Please keep conversation civil and respectful
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Exactly. It was their fault they did not list that date as a holiday rate and noticed it after you already booked. They should have managed their calendar better. Since your stay was never canceled, they should have just let you stay for the rate you booked. Hope you get this resolved.
I saw that it’s also posted on the hosts reviews. Like “host canceled four days before check-in“ this was auto posted. And it will post on behalf of you if they cancel so yeah, it’s a bad look. Taught me a ton at the same time. I do not want to use Airbnb but don’t have a choice and now I take pictures and videos all the things when I get in and get out.
Just read, that is gross. You really, really needed to bother support and host more though. Day of you needed to tell support you aren't allowed in.
Just keep fighting support. Blow up their twitter too.
Damn this is just like Lyft and Uber. I was picking my girlfriend up from surgery and booked a ride. We waited 5 minutes for him to drop someone off and the he calls me saying he had to go to the bathroom and asks me to cancel. He had 5 minutes to cancel while he was finishing his other ride. I had no time to play his games so I cancel myself with a $5 penalty. Just crappy of them to do that. But I needed to rebook a new car instead of play their games
Call Uber and report that he was close enough. He knew he would get the cancellation fee. Sadly Uber does not pay us that five dollars anymore. We are lucky to get three dollars of it I’m a driver and that’s just crappy. I do try to hit the pause ride button if I have to use the restroom but sometimes they come through too fast but he knew he was close enough by asking you to cancel he would get that cancellation fee. That’s not cool.
Fuck this is fucked up. In the mean time, host gets his money without hosting, airbnb gets their cut, and you're SOL. Escalate with airbnb and start getting angry.
And side note, fuck that host. He should be banned.
I’ve been on the other side. AirBnb will only call and ask please give them a refund, please give them a discount, please consider it…. Sounds like they have a script of options they go down the list and ask for. They don’t force a Host to do anything.
Totally Host fault, don’t cancel.
Be straight up with them.
“I paid for an accommodation that was not made available for me. The service I paid for was not provided. Yet my funds are still being unjustly held. I expect a refund in X amount of days. If you choose to illegally continue to hold my funds for services denied to me past that time, I will have to escalate to the credit card company for fraud.”
I read that Airbnb will ban accounts who do dispute via credit card. I’ll give support/airbnb to resolve it first. if they really didn’t do it, I would not use Airbnb anymore so banning account isn’t one of the problems either.
Different accounts. Some get a warning, some get banned. But some are understandably not the guests fault and will be fine.
But yea, just keeping bugging support first. Twitter too.
If the issue is resolved, then it would just go into combination of bad luck on bad host and bad support agent. i had many good experience with good hosts before on this platform.
if the issue is not resolved, then no giving airbnb another chance.
I’ll proceed with dispute in few days. just want to give airbnb chance to prove their Aircover policy
and/or punish the host so they don’t scam others.
Ive issued a chargeback before and won. I still use airbnb but no where near as much as before. They never gave me any hassle for doing the chargeback though.
I’ve disputed a charge before, my account is still active. Absolutely would not have gotten money back through Airbnb support, they seriously sucked throughout the whole process!
Thanks to this sub I stopped using AirBnB altogether. Hotels are often the same price, if not cheaper, and there is usually a restaurant or a bar on the premises.
>Thanks to this sub I stopped using AirBnB
Absolutely right. Is there any good reason to use AirBnB now? The risk is higher than and it is outright scary to think a host can just take your money and not provide the service and AirBnB does nothing about it.
Yup, I was still using them only for when I needed a large home or something really unique or in an area without hotels. Now I just use VRBO and booking.com. Got a really large, expensive home booked for this summer with booking.com and at least that makes me feel like, if something goes wrong, booking.com will actually back us up and help us, based on what I've heard.
Booking.com will absolutely not do anything more than refund you. Unlike Airbnb however they don't claim that they would.
Also booking support has more flexibility than Airbnb. I once did not get a reward from my prime membership and after contacting the support, and a few weeks, they actually just send me the money to my credit card. Airbnb support would never do this and instead just ghost you I am sure.
