Post by High Priestess on Jun 14, 2016 3:28:22 GMT
Lynn shared on NHF March 2015
www.airbnb.com/groups/content/content-123088
Cancellation Policy advise
Attachment Deleted
Hi all, I tried searching this question in hopes of not bothering everyone. (didnt find any posts). But what cancellation policy is most used??? I think there is just not a happy medium between Moderate and Strict! I would like to use strict because I cant fill a reserved spot within 5 days! Once its blocked, it just doesnt seem fair the guest can cancel within 5 days and get full refund - yet the 50% refund (and rest unrefundable) seems a little too strict! Yet I would like to have something if they cancel - but I am afraid that will scare people away! Advice? What does everyone do? We are not in a large market - country did Ohio.Thanks in advance and have happy Easter!
13 comments
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Kim
Kima year ago
I have moderate but both of my cancelations have been day before and morning of so it wouldn't have mattered anyway. Both guests asked for a refund and I declined both times. I think many hosts give refunds regardless of cancelation policy if they like the reason the guest came up with for canceling.
Reply Like 1 like Delete
Heather
Heathera year ago
I have moderate, and honestly when I was booking as a guest, I did stay away from listings with a strict policy. I think its an individual decision though, what each host is comfortable with.
Reply Like 1 reply•1 like Delete
Joyce
Joycea year ago
I agree, Heather. I avoid strict because plans change.
Joyce
Joycea year ago
I have moderate, as well. Just getting started, so no experience with how it will work out yet, but am planning to email each guest two weeks ahead of their visit with general welcome info and hope that will remind them to check last-minute details more than 5 days out and let me know if there is a problem.
I agree there is a wide gap between moderate and strict. And why not keep it consistent with the number of days in advance instead of the cut-off at 7 for strict and 5 for moderate?
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Julie and Eric
Julie and Erica year ago
I had flexible for years and rarely had a cancellation. We're in a medium market and have good competition. I switched to moderate as I became burned out on hosting.
Whatever policy a host uses, the host has the discretion to refund a guest regardless of the policy. If I was able to rebook any portion of a guest's stay, I'd feel it's only fair to refund that to them, minus a small convenience fee. I wouldn't feel right double dipping.
Keep in mind that guests can ask Airbnb to help them if hosts don't help with a refund. If the guest can provide Airbnb with a story (true or not) that makes the CX rep empathize with the guest, the rep can cancel on your behalf and the calendar would be blocked. So handle these (and all) requests with care and fairness and you should be fine.
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Jeannette
Jeannettea year ago
I have strict.
I was pretty close to having a snow cancellation for my 1st night in Costa Rica with my AirBNB host, but my plane left OK in the end. The host had "strict" but she told me she would have *definitely* and with sincerity worked with me in the event of a snow cancellation.
So I think a lot of hosts put that in for protection.
Reply Like Delete
ian
iana year ago
Strict all the way for me. Sets the expectation. I'd refund for natural causes mega snow etc.
Reply Like Delete
Deborah
Deboraha year ago
I have strict cancellation policy, and I am not suffering for it -- but I am in a big metropolitan region with a lot of travelers. If I were you I would look at what policy others in your area are using, so you can see how you stack up against the local competition. I dont' think the cancellation policy would be one of my main concerns as a guest, but then I probably would not book very far in advance because I tend to take trips on the spur of the moment.
As Julie points out, You can always refund the guest more than the policy allows, which I have done several times, when someone had to cancel for what I thought was a good reason. I told them I would refund them if I could rebook the dates, and I was able to do that.
Reply Like 2 likes Delete
Stan & Maggie
Stan & Maggiea year ago
We have strict, rarely been an issue until recently
I refund the other 50% if I feel the guest is up front and honest, if they tell patently obvious fibs or take an attitude then they can wait and see if I can rebook the dates!
Reply Like Delete
Bekah and Brian
Bekah and Briana year ago
I've had "strict" since day one without any issue, but like Deborah I live in Mega Travel Town. You can always bend your rules depending on the circumstance if you want.
