Post by High Priestess on Jun 10, 2016 15:59:10 GMT
Albena shared on HOsting 911 April 2015
www.airbnb.com/groups/content/content-124599
Guest who cancelled took me to a resolution center
Attachment Deleted
A guest who canceled 15 days prior to a month long reservation starting on April 25th just took me to a resolution center asking for a refund. I have strict cancelation policy and have been solid booked through June. Apparently, the guest does not want to honor my cancelation policy.
What do you guys usually do in a situation like this?
I want to empathize with the guest but at the same time I turned away several potential bookings.
Any shared ideas and experiences greatly appreciated!
Thank you!
5 comments
Following
Like
Deborah
Deboraha year ago
WHat I do is tell the guest that if they cancel, on a strict or long term policy, then apart from any refund they would automatically get (in your case, they wouldn't get anything), I will give them a refund based on any bookings I get to fill in that space that they cancelled. So, if they have a 30 day booking, for instance, and I am able to fill 2 weeks of that time (but only two weeks) then they would get a refund of 14/30 X PRICE, where PRICE is the total they paid for the reservation. Or, if I could book only 2 days of the 30, then they would get 2/30 X PRICE -- and if I was able to book 25 of the 30 days, they would get 25/30 X PRICE, and so on.
Usually guests are happy with this, though I have not yet had someone cancel a long term reservation, which is more strict than strict in that the guest doesn't get any refund if they only book a month.
It is important to note, if you do this, that the refund the guest will get is NOT necessarily equal to the income you get from bookings they get during the days they cancelled. If you have a monthly rate, which is lower than your weekly and nightly rates, then you have to be careful not to give the guest back a refund that is not proportionately correct.
For instance, if guest booked to pay $2500 a month, for a 30 day reservation, but your weekly rate is $1000 a week, then if you end up booking 2 weeks out of the month they cancelled, for a total price on that new booking of $2000, the guest who cancelled does NOT get a $2000 refund. They would get 14/30 X (phone number hidden). If you rebooked every day that they had cancelled of their 30 day reservation, but booked it in 3 reservations each over one week long, then the guest who cancelled would get a $2500 refund (if you offer this to them) but you would end up making over $4000 for that period, so then you would only refund them $2500 of that.
This is how I handle cancellations, anyhow. I offer a refund for days I can rebook, as described above.
Reply Like 4 replies•7 likes
Albena
Albenaa year ago
Thank you, Debora! You have been very helpful, as always! I have used your formula and it worked! They answered saying they are willing to wait to see if i get more dates rebooked! Currently, i have managed to rebook only 3 nights. THANK YOU AGAIN!!!
Deborah
Deboraha year ago
Good, glad to hear it!! THis is why I think it is a very good idea to offer this to guests. It offers them a possiblity of a refund, and leaves them optimistic. IT is an olive branch you can extend to the guest, a compromise you can make, that is fair to both sides and more friendly than trying to use the resolution center and getting AIrbnb to mediate.
Deborah
Deboraha year ago
Also, as I indicate below, it is quite possible that when a guest cancels a long-ish reservation, and the host is able to rebook those dates with several shorter reservations, the host will actually end up making more money, than they would have, with that one long reservation. Which is another reason why they can be generous in offering the guest a possibility of a full refund--- because even if the guest gets that full refund, the host could come out ahead.
Irene & Lola
Irene & Lolaa year ago
Deborah, I haven't yet found myself in this situation, but your system seems fair!
Bridget and Mark
Bridget and Marka year ago
Tell airbnb that you want your strict cancellation policy afhered to strictly!
Reply Like 3 likes
Albena
Albenaa year ago
I thought resolution center is for having any kind of issues between host and a guest NOT breach of contract?! Things that are already regimented should not be demanding extra time and effort on our part unless is an extraordinary circumstance and/or our good will.
Reply Like 1 reply•1 like
Betty
Bettya year ago
The Resolution centre is the tool to use for anything that requires exchange of money between host and guest/s. It could be a refund or a payment for extra services. AirBnB gets involved only if there is dispute and the counterpart does not want to pay the requested amount. For example, I recently used it as a guest to pay my host the cost of train tickets the host nicely agreed to purchase for me in advance. And it worked really well.
Deborah
Deboraha year ago
Either host or guest can use the resolution center or Airbnb "mediation" for any issue -- I believe. I think what happens is that the guest first asks you for the refund they want, if they want something beyond what the cancellation policy dictates, and then if you don't grant it, if you decline the request they make for a certain $ amount, it automatically goes to "resolution center" or Airbnb where they decide on the issue. IF the guest has some "extenuating circumstance", they can have the cancellation policy overridden -- for instance if they have an emergency medical issue, or a natural disaster -- or even just a serious illness -- -there are various reasons Airbnb can choose to override a cancellation policy, as you can see if you read the whole info on cancellation policy. This probably doesn't happen very often. I had a guest who only stayed for 2 days of a 3 day reservation, then wanted a refund for the day not stayed. I said no to his request to me through the resolution center, and it then went to Airbnb, who denied him the refund, since the cancellation policy didn't warrant it.
let us know what happens in your case.
Reply Like 2 replies•1 like
Deborah
Deboraha year ago
If Airbnb denies his request for a refund, thru the resolution center, you probably won't get an email from them. You just won't hear any more about the issue. That is what happened in my case, anyhow.
