So— let me get this straight. He can cancel, using the medical loophole, and is NOT blocked from booking another place for the same nights? While, when we as hosts cancel, or calendars are blocked permanently? This seem patently unfair.
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Hi @smtucker,
I don’t know if he gave any “official” reason for cancelling. But, as you know, guests do not require a reason. He certainly doesn’t need a “medical loophole”. (Though he obviously would need something if he wanted to override my cancellation policy and get all his money back.) He just said something vague about “unforeseen health concerns”.
I don’t know if he tried to rebook another place for the same nights. He did try to rebook mine. 
I’m not sure how high this would rate on your personal weird-o-meter, but it rates fairly high on mine. And as far as I know, Airbnb doesn’t block guests from cancelling a reservation and then immediately booking elsewhere for the same nights. Why should they?
They should if they are allowing a guest to use extenuating cirumcstances - and if that policy overrides your cancellation policy. I know your guest “supposedly” had not done this. But if he had, and you were required to refund in full. Then he should not be allowed to go ahead and book those dates again.
Agreed, if he was to override my cancellation policy using “extenuating circumstances”, then there certainly should be a problem with him booking the same dates elsewhere, in theory. But I doubt Airbnb keeps track. Does anyone know?
yes… I’ll send you a notification. 
Wouldn’t that rebooking count as proof of fraud? You should get a refund on the other reservation.
I don’t know about fraud, but it’s certainly weird. And I already got a refund. Though Airbnb could presumably take it back. I’m not aware of any period of limitations on refunds. Does anyone know?
Hello everyone. As I expected, this weirdo has popped up again. I got the following message from Airbnb:
xxxxxx is requesting ₹12540
Nov 13-23 · Tower Room at Marine Lines
And along with this, a message:
The medical certificate certifies the reason we cancelled. Faheem could you please fulfill your duty in paying back our rightful money or accomodate us
for five days until 23 rd November?
Simultaneously, I got a reservation request from the 21st to the 22nd November.
I also got a different message in the messaging system as follows:
Hi Faheem xxxxxx and I still require accomodation from tomorrow night and would like to stay. We are decent people and genuine. I have a medical certificate covering me for the refund . But if you want clear things up balance wise and take us in we would appreciate that. Thank you and kind regards xxxxx. My number here is (PHONE NUMBER HIDDEN)
This isn’t even an option. I’ve got a reservation from the 18th to the 20th. And I don’t want to host him anyway - he seems a bit bonkers. Who knows what he might do. I’m kind of feeling like I have my own private stalker. Does anyone have suggestions about the best way to deal with this lunatic? I suppose I should write a message to Airbnb. Suggestions about wording? Thanks.
ADDENDUM: Is it possible this isn’t the real acount holder? At this point, I’m clutching at straws.
And here a transcription of the medical certificate that he sent along with the refund request:
It’s from a Bombay hospital (Cumballa Hill Hospital), actually not far away from us. The handwriting isn’t great, so I may have made minor errors:
To whomsoever it may concern
This is to certify that Mr. XXX XXX, 72 yr male is having Parkinson’s Diesease and is on regular medications for the same. He had an accidental fall on 8th Nov '2016 due to which he sustained injuries over his right knee. He was unable to walk due to the injury and overlying Parkinson disease made it difficult to move. Now though in pain he’s able to move around with walking aid. It is requested to provide him assistance whenever possible.
FWIW, the certificate looks genuine, complete with the customary Indian English.
This actually raises the question - are guests required to reveal major medical conditions and risk factors when doing a reservation? I’ve never seen any discussion about that. If I’d known he had Parkinsons, I never would have accepted him in the first place. I don’t need the extra risk. (And please don’t jump down my throat about my lack of compassion.)
Also why is an Australian getting a medical certificate from a Bombay doctor for an injury he supposedly sustained in Australia? Doesn’t he have a regular doctor there?
