Post by High Priestess on May 27, 2016 6:27:39 GMT
Joi shared on Anecdotes Dec 2014
www.airbnb.com/groups/content/content-100721
Guest wants to cancel for dec 30 booking
I just received an email from my guest who stated that majority of her party has gotten sick or realized they didn't have money in the budget for this weekend away. There were supposed to be eight guests renting the house which sleeps 10. She has booked and paid for three nights. She is trying to find new friends to join her but stated that even if she did she only wants to stay for two nights. She is also asking for a refund in the event that she can't find any new friends to come along with her.
I am totally new at this and I don't know what to do. I like to be gracious with people, but the problem is at this very late date there's no way I would be able to book the dates for anyone else. It's over a holiday (New Years eve) and I already gave her the regular rate instead of the holiday rate.
She said if I gave her a refund she would leave me a nice review but I don't even know how she would review me if the booking was canceled.
My listing has a strict cancellation policy. Is it even possible for me to refund her?
Thanks for any input. She's waiting to hear back from me.
14 comments
Following
Like
Carrie
Carriea year ago
You can refund if you choose to, or you can go with your strict policy however that works (in which case, you need to let her cancel ASAP.) You can choose to refund her some amount in between, as well. It is entirely at your discretion.
Reply Like
Carrie
Carriea year ago
BTW - this is a great query for the New Host forum.
Reply Like 1 like
Joi
Joia year ago
I'm sorry, I just read the updated group description. I'll try to find a better group to post in.
Reply Like
Carrie
Carriea year ago
You're fine, Joi! There are a lot of helpful people on this forum: www.airbnb.com/groups/41
Reply Like
Joi
Joia year ago
Thanks, Carrie. I want to be nice but I also don't want to lose out on the income. It's $640!!! There is no way I can get another renter for the same dates if I refund and cancel the booking.
Reply Like 1 reply
Carolyn
Carolyna year ago
Hello Joi I do not think you should give any money back!!!
Fleur, Dan and kids
Fleur, Dan and kidsa year ago
Saying that she will give a nice review if you give her a refund breaches the Airbnb extortion policy. She needs to officially cancel through Airbnb and follow your cancellation policy. Don't give in to it! Airbnb will support you on this.
Reply Like 1 reply•1 like
Fleur, Dan and kids
Fleur, Dan and kidsa year ago
And yes post on new host forum
Nic and Rach
Nic and Racha year ago
Communicate and explain to her that you have a strict cancellation and that you are unable to rent your private island with a very short time period and let her do the cancellation through Airbnb and I'm sure Airbnb will favor you in this regard... or you can tell her to re schedule with in 28 days not 31 days so you still have the that Grab and Hold on that payment - so you're not going to lose out in case she cancels. But it's totally up to you...
Reply Like 1 reply
Nic and Rach
Nic and Racha year ago
So sorry ! re- sked within 6 days and that is based on strict cancellation policy the 30 days was for super strict.... and that's what I was basing upon.
Sky
Skya year ago
Hi. I would not tell them you have the option to allow the yo cancel without penalty. I own several pfopetyird so this is my full year business. You should also treat your one room or house as a business. Would any chain hotel allow them yo cancel without a penalty? No! More than likely they found something cheaper or nicer and want to just leave you with a loss because of their problem. I'm a christian and love helping people myself and do volunteer service but you're not in the charity business. Thus us their problem tha some in her party dont have enough funds or canceled. You have a strict cancelation policy. Stand by it. If you want to be gracious maybe offer if they return you'll throw in an extra day or give them
Reply Like 2 replies•1 like
Sky
Skya year ago
A rain check to come at a later date but no refund.
Sky
Skya year ago
My current guest an Arab family booked a Master bedroom. Then the day before they checked in I get a call from a friend of theirs translating because they dont speak English telling me they intended to book the entire house and not just a bedroom. OK. No problem just have them pay me the difference which wsd double the booking they had already prepaid us a $1000 deposit so another $1900. They begged me yo give them the entire house for $900 and turn down other reservations. I talked it over with my boyfriend and basically worked out a deal so I still got my full months rent minus the deposit but since its booked online I'm covered by the (phone number hidden) insurance by airbnb. That could have been a scam or language misunderstanding. They wanted to cancel but they would have list over half their money anyway. They didn't care about cancelling on me without any notice so why would you loose income for there mistake or poheue
Wendy
Wendy a year ago
I would not refund them.....it's last minute and it;s a holiday. Stand your ground.