Reply Like Delete
Nic and Rach
Nic and Racha year ago
We have Flexible, And never had any issue as far as cancellations, We only had 1 cxl in our entire hosting experience maybe because we live in a town which is not a tourist area. There is nothing big or exciting in this area... not even a night life except for Raleigh and Durham city and Cary is a very laid back town.
Reply Like Delete
Renee
Reneea year ago
I have moderate for the busy months, strict for the slow seasons.
Reply Like 4 replies Delete
Rebecca
Rebeccaa year ago
I didn't realise you could specify different policies for different seasons. I thought it was a blanket thing. OK, I just checked to see how to do it and can't find an option? Can you tell me how you switch between policies? Thanks in advance
Julie and Eric
Julie and Erica year ago
This is something I would like to know as well.
Deborah
Deboraha year ago
I don't think you can apply cancellation policies seasonally, and thus have more than one policy per listing. I think what Renee means is that she changes her policy at a certain point of the year.
Rebecca
Rebeccaa year ago
But how does that help when you get bookings weeks/months in advance? The policy only applies to the point when the booking was made so if someone makes a high season booking during the slow season months..... ok, this is a non-starter! I would like to know how you rationalise this Renee!
Leah
Leaha year ago
I have moderate after I has someone cancel a 9 day booking with no explanation two days before. I did refund someone who got sick a few days before. Actually I don't know how to refund it. I had her contact air bnb to cancel it because I didn't know how to cancel. I thought it was bad to cancel?
Reply Like 1 reply Delete
Julie and Eric
Julie and Erica year ago
Yes – if the guest needs to cancel, the guest needs to do it on the platform.
Danny
Dannya year ago
I do not live in my listing, and I travel a lot for work. My cancellation policy is strict because I am not interested in hosting people who are not sure, may want to change their minds, want to shop around for better deals, etc.
Organizing trusted people to check your guests in and out, corresponding with them, and answering a few of their questions (so many folks out there have yet to hear about this tiny company called 'Google') is all work, time and energy. Hence, it only makes sense to get paid for it.
Reply Like 1 like Delete
Deborah
www.airbnb.com/groups/content/content-123088
Cancellation Policy advise
Attachment Deleted
Hi all, I tried searching this question in hopes of not bothering everyone. (didnt find any posts). But what cancellation policy is most used??? I think there is just not a happy medium between Moderate and Strict! I would like to use strict because I cant fill a reserved spot within 5 days! Once its blocked, it just doesnt seem fair the guest can cancel within 5 days and get full refund - yet the 50% refund (and rest unrefundable) seems a little too strict! Yet I would like to have something if they cancel - but I am afraid that will scare people away! Advice? What does everyone do? We are not in a large market - country did Ohio.Thanks in advance and have happy Easter!
13 comments
Following
Like
Delete
Hide
Kim
Kima year ago
I have moderate but both of my cancelations have been day before and morning of so it wouldn't have mattered anyway. Both guests asked for a refund and I declined both times. I think many hosts give refunds regardless of cancelation policy if they like the reason the guest came up with for canceling.
Reply Like 1 like Delete
Heather
Heathera year ago
I have moderate, and honestly when I was booking as a guest, I did stay away from listings with a strict policy. I think its an individual decision though, what each host is comfortable with.
Reply Like 1 reply•1 like Delete
Joyce
Joycea year ago
I agree, Heather. I avoid strict because plans change.
Joyce
Joycea year ago
I have moderate, as well. Just getting started, so no experience with how it will work out yet, but am planning to email each guest two weeks ahead of their visit with general welcome info and hope that will remind them to check last-minute details more than 5 days out and let me know if there is a problem.
I agree there is a wide gap between moderate and strict. And why not keep it consistent with the number of days in advance instead of the cut-off at 7 for strict and 5 for moderate?
Reply Like Delete
Julie and Eric
Julie and Erica year ago
I had flexible for years and rarely had a cancellation. We're in a medium market and have good competition. I switched to moderate as I became burned out on hosting.
