Post by High Priestess on Mar 1, 2016 3:25:38 GMT
Tracy shared on Hosting 911 2 years ago
www.airbnb.com/groups/content/content-20250
Tracy
Where are total fees to guest found?
OK I've got a question. I have had my first cancellation. Actually, she booked (for an employee) a set of days, then added another day (for another employee), then cancelled that second employee and shifted the first via an alteration request (which I accepted). The arrival time shifted from early AM to evening and then a few hours before she was to arrive she just cancelled the entire thing and it sounds like she wants a refund or credit. She's asking what the cancellation cost is and if we can apply to some as-yet-determined dates next week. I'm not keen to refund as that is why I've got a strict cancellation policy - especially in light of next week and the reliability (will it happen, will it not, whatever). I can't seem to find a simple spot to get this information. She's generated four invoices for fees as listed in 'reservations/invoices' but I can't tell easily what her total cost for all this is. Help?
19 comments
Following
Like
Olivia/Bob
Olivia/Bob2 years ago
If a guest cancels a reservation it should just follow the rules that you have set down. In any case, airbnb should take care of it. You should not have to get involved. Someone once cancelled and I was just notified by airbnb that they were forfeiting 50% of their payment. (It was several weeks before.) If you really don't know what to do, find the phone number for airbnb help and call them. I can't write it here or it will be blocked. Good luck.
Reply Like 1 like
Carolyn
Carolyn2 years ago
Definitely do that--call Airbnb. It is weird, we never do see the exact amount our guests pay. When you call, they will tell you. I've heard that the guest fee to Airbnb is between 6 and 12 per cent, but I don't know how they determine that percentage. I agree, let Airbnb handle the refund, per your cancellation policy. BTW, my two cents-- I don't accept third-party reservations, such as you describe, when someone books a place for an employee. This person sounds like she's being a bit difficult.
Reply Like 1 reply
Tracy
Tracy2 years ago
Yes that was the first time I had done that - and I hadn't realised until her message that she was doing it for someone else. It sounded like she was being messed about as well, we both got caught in it!
Leah
Leah2 years ago
I think she forfeits the airbnb service fees anyway so she still pays something
Reply Like
Carolyn
Carolyn2 years ago
That is true. Airbnb service fees are non refundable.
Reply Like 1 like
Tracy
Tracy2 years ago
Thanks for the replies. She isn't expecting a refund but was hoping for a credit I think. I did suggest if it was tricky to schedule this person's work that she could look instead for a listing with a more flexible cancellation policy. All was polite and friendly in the end, so it all worked out. (I think it is odd that we can't see what they are paying....it would be pretty easy to include this I would think?)
Reply Like
Deborah
Deborah2 years ago
I have noticed that there is a brief moment when you can see what a guest is paying (though Airbnb may have changed the format since then)...I forgot where it is in the process but it is one intermediary screen where you can see their total. It is not stored information, you can only see it as a temporary screen.
I have done several reservations where either a manager was booking for an employee, a student was booking for their Mom, or an admin assistant was booking for her boss. All these worked out fine. I asked in each case to get the direct contact info (email, phone number) for the person who would actually be staying in my house.
Reply Like 1 reply
Tracy
Tracy2 years ago
That's exactly what I did - I got those details straight away!
Ruth
Ruth2 years ago
I have had enquiries asking what the cost of the stay would be and have not been able to answer. I don't tell them I don't know, that's a bit embarrassing, I just tell them to start the booking process and if at any time they are unhappy with the cost they can back out. I would feel more in control of my own business if I knew the detailed costs.
Reply Like
César
César2 years ago
I always say it clearly, that I have no way to know the exact Airbnb fee. That the fare I give is my total. That Airbnb fees are between 6 and 12 per cent depending on the number of nights. The longer the lower. That if they proceed to booking the will be able to see it perfectly described. I repeat it every time some one asks me for the total amount.
Reply Like
Leah
Leah2 years ago
I usually give them the break down of what it costs from my side (extra guests, cleaning fee, total nights) then say that airbnb charges the guests a percentage and they will get a break down before booking. At least, when I was a guest I got a breakdown of costs
Reply Like 1 like
Maggie
Maggie2 years ago
Actually when guests just enter in the parameters of their stay, the fees are calculated right there on the screen - including any cleaning fees then it usually says this excludes the Airbnb Fee of $x - all very upfront and nothing hidden at all for either the guest or the host.
