Resolution Center for double cleaning fee refund?

I have guests who booked for 1 night, and then wanted to add on a second night. I told them they had to book through Airbnb as its the policy. They did book it, but were charged a second cleaning fee.

I need to refund that second fee and was wondering if I do it through “send money, other” in the resolution center, or if I need to call Air to do it?

Thanks!

What has worked for me is to send a special offer, even after the fact. Assuming the guests accept, the difference will be taken from your next booking fee. It was quite simple, and did not require a call to AirBNB.

The guests did specify they would like a refund back to their card. I can only do that through the resolution center but I didn’t know if it would penalize me somehow?

I was not penalized in any way, to my knowledge. In my case, it was a guest who had a family emergency [death in the family] who did not believe that I should be penalized financially. As a thank you gift, he sent me his tickets for a rather expensive sunset cruise, which members of my family were happy to use. So, I sent the special offer, without being asked, to reimburse him for those tickets. He accepted, sending yet another thank you note. The next payout was reduced by that amount of money. Really, it was simple.

So are you saying if I refund the $25 for the second night, via a special offer in Airbnb, it will automatically be deducted from my payout tomorrow when Air pays me? They won’t need to rebook or anything?

Correct. At least in my experience. you are simply modifying the existing reservation. Make the special offer = rental fee without the cleaning fee.

I am not being given the option to send a special offer. I can only change the reservation, and lower the price. I would prefer not to do this as I want the record of the booking to show I refunded because of the cleaning fee.

Well, change is a special offer, after the fact. Follow that link, and I think it will become clear to you.

Ok. I can see what you are saying. This isn’t how I want to do it but I will do it this way if its the only way. The reason being that it takes the money from the nightly price, rather than from the “fees”. Trying to be accurate for accounting purposes.

Thank you for showing me this.

Ah, well I don’t have a cleaning fee, so I don’t know what the screen looks like when you do it this way. It is not possible to simply waive the cleaning fee on a specific reservation?

Next time instead of telling them to book again, submit a change request extending the booking. They simply approve it and it’s all done. You control the total fee so there’s only one cleaning fee in it.

The one time I sent money back I did it the way you described. It went through with no probs and I got a great review.

Thank you for that info. I didn’t realize you could do that but I will keep it in mind for future reservations!

Did it about 2 weeks ago so it was a 1st for me and happy to pass along. It is a nice easy way to reimburse someone.