house moves and they’ve just let me know that they are getting the keys to their new home a few days early.

Can anyone steer me as to how I refund the now paid for but unwanted days? Should I let the guests make the change?

Thanks in advance.

2

Personally I wouldn’t refund in those circumstances @Fidget as you held the space for them in good faith.

Instead I would say to the guests if they want to cancel their booking for the remaining days, if I was able to rebook them I would consider an additional refund. Of course it depends on your cancellation policy.

Tell them to cancel and Airbnb will refund them in accordance with your cancellation policy. Don’t accept an amendment or they will get a full refund of any remaining days.

Have a look at Airbnb Help Centre - guest cancellations for more detail

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3

Thanks Helsi

My cancellation policy is strict. I’ve looked at the help centre and it all seems a bit vague… I’ll get the guests to submit their change.

Damned annoying as I bent over backwards to accommodate them and a cat!

4

Since you have strict policy I don’t believe you have to refund them. I might say something like “My policy is strict so you aren’t entitled to any refund. Once you submit and change and the additional days become available I may be able to rebook them. If I do so I’ll process a refund after the next reservation starts.” Don’t refund before you get paid for the new booking if you get one.

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5

Hello @Fidget

Slightly confused why would you ask the guest to submit a change you won’t get anything.

Why not ask them to do as I suggested and cancel the booking, then you will get the full amount.

I think it’s fairly clear on Airbnb Help Centre

https://www.airbnb.co.uk/home/cancellation_policies

https://www.airbnb.co.uk/help/article/43/what-happens-if-my-guest-cancels

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6

You can send them money through AirBnb. If you go to their reservation, there’s a tab that you click on to send money to guests.

7

Hi Helsi (sorry, no idea how to tag you)

The guest has just submitted a change request - do I ignore it?
Part of the AirBnB message states “If you choose to decline, the reservation will remain unchanged”.

If I decline, then the remaining days will continue to be unavailable and so I’ll never be in a position to rebook their unwanted nights and thus there can be no refund.

8

If you didn’t already tell them you would refund remaining days, then tell them to cancel the remainder of their reservation and then you will follow Airbnb policy.

9

If you have already replied to the guest either verbally or via the app that you would refund the remaining nights I would either have the guest send thru an alteration request or you can do it also. Honestly, I would do it.

10

I had a strict policy and had a cancellation. When the guest told me they had to have emergency surgery, I refunded their money. If someone just will-nilly decided to cancel, I told them if I had that time booked by another customer, I’d be happy to refund their money, if not then I wouldn’t.