Reply Like 1 like
Alexander
Alexander2 years ago
Wait, so if someone books, lets say a few days totalling $500, my listing and they cancel it even though I have strict cancellation chosen - will AirBNB take the 50% ($250)?
I thought the sum was given to me, since I've had my listing booked and have planned for that income, and have had someone occupying dates from my listing and actually prohibiting me for renting out my flat.
Reply Like
Leah
Leah2 years ago
You get whatever amount was a result of your cancellation policy: flexible, moderate , strict, etc.
Reply Like
Maria and Larry
Maria and Larry2 years ago
As I do not know the percentage AirBnB will charge (it varies). I log out and do a search for my place, using the dates requested by the guest, and it shows exactly what he will have to pay (I deduct my cleaning fees) and find also what will be my net income. Guest gets all this information when trying to make an inquiry, don't know why they ask us, unless they think we are open to "negotiate" the rate.
Reply Like 1 reply
Deborah
Deborah2 years ago
Good method for finding the guest total cost!
Rick
Rick2 years ago
Airbnb fees are not generally shared with us....figure they to be in the 7% range....& the fees they take from us in the 3% range...I tell guests this when they ask & also let them know they will see the "total" amt to be paid BEFORE they pay anything....
Reply Like
Florencia
Florencia2 years ago
Airbnb fees are variable depending on the amount of nights of the stay. The longer the stay, the less its fees. If you want to know what are the exact fees Airbnb will charge to your guest you can simulate it on you own ad as if you were the guest. Just place the check-in and check-out days and it will be displayed right there in the price chart abobe the book it button. If this is a past reservation I'm sure you will be able to recreate it on a different month using the same amount of days. If you have updated your price, you will at least get the percent Airbnb applies based on the same amount of days, so you can get an idea of how much Airbnb have charged to your guest.
I agree that Airbnb should provided hosts a more easy way to get the guest´s total payment as it is always a recurrent question for me "What is the total cost I should pay?". It could be more easy if they can attached that information to the message history once you get your guest inquiry. How much will be my payout and how much should the guest pay, so we can give them a more fast response.
Hope it helps!!
Reply Like 2 replies
Florencia
Florencia2 years ago
Important to add, that Airbnb fees are only refundable when the host cancels the stay. If guest cancels his stay, he gets no fees back.
Maria and Larry
Maria and Larry2 years ago
good to know! Write a reply
Keith
Keith 2 years ago
Third party bookings - Inquiry from the guest's brother, boss, best friend, etc - always get my spider senses tingling. At some stage I always say, "thank you for helping set this up, but since the guest will be staying with us, they will likely want to know about us. They have to join and get verified and book with me" If I get some convoluted story about credit cards or different countries or something I do not book. Airbnb is about peer to peer. Keith
Reply Like 3 likes
Maria and Larry
Maria and Larry2 years ago
I had one lady friend contacting us on behalf of his "good friend." She contacted us 3 times asking questions on his behalf, then gave us a number for us to call him. Weird. If he is interested, please call us directly (unless you are at ICU and then definitely you don't need AirBnB). I agree with Keith.
Reply Like
Julie
Julie2 years ago
I get third party reservations all of the time. The nonprofit who has guest artists coming in and they are paying for the artists' stay, or the company who is recruiting someone and they are paying. Of course, it's entirely your call whether or not to accept, but I've never had any hiccups with them.
Also, there IS a way for guests to avoid a cancellation fee. If a guest needs to cancel, but has a definite date for the re-scheduled trip, you can revise the reservation (or the guest can), entering the new dates. I have done this rarely and do on a case-by-case basis (and it depends on the time of year, too and how busy I am). I tell guests this is a one-time revision of dates and if they have to change again, they're out of luck. But it does give them a bit of a reprieve if they have a legitimate reason to postpone their trip, but fully intend to come in the future.
Reply Like
Keith
Keith 2 years ago
Thank you, Julie, for clarifying that third-party in and of itself is not a bad thing. Yes, I get lots of resos through the local hospital and university with visiting scholars and researchers. They are easy to verify. In our case we still want to connect with the actual guest.
www.airbnb.com/groups/content/content-20250
TracyWhere are total fees to guest found?