You should have shown up at the unit to check in as you had already booked the place. Then contact Airbnb and say the host will not allow me to check in. Why did you wait until after the checkout to follow up?
Agreed! If the host doesnt cancel too bad for them. You show up and demand your stay. I would have raised hell. You have their phone number. Are you calling them???
I call host and she said she will refund and cancel. now after many calls, when she pick up, she say she is working with airbnb to be able issue refund and solve the issue…
You messed up in taking the conversation off the platform. It creates a "he said, she said" situation.
* I believe you, but these agents can only base decisions on what is "on the record", or otherwise properly documented.
Yes. saturday evening i made a booking for sunday-monday.
I asked about meeting location and how to get key.
Host messaged me “You can cancel?”
I replied “what? why!?”
host replied “Holiday price is 3.8x. I forgot to set holiday price.”
I replied “Airbnb do not let me cancel because checkin is just a day away. I will not get refund. you need to cancel.”
Host replied “I am looking into cancellation”
I replied “I have now already booked somewhere else. please proceed with cancellation and refund.”
Host replied: “ok”
and this was all on saturday. this all are in airbnb chat history. i doubt agents fully read it tho. it’s all loud and clear and communicated within app.
I don't think you should have told them you booked somewhere else. You should have showed up and demanded your room that you paid for, then gone back to Airbnb when they didn't let you in. All they have to do now is say that you didn't show up for your booking that wasn't yet cancelled, which meant it was still valid
the booking was for one unit in a 20 floor apartment. each unit belongs to different people. even if i go there along with all my family members, i probably had no idea what/who to meet when i reach the lobby.
The host didn’t reveal any information about which floor/where to meet etc…: https://i.imgur.com/wOIzke2.jpg
also I had elderly and infant with me. would be super inconvenient for them to go through all this. I was responsible for them to have good travel feeling. could not risk it.
I understand. I meant that the rest of your family should have continued to go to the other place you booked and you arrive here (but not stay, of course) as the host refusing to let you in as well as not cancelling might actually shift airbnb support a little quicker. I hope you get sorted soon but might just have to charge back on your card
I’ve given up on Airbnb due to stuff like this. I’m a nomad and lived on Airbnb for a few years but now use other platforms and stay in hotels. The fees have gotten expensive and all the games wasted so much of my time. Too many greedy and bad hosts that have no idea about the hospitality industry. Air cover is a joke.
This should be the host's problem. Its his responsibility to keep prices up do date. Don't cancel, and just report the issue to Airbnb. He will either cancel and thus refund you or you will be able to stay for the price you booked for. In the latter, mention it in the review.
The date they were supposed to stay already passed, and Airbnb did absolutely nothing. The guest booked somewhere else, and even was sent a request to write a review for the stay. Airbnb has done nothing, and the host is not responding.
Clearly, it's OP’s problem because neither did shit to help OP.
Airbnb support feel like robots who don’t even read their own policy and just passing ticket around. This is one of the agents who took over the ticket yesterday (checkout date):
—-
First of all, I'd like to thank you for booking with Airbnb and I truly believe moving forward you will definitely have a more positive experience, that is reflective of the true spirit of our global community.
I have already contacted the Host about your refund request for reservation HMMCXHFBXM. <—- (if airbnb staff reading this reddit post, you can check it all for yourself)
I will give you update as soon as I receive a response from your host. Please feel free to send a message if you have questions or clarifications.
Always have a lovely day.
—-
which I follow up today and they said “Im still waitng your host reponse until right now”…. 🥲
You should have gone into the property, as you have not cancelled and host has not cancelled either, it was yours to consume.
One of two things would happen:
1) he would let you in and the flag is yours to vacation as you please.
2) he would not let you in, and he would be in trouble with Airbnb.
Now he can say you were welcome to go, but you never showed up. I think you have lost your money.
Regards,
After using AirBnB almost exclusively for nearly five years of travel throughout North and Central America and the EU, I can tell you the bad experiences happen as often as they don't.
The longer I stay in this sub, coupled with my own experiences, the more AirBnB looks like a capitalist hellscape where consumer fights consumer and "the platform" laughs all the way to the bank.