Whatever policy a host uses, the host has the discretion to refund a guest regardless of the policy. If I was able to rebook any portion of a guest's stay, I'd feel it's only fair to refund that to them, minus a small convenience fee. I wouldn't feel right double dipping.
Keep in mind that guests can ask Airbnb to help them if hosts don't help with a refund. If the guest can provide Airbnb with a story (true or not) that makes the CX rep empathize with the guest, the rep can cancel on your behalf and the calendar would be blocked. So handle these (and all) requests with care and fairness and you should be fine.
Reply Like Delete
Jeannette
Jeannettea year ago
I have strict.
I was pretty close to having a snow cancellation for my 1st night in Costa Rica with my AirBNB host, but my plane left OK in the end. The host had "strict" but she told me she would have *definitely* and with sincerity worked with me in the event of a snow cancellation.
So I think a lot of hosts put that in for protection.
Reply Like Delete
ian
iana year ago
Strict all the way for me. Sets the expectation. I'd refund for natural causes mega snow etc.
Reply Like Delete
Deborah
Deboraha year ago
I have strict cancellation policy, and I am not suffering for it -- but I am in a big metropolitan region with a lot of travelers. If I were you I would look at what policy others in your area are using, so you can see how you stack up against the local competition. I dont' think the cancellation policy would be one of my main concerns as a guest, but then I probably would not book very far in advance because I tend to take trips on the spur of the moment.
As Julie points out, You can always refund the guest more than the policy allows, which I have done several times, when someone had to cancel for what I thought was a good reason. I told them I would refund them if I could rebook the dates, and I was able to do that.
Reply Like 2 likes Delete
Stan & Maggie
Stan & Maggiea year ago
We have strict, rarely been an issue until recently
I refund the other 50% if I feel the guest is up front and honest, if they tell patently obvious fibs or take an attitude then they can wait and see if I can rebook the dates!
Reply Like Delete
Bekah and Brian
Bekah and Briana year ago
I've had "strict" since day one without any issue, but like Deborah I live in Mega Travel Town. You can always bend your rules depending on the circumstance if you want.
Reply Like Delete
Nic and Rach
Nic and Racha year ago
We have Flexible, And never had any issue as far as cancellations, We only had 1 cxl in our entire hosting experience maybe because we live in a town which is not a tourist area. There is nothing big or exciting in this area... not even a night life except for Raleigh and Durham city and Cary is a very laid back town.
Reply Like Delete
Renee
Reneea year ago
I have moderate for the busy months, strict for the slow seasons.
Reply Like 4 replies Delete
Rebecca
Rebeccaa year ago
I didn't realise you could specify different policies for different seasons. I thought it was a blanket thing. OK, I just checked to see how to do it and can't find an option? Can you tell me how you switch between policies? Thanks in advance
Julie and Eric
Julie and Erica year ago
This is something I would like to know as well.
Deborah
Deboraha year ago
I don't think you can apply cancellation policies seasonally, and thus have more than one policy per listing. I think what Renee means is that she changes her policy at a certain point of the year.
Rebecca
Rebeccaa year ago
But how does that help when you get bookings weeks/months in advance? The policy only applies to the point when the booking was made so if someone makes a high season booking during the slow season months..... ok, this is a non-starter! I would like to know how you rationalise this Renee!
Leah
Leaha year ago
I have moderate after I has someone cancel a 9 day booking with no explanation two days before. I did refund someone who got sick a few days before. Actually I don't know how to refund it. I had her contact air bnb to cancel it because I didn't know how to cancel. I thought it was bad to cancel?
Reply Like 1 reply Delete
Julie and Eric
Julie and Erica year ago
Yes – if the guest needs to cancel, the guest needs to do it on the platform.
Danny
Dannya year ago
I do not live in my listing, and I travel a lot for work. My cancellation policy is strict because I am not interested in hosting people who are not sure, may want to change their minds, want to shop around for better deals, etc.
Organizing trusted people to check your guests in and out, corresponding with them, and answering a few of their questions (so many folks out there have yet to hear about this tiny company called 'Google') is all work, time and energy. Hence, it only makes sense to get paid for it.
Reply Like 1 like Delete
Deborah