Reply Like
Christina
Christinaa year ago
She already paid airbnb so all she will be out is what money hee friends owe her. She should continue and enjoy herself. Otherwise I would not refund. It's too late. She should have cancelled earlier if she wanted the refund. If she cancels, she can't leave a review.
Reply Like
Deb
Deba year ago
I would tell her to cancel and that you will refund her if you can rebook the nights. The sooner she cancels, the better your chance of getting a booking. If the nights remain empty, no refund!
Reply Like
Deborah
Deboraha year ago
I agree with Deb -- guests are responsible for reading the information on a listing before they book, and if the policy is strict cancellation policy, then they are responsible for that part of the contract. A contract is a contract, and both parties are responsible for their end of the bargain. If the guest booked for others without knowing if her friends had the money to spend, that is her error -- maybe she will learn not to book for her friends until she first collects the money from them.
Since you need not offer any refund at all, to do as Deb suggests is generous. I have done this too for guests -- I offer to refund them any part of the reservation that I am able to rebook, after they cancel. Tell them that they need to hurry up and cancel otherwise the potential that you would be able to rebook the dates is less. This offer is a nice compromise as it means you would not lose money, but also they would not lose money if you are able to rebook. If you weren't able to rebook, at least you made the generous offer.
Reply Like
Fiona
Fionaa year ago
If you don't want to enforce a strict refund policy then don't institute a strict refund policy. Don't refund anything to this person and then change your refund policy to Flexible going forward.
Reply Like
Stan & Maggie
Stan & Maggiea year ago
No refunds..... This is business and NYE. Is the most booked up night of the year ! Be firm. It sounds like this was booked as a party, do you allow this? Are you comfortable with her finding new "friends" to party with her?
www.airbnb.com/groups/content/content-100721
Guest wants to cancel for dec 30 booking
I just received an email from my guest who stated that majority of her party has gotten sick or realized they didn't have money in the budget for this weekend away. There were supposed to be eight guests renting the house which sleeps 10. She has booked and paid for three nights. She is trying to find new friends to join her but stated that even if she did she only wants to stay for two nights. She is also asking for a refund in the event that she can't find any new friends to come along with her.
I am totally new at this and I don't know what to do. I like to be gracious with people, but the problem is at this very late date there's no way I would be able to book the dates for anyone else. It's over a holiday (New Years eve) and I already gave her the regular rate instead of the holiday rate.
She said if I gave her a refund she would leave me a nice review but I don't even know how she would review me if the booking was canceled.
My listing has a strict cancellation policy. Is it even possible for me to refund her?
Thanks for any input. She's waiting to hear back from me.
14 comments
Following
Like
Carrie
Carriea year ago
You can refund if you choose to, or you can go with your strict policy however that works (in which case, you need to let her cancel ASAP.) You can choose to refund her some amount in between, as well. It is entirely at your discretion.
Reply Like
Carrie
Carriea year ago
BTW - this is a great query for the New Host forum.
Reply Like 1 like
Joi
Joia year ago
I'm sorry, I just read the updated group description. I'll try to find a better group to post in.
Reply Like
Carrie
Carriea year ago
You're fine, Joi! There are a lot of helpful people on this forum: www.airbnb.com/groups/41
Reply Like
Joi
Joia year ago
Thanks, Carrie. I want to be nice but I also don't want to lose out on the income. It's $640!!! There is no way I can get another renter for the same dates if I refund and cancel the booking.
Reply Like 1 reply
Carolyn
Carolyna year ago
Hello Joi I do not think you should give any money back!!!
Fleur, Dan and kids
Fleur, Dan and kidsa year ago
Saying that she will give a nice review if you give her a refund breaches the Airbnb extortion policy. She needs to officially cancel through Airbnb and follow your cancellation policy. Don't give in to it! Airbnb will support you on this.