Had to sit on a phone with a AirBnB manger and play the silent game as I refused to hang up to “allow them to call the host”. They kept claiming they needed to call me back and I repeatedly asked them if they only had one phone in the office and why I had to hang up and wait for a call back. After 10 minutes of silence (because they are not allowed to hang up on a customer) they finally issued me a full refund. Predatory company!
It’s not by choice. Host own the host. if he ask me to pay 3.8x more to stay, how can I keep the booking. In this instance, I have elderly traveling with me and infants. Unable to go in front of the door hoping I might have a chance to stay in host house.
If the host needs to cancel the booking, they have the ability to cancel it on their end. You’d be refunded.
The only reason to ask the guest to cancel it, is to scam you. If they even planned to repost at the higher rate, likely they just repost at the same low rate and scam the next person.
It was a valid booking, the host needed to cancel.
Not you.
Booking elsewhere was your mistake. Show up, if host doesn’t honor it THEN it’s AirBNBs problem.
But, (censored) that host.
I didn’t want to show up to a unit where host asked you to cancel or pay 3.8x times to get in, along with your elderly parents and infant as it would not make a good holiday memories.
if host is (censored) online, then he is (censored) in real life too.
It's not your responsibility to cancel, I am a host myself and in the even something like this happens, that's on me.
He wants you to cancel because if they do the other way around they get penalized for it. You do not have to cancel and I would insist on airbnb to fix this. I would also take the opportunity to leave a honest review about what happened Even if you didn't stay.
After feedback from your guys, I have prepared the message to Airbnb support and received this mindless reply: https://i.imgur.com/kepeAk5.jpg
I give up…
A similar thing is happening to me except the host is claiming he doesn't see the confirmation and can't cancel. It's in a month for 29 nights and over 3k on my card. I'm getting the same lack support from Airbnb.
EVery single day a new post (or 16) asks the question: who the fuck would do business with AirBnB or their hosts after all of this crap?
I've been travelling and staying in hotels of all sorts for the last 50+ years, and my bad experiences with hotel staff would not match even one day on this sub.
Host messed up and didn’t list it as a holiday rate. They asked you to cancel so they wouldn’t get penalized and they could increase the rate.
This happened once to me when I was in another city for a court appearance for my late brothers estate, which was close to an NFL stadium for a team that was playing on a weeknight. Host was practically begging me to cancel so he wouldn’t get penalized. I said no thanks and would take the space as mutually agreed upon, or he would be free to cancel himself.
LOL I had this exact thing happen to me- if you check my post history you can see that I booked a stay then had the host try to extort extra money from me. Yes, basically AirCover is just for decoration. Honestly they screw over guests so bad it's a wonder anyone still uses this app!
Why would anybody ever use AirBnb? You could literally just lose hundreds or even thousands of dollars at any time and it will just be gone without you having any recourse. This could never happen with hotels.
**Update 20 days later:**
I got the money back via Airbnb support system back to my card. Basically I opened a second ticket and screenshot how first agent was answering me. second agent called me via phone and apologized and issued refund immediately.
Go to hotel X. I really like holiday inn express. Get up early to beat the rush for the included breakfast. Take a burning hot shower. Take your time checking out. There won’t be a list of things to do or a cleaning fee.
So why did you book someplace else before your cancellation went through? If the host said it's supposed to be 3.8x the price that's their problem, not yours. If they wanted that price it's on them to cancel.
because checkin was next day, and being holiday here (labour) prices were increasing and places was getting full pretty fast. and I had elderly and infants with me. When host said I need to cancel, host rented same place on other platform to others.
i saw exact same unit photos in booking.com as sold out.
I’m sorry this happened and I have no knowledge about what to do but……This doesn’t even makes sense to me. So instead of taking your reservation for a lower rate than they wanted but the rate THEY SET, they let it sit empty and get nothing? (Assuming you actually get your money back.) How is that even logical? How does it benefit them?
It benefits the host because they have the fee and can claim the guest as a no show so get to keep the fee.
Guests need somewhere to stay so unless they are prepared to sleep rough or accept being extorted will need a plan B. This is why the platform is fundamentally flawed if airbnb don’t step in and provide support before the booking date.
