Months ago I booked two separate Airbnb rooms in two different cities. As the date neared for our travel, my husband and I both became ill. With a week’s notice, I notified Airbnb and the hosts that we had to cancel. I received a note that they could only refund $65 out of $237 due to their “policy” which they never shared, and could contact the host if I wanted more of a refund. I contacted the host and she related that Airbnb hadn’t paid her a cent; how could she give us a refund? In addition, she had no problem with the cancellation. Long story short, out of $500 paid (for two people) I’ve still only received $65. Trying to contact Airbnb is a nightmare in itself, and good luck trying to find someone to help. This is all still pending, but we are both seniors and losing so much money is a hardship. I will shout to the rooftops to anyone who will listen to avoid this company at all costs and book through other, more reputable sites.
As the Dexter says, the cancellation policy is mentioned on EVERY listing. And surely your travel insurance covered this if it was genuine illness that prevents your trip. I find it hard to believe that we have someone here who a) doesn’t read cancellation policies and b) doesn’t claim on their insurance. This is very lax indeed.
What do seniors have to do with it?
Cancellation policies are noted in listing. There are three categories – Flexible – Moderate – Strict. As you say it was more than a week in advance when you initiated cancellation, the listing must have fallen under Strict cancellation policy. This is set by the host. While it is true a host is not paid at time of cancellation, they are compensated net funds within 24 hours of the check-in that would have happened had you not cancelled. The host then has option to initiate refund if they wish to do so.