Stan & Maggie
Stan & Maggiea year ago
Or they can just over ride your policy
Susan
Susana year ago
respond in the resolution email (if there is one) stating your feelings about the cancellation and reiterating your cancellation policy. also call airbnb CS and give them your feedback regarding the cancellation. just let it roll through the process, no doubt airbnb will find in your favor according to your cancellation policy
Reply Like 1 like
Deborah
www.airbnb.com/groups/content/content-124599
Guest who cancelled took me to a resolution center
Attachment Deleted
A guest who canceled 15 days prior to a month long reservation starting on April 25th just took me to a resolution center asking for a refund. I have strict cancelation policy and have been solid booked through June. Apparently, the guest does not want to honor my cancelation policy.
What do you guys usually do in a situation like this?
I want to empathize with the guest but at the same time I turned away several potential bookings.
Any shared ideas and experiences greatly appreciated!
Thank you!
5 comments
Following
Like
Deborah
Deboraha year ago
WHat I do is tell the guest that if they cancel, on a strict or long term policy, then apart from any refund they would automatically get (in your case, they wouldn't get anything), I will give them a refund based on any bookings I get to fill in that space that they cancelled. So, if they have a 30 day booking, for instance, and I am able to fill 2 weeks of that time (but only two weeks) then they would get a refund of 14/30 X PRICE, where PRICE is the total they paid for the reservation. Or, if I could book only 2 days of the 30, then they would get 2/30 X PRICE -- and if I was able to book 25 of the 30 days, they would get 25/30 X PRICE, and so on.
Usually guests are happy with this, though I have not yet had someone cancel a long term reservation, which is more strict than strict in that the guest doesn't get any refund if they only book a month.
It is important to note, if you do this, that the refund the guest will get is NOT necessarily equal to the income you get from bookings they get during the days they cancelled. If you have a monthly rate, which is lower than your weekly and nightly rates, then you have to be careful not to give the guest back a refund that is not proportionately correct.
For instance, if guest booked to pay $2500 a month, for a 30 day reservation, but your weekly rate is $1000 a week, then if you end up booking 2 weeks out of the month they cancelled, for a total price on that new booking of $2000, the guest who cancelled does NOT get a $2000 refund. They would get 14/30 X (phone number hidden). If you rebooked every day that they had cancelled of their 30 day reservation, but booked it in 3 reservations each over one week long, then the guest who cancelled would get a $2500 refund (if you offer this to them) but you would end up making over $4000 for that period, so then you would only refund them $2500 of that.
This is how I handle cancellations, anyhow. I offer a refund for days I can rebook, as described above.
Reply Like 4 replies•7 likes
Albena
Albenaa year ago
Thank you, Debora! You have been very helpful, as always! I have used your formula and it worked! They answered saying they are willing to wait to see if i get more dates rebooked! Currently, i have managed to rebook only 3 nights. THANK YOU AGAIN!!!
Deborah
Deboraha year ago
Good, glad to hear it!! THis is why I think it is a very good idea to offer this to guests. It offers them a possiblity of a refund, and leaves them optimistic. IT is an olive branch you can extend to the guest, a compromise you can make, that is fair to both sides and more friendly than trying to use the resolution center and getting AIrbnb to mediate.
Deborah
Deboraha year ago
Also, as I indicate below, it is quite possible that when a guest cancels a long-ish reservation, and the host is able to rebook those dates with several shorter reservations, the host will actually end up making more money, than they would have, with that one long reservation. Which is another reason why they can be generous in offering the guest a possibility of a full refund--- because even if the guest gets that full refund, the host could come out ahead.
Irene & Lola
Irene & Lolaa year ago
Deborah, I haven't yet found myself in this situation, but your system seems fair!
Bridget and Mark
Bridget and Marka year ago
Tell airbnb that you want your strict cancellation policy afhered to strictly!
Reply Like 3 likes
Albena
Albenaa year ago
I thought resolution center is for having any kind of issues between host and a guest NOT breach of contract?! Things that are already regimented should not be demanding extra time and effort on our part unless is an extraordinary circumstance and/or our good will.
Reply Like 1 reply•1 like
Betty
Bettya year ago
The Resolution centre is the tool to use for anything that requires exchange of money between host and guest/s. It could be a refund or a payment for extra services. AirBnB gets involved only if there is dispute and the counterpart does not want to pay the requested amount. For example, I recently used it as a guest to pay my host the cost of train tickets the host nicely agreed to purchase for me in advance. And it worked really well.
Deborah
Deboraha year ago
Either host or guest can use the resolution center or Airbnb "mediation" for any issue -- I believe. I think what happens is that the guest first asks you for the refund they want, if they want something beyond what the cancellation policy dictates, and then if you don't grant it, if you decline the request they make for a certain $ amount, it automatically goes to "resolution center" or Airbnb where they decide on the issue. IF the guest has some "extenuating circumstance", they can have the cancellation policy overridden -- for instance if they have an emergency medical issue, or a natural disaster -- or even just a serious illness -- -there are various reasons Airbnb can choose to override a cancellation policy, as you can see if you read the whole info on cancellation policy. This probably doesn't happen very often. I had a guest who only stayed for 2 days of a 3 day reservation, then wanted a refund for the day not stayed. I said no to his request to me through the resolution center, and it then went to Airbnb, who denied him the refund, since the cancellation policy didn't warrant it.
let us know what happens in your case.
Reply Like 2 replies•1 like
Deborah
Deboraha year ago
If Airbnb denies his request for a refund, thru the resolution center, you probably won't get an email from them. You just won't hear any more about the issue. That is what happened in my case, anyhow.
Stan & Maggie
Stan & Maggiea year ago
Or they can just over ride your policy
Susan
Susana year ago
respond in the resolution email (if there is one) stating your feelings about the cancellation and reiterating your cancellation policy. also call airbnb CS and give them your feedback regarding the cancellation. just let it roll through the process, no doubt airbnb will find in your favor according to your cancellation policy
Reply Like 1 like
Deborah