WWYD - Family booked your AirBNB and backed out without paying

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another voice here that is shocked you charged family in the first place, even at a discounted rate. You should have just said spring break is blocked on the calendar because it’s high season and offered up a different period of time instead, for free.

Either way, I’d express disappointment with the last minute cancellation but I wouldn’t ask for more money or anything like that.

You’re being ridiculous. Not everyone is made of money. Clearly the moochers didn’t want to pay the full price by going elsewhere. No one is owed free accommodation.

OP had a lot of options including saying no. OP just chose wrong and now knows. We have a very desirable rental and never ever would charge family. Even for high season. In fact if we have a free week here or there during high season I send the alert out to family that it is open. They pay cleaning and we love having people use it.

Sorry but you do do not have a “very desirable rental” if you have open weeks during high season, barring some last-minute cancellation.

I use a pricing software that maximizes revenue. The shifting rental market (more supply than demand in the winter) means that occasionally they are more last minute bookings but we are always booked. That's why we told them they could wait and if we didn't get a booking we'd let them have it for just the cleaning fee. They insisted on paying and blocking the calendar. Then didn't pay and backed out day before check in.

I think they did not understand you would lose out on income if they blocked the calendar, and maybe they don't understand that this is your business and you care so much about this.

So you need to tell them.

They know. They don’t care. Entitled moochers.

[Anonymous]

Why would they purposefully wait until the day before to back out if they knew for a while they weren’t coming? Just to screw you? Something doesn’t make sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why did they cancel?

They gave a reason that I don't believe. Even if true, they should have offered to pay given they blocked our calendar and prevented us from getting a booking.

Okay, you really need to give more details here. What did they say as their reason for canceling and why don’t you believe them?

I don't believe them because they didn't pay. They had several weeks to pay and didn't. I also have gotten the impression that they are flakes. Which is why we didn't want to rent to them for money in the first place, but they insisted.

This makes sense. They didn’t expect you to actually charge family. You both played a game of chicken and you lost.

Maybe you’ll still land a booking. We booked last minute.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why would they purposefully wait until the day before to back out if they knew for a while they weren’t coming? Just to screw you? Something doesn’t make sense.

I know a lot of people who operate like this. Wishful thinking that money will appear from somewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would they purposefully wait until the day before to back out if they knew for a while they weren’t coming? Just to screw you? Something doesn’t make sense.

I know a lot of people who operate like this. Wishful thinking that money will appear from somewhere.

So you think they couldn’t afford to pay why OP asked them to? That sucks.

[Anonymous]

Are you on Airbnb or VBRO? Maybe you can have the “system” send them a bill for being no-shows. It’s passive aggressive af, but there might be a slim chance they pay, and or, it opens the door for a discussion about money you lost, and they owe you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can’t believe the people who are saying you should do it for free, WTH?!

How about they give their family members that amount of money for a week, because that’s what happens when you let someone stay rent free.

It’s the time-honored DCUM tradition of reflexively bashing the OP even when it makes you look like an idiot.

This is so true that it's sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another voice here that is shocked you charged family in the first place, even at a discounted rate. You should have just said spring break is blocked on the calendar because it’s high season and offered up a different period of time instead, for free.

Either way, I’d express disappointment with the last minute cancellation but I wouldn’t ask for more money or anything like that.

You’re being ridiculous. Not everyone is made of money. Clearly the moochers didn’t want to pay the full price by going elsewhere. No one is owed free accommodation.

OP had a lot of options including saying no. OP just chose wrong and now knows. We have a very desirable rental and never ever would charge family. Even for high season. In fact if we have a free week here or there during high season I send the alert out to family that it is open. They pay cleaning and we love having people use it.

I think this is highly dependent upon how new/nice the place is and how expensive it is. We had a family friend who had a dumpy beach house that was not booked 100% of the time. They manage it very differently from my neighbor who has a very expensive beach house that is in demand in season.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another voice here that is shocked you charged family in the first place, even at a discounted rate. You should have just said spring break is blocked on the calendar because it’s high season and offered up a different period of time instead, for free.

Either way, I’d express disappointment with the last minute cancellation but I wouldn’t ask for more money or anything like that.

You’re being ridiculous. Not everyone is made of money. Clearly the moochers didn’t want to pay the full price by going elsewhere. No one is owed free accommodation.

OP had a lot of options including saying no. OP just chose wrong and now knows. We have a very desirable rental and never ever would charge family. Even for high season. In fact if we have a free week here or there during high season I send the alert out to family that it is open. They pay cleaning and we love having people use it.

Sorry but you do do not have a “very desirable rental” if you have open weeks during high season, barring some last-minute cancellation.

I use a pricing software that maximizes revenue. The shifting rental market (more supply than demand in the winter) means that occasionally they are more last minute bookings but we are always booked. That's why we told them they could wait and if we didn't get a booking we'd let them have it for just the cleaning fee. They insisted on paying and blocking the calendar. Then didn't pay and backed out day before check in.

I think they did not understand you would lose out on income if they blocked the calendar, and maybe they don't understand that this is your business and you care so much about this.

So you need to tell them.

You think adults are that stupid? That's ridiculous. They know. They don't care.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another voice here that is shocked you charged family in the first place, even at a discounted rate. You should have just said spring break is blocked on the calendar because it’s high season and offered up a different period of time instead, for free.

Either way, I’d express disappointment with the last minute cancellation but I wouldn’t ask for more money or anything like that.

You’re being ridiculous. Not everyone is made of money. Clearly the moochers didn’t want to pay the full price by going elsewhere. No one is owed free accommodation.

OP had a lot of options including saying no. OP just chose wrong and now knows. We have a very desirable rental and never ever would charge family. Even for high season. In fact if we have a free week here or there during high season I send the alert out to family that it is open. They pay cleaning and we love having people use it.

Sorry but you do do not have a “very desirable rental” if you have open weeks during high season, barring some last-minute cancellation.

I use a pricing software that maximizes revenue. The shifting rental market (more supply than demand in the winter) means that occasionally they are more last minute bookings but we are always booked. That's why we told them they could wait and if we didn't get a booking we'd let them have it for just the cleaning fee. They insisted on paying and blocking the calendar. Then didn't pay and backed out day before check in.

It sounds like you are equally the problem. You offered it for free. You should not have offered for free and told them they have a week to pay or resist it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One of my relatives owns a store where I shop occasionally. Should I expect to be given free goods every time I shop there? Or should accountants or lawyers be expected to provide free services to every relative who asks? The usual spin on situations like these is that people shouldn’t be expected to give their services away for free, whether it’s to friends or family. In this case, I think a discount is reasonable.

People always expect it. I have a friend who is a dentist and one who managed a Hallmark like shop. Both of them dealt non