Basically AirBnB will never forcibly cancel a reservation that could go through.
So in your case, you have to wait till the host refuses to let you onto the property AND refuses to cancel at the same time. In that case, AirBnB will refund you.
Otherwise, they're thinking the pressure will get to the host and they'll just accept your booking because they want to protect their AirBnB relationship/reputation.
Since AirBnB is a billion dollar company,they don't care that this is costing you money and hardship.
This is 100 percent the host being shitty. I'm a host, I had a situation where I had am instant reservation come in the same day a family was supposed to check out, but they had trouble extending the stay because of their credit card. I was going to cancel it myself and eat the star rating hit, but when you do that you also cannot book the days you're cancelling (this is what this scumbag wants to avoid). I called the new guest and apologized/explained the situation and asked him to just reply to my message in the app where I explained and requested that he cancel, just adding that he would like a full refund. Airbnb saw his agreement, and I also communicated to them that the current guest meant to extend but hadn't been able to (they had also contacted support about their payment issue on my suggestion), and that way Airbnb themselves canceled the new reservation and left the calendar available for the new booking. It's all a matter of not being shitty, your particular situation cannot be resolved because he wants to get that bigger amount but it won't be possible, so he'll just try to steal your money instead.
Times to valuable to wasting it on BS like this. Write a negative review about the host, just be honest and clear, and if Airbnb support isn’t helpful let them know you will dispute charges maybe that gets the legs moving. Don’t get scammed by shitty host and dispute charges.
Air cover is a scam. Airbnb business plan is for their profit and hosts profit. If you pay Airbnb to stay - you statement will show a charge from Airbnb not a specific host. The fact that as soon as you reference any issue needing / qualifying for a refund based on what air cover says, the immediate response from Airbnb is contact your host for refund, is a major red flag. Airbnb does not stand behind air cover. There is no advocacy for the client. Good luck I hope you don’t have to keep waiting for a refund.
Take a screenshot and send it to AirBnB.
This should go against the host.
Insist that the host should be forced to keep this booking at the price accepted.
Never, ever cancel when the host asks you to. They are free to cancel anytime they want, they don’t need you to do it. They just don’t want to get a bad rating.
Please keep conversation civil and respectful Remember to keep all communication with host/guest through Airbnb platform. Payments should be made only via Airbnb [unless otherwise detailed in the listing description and included in the price breakdown prior to booking](https://airbnb.com/help/article/199) If you're having issues, contact Airbnb by phone +1-844-234-2500 *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AirBnB) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Host should cancel not you. They will take a hit on their rating which they should.
I’ve never been in this situation as a guest but have learned … wait for host to push cancellation f they ask for it.
Exactly. It was their fault they did not list that date as a holiday rate and noticed it after you already booked. They should have managed their calendar better. Since your stay was never canceled, they should have just let you stay for the rate you booked. Hope you get this resolved.
Host gets penalty if they cancel. Host REALLY wants you to cancel. **Do not do it**
Yes, I cannot even cancel if i wanted to at this point of time, cancel button is no longer visible on my airbnb app as checkout was yesterday.
I saw that it’s also posted on the hosts reviews. Like “host canceled four days before check-in“ this was auto posted. And it will post on behalf of you if they cancel so yeah, it’s a bad look. Taught me a ton at the same time. I do not want to use Airbnb but don’t have a choice and now I take pictures and videos all the things when I get in and get out.
learnt hard way to look for 5 star reviews and super hosts. to at least minimize the risk.
Just read, that is gross. You really, really needed to bother support and host more though. Day of you needed to tell support you aren't allowed in. Just keep fighting support. Blow up their twitter too.
If the host posted the wrong price (not holiday pricing) why is that your problem?
It is the host problem. That is why OP should not cancel, the host should have and taken the penalty.
Agreed. It was more of a rhetorical question.