And if he was injured on the 8th, he made an impressively fast recovery, because he wrote to me (received by me at 8 am IST Saturday 12th Nov) as follows:
Hello Fahrem
We are in Jaipur coming to Mumbai tomorrow now do you still have vacancy as we need accomodation.we come in with jet airways at 10.20 am I hope so!
xxxx
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Extra weird…Why will he needs extra vacations if he needs to activate the medical cancelation?
Doesn’t make sense
His pushiness combined with his previous cancellation is enough. I don’t even think you need to answer this nutcase. Or if you do don’t address the refund. Just say, sorry I am booked.
2 Likes
Hi @konacoconutz,
I too am inclined to ignore him. But I thought I could ask him some awkward questions about the timing of these events. E.g. If he was injured in Australia on the 8th, how was he writing to me from India on the 12th, 4 days later? One cannot turn on a dime when undertaking international travel. And why did he get a certificate from an Indian doctor in Bombay(!) rather than his own doctor (assuming he has one) in Australia? Or should I just wait and see what Airbnb does and respond to them directly?
Ignoring him certainly has appeal. I’ve wasted too much time on this guy already.
Oh, and is it worth trying to get Airbnb to cancel this guys request, or should I just decline it?
3 Likes
You asked this before… About your refund. And I honestly think Airbnb must have ruled in your favor, because believe me, you would have heard right away if they were going to deduct your refund after already awarding it to you. So therefore the whole business about the guy’s medical certificate is moot.
Does Parkinson’s cause mental instability?
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Hi @konacoconutz,
I’m not familiar with how refunding works. But the guy put in a request for a refund today. I assume that if I refuse (which I will) he’ll then escalate it to Airbnb. If this isn’t how it works, please let me know. I’m always happy to be educated.
Not as far as I know. But I also don’t know if this was a serious question.
Yes, it is, as I don’t know. Maybe @louise could answer as she is an RN.
So let me understand. He canceled, asked you to refund and you said no? You received the money already from Air? It sounds to me like he doesn’t really understand the process since he is showing you the medical certificate. So I suppose there is still a chance he could call them and send the certificate, in which case, they “may” still rule in his favor and deduct the refund from future earnings. But what I am saying is that enough time has gone by that the chances of that might be growing slimmer and slimmer. There could be a deadline on this. Again I don’t know.
Best thing to do is ignore all of it. Just don’t answer. If it is a new inquiry though you have to answer to keep your response rate high.
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Hi @konacoconutz,
Well, the chronology was that he canceled, the refund was already issued, and now he’s made a request for a refund via Airbnb, along with the medical certificate. That’s why I was thinking of asking him some questions about this (see above). Most likely he won’t answer, but it might be useful in case Airbnb does decide to side with him.
ADDENDUM: Ok, clicking on the decline button for the refund gives me:
Decline to pay
If you decline this request, xxxx will have the option to involve Airbnb. We’ll use the following information to help make our decision.
Add a note for xxxx

Let them know why you’re declining.
Add a private message to Airbnb
I think it’s a safe bet that he will involve Airbnb at this point. So I think I will write him a message.
Now I am confused. He has already received a refund and now wants those same dollars returned a second time?
And wants to book on the same dates again?
No, he got a partial refund. He now wants the rest of the money back that Airbnb gave me, per my moderate policy. Hence the medical certificate. Sorry if I was being unclear. And after cancelling he then shortly afterwards tried to book for part of the same reservation again. The original reservation (13th to 23rd November) was cancelled, apparently in Australia on the 9th, because I contacted Airbnb. He said he cancelled it, but didn’t. Then he tried to rebook (from the 13th to the 18th November) apparently from Jaipur, India. I was weirded out and refused. This is now his third reservation request in the last few weeks.
This is weird. right?
Can’t believe that he has come back to abuse you even more. Seems unfair.
You absolutely cannot start with not accepting people because of medical conditions. Discrimination 101. And he should never have shown you this certificate for the same reasons. None of your business.
There’s so much wrong with all this; you should never have even let the guy send it. I know you’re in India and maybe there’s slightly different laws, but Airbnb is a US company and this sort of thing is really not good practice.
End the back and forth and make sure you don’t get into this type of situation again.