To have turned away this airbnb guest?

[Hiptrip]

I have been doing airbnb for a while and have found it a great way to meet new people, and earn a little extra. That is until last Friday night.

Despite my house rule of no children, a woman wrote to me and asked if I could make an exception, promising that her two-year old son would be very well behaved. My house is not set up for children, and I simply don’t want toddlers here so I replied and said no.

She said that was okay and booked anyway, saying she had to come to my town for a wedding, and that she’d find someone to look after him.

Then she turned up with her child at 9.30pm saying she couldn’t find a sitter, and had hysterics as she pleaded with me on the doorstep, to allow him to stay. I refused and in the end called the police because she said she wouldn’t leave until I gave her, her money back in cash because she needed it to stay elsewhere. As she was starting to cause a nuisance, they got rid of her.

She’s taken this to airbnb. My argument is that she was told she couldn’t bring her child, and did anyway, so she should lose her money. Not unreasonable?

She was completely trying it on - even if you felt like caving into the emotional blackmail of the doorstep hysterics, she sounds so untrustworthy that I wouldn't have wanted her in my house anyway .

Any refund issue should not be in cash - it should go through Airbnb's dispute system so you can both put your case: hopefully all your communication showing your refusal of a child was in documented form.

Even though you did not provide a service for her, her accepted booking on your terms meant that there was an opportunity cost to you because you were unable to let the room to another client.

Only this woman didn't experience a 'travel' issue - she experienced a rule breaking issue so that clause doesn't apply.

Pengggwn
this information from AirBnb suggests I am not wrong anyway.
Nope, you are still grasping at the wrong end of the stick with both hands.

All communication is through Airbnb on their website.
Money is held in escrow by Airbnb until the booking is completed.
The host never receives the money until Airbnb release it

If you make a booking and cancel it - as I have done - then Airbnb hand back the money within the hosts terms
but it is NOT a private deal between the host and the guest.
As Airbnb are the ones sitting on the money.

I do wish people who have never used the site would not randomly guess and allege.

But AirBnB do give the money to the host
Not till after the booking

The host and the guest NEVER HAVE EACH OTHERS' CREDIT CARD DETAILS
ALL MONEY GOES THROUGH AIRBNB

if you ARE a teacher, you are a very thick one

Pengggwn

You aren't getting what I'm saying.

In your last post you said 'if I was wrong it becomes irrelevant'. But there's no if, you have been told you were wrong/are wrong. So why not just say 'I was wrong'?

At the end of the day, how it worked was explained to you numerous times, right down to why OP would not have a child there (not registered for it, insurance, the home not set up and so on), so even disregarding the CF outburst and screaming and shouting. If she had allowed a toddler onto her premises, and as an example whilst walking to the bathroom, the child knock something over and broke it, or went running down the hallways and into a bookcase that came over. Where do you think that leaves the OP, when someone says 'But you are not supposed to have children on your premises'. Or if the OP had decided as a good will gesture to issue a refund, during that little 'toilet trip' an accident happened, is the CF now a customer or not? So where does that lie with litigation? There is so many things to think about, and they are all 'what if's', and 99.9% aren't going to happen. But that 0.1% can easily happen, and that's why OP has to look after number one first, and think with a business head, not an emotional head.

CFs rely on genuinely good people’s politeness and emotions for them to be able to abuse their goodwill and charitable nature. Enabling by giving in to their blatant disregard for others feelings, rules and boundaries just reinforces CF behaviour and they then go on to keep doing it to others again and again. It’s not harsh or rude to stop this behaviour in its tracks and refuse to be a doormat to it. If you choose to do so, that’s your right, but don’t expect others (who may well be the next person they go on to try to do this to!) to do anything other than tell you this is completely unrealistic and you’re enabling this CF’s bad behaviour by not letting them experience consequences and having to get themselves out of situations they got themselves into.

On the other side of the coin, interactions with too many of these un-checked CFs create people who are (understandably now!) very blunt in their approach to good people who make genuine mistakes or suffer e.g. missed flights etc. as they have been burned in the past or know people who have (this was NOT the case here this was an obvious CF refer to first para).

The best thing everyone can do is call out bad behaviour when you see it and be firm with CFs, preventing others from having their goodwill and good nature hardened by their entitlement in future. If the reaction to a polite but firm ‘no’ involves shouting, screaming, swearing, demands, access to your home, or anything else like this then that tells you all you need to know! Rational people accept they won’t get their way even if it makes them unhappy. Who knows if CF had in fact phoned ahead, told OP she was stuck etc. whilst she couldn’t have accommodated her she may have even found her willing to recommend alternatives for her and even refund the second night if she managed to fill the room - but she’s entitled to none of this, it’s all at the owners discretion, and her attitude meant she never found out!

Good ol Pen, maybe she'll be done with everyone before the thread reaches 1000.

OP, I'm very glad this CF was not refunded.

LOL at 'travel issue' when someone shows up to blatantly flout the rules and then won't leave until the police clear her off.

Still not getting it, either, the CF did not experience a travel issue. But hey, you are still free to find out who the CF is and send her 80 quid as a kindness.

labelling someone else's decision as 'unkind' is a bit...well...unkind isn't it?

oh the knots you tie yourself in as an EVS.

If you want to come off totally saintly you have to say 'I would have invited them all in and given them access to the toilet, however I totally understand the OP was justified in not taking the same action I would have done because I'm not only extremely virtuous but extremely understanding too'.

Pengggwn

But there was no travel issue, so I don't know why you are showing this?

But regarding this:- They are for example talking about a delayed flight, someone being taken ill etc, so it is at the descretion of the host to issue a refund. If the host and customer can not agree, then the customer can escalate it to the guest policy.

The host does not have the money until after the booking/the stay has been completed. It is held by Air bnb. It is then transferred to the host. Payment is made through Air bnb. Even if a host wanted to transfer money back, they wouldn't have the card details, as it has to be done through Air bnb.

In other news I think peng got training from the same people Jeremy Hunt did. I find their debating styles very similar, particularly on the point of never admitting an error.

Pengggwyn

I think what you are showing is that as a teacher, you perhaps don’t have the understanding and experience of how business works. Anyway, that’s my take from your posts.

Will someone please do the kind thing and find out who the CF is so they can give the poor soul 80quid.

The host could, if they wished, push some buttons on the Airbnb website, and the money would be returned to the guest within a few days.

The CF wanted cash.

Guys I've done my bit, I've tried......I'm out

Who's next? Tag......your turn to try and explain.........