Reply Like 1 reply•1 like
Fleur, Dan and kids
Fleur, Dan and kidsa year ago
And yes post on new host forum
Nic and Rach
Nic and Racha year ago
Communicate and explain to her that you have a strict cancellation and that you are unable to rent your private island with a very short time period and let her do the cancellation through Airbnb and I'm sure Airbnb will favor you in this regard... or you can tell her to re schedule with in 28 days not 31 days so you still have the that Grab and Hold on that payment - so you're not going to lose out in case she cancels. But it's totally up to you...
Reply Like 1 reply
Nic and Rach
Nic and Racha year ago
So sorry ! re- sked within 6 days and that is based on strict cancellation policy the 30 days was for super strict.... and that's what I was basing upon.
Sky
Skya year ago
Hi. I would not tell them you have the option to allow the yo cancel without penalty. I own several pfopetyird so this is my full year business. You should also treat your one room or house as a business. Would any chain hotel allow them yo cancel without a penalty? No! More than likely they found something cheaper or nicer and want to just leave you with a loss because of their problem. I'm a christian and love helping people myself and do volunteer service but you're not in the charity business. Thus us their problem tha some in her party dont have enough funds or canceled. You have a strict cancelation policy. Stand by it. If you want to be gracious maybe offer if they return you'll throw in an extra day or give them
Reply Like 2 replies•1 like
Sky
Skya year ago
A rain check to come at a later date but no refund.
Sky
Skya year ago
My current guest an Arab family booked a Master bedroom. Then the day before they checked in I get a call from a friend of theirs translating because they dont speak English telling me they intended to book the entire house and not just a bedroom. OK. No problem just have them pay me the difference which wsd double the booking they had already prepaid us a $1000 deposit so another $1900. They begged me yo give them the entire house for $900 and turn down other reservations. I talked it over with my boyfriend and basically worked out a deal so I still got my full months rent minus the deposit but since its booked online I'm covered by the (phone number hidden) insurance by airbnb. That could have been a scam or language misunderstanding. They wanted to cancel but they would have list over half their money anyway. They didn't care about cancelling on me without any notice so why would you loose income for there mistake or poheue
Wendy
Wendy a year ago
I would not refund them.....it's last minute and it;s a holiday. Stand your ground.
Reply Like
Christina
Christinaa year ago
She already paid airbnb so all she will be out is what money hee friends owe her. She should continue and enjoy herself. Otherwise I would not refund. It's too late. She should have cancelled earlier if she wanted the refund. If she cancels, she can't leave a review.
Reply Like
Deb
Deba year ago
I would tell her to cancel and that you will refund her if you can rebook the nights. The sooner she cancels, the better your chance of getting a booking. If the nights remain empty, no refund!
Reply Like
Deborah
Deboraha year ago
I agree with Deb -- guests are responsible for reading the information on a listing before they book, and if the policy is strict cancellation policy, then they are responsible for that part of the contract. A contract is a contract, and both parties are responsible for their end of the bargain. If the guest booked for others without knowing if her friends had the money to spend, that is her error -- maybe she will learn not to book for her friends until she first collects the money from them.
Since you need not offer any refund at all, to do as Deb suggests is generous. I have done this too for guests -- I offer to refund them any part of the reservation that I am able to rebook, after they cancel. Tell them that they need to hurry up and cancel otherwise the potential that you would be able to rebook the dates is less. This offer is a nice compromise as it means you would not lose money, but also they would not lose money if you are able to rebook. If you weren't able to rebook, at least you made the generous offer.
Reply Like
Fiona
Fionaa year ago
If you don't want to enforce a strict refund policy then don't institute a strict refund policy. Don't refund anything to this person and then change your refund policy to Flexible going forward.
Reply Like
Stan & Maggie
Stan & Maggiea year ago
No refunds..... This is business and NYE. Is the most booked up night of the year ! Be firm. It sounds like this was booked as a party, do you allow this? Are you comfortable with her finding new "friends" to party with her?
