Guest booked for 4 people for 46 nights, left after 33 nights no explanation but wants a refund

[Christine1362]

Hi, 

I have had a guest leave after 33 nights of a 46 night booking. I received the following message late afternoon on Friday.

“Hi, we have been moderately comfortable here but it’s not going to work out to stay until Oct 9. We are actually leaving the apartment today and will not be returning. We have met the 30 day obligation so I believe we are due to at least a bit of a refund according to the policy. We have left the key in the lockbox. Thank you.”

I am confused about the “thirty day policy” she mentions and also struggling to work out if she is entitled to a refund for the remaining days and if so, how much?

I asked her to cancel her booking but she said she couldn’t and was referred back to me. I contacted Airbnb help and was told that I had to send her an alteration request and had to refund her in full for the days they didn’t stay.

I am a bit perturbed that if a guest cancels within 14 days of check in they are entitled to 50% yet if they leave with no warning I am expected to refund them 100% for the remaining days.

At least with 14 days notice you have time to maybe re book those dates. This way I have no chance.

Can anyone shed some light please?

[Emiel1]

@Christine1362 

This is a "long term stay", so the "long term stay"cancellation policy automatically applies.

The guest has to pay for all the remaining nights, as per this cancellation policy, when he/she cancels the reservation.

What the guests mentioned about "30 days obligation" and what Airbnb support is telling you is nonsense. You can refund the guests manually some money by good will, same for shortening the reservation. Be aware shortening the reservation passes the cancellations policy, as to a glitch in the change form. So if you use this, keep an eye on the price caclulated and edit the pricefield accordingly to what you think is a fair deal.

best regards,

Emiel

added: I noticed it is already october 9 today. How did this reservation end ?

[Christine1362]

Thanks so much, this is very helpful.

[Christine1362]

I had messaged the guest to explain that I was awaiting clarification from Airbnb. She was polite and gracious and thanked me for looking in to it on her behalf. I haven’t heard from her since. I will now offer her a partial refund as a gesture of goodwill.

i messaged the guest regularly throughout their stay to check that everything was ok and they had everything they needed. She didn’t reply to any of my messages.

I’d much rather know that guests leave happy instead of finding out in a review.
I'm guessing that there was a disagreement between the two couples as the apartment looked like they had left hastily.

thanks again

Christine

[Mark116]

@Christine1362  I don't think you want to shorten the reservation.  I would tell the guests that the refund will be based on the cancellation policy in effect when they booked.  I might also tell them that if they had been unhappy for a month, they should have contacted you and let you know what the issues are so you might remediate them.  I'd be prepared for a bad review though, if you don't give them a refund, so you will have to  judge which is worse, a probable unfair review or a possible unfair review plus unfairly giving a refund.

You absolutely do not have to give a refund on a long term booking outside of whatever your policy was when they booked. 

[Christine1362]

Thank you, I will offer a partial refund now that I have clear guidance and can justify it as a gesture of goodwill.

[Helen3]

Personally I wouldn’t offer them any refund other than that they are entitled to under the cancellation policy they booked under. @Christine1362 

If they only wanted to pay for  the first 30 days they should have cancelled on the first day that they arrived (please read the long term cancellation policy) - they didn’t.

nor did they alert you to any issues for the whole month they stayed.

they are being jerks and so are Airbnb for telling them how to get around the policy 

the guest us lying to you - of course they can cancel - they don’t want because they know if they do they won’t get any money back, 

i can’t agree with @Mark116  on this one. Even if you refund them - they can still leave you a bad review.

I would just copy and paste the long term policy and tell them that under the policy they booked under they aren’t entitled to a refund, but as a gesture of good will on your part IF they cancel and you get any bookings to cover the period you will be happy to consider a proportional refund.

bet some alternative accommodation came through and that’s why they decided to leave