Cancellations

[Sean375]

My guest, after several confirmed, but changed reservations booked my room July 7-15 in May. She arrived at 1 am July 8th. After lugging her steamer sized trunk up 3 flights, and making her tea which she requested. She then showered and left a lake on the bathroom floor.She came down to the kitchen and announced that she was cancelling as she decided to stay with a friend instead and seeking a full refund, less one day. When asked when she knew this, she stated "a few days ago". AirBnB appears to offer but 2 options; acceptor reject. Is there no option for a partial refund ? Incidentally,she showered agin this AM and despite a sign advising guests to use the bath mat and close the shower, there was another flood on the bathroom floor. Haven't checked her room as yet. What would you do ?

[Lawrene0]

I would get it all down in the messaging first, @Sean375 . Something like,

"As per our conversation, I am just confirming that you decided a few days ago to stay just one night with us and then with a friend the rest of the time, and so you wish to cancel the rest of your stay. Please do go ahead. Airbnb will handle the refund in line with our cancellation policy. If I am able to book the room for any of the nights you have cancelled, I am happy to refund you for those nights."

Would that work for you?

[Mark116]

@Sean375   I agree, with @Lawrene0  message, get it on record that she is cancelling because she found a free place to stay, and that you will refund per your cancellation policy.  

[Pat-and-Cindy0]

Always make sure you communicate via the Airbnb app. Customer service does review the conversation history to adjudicate conflicts. I have been saved a couple of times this way.

The will usually side with guests, tho- no matter how stupid the excuse.

[Anonymous]

@Sean375  If you have the option of "accept or reject," what your guest submitted was not a Cancellation but rather a Change Request. That's what shady guests do to override your cancellation policy - please don't encourage it!

If you'd rather supply a partial refund of your own choosing, you can decline her request and counter with your own. Or you can decline and say that she can proceed with the normal cancellation process, by which your policy goes into effect. I recommend the latter option, as there's nothing in the guest's circumstances that warrants any special exceptions.

@Lawrene0  is spot-on about getting the details of these circumstances onto the record in your message. You can offer to refund re-booked nights if you really want to, but why bother? You can't buy a better review by throwing money at inconsiderate guests.

[Lawrene0]

Ooo, that's right, @Anonymous ! Missed that bit. If you need to accept or reject, @Sean375 , then it is a sneaky change request or a sneaky "the host wants me to cancel".

Reject!

And yes to not offering to refund if you don't want to. That was just a suggestion to make you look good ("Look, Customer Service, I am super reasonable!"), and not anything anyone needs to do. You have been inconvenienced, and might as well be paid for it. As Andrew says, it won't help the review. Nothing is going to help that, unfortunately. 

[Alice595]

@Sean375  If she calls Airbnb for the cancellation, Airbnb will call you to give her refund for unused nights. In that case, be firm and tell Airbnb CS that please follow the cancellation policy. Do not agree with anything more than what the policy can give. 

Recently I had a guest who checked in and less than an hour he called Airbnb to cancel and wanted to get full refund. His reason was the house was too hot. The temperature was 71 F and there was another guest staying in the same house. And Airbnb called me to give him refund. I told Airbnb I could refund the second night since he booked for two nights. Then Airbnb called him and told him that I only agree to refund one night. Then he started to bombing me in Airbnb messages and started various false accusations and cursing. I felt that I am betrayed by Airbnb. Airbnb tried to let the host to take all the blame and responsibility when we hosts face such unreasonable guests. Even more, Airbnb provided him with full refund and also paid me with one night stay and cleaning fee. The guest also used shower, toilet, and bed as well.

I regretted to give the second night refund to an unreasonable guest like him. A lesson is learnt. Keep the rule firmly and don’t allow anybody to bent it.

[Linda108]

Great suggestion for messaging from @Lawrene0!  The dates you cite in your post (July 7th - 15th) have not occurred as yet so I am a bit confused 😛

[Anonymous]

@Linda108 Watch out for those time-traveler guests, they're the worst!

[Pete69]

Is this shower area properly designed to keep water from getting out onto the floor? 

Write an appropriate review about her bending of the rules on the fly.