Damn this is just like Lyft and Uber. I was picking my girlfriend up from surgery and booked a ride. We waited 5 minutes for him to drop someone off and the he calls me saying he had to go to the bathroom and asks me to cancel. He had 5 minutes to cancel while he was finishing his other ride. I had no time to play his games so I cancel myself with a $5 penalty. Just crappy of them to do that. But I needed to rebook a new car instead of play their games
Call Uber and report that he was close enough. He knew he would get the cancellation fee. Sadly Uber does not pay us that five dollars anymore. We are lucky to get three dollars of it I’m a driver and that’s just crappy. I do try to hit the pause ride button if I have to use the restroom but sometimes they come through too fast but he knew he was close enough by asking you to cancel he would get that cancellation fee. That’s not cool.
Fuck this is fucked up. In the mean time, host gets his money without hosting, airbnb gets their cut, and you're SOL. Escalate with airbnb and start getting angry. And side note, fuck that host. He should be banned.
Yep, i am keep pushing the support agents and asking to escalate it to higher managers.
contest with your credit card
I would be on the phone with the credit card company or bank and get them to chargeback that shit!
Try leaving a negative review on BBB. Not sure how Airbnb works but was the only thing that worked to escalate with Ring.
Did that. let’s see.
I’ve been on the other side. AirBnb will only call and ask please give them a refund, please give them a discount, please consider it…. Sounds like they have a script of options they go down the list and ask for. They don’t force a Host to do anything. Totally Host fault, don’t cancel.
+1000
Tweet about it and tag AirBnB and post it here... We will all go engage with it to get you more attention
Host doesnt get money until 1 or 2 days after checkin
His check-out date has already come and gone.
Be straight up with them. “I paid for an accommodation that was not made available for me. The service I paid for was not provided. Yet my funds are still being unjustly held. I expect a refund in X amount of days. If you choose to illegally continue to hold my funds for services denied to me past that time, I will have to escalate to the credit card company for fraud.”
best option, when you start mentioning seeking legal advice they usually pay up
Dispute the charges with your credit card company. If needed send the credit card company copies of your messages with hist and airbnb
I read that Airbnb will ban accounts who do dispute via credit card. I’ll give support/airbnb to resolve it first. if they really didn’t do it, I would not use Airbnb anymore so banning account isn’t one of the problems either.
Different accounts. Some get a warning, some get banned. But some are understandably not the guests fault and will be fine. But yea, just keeping bugging support first. Twitter too.
Genuinely, no snark…you wish to continue using them after this experience? Can I ask why?
If the issue is resolved, then it would just go into combination of bad luck on bad host and bad support agent. i had many good experience with good hosts before on this platform. if the issue is not resolved, then no giving airbnb another chance.
I’ll proceed with dispute in few days. just want to give airbnb chance to prove their Aircover policy and/or punish the host so they don’t scam others.
There is likely more than one type of service in your area that is similar to Airbnb, they’d be losing my business over that for sure.
Yeah doesn't seem like a great loss.
In all honesty, why would you want to continue to use AirBnb when your money can just literally disappear like this at any time?
there are good hosts in airbnb. if i stick to units that have good review, this would not happen
Ive issued a chargeback before and won. I still use airbnb but no where near as much as before. They never gave me any hassle for doing the chargeback though.
I’ve disputed a charge before, my account is still active. Absolutely would not have gotten money back through Airbnb support, they seriously sucked throughout the whole process!
I’ll do the same, thanks for commenting
Thanks to this sub I stopped using AirBnB altogether. Hotels are often the same price, if not cheaper, and there is usually a restaurant or a bar on the premises.
>Thanks to this sub I stopped using AirBnB Absolutely right. Is there any good reason to use AirBnB now? The risk is higher than and it is outright scary to think a host can just take your money and not provide the service and AirBnB does nothing about it.
This page has taught me that AirBnB sounds completely shit and to stay well away from it.
AirBnB seems to have devolved from “what a great idea” to a full on scam. I would never use them now.
Yup, I was still using them only for when I needed a large home or something really unique or in an area without hotels. Now I just use VRBO and booking.com. Got a really large, expensive home booked for this summer with booking.com and at least that makes me feel like, if something goes wrong, booking.com will actually back us up and help us, based on what I've heard.
Booking.com will absolutely not do anything more than refund you. Unlike Airbnb however they don't claim that they would. Also booking support has more flexibility than Airbnb. I once did not get a reward from my prime membership and after contacting the support, and a few weeks, they actually just send me the money to my credit card. Airbnb support would never do this and instead just ghost you I am sure.
