QUIZ: Would you give a refund in this situation?

Marion shared in AUgust 2015

Guests Left MidStay?

Guests arrived for a week. Five days into their 8 day stay, the husband told me that they were going to stay at the relatives that they have been visiting. He asked for a refund. He didn't complain about anything here. When I went in the room to start the clean up I found that they had remade the bed, putting several layers of more blankets on the bed under the fitted sheet. They slept in much later than my household. While we tried to keep quiet for them I am pretty sure not quiet enough. I did tell him that we were an early rising household. And were a busy family.
Would you give a refund and hope that they don't give a bad review?


Deborah (High Priestess)
No, I wouldn't give a refund. I would urge hosts not to feel pressured by what might be said in a review, into giving a refund. By all means give refunds where you feel refunds are warranted, but don't give a refund only because you are afraid of something. If you go in that direction there's no end to it -- hosts can end up not being wiling to enforce house rules out of fear of bad reviews, unwilling to confront guests about unregistered guests staying overnight out of fear of bad reviews, unwilling to submit claims on a security deposit, over serious damage, for fear of bad reviews. The list goes on. In my opinion, hosts should never do anything solely out of fear of a bad review.

I have had many guests leave early or arrive late for their reservation, without asking for a refund.

Hosts should be honest with guests about any potential issues that could effect guests, and it sounds like you were, regarding early rising and busy family. If the guest chose to brush off those "warnings", then the consequences of doing that are his. Guests need to know their own needs and be able to articulate those and assess if any given place is right for them. If they fail at their responsibility to do that, it is not your fault, and don't let it be made into your fault.


Rick
Here's to hoping there will be a " developing a backbone" seminar at the Airbnb Paris conference. Many hosts are just too nice & accomodating & end up as doormats.

Serafina (Serafina)
Marion, at $41 a night, $150 a week, your place is a great bargain. And at those prices, your guests would owe you money for staying less than their allotted week Guests don't get it both ways--a discounted rate for a longer stay which they then want pro-rated to a lower daily rate when they leave early? I don't think so.


Terry & Cher
ITA Serafina...I have guests who take advantage of our discounted rates, not being right on the beach. They do not spend the extra 25-40 to stay seaside, but mark us down for "location" on the feedback.

Susanna
Tell them to contact Airbnb for the refund, and you will do as Airbnb decision.
You don't manage money nor refund directly, because Airbnb makes it.
That way, the deny won't come from you.


Rick
That could backfire as sometimes Airbnb will take the guests side

Kim
I would reply, it is $41 a night. You stayed 5 nights that is $205. You paid me $150 for my discounted weekly rate, I am OK to let you check out early without an additional charge. But if you want to bring this up to airbnb please do so and your balance you owe me is $55. I will be happy to adjust the reservation for you if you wish. That way they get to choose if they want to leave early and pay more, stay and pay the same, or leave early and pay the same. But they are in no way entitled to a refund. Maybe they forgot they are getting a cheaper weekly rate. Also I would increase your weekly price or decrease your nightly rate so there is not so much difference between the two that they are getting almost half off that it becomes cheaper to buy the whole week than 4 nights and then your calendar is blocked even when guests leave.


Marion
Thanks Kim, I had not thought of that. I will go and change that right now. Sarafina, the rate is more than what airbnb suggests on my calendar. We live in a small backwater of Texas....but I won't do the work for less. lol.

Lisa
Also remember the guest committed those dates to you, and you to the guests


Lisa
You can't rebook those dates. I wouldn't worry about it. I had a guest try the same thing at one of my listings, and left unannounced two days early. I didn't realize he had left until I had tried to get ahold of him, in which he said he decided to stay in San Francisco and he didn't want to pay for the for the other two days he was to stay here. He requested a refund and I chose not to refund the guest an air B&B did give a guest a refund but they did not take it out of my rate. And I chose not to respond the guest An air b_&_b did give a guest a refund But they did not take it out of My rate. Your rate is amazingly great! Don't worry if you get a less than perfect review:-) Cheers, Lisa


Marion
Deborah, Thanks for your input. Once I got over the concern of a bad review I was able to look at the situation more clearly. Susanna, I told him to contact airbnb and they told him to work it out with me. sigh. I replied to his "offer" this morning using several suggestions made here. We shall see.