OK I've got a question. I have had my first cancellation. Actually, she booked (for an employee) a set of days, then added another day (for another employee), then cancelled that second employee and shifted the first via an alteration request (which I accepted). The arrival time shifted from early AM to evening and then a few hours before she was to arrive she just cancelled the entire thing and it sounds like she wants a refund or credit. She's asking what the cancellation cost is and if we can apply to some as-yet-determined dates next week. I'm not keen to refund as that is why I've got a strict cancellation policy - especially in light of next week and the reliability (will it happen, will it not, whatever). I can't seem to find a simple spot to get this information. She's generated four invoices for fees as listed in 'reservations/invoices' but I can't tell easily what her total cost for all this is. Help?
19 comments
Following
Like
Olivia/Bob
Olivia/Bob2 years ago
If a guest cancels a reservation it should just follow the rules that you have set down. In any case, airbnb should take care of it. You should not have to get involved. Someone once cancelled and I was just notified by airbnb that they were forfeiting 50% of their payment. (It was several weeks before.) If you really don't know what to do, find the phone number for airbnb help and call them. I can't write it here or it will be blocked. Good luck.
Reply Like 1 like
Carolyn
Carolyn2 years ago
Definitely do that--call Airbnb. It is weird, we never do see the exact amount our guests pay. When you call, they will tell you. I've heard that the guest fee to Airbnb is between 6 and 12 per cent, but I don't know how they determine that percentage. I agree, let Airbnb handle the refund, per your cancellation policy. BTW, my two cents-- I don't accept third-party reservations, such as you describe, when someone books a place for an employee. This person sounds like she's being a bit difficult.
Reply Like 1 reply
Tracy
Tracy2 years ago
Yes that was the first time I had done that - and I hadn't realised until her message that she was doing it for someone else. It sounded like she was being messed about as well, we both got caught in it!
Leah
Leah2 years ago
I think she forfeits the airbnb service fees anyway so she still pays something
Reply Like
Carolyn
Carolyn2 years ago
That is true. Airbnb service fees are non refundable.
Reply Like 1 like
Tracy
Tracy2 years ago
Thanks for the replies. She isn't expecting a refund but was hoping for a credit I think. I did suggest if it was tricky to schedule this person's work that she could look instead for a listing with a more flexible cancellation policy. All was polite and friendly in the end, so it all worked out. (I think it is odd that we can't see what they are paying....it would be pretty easy to include this I would think?)
Reply Like
Deborah
Deborah2 years ago
I have noticed that there is a brief moment when you can see what a guest is paying (though Airbnb may have changed the format since then)...I forgot where it is in the process but it is one intermediary screen where you can see their total. It is not stored information, you can only see it as a temporary screen.
I have done several reservations where either a manager was booking for an employee, a student was booking for their Mom, or an admin assistant was booking for her boss. All these worked out fine. I asked in each case to get the direct contact info (email, phone number) for the person who would actually be staying in my house.
Reply Like 1 reply
Tracy
Tracy2 years ago
That's exactly what I did - I got those details straight away!
Ruth
Ruth2 years ago
I have had enquiries asking what the cost of the stay would be and have not been able to answer. I don't tell them I don't know, that's a bit embarrassing, I just tell them to start the booking process and if at any time they are unhappy with the cost they can back out. I would feel more in control of my own business if I knew the detailed costs.
Reply Like
César
César2 years ago
I always say it clearly, that I have no way to know the exact Airbnb fee. That the fare I give is my total. That Airbnb fees are between 6 and 12 per cent depending on the number of nights. The longer the lower. That if they proceed to booking the will be able to see it perfectly described. I repeat it every time some one asks me for the total amount.
Reply Like
Leah
Leah2 years ago
I usually give them the break down of what it costs from my side (extra guests, cleaning fee, total nights) then say that airbnb charges the guests a percentage and they will get a break down before booking. At least, when I was a guest I got a breakdown of costs
Reply Like 1 like
Maggie
Maggie2 years ago
Actually when guests just enter in the parameters of their stay, the fees are calculated right there on the screen - including any cleaning fees then it usually says this excludes the Airbnb Fee of $x - all very upfront and nothing hidden at all for either the guest or the host.
