England Lockdown 2 and Airbnb

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SusanMay
Posts: 125
Joined: Sun Jan 29, 2012 6:23 pm
Location: Dorset

England Lockdown 2 and Airbnb

Post by SusanMay »

I have an Airbnb booking for next weekend but obviously with the new lockdown coming in on Thursday the guests can’t come. As we can't be open either I’d be happy to cancel the booking with a full refund (like Airbnb did automatically for the first lockdown) but looking at their terms I can’t cancel the booking without a $100 fine. I can’t claim extenuating circumstances because the booking was made after March 14th, when the global pandemic was declared.

If the guests cancel it looks like Airbnb will use the cancellation terms in place when the booking was made as, again, no extenuating circumstances can be claimed due to Covid-19 reasons for trips booked after March 14th, unless the guests are actually sick with Covid-19. I hadn’t set my cancellation terms to flexible which means, as it is less than 7 days before the trip, I think they will only return the cleaning fee.

I messaged the guests yesterday morning explaining this and saying that, if Airbnb only give back the cleaning fee, I will refund them the amount they have paid for the 3 nights using (I think) the Airbnb Resolution Centre. We will both be out of pocket a little as Airbnb get to keep the host and guest service fees.

The guests haven’t replied and I am beginning to worry about their intentions. I’m wondering if anyone else has found themselves in a similar situation and, if so, how you are dealing with cancelling Airbnb bookings with the new lockdown / tier 3 measures?
newtimber
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Post by newtimber »

I emailed the guests that they had to cancel and I would refund in full. They cancelled and then I found an option to refund the guest in full in Airbnb which I did.
Note that the guests need to cancel for you to be able to refund and if all the communication is within Airbnb about the full refund, guests should be happy to do this.

Of course if your guests are staying for essential work purposes, they still can do so.
SusanMay
Posts: 125
Joined: Sun Jan 29, 2012 6:23 pm
Location: Dorset

Post by SusanMay »

Thanks Newtimber.

When you refunded in full after the guest cancelled did that include the Airbnb host and guest service fees? I've been assuming that the fact that bookings made after the March date are no longer covered for refunds by Airbnb’s extenuating circumstances for Covid related circumstances means that Airbnb will keep their fees. Hence I'd messaged that I'd refund the total nightly fees, rather than saying a full refund which they might think would include the service fee they've paid too.
newtimber
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Post by newtimber »

I pay all the service fees - but when I refunded the guest in full, the service fees disappeared as they are only charged on the total paid by the guest.
SusanMay
Posts: 125
Joined: Sun Jan 29, 2012 6:23 pm
Location: Dorset

Post by SusanMay »

Ah, that's good, thanks for the reply
SusanMay
Posts: 125
Joined: Sun Jan 29, 2012 6:23 pm
Location: Dorset

Post by SusanMay »

Quick update for anyone else going though this in the future.

The guest needs to go into the reservation and cancel. The host can't cancel without a $100 fine. The documentation on the Airbnb website says that they should select “My travel plans have changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic” and follow their instructions. But that wasn't an option. Instead they just cancel and, as I hadn't set bookings to be flexible, they get only the cleaning fee back this close to the start date.

I got a cancellation notification email which contained a link to issue full refund. This I did. I'll get paid a little less than the refund as Airbnb get to keep the host and the guest service fees. Different from Newtimber's experience but I'm using the Airbnb model where both host and guest pay Airbnb fees.

Obviously Airbnb have ensured in their policy that anything Covid-19 related isn't covered by extenuating circumstances if booked after March 14th, so they get to keep the service fees whether the holiday can go ahead or not. Seems a little unfair when the Government has banned travel but it is all very clear in their information on the website and they do suggest that people book places with flexible cancellation terms.Trouble with that is the usually the last thing you want as the host is a guest to cancel days before a booking and get a full refund, when you have little chance of rebooking the dates.
newtimber
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Post by newtimber »

SusanMay wrote: I got a cancellation notification email which contained a link to issue full refund. This I did. I'll get paid a little less than the refund as Airbnb get to keep the host and the guest service fees. Different from Newtimber's experience but I'm using the Airbnb model where both host and guest pay Airbnb fees.
Surely you won't be paid anything as Airbnb have all the guest's funds. Are they going to take money from your bank account?
SusanMay
Posts: 125
Joined: Sun Jan 29, 2012 6:23 pm
Location: Dorset

Post by SusanMay »

God knows!

I got send the cancellation mail this morning which told me that the guest had cancelled and I'd get a figure which was the full amount minus the cleaning fee and the host service fee, the day after check-in (so Sunday).

Then I clicked on the Give Refund button and agreed to the full refund, which was the 3 nights fee (£240).

Then I got a mail confirming I'd sent that to the guest with the comment "Before we send your next payout, we’ll deduct £240.00 from it and send that to the guest".

Which isn't great for her as I'm not scheduled to get anything from Airbnb til Christmas time. (To be honest I've only just read that now, I assumed they would take from my credit card like they do when I have used them as a guest).

But, looking at the reservation details on the website now, it's quite different. It says that the guest got an amount which is the whole amount, no guest service fee, and that the host service fee is 0% with total paid to me £0.00.

Hopefully this is what has happened. I'll know at the weekend
Jonathan
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Post by Jonathan »

SusanMay wrote:God knows!

I got send the cancellation mail this morning which told me that the guest had cancelled and I'd get a figure which was the full amount minus the cleaning fee and the host service fee, the day after check-in (so Sunday).

Then I clicked on the Give Refund button and agreed to the full refund, which was the 3 nights fee (£240).

Then I got a mail confirming I'd sent that to the guest with the comment "Before we send your next payout, we’ll deduct £240.00 from it and send that to the guest".

Which isn't great for her as I'm not scheduled to get anything from Airbnb til Christmas time. (To be honest I've only just read that now, I assumed they would take from my credit card like they do when I have used them as a guest).

But, looking at the reservation details on the website now, it's quite different. It says that the guest got an amount which is the whole amount, no guest service fee, and that the host service fee is 0% with total paid to me £0.00.

Hopefully this is what has happened. I'll know at the weekend
It's what happened with us in Lockdown 1. They're not the most efficient of people.

Jonathan
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