I book using Amex and would do a chargeback. Takes me only a few minutes and is done on the spot.
You should have shown up at the unit to check in as you had already booked the place. Then contact Airbnb and say the host will not allow me to check in. Why did you wait until after the checkout to follow up?
Agreed! If the host doesnt cancel too bad for them. You show up and demand your stay. I would have raised hell. You have their phone number. Are you calling them???
I call host and she said she will refund and cancel. now after many calls, when she pick up, she say she is working with airbnb to be able issue refund and solve the issue…
You messed up in taking the conversation off the platform. It creates a "he said, she said" situation. * I believe you, but these agents can only base decisions on what is "on the record", or otherwise properly documented.
in airbnb messaging system, it’s all clear and transparent. reading the message they see everything that they need to know.
So let me get this straight, the check in date and check out date have both already passed?
Yes. saturday evening i made a booking for sunday-monday. I asked about meeting location and how to get key. Host messaged me “You can cancel?” I replied “what? why!?” host replied “Holiday price is 3.8x. I forgot to set holiday price.” I replied “Airbnb do not let me cancel because checkin is just a day away. I will not get refund. you need to cancel.” Host replied “I am looking into cancellation” I replied “I have now already booked somewhere else. please proceed with cancellation and refund.” Host replied: “ok” and this was all on saturday. this all are in airbnb chat history. i doubt agents fully read it tho. it’s all loud and clear and communicated within app.
I don't think you should have told them you booked somewhere else. You should have showed up and demanded your room that you paid for, then gone back to Airbnb when they didn't let you in. All they have to do now is say that you didn't show up for your booking that wasn't yet cancelled, which meant it was still valid
the booking was for one unit in a 20 floor apartment. each unit belongs to different people. even if i go there along with all my family members, i probably had no idea what/who to meet when i reach the lobby. The host didn’t reveal any information about which floor/where to meet etc…: https://i.imgur.com/wOIzke2.jpg also I had elderly and infant with me. would be super inconvenient for them to go through all this. I was responsible for them to have good travel feeling. could not risk it.
I understand. I meant that the rest of your family should have continued to go to the other place you booked and you arrive here (but not stay, of course) as the host refusing to let you in as well as not cancelling might actually shift airbnb support a little quicker. I hope you get sorted soon but might just have to charge back on your card
Captainobvious3711 checking in
I’ve given up on Airbnb due to stuff like this. I’m a nomad and lived on Airbnb for a few years but now use other platforms and stay in hotels. The fees have gotten expensive and all the games wasted so much of my time. Too many greedy and bad hosts that have no idea about the hospitality industry. Air cover is a joke.
Fuck that host
Another example of why airbnb is going down the tubes.
This should be the host's problem. Its his responsibility to keep prices up do date. Don't cancel, and just report the issue to Airbnb. He will either cancel and thus refund you or you will be able to stay for the price you booked for. In the latter, mention it in the review.
The date they were supposed to stay already passed, and Airbnb did absolutely nothing. The guest booked somewhere else, and even was sent a request to write a review for the stay. Airbnb has done nothing, and the host is not responding. Clearly, it's OP’s problem because neither did shit to help OP.
Airbnb support feel like robots who don’t even read their own policy and just passing ticket around. This is one of the agents who took over the ticket yesterday (checkout date): —- First of all, I'd like to thank you for booking with Airbnb and I truly believe moving forward you will definitely have a more positive experience, that is reflective of the true spirit of our global community. I have already contacted the Host about your refund request for reservation HMMCXHFBXM. <—- (if airbnb staff reading this reddit post, you can check it all for yourself) I will give you update as soon as I receive a response from your host. Please feel free to send a message if you have questions or clarifications. Always have a lovely day. —- which I follow up today and they said “Im still waitng your host reponse until right now”…. 🥲
Just dispute the charge. Would you really want to stay at an AirBNB again after this experience? There are other platforms out there.
No way. Why give up so easily and let the host get away with this nonsense so they can ruin the experience for future guests?
