Airbnb Credit Note Advice

[Bella Girl]

Hi,

Hoping that there are some Airbnb experts out there.

We had an Airbnb booked to do a Macmillan Mighty Hike event in 2020 that Airbnb cancelled due to lockdown and gave us a credit for £198. We rebooked for the same event in July 2021 using the credit but had to cancel because our travel companions’ mother died suddenly a few days before the Mighty Hike and at the same time, my husband became unwell and was advised not to do the hike. The Airbnb booking was free cancellation so cancelling it did not cost us anything.

Earlier this year, we made a separate Airbnb booking (before we cancelled the Mighty Hike booking) to go away at the start of October and the balance is now due for this. I want to use the £198 credit to pay the balance on this booking but have been informed by Airbnb that I can’t use this as it was not applied at the initial booking and I cannot find any evidence of the credit on my account. I have asked for a refund of my credit but Airbnb have responded that travel credits are non refundable.

Please does anyone have any experience or advice on how to deal with this?

We have used Airbnb before without incident but am cross that they are withholding our money and have now had it for 18 months.

[123]

Originally Posted by Bella Girl

Hi,

Hoping that there are some Airbnb experts out there.

We had an Airbnb booked to do a Macmillan Mighty Hike event in 2020 that Airbnb cancelled due to lockdown and gave us a credit for £198. We rebooked for the same event in July 2021 using the credit but had to cancel because our travel companions’ mother died suddenly a few days before the Mighty Hike and at the same time, my husband became unwell and was advised not to do the hike. The Airbnb booking was free cancellation so cancelling it did not cost us anything.

Earlier this year, we made a separate Airbnb booking (before we cancelled the Mighty Hike booking) to go away at the start of October and the balance is now due for this. I want to use the £198 credit to pay the balance on this booking but have been informed by Airbnb that I can’t use this as it was not applied at the initial booking and I cannot find any evidence of the credit on my account. I have asked for a refund of my credit but Airbnb have responded that travel credits are non refundable.

Please does anyone have any experience or advice on how to deal with this?

We have used Airbnb before without incident but am cross that they are withholding our money and have now had it for 18 months.

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They aren't really with-holding your money.

The terms of your booking with Airbnb for the first booking was non-refundable. Airbnb repaid all customers (through credits) out of their own cash, the property owners still got paid.

So it seems fair that they insist you "spend" it with them rather than elsewhere as technically you had no claim on the refund in law. (Had your property booking been a refundable one, Airbnb advised you to cancel it and get your cash back, in the case of those where you could cancel and get some not all back, you got cash and the rest in a voucher/credit)

[Bella Girl]

Thank you for responding. Sadly I cannot remember if the first booking was non-refundable but accept that you are probably right.