Yes.
2525252525252525
What I usually do is let somebody book later for free when convenient for me and when demand is low. But, I do not provide refunds for illness.
@icenisf I’m curious what you ended up doing?
I would have just refunded them the whole amount and been happy to dodge potentially awful guests.
Yes, she didn’t have travel insurance and there are rules and all that good stuff, but I also don’t feel like being strict and rigid is always the best solution.
I pretty much never purchase travel insurance. However, I also don’t then expect to reimbursed if I have non-refundable flight or accommodation bookings. Can’t have it both ways.
On that screenshot KKC posted, $36 for insurance on a $577 booking seems quite reasonable.
But Airbnb should add a sentence upfront to their wording about the insurance that might lead to more guests opting for it. Namely, “Make sure to check the terms of the cancellation policy for your booking!”
Seems like many guests don’t bother to read the terms of the cancellation policies. I had a cancellation the other day where this was obvious. The guest messaged only 2 days before check-in (he had booked 3 weeks ago) and said in his message that he was sorry, but his plans had changed, and realized he was too late to get a full refund, but would I consider a partial refund?
I have a moderate policy, and explained to him the terms of the policy are that he would end up paying for the first night of his 4 night booking in full, plus 50% of the remaining nights. And that just messaging the host won’t get him his refund- that hosts aren’t paid until 24 hrs after booked check-in date, that Airbnb, not the host, has his $, and that he has to officially cancel on the Airbnb site to get his refund.
He was very nice about it, thanking me for explaining all that, and apologizing for cancelling so late during high season. But it made me aware that even not-newbie guests don’t necessarily inform themselves- he already had two 5 star reviews.
Last year, we bought annual travel insurance (from the same company we always use for the car, home etc.) because a) we went away four times in that year and b) my father-in-law wasn’t in good health and we suspected that we might have to cancel a trip if things got worse. (They didn’t luckily).
As you say, @muddy, in the screenshot @KKC posted, the insurance seems to be a very reasonable price. So I agree that it would be helpful for Airbnb to make it more prominent.
I don’t know how Airbnb insurance works. I assume that it’s supplied by another company. If so, does Airbnb have any special interest in promoting the insurance? Anyone know?
This is interesting - shows the pluses and minuses of airbnb ‘in house’ travel insurance:
You mean like a kickback from the insurance co? Kind of doubt it (if it put $ in their coffers, they’d probably push it harder and make it way more prominent) , but their interest in offering it might be not to have to field so many calls from disgruntled guests trying to get a refund.