Comments on: Last Minute Cancellation

By: Gobi Rizak Chevalier

Gobi Rizak Chevalier — Thu, 10 Oct 2019 23:51:28 +0000

Never select INSTANT BOOK….. This option automatically debit your card and when the host cancel on you! You have nowhere to stay and Airbnb has your money! ….. That’s a very bad situation! ….. How can Airbnb take my money instantly and then the host cancel and leave me with nothing!……
Lesson…. NEVER USE INSTANT BOOK!
Airbnb is basically pirates!

By: Barbarossa

Barbarossa — Thu, 08 Aug 2019 06:50:33 +0000

In reply to Shilpa.

I am guessing that the no smoking and drinking ‘rule’ applied to guests and not to the host… seriously, this is a non issue and I’m not sure why you’d complain

By: Shelley G

Shelley G — Fri, 10 May 2019 14:28:55 +0000

Always stay with a superhost, or in an Airbnb Plus listing if it matters to you that you can be cancelled. Use the filters to find the best property from those two types.

By: mike

mike — Sun, 07 Jan 2018 09:46:37 +0000

We have suffered from an Airbnb cancellation 2 day before an international arrival. The booking had been made 5 months in advance. Airbnb made a feeble attempt to find an alternative but their options were completely different from the type and location of our original property
They eventually refunded our money but we were still several hundred out of pocket as last-minute bookings simple cost more than those made far in advance
We requested the Airbnb cover our losses for the breach of contract. They cited this host penalty nonsense. Any penalty, by the way, goes in Airbnb’s pocket, not to the guest who suffered the loss. As for blocking the dates, this, again, does not help the out-of-pocket guest and it is easily circumvented by dealing with an Airbnb competitor or taking a direct booking
In our case, Airbnb accepted the host’s excuse but would not share it with us; request for proof were denied. With a little detective work(asking neighbours, checking the local obits), I discovered that the excuse (death in the family) was bogus and that, despite a claim that there were pulling the property from Airbnb ‘for emotional reasons’, they were accepting guests a few days later
Airbnb is very reluctant to communicate, hiding email addresses, postal addresses, etc. So, I decided to make a claim in a UK Small Claims Court. When I asked Airbnb where I should post the papers they told me San Francisco, where, of course, UK courts have no jurisdiction. Eventually they said I could send it to Dublin, but the same problem applies. They have not replied to me since
What a shady outfit. They have clearly grown more arrogant with their size. We shall see if there is any justice left for David, or does Goliath triumph

By: Louise

Louise — Thu, 28 Dec 2017 07:20:04 +0000

As if the host cancelling isn’t bad enough, if you try to get a refund into a different bank account it is almost impossible ! The booking was made 6 months before the cancellation, and I had changed banks in the mean time. Now Airbnb are making it almost impossible to get the money refunded to a different account.
Although I have had many wonderful stays through Airbnb I will never use them again

By: Mark K

Mark K — Fri, 03 Nov 2017 19:42:40 +0000

Host just canceled on me with 2 weeks left before our trip (Los Angeles to Paris). I got a 10% credit towards booking a new AirBNB. If you don’t use it, you lose it the 10% credit. Talked with the customer service guy and they really only stick to policy. My choice now is to either book another AirBNB or go to VRBO. I think I’m going to VRBO. AirBNB will forever lose my business.

By: Another Airbnb victim

Another Airbnb victim — Thu, 12 Oct 2017 05:40:50 +0000

Let me at to the misery heap. We reserved a house in Flagstaff Arizona about two months before our trip,. It was to be a reunion of old friends who came in from across the country.

At 630 pm the day before ur arrival air bnb sent us a messay through email saying that our host had cancelled due to a double booking. Since we were traveling the night before I did not get the message til the morning we were to check in. HERE IS WHAT air bnb wrote

***********************************************
Hi there. My name is xxxxxx and I’m a Trip Specialist here at Airbnb. I hope this message finds you well!

I’m reaching out to you because your host, xxxxxx for reservation xxxxxxxxx has canceled due to an accidental double booking.

I know how frustrating this must be, and I am sincerely sorry for the inconvenience. I want to assure you I am here to help.

You have been sent a automated re-booking email. If you would like to re-book, go ahead and click on find a new listing. Your funds from this reservation will be transferred to your new one. If you would rather have your full refund, you may request that in the same email as well.

To better assist you, I have sent you a listing in the same area, for the same dates. If you need further assistance, please let me know.
****************************

Of course the only listing they had in Flagstaff was not available, so I had to scramble to get three hotel rooms at a creepy roadside motel for almost the exact same amount

I had series of cams with air bnb where they did not take responsibility and blamed the host. When I finally got the host to cask me back he said it was airbnbs fault.

Airbnb did offer a refund and a $200 credit but I doubt I will every use it. My complaint with them was that even though the dollar amount for the house and our hotels was about the same, the value was quite different. We were going with the When that we would be in a comfortable house, but instead were forced to settle for a flea bag motel.

The bottom line is that the service is great if everyone does what they are supposed to do but if the host cancels you as the guest are out of luck and there is no mechanism for true accountability.

I cannot say how common our experience is but be warned, if it happened to us it could happen to you. I don’t I will ever use Airbnb again since I just cannot trust them.

By: Hailey

Hailey — Mon, 16 Jan 2017 19:58:01 +0000

This exact thing happened to me except the same night of our booking! We showed up to the Bay Area without a place to stay with our two dogs because the host double-booked us TWICE in the same night.We walked in on other guests with our keys twice in a row. We ended up having to book a hotel for double the price .The host ended up “cancelling” the reservation AFTER our checkout date so that I would not be able to review her and AirBnB keeps giving me the runaround.

By: nitin

nitin — Mon, 02 Jan 2017 13:35:38 +0000

Hello , I suffered a similar fate for my apartment booking done in Dubai through Airbnb.
The host cancelled the booking after four months. Infact I was lucky to have called him a few days before the travel date and he refused to accept the booking done through Airbnb while Airbnb was still showing a confirmed booking. He cancelled the booking after the telephonic talk and I received the automated mail from Airbnb to look for an alternate booking. Airbnb did not compensate in any way and I had to do my own bookings. While the original booking was USD890 , the new booking costed USD1900.

Travellers have effectively no insurance from Airbnb if the host cancels the booking even when I had paid full amount 5 months in advance.
I will never recommend Airbnb to anyone unless you want to risk your travel

By: Lloyd Robbins

Lloyd Robbins — Fri, 23 Dec 2016 21:57:54 +0000

I know I have friends that love it, but I doubt I will ever use AirBNB again. There has been nothing pleasant or professional about my experience.
Read the details below and use at your own risk.

The details:
Made a reservation for Mardi Gras 6 months out -and contacted the host to make sure there would not be issues.

Host cancelled the reservation after 4 months because he rented it out long term.

Called customer service, sorry sorry sorry, blah blah blah.
Received a $100 credit

Attempt to re-book at another property, using the SAME CC
Now I have to “re-verify” my CC – followed their process immediately.

Waited 24 hours and they have not completed the verification on their end.
The reservation does not show on my account.
If I call in for status I get:
“Its a new process”
“I don’t know how long it will take”
“They’re a small department”

Now the listing has now been snagged by someone else.
To top it off I cant even book any other listing since they STILL have not verified my card / account.

It now been 3 days and there is still no response to the CC verification.