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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask if this is a breach of contract (holiday booking)

106 replies

AudTheDeepAndCrispAndEven · 22/02/2021 20:54

Evening MNetters, In January, we booked a week's holiday in the UK for next summer through AirBnB. We surmised that foreign travel may well be off the cards this year and managed to get a reasonable deal before everyone piled in and booked up everywhere. Today, I've received a message stating that due to Covid they are no longer able to host us and that we need to cancel for a full refund. However, they then state that the property will be available to rent through an agency, and gave us the contact details. This convinces me that they retain ownership of the property and will benefit from those bookings. Am I right to presume they have seen an opportunity to make more money with a captive audience this summer, and is there any way I can hold them to honour our booking, or even the original price through the new company.
How should I proceed? I'm thinking of initially asking them for more details as to how Covid means they can't honour our booking.

OP posts:
CharlotteRose90 · 23/02/2021 12:35

It’s so unfair: people are doing it for more money as they know people are wanting to go away. I’ve booked somewhere for the end of April in the lakes and even that is expensive

Doomsdayiscoming · 23/02/2021 12:56

It’s quite funny when you think about it.

Frannyhy · 23/02/2021 12:57

@garlictwist

Sorry that happened - that sort of behaviour gives airbnb hosts a bad name.

RubyTuesdayBlues1 · 23/02/2021 12:58

@CharlotteRose90 I completely agree that it's unfair to cancel an existing booking and it's not something I would do but I will always set my prices as high as I think I can get away with and then reduce a bit if no-one books. I don't think that's unfair - it's just supply and demand.

Cadent · 23/02/2021 13:00

@Doomsdayiscoming

It’s quite funny when you think about it.
Maybe to you. Not for OP.
PregnantGotCovid · 23/02/2021 13:00

If the host cancels the booking, it will show up in their reviews stating that the host has cancelled your booking. That's why they want you to cancel the booking, not them.

CharlotteRose90 · 23/02/2021 15:09

[quote RubyTuesdayBlues1]@CharlotteRose90 I completely agree that it's unfair to cancel an existing booking and it's not something I would do but I will always set my prices as high as I think I can get away with and then reduce a bit if no-one books. I don't think that's unfair - it's just supply and demand.[/quote]
Yeah I agree with you. I guess i just find it selfish that a property that was £450 last week for 3 nights is now being put on for £1900 for the same nights In April. There’s extra money and there’s taking advantage. Just glad I booked mine in when I could.

Cadent · 23/02/2021 15:11

@CharlotteRose90 how is it 'selfish'? You're not entitled to a stay.

BrightYellowDaffodil · 23/02/2021 15:15

You're not entitled to a stay.

No, but it's not unreasonable to expect a contract to be honoured - even if it could be cancelled, it's morally wrong to do so when it means dumping an existing customer who entered into the contract in good faith, in the hope of a better paying one.

Cadent · 23/02/2021 15:20

That’s not what I was disagreeing with Bright

CharlotteRose90 · 23/02/2021 15:50

[quote Cadent]@CharlotteRose90 how is it 'selfish'? You're not entitled to a stay.[/quote]
Oh hush it is selfish. We’ve all suffered so owners don’t have to be idiots it will only show when people don’t book in with them. I never said I was entitled to a stay either thanks . I have my opinion which I am entitled too.

Doomsdayiscoming · 23/02/2021 15:53

@Cadent

I find rampant capitalism hilarious.

Loopyloututu2 · 23/02/2021 15:54

If they want to cancel the booking for some personal reason fine - but this is blatantly them wanting the Op to cancel and then re-book the same week through another channel which will cost more - am I right? If so, that’s disgusting. Not sure what you can do though.

Pinkdelight3 · 23/02/2021 15:56

Agree you're doing the right thing not cancelling and going via Airbnb. However all this hate for the 'profiteering' seems a bit harsh - surely most owners of holiday lets will have lost out big time over the last year so it make sense for them to claw that back when the market permits. I'm no capitalist bastard, but I can see the logic in what they're doing and if they have a way to make it work, fair enough. What they can't do is make you do the cancelling. They need to own it and play by the rules. If they want to remarket it and make more money, they need to cancel you.

MaggieFS · 23/02/2021 16:16

@Pinkdelight3 Profiteering by setting high rates in the first place is one thing, fair enough, but cancelling an existing booking is quite another. It's really poor behaviour.

Doomsdayiscoming · 23/02/2021 16:21

Gazump! Welcome to summer 2021.

Got that gorgeous wedding lined up? Watch out that someone doesn’t offer the venue triple what you paid!

Pinkdelight3 · 23/02/2021 16:28

Maybe... but it was booked in January and isn't happening till summer. If you agreed to sell something to someone on that timeframe, and a month after the agreement, the value of that item tripled, would you really stick it out till summer just so the OP gets a bargain? If it was close to the date then I'd honour the deal. tbh I'd probably honour the deal anyway as I'm a mug, but if I had a business head on, I'd likely not. As long as OP doesn't do the cancelling then they'll get the rebuke for the poor behaviour via their rating, but presumably the £ means more to them so they'll suck that up.

2bazookas · 23/02/2021 16:37

So (for whatever reason) they no longer work with Air BNB. Maybe their local council has had a crackdown on Air BNB ; or their mortgage lender our buildings insurer has forbidden it. Or maybe they sold the property and the new owner uses a different agency.

Does it matter why? ? They've given you plenty of notice, offered a refund and you have time to make other plans.

Clymene · 23/02/2021 16:57

@2bazookas

So (for whatever reason) they no longer work with Air BNB. Maybe their local council has had a crackdown on Air BNB ; or their mortgage lender our buildings insurer has forbidden it. Or maybe they sold the property and the new owner uses a different agency.

Does it matter why? ? They've given you plenty of notice, offered a refund and you have time to make other plans.

No, they haven't offered her a refund. They have told the OP to cancel her booking and then they will give her a refund. And she will possibly have to pay cancellation charges to Airbnb. If they want to cancel, they should cancel.
WeeWelshWoman · 23/02/2021 17:14

Don't cancel. If they want to cancel, they need to do it themselves (then you get a refund).

WeeWelshWoman · 23/02/2021 17:16

Hosts get penalised if they make a lot of cancellations with no reason. I suspect they plan on relisting your week for more money

BluebellCockleshell123 · 23/02/2021 18:01

What are the terms of your booking if the host cancels? If you are due a full refund if the host cancels then don’t cancel the booking yourself! If the host wants to cancel then they should cancel, not ask you to cancel.

The reason they are asking you to do it is probably because if they cancel then they will have to pay Airbnb a cancellation fee. And it doesn’t look good for them on the reviews.

Cadent · 23/02/2021 18:03

@CharlotteRose90

Oh hush it is selfish. We’ve all suffered so owners don’t have to be idiots it will only show when people don’t book in with them. I never said I was entitled to a stay either thanks . I have my opinion which I am entitled too.

As am I. Why are you telling me to shut up yet insisting on your right to an opinion?

Dailyhandtowelwash · 23/02/2021 19:15

Probably not just yours either. Which makes it even more important to them that you cancel.

Notavegan · 23/02/2021 19:18

Happened to me once, had to pay twice as much for a different booking so wasn't happy. Didn't feel there was much I could do though.