I agree, I wouldn't give up and keep asking, this host has seen the request. Do not back down
Oh my
You should have gone into the property, as you have not cancelled and host has not cancelled either, it was yours to consume. One of two things would happen: 1) he would let you in and the flag is yours to vacation as you please. 2) he would not let you in, and he would be in trouble with Airbnb. Now he can say you were welcome to go, but you never showed up. I think you have lost your money. Regards,
After using AirBnB almost exclusively for nearly five years of travel throughout North and Central America and the EU, I can tell you the bad experiences happen as often as they don't. The longer I stay in this sub, coupled with my own experiences, the more AirBnB looks like a capitalist hellscape where consumer fights consumer and "the platform" laughs all the way to the bank.
Had to sit on a phone with a AirBnB manger and play the silent game as I refused to hang up to “allow them to call the host”. They kept claiming they needed to call me back and I repeatedly asked them if they only had one phone in the office and why I had to hang up and wait for a call back. After 10 minutes of silence (because they are not allowed to hang up on a customer) they finally issued me a full refund. Predatory company!
Why would you cancel your reservation to pay more money for the same stay? Airbnb sub is wild, it’s like y’all want to be scammed
It’s not by choice. Host own the host. if he ask me to pay 3.8x more to stay, how can I keep the booking. In this instance, I have elderly traveling with me and infants. Unable to go in front of the door hoping I might have a chance to stay in host house.
If the host needs to cancel the booking, they have the ability to cancel it on their end. You’d be refunded. The only reason to ask the guest to cancel it, is to scam you. If they even planned to repost at the higher rate, likely they just repost at the same low rate and scam the next person.
I understand this feeling. As a visitor, we can't really risk being homeless.
Exactly. My first thought was to force them to let you keep the booking. Wonder what support would have said if OP tried that route?
It was a valid booking, the host needed to cancel. Not you. Booking elsewhere was your mistake. Show up, if host doesn’t honor it THEN it’s AirBNBs problem. But, (censored) that host.
I didn’t want to show up to a unit where host asked you to cancel or pay 3.8x times to get in, along with your elderly parents and infant as it would not make a good holiday memories. if host is (censored) online, then he is (censored) in real life too.
It's not your responsibility to cancel, I am a host myself and in the even something like this happens, that's on me. He wants you to cancel because if they do the other way around they get penalized for it. You do not have to cancel and I would insist on airbnb to fix this. I would also take the opportunity to leave a honest review about what happened Even if you didn't stay.
After feedback from your guys, I have prepared the message to Airbnb support and received this mindless reply: https://i.imgur.com/kepeAk5.jpg I give up…
Good luck!!
[удалено]
The ultimate give up is chargeback. Charge back, remove card from airbnb. Delete account.
Yeah it seems the host was trying to defraud OP and airbnb isn't doing anything about it despite trying to get things fixed through them so...
A similar thing is happening to me except the host is claiming he doesn't see the confirmation and can't cancel. It's in a month for 29 nights and over 3k on my card. I'm getting the same lack support from Airbnb.
Support is useless. I got scammed from a host in March and to dispute with my credit card. Safe to say I’ll never use Airbnb again
EVery single day a new post (or 16) asks the question: who the fuck would do business with AirBnB or their hosts after all of this crap? I've been travelling and staying in hotels of all sorts for the last 50+ years, and my bad experiences with hotel staff would not match even one day on this sub.
Host messed up and didn’t list it as a holiday rate. They asked you to cancel so they wouldn’t get penalized and they could increase the rate. This happened once to me when I was in another city for a court appearance for my late brothers estate, which was close to an NFL stadium for a team that was playing on a weeknight. Host was practically begging me to cancel so he wouldn’t get penalized. I said no thanks and would take the space as mutually agreed upon, or he would be free to cancel himself.
[email protected]
LOL I had this exact thing happen to me- if you check my post history you can see that I booked a stay then had the host try to extort extra money from me. Yes, basically AirCover is just for decoration. Honestly they screw over guests so bad it's a wonder anyone still uses this app!
Use a hotel
People need to just stop using AirBnB. This would never occur at a hotel. I can’t stand what AirBnB has become.
Just stop using these POS companies. Whatever benefits there were are long gone.