Reply Like 1 like
Alexander
Alexander2 years ago
Wait, so if someone books, lets say a few days totalling $500, my listing and they cancel it even though I have strict cancellation chosen - will AirBNB take the 50% ($250)?
I thought the sum was given to me, since I've had my listing booked and have planned for that income, and have had someone occupying dates from my listing and actually prohibiting me for renting out my flat.
Reply Like
Leah
Leah2 years ago
You get whatever amount was a result of your cancellation policy: flexible, moderate , strict, etc.
Reply Like
Maria and Larry
Maria and Larry2 years ago
As I do not know the percentage AirBnB will charge (it varies). I log out and do a search for my place, using the dates requested by the guest, and it shows exactly what he will have to pay (I deduct my cleaning fees) and find also what will be my net income. Guest gets all this information when trying to make an inquiry, don't know why they ask us, unless they think we are open to "negotiate" the rate.
Reply Like 1 reply
Deborah
Deborah2 years ago
Good method for finding the guest total cost!
Rick
Rick2 years ago
Airbnb fees are not generally shared with us....figure they to be in the 7% range....& the fees they take from us in the 3% range...I tell guests this when they ask & also let them know they will see the "total" amt to be paid BEFORE they pay anything....
Reply Like
Florencia
Florencia2 years ago
Airbnb fees are variable depending on the amount of nights of the stay. The longer the stay, the less its fees. If you want to know what are the exact fees Airbnb will charge to your guest you can simulate it on you own ad as if you were the guest. Just place the check-in and check-out days and it will be displayed right there in the price chart abobe the book it button. If this is a past reservation I'm sure you will be able to recreate it on a different month using the same amount of days. If you have updated your price, you will at least get the percent Airbnb applies based on the same amount of days, so you can get an idea of how much Airbnb have charged to your guest.
I agree that Airbnb should provided hosts a more easy way to get the guest´s total payment as it is always a recurrent question for me "What is the total cost I should pay?". It could be more easy if they can attached that information to the message history once you get your guest inquiry. How much will be my payout and how much should the guest pay, so we can give them a more fast response.
Hope it helps!!
Reply Like 2 replies
Florencia
Florencia2 years ago
Important to add, that Airbnb fees are only refundable when the host cancels the stay. If guest cancels his stay, he gets no fees back.
Maria and Larry
Maria and Larry2 years ago
good to know! Write a reply
Keith
Keith 2 years ago
Third party bookings - Inquiry from the guest's brother, boss, best friend, etc - always get my spider senses tingling. At some stage I always say, "thank you for helping set this up, but since the guest will be staying with us, they will likely want to know about us. They have to join and get verified and book with me" If I get some convoluted story about credit cards or different countries or something I do not book. Airbnb is about peer to peer. Keith
Reply Like 3 likes
Maria and Larry
Maria and Larry2 years ago
I had one lady friend contacting us on behalf of his "good friend." She contacted us 3 times asking questions on his behalf, then gave us a number for us to call him. Weird. If he is interested, please call us directly (unless you are at ICU and then definitely you don't need AirBnB). I agree with Keith.
Reply Like
Julie
Julie2 years ago
I get third party reservations all of the time. The nonprofit who has guest artists coming in and they are paying for the artists' stay, or the company who is recruiting someone and they are paying. Of course, it's entirely your call whether or not to accept, but I've never had any hiccups with them.
Also, there IS a way for guests to avoid a cancellation fee. If a guest needs to cancel, but has a definite date for the re-scheduled trip, you can revise the reservation (or the guest can), entering the new dates. I have done this rarely and do on a case-by-case basis (and it depends on the time of year, too and how busy I am). I tell guests this is a one-time revision of dates and if they have to change again, they're out of luck. But it does give them a bit of a reprieve if they have a legitimate reason to postpone their trip, but fully intend to come in the future.
Reply Like
Keith
Keith 2 years ago
Thank you, Julie, for clarifying that third-party in and of itself is not a bad thing. Yes, I get lots of resos through the local hospital and university with visiting scholars and researchers. They are easy to verify. In our case we still want to connect with the actual guest.