Coronavirus - cancellaitons - and how to respond to guests

Up, down, could be better? How to get more bookings is our number one obsession. Talk shop here.
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apexblue
Posts: 2249
Joined: Wed Sep 10, 2008 6:58 pm
Location: UK

Post by apexblue »

Lovely comment from guest who wants to cancel said go via HL and got an "up yours" reply. Don't think I'll say he gets a full refund if he does.
It is better to remain quiet and have one think you are stupid, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt....

The biggest mistake we make in life is thinking we have time.
Sam V
Posts: 1707
Joined: Fri Nov 20, 2009 1:45 pm
Location: Villa in Gale, Algarve, Portugal. At home in Fetcham, Surrey, UK
Contact:

Post by Sam V »

Gleaned from HA site

What can I do if my reservation is affected by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19)?
On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) for the current outbreak of the novel coronavirus, known as COVID-19. We're closely monitoring official guidance from local government and health authorities and will update this article as more information comes available.

What you should do before booking

Review local travel recommendations and restrictions in addition to following guidance from the World Health Organization.
Review the property's cancellation policies.
What you can do after booking
If you are currently on vacation in an area affected by travel restrictions, please check your trip details for safety information and local emergency numbers, and follow recommendations from local authorities.
If you need to cancel an upcoming reservation due to travel restrictions, you can do so within your traveler account. If you are making changes outside the cancellation policy window, please contact the property owner or manager to discuss their cancellation and refund policies. If you do not see a button to cancel your reservation, please contact the property owner or manager directly for assistance.
If you purchased travel insurance, contact the insurance company directly with any questions or claims processing.
If you booked through a credit card, contact your financial institution to see if travel insurance is provided.
If you need assistance booking alternative accommodations, please contact Customer Support for further assistance by clicking Contact Us below.
What we are doing as part of our COVID-19 emergency policy

A full refund of our fees: We are refunding 100% of the money we make through traveler service fees when you must cancel a trip due to COVID-19, whether the cancellation is government-mandated or because you’re prioritizing the health of your family and loved ones. This is in effect for all stays booked before March 13 with a stay night between March 13 and April 30. You don’t have to do anything to collect the refund, it will happen automatically over the next two weeks. No need to call and confirm.
Minimum of 50% refund: We have notified partners to abide by our COVID-19 emergency standards, which set a 50% refund minimum if different stay dates cannot be found, in order to avoid penalties in our marketplace. This is applicable for all canceled stays with a night that falls between March 13 and April 30, 2020, even on trips that are outside the set cancellation policy.
Credit for future dates: We are asking partners to offer a full credit for different stay dates within the next year (at no additional cost). If you are unwilling or unable to accept the credit, we advise working with our partner on an acceptable refund, and we have incentivized our partners to go above and beyond their standard policies. The more our partners are able to do for travelers, the more we will reward them with future bookings.
What we don’t cover
Please be aware that our Book with Confidence Guarantee is designed to protect you from fraudulent listings and misrepresentation. It does not cover cancellations due to events outside of our control such as disease or government actions.

More information
We strongly recommend that all travelers, owners, and property managers follow health and safety information from health officials as well as travel advisories from local authorities. For your convenience, we have provided a list of resources below. If you are an owner or property manager, please also see how the coronavirus impacts your rental.

World Health Organization (WHO)
Department of Health and Social Care
UK Travel Advisories
Answers to your booking questions about COVID-19

Why can’t you refund my reservation on behalf of the owner/property manager?
We have implemented standards and policies to provide a safe and trusted marketplace for holidaymakers, homeowners, and property managers. The homes on our platform are owned and/or managed by each individual owner or property manager. Cancellations and refund policies are determined by homeowners and property managers, but the vast majority of them are rising to the occasion and giving credits and/or refunds to guests in these extreme circumstances.

I’m hearing that this crisis could continue into July or August. What if I’ve already paid for a booking after April 30th?
We will continue to monitor and reassess the situation with the safety of holidaymakers in mind. You may have a few options available to you to manage your reservation:
Consider purchasing travel insurance in case you get sick and are instructed by a physician not to travel. We advise you to read the insurance policy closely before choosing to purchase it.
Adjust or cancel your booking dates through your holidaymaker account. In the event that you need to cancel, your reservation may be eligible for a refund depending on the owner’s cancellation policy. To view the cancellation policy, go into your holidaymaker account and view your trip.

If you have any additional questions, we ask that you wait to contact customer support until closer to your trip date as a courtesy to fellow holidaymakers.

What if I want to reschedule my reservation instead of canceling?
You can request to modify your dates from your holidaymaker account or by communicating directly with the owner or property manager through our secure messaging system.

I don’t know when I will be able to reschedule my travel dates at this time. Can I obtain a travel credit for a future stay?
We are asking owners and property managers to offer a full credit for flexible stay dates within the next year at no additional cost. If future travel cannot be accommodated and your reservation is outside of the cancellation refund window, we ask that you work with the owner or property manager directly for an acceptable refund amount. We expect owners and property managers to provide at least a partial refund of the amount paid so far for any reservations booked before March 13th with a stay night between March 13th and April 30th, but this is ultimately up to their discretion. If you go the refund route and you still owe a balance on your trip, you should not pay it.

What do I need to do to make sure I get a refund?
We have requested that owners and property managers offer a full credit for flexible stay dates within the next year at no additional cost. However, if future travel cannot be accommodated and your reservation is outside of the cancellation refund window, we ask that you work with the owner or property manager directly for an acceptable refund amount. We expect owners and property managers to provide at least a partial refund of the amount paid to date for any reservations booked before March 13 with a stay night between March 13 and April 30, but this is ultimately up to their discretion.

For any canceled reservation that meets the criteria listed above, our service fees will be refunded automatically to your original form of payment. Due to the unprecedented volume of travel disruptions, refunds may take a few weeks to process. We appreciate your patience during this time.​​​​​​​

Is there a way for me to cancel my reservation online?
Some reservations may be eligible for self-service cancellation via your holidaymaker account in My Trips. If you are making changes outside the cancellation policy window, please contact the owner or property manager for cancellation and refund options.

What options do I have if the owner or property manager is refusing to cancel and refund my stay?
We are requesting that owners and property managers go above and beyond their standard policies to accommodate cancellation requests where possible. For any reservation booked before March 13th with a stay night between March 13th and April 30th, We have requested that owners and property managers offer a full credit for flexible stay dates within the next year at no additional cost. However, if future travel cannot be accommodated and your reservation is outside of the cancellation refund window, we ask that you work with the owner or property manager directly for an acceptable refund amount. We expect owners and property managers to provide at least a partial refund of the amount paid so far for any reservations booked before March 13th with a stay night between March 13th and April 30th, but this is ultimately up to their discretion. If you go the refund route and you still owe a balance on your trip, you should not pay it. Owners and property managers that are not abiding by our COVID-19 emergency policies may be subject to removal from our site.
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