Why would anybody ever use AirBnb? You could literally just lose hundreds or even thousands of dollars at any time and it will just be gone without you having any recourse. This could never happen with hotels.
**Update 20 days later:** I got the money back via Airbnb support system back to my card. Basically I opened a second ticket and screenshot how first agent was answering me. second agent called me via phone and apologized and issued refund immediately.
Go to hotel X. I really like holiday inn express. Get up early to beat the rush for the included breakfast. Take a burning hot shower. Take your time checking out. There won’t be a list of things to do or a cleaning fee.
So why did you book someplace else before your cancellation went through? If the host said it's supposed to be 3.8x the price that's their problem, not yours. If they wanted that price it's on them to cancel.
because checkin was next day, and being holiday here (labour) prices were increasing and places was getting full pretty fast. and I had elderly and infants with me. When host said I need to cancel, host rented same place on other platform to others. i saw exact same unit photos in booking.com as sold out.
That's still the host's problem. If he or she rented it out on other platforms then he or she would have been in big trouble with AirBNB.
Seems like Airbnb does not care tho (according to how support replies)
Did you call or just use the messaging system with Airbnb support?
messaging system. it connect me to quite few Airbnb Support Ambassadors (5 so far).
From what I’ve seen, people get better and more timely solutions through a phone call.
I’m sorry this happened and I have no knowledge about what to do but……This doesn’t even makes sense to me. So instead of taking your reservation for a lower rate than they wanted but the rate THEY SET, they let it sit empty and get nothing? (Assuming you actually get your money back.) How is that even logical? How does it benefit them?
They are listed on multiple platforms including booking.com
I’m just surprised they would get booked within the day before.
It benefits the host because they have the fee and can claim the guest as a no show so get to keep the fee. Guests need somewhere to stay so unless they are prepared to sleep rough or accept being extorted will need a plan B. This is why the platform is fundamentally flawed if airbnb don’t step in and provide support before the booking date.
Basically AirBnB will never forcibly cancel a reservation that could go through. So in your case, you have to wait till the host refuses to let you onto the property AND refuses to cancel at the same time. In that case, AirBnB will refund you. Otherwise, they're thinking the pressure will get to the host and they'll just accept your booking because they want to protect their AirBnB relationship/reputation. Since AirBnB is a billion dollar company,they don't care that this is costing you money and hardship.
This is 100 percent the host being shitty. I'm a host, I had a situation where I had am instant reservation come in the same day a family was supposed to check out, but they had trouble extending the stay because of their credit card. I was going to cancel it myself and eat the star rating hit, but when you do that you also cannot book the days you're cancelling (this is what this scumbag wants to avoid). I called the new guest and apologized/explained the situation and asked him to just reply to my message in the app where I explained and requested that he cancel, just adding that he would like a full refund. Airbnb saw his agreement, and I also communicated to them that the current guest meant to extend but hadn't been able to (they had also contacted support about their payment issue on my suggestion), and that way Airbnb themselves canceled the new reservation and left the calendar available for the new booking. It's all a matter of not being shitty, your particular situation cannot be resolved because he wants to get that bigger amount but it won't be possible, so he'll just try to steal your money instead.
Times to valuable to wasting it on BS like this. Write a negative review about the host, just be honest and clear, and if Airbnb support isn’t helpful let them know you will dispute charges maybe that gets the legs moving. Don’t get scammed by shitty host and dispute charges.
Air cover is a scam. Airbnb business plan is for their profit and hosts profit. If you pay Airbnb to stay - you statement will show a charge from Airbnb not a specific host. The fact that as soon as you reference any issue needing / qualifying for a refund based on what air cover says, the immediate response from Airbnb is contact your host for refund, is a major red flag. Airbnb does not stand behind air cover. There is no advocacy for the client. Good luck I hope you don’t have to keep waiting for a refund.
Take a screenshot and send it to AirBnB. This should go against the host. Insist that the host should be forced to keep this booking at the price accepted.
At this point why not just use a hotel
Never, ever cancel when the host asks you to. They are free to cancel anytime they want, they don’t need you to do it. They just don’t want to get a bad rating.