I’m tending to agree with @mica555 on this one, the guests are to blame as much or more as Airbnb. Yes, it’s annoying that they aren’t more supportive of host policies. I was understanding and compassionate for the first year of the pandemic, now I’m not. Everyone with the resources to plan a vacation of this nature has the resources to understand their risks. They still want to put all the risk on the host. I say they are lucky they can get half their money back at this late date.
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I think you’ve done the right thing. I can’t imagine traveling (especially internationally, right?) without travel insurance and being vaccinated. And then booking accommodations with a strict cancellation policy without those things in place!
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Could be! I’ve found that being innocent and earnest and perhaps even slightly confused ("I’m not sure I understand why you would think that . . .) works just as well with hustlers as with sincere customers!
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Two can certainly play their game. 
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Four days ago one of our guests cancelled his one month stay starting tomorrow due to Covid numbers spiking in Florida. At this point we have a super strict, no refund at all if cancelling within 30 days policy. (VRBO platform). We told him if it gets rebooked we will refund him. Thus far we have rebooked 12 days of the 30 days of his stay, so he will get some of his money back. He booked during a pandemic. I don’t feel bad at all.
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The guest can’t leave you a review and you probably wouldn’t want them back anyway. Tell them - this is a business and we have non-refundable expenses to meet when there are guests. You booked a strict policy, we don’t have the rest of your money.
Wow. Ballsy move during a pandemic and without travel insurance.
Passive aggressive garbage. YES it’s too much to ask for. They know that, Air knows that.
Stick to your guns and be glad you didn’t have to host them. I can only imagine the litany of complaints that would have you booking additional tickets to the island to mollify them.
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In your situation, given the planning and costs that go into each of your bookings, please do not let the guest or Airbnb bully you. I am one of the first hosts to always offer refunds as I don’t have much trouble rebooking any cancelled dates, but your situation is unique and I would not offer another dime. I would guess this is a fairly new guest on Airbnb, few reviews, and maybe didn’t understand or read the policies. If they succeed in getting a full refund, they will assume they can do this in the future.
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Hold to your policy. Keep the money. Don’t even consider giving them anything unless you get FULLY REBOOKED - AND - you have that money too.
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They knew it was Strict when they booked! It’s a business, and you’re out the turnover expense. I just refused a requested refund for a Firm booking, when they checked in and then cancelled.
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I’m surprised that no one has mentioned this yet as a way to ameliorate the situation. I expect the guests’ desire to go to Greece is still there and they’d gladly come back if it was safer. Tell them that while you can’t refund further, that you will offer them a credit or a discount if/when they rebook for a future date. How much is your discretion.
We had to cut our trip to South Africa short in 2020, rebooked for 2021, had to cancel and am scheduled for 2022 (hopefully). Most of the companies were willing to work with us and I’m happy to go again, even if there is a slight differential for pricing…they can’t honor my 2020 rates forever. You are a small business person, but a traveler too.
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I think they are trying to scam you for a refund, after realising they had made a complete balls up with their booking.
Stick to your guns.
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That presumes that they would be welcome to book again. In my estimation, they are acting badly and I would be happy not to deal with them again.
Edited to add: And why the heck are some of their party unvaccinated and how is that the host’s problem!
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THIS!!! Traveling while unvaccinated? How selfish and foolish.
Don’t offer them a special rate or to re-book. Get rid of them and I only wish that there was a warning label for guests like this when we can’t review them.
You’re running a business, albeit a part-time one. It’s a business. You have expenses, tell them to pound sand.
Then ignore further messages from them as they can’t review you and Air will do whatever Air does but you keep your money.
Just. Say. No.
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I had a guest that was coming for 6 nights. The day before she was to arrive she hurt herself and said she wouldn’t be coming that day. She didn’t come the 2nd day and then finally cancelled.
I told her because of my cancellation policy, there wouldn’t be a refund but that if any of the days were rebooked I’d pass it on to her. That was 4th of July and guests so far don’t do quick reservations, so no other bookings.
Also told her I’d give her a discount if she booked in the future. She thanked me for all of this, but has not rebooked to look at this area to move to.
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We have a “moderate” cancellation policy, but whatever policy you have the guests knew what it is before they booked. This is not your problem! With that said, this is how we handle cancellations within five days of their booking: We encourage them to officially cancel through Airbnb to open the dates up on our availability calendar. We then inform them that we will refund 100% of the funds WE RECEIVE from Airbnb for any dates that get re-booked. If the dates are not re-booked, we get the rare opportunity to enjoy our own backyard to its fullest! Also, before you feel some-sort-of-way about keeping their money - especially when Aribnb calls and pressures you to do so - remember that Airbnb does not refund the fees that they receive from guests even if you do! (When i get those calls i simply tell the CS agent that we will refund our fees if they will. Typically ends the conversation.) Airbnb doesn’t because it is a business…and it is a business for you too. This would be eased a bit if Airbnb offered its own trip cancellation insurance, (instead of asking the hosts to fill that role) but for now that burden is on the guest, not the host.
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what are you actually trying to write here? Maybe edit and re-phrase?
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Do you offer a monthly discount? Will you be refunding rebooked days based upon his daily rate? Don’t cheat yourself.
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Oh bad-word. How awful. How do you know no proof? CS tell you they were waiting on test results?
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We do offer a substantial monthly discount. A month is the same as 3.5 weeks. A week discount is the same as 5 days. So at this point we have about 20 days booked, and unless we book more, he gets back 2/3 of his 30 day booking.
That said, most of these 20 days are 5 days or less, so we already are making about 50% more than we would have made with just the monthly guy.
Monthly renters are a lot less work. Less cleaning, less amenities, less explaining how the TV/BBQ/thermostat works. They also tend to be smaller groups, likely a couple rather than two couples or a family, which means less wear and tear. We have never been asked to replace stained linens halfway through a stay.
So we prefer longer term guests. But if they don’t materialize in the summer, we can make winter (high season) rates with shorter term guests. If I add in all the stained linen replacement, restocking coffee pods/toilet paper/etc they probably add up to being the same.
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Toss this in their face and post DAILY on their FB and Twitter pages until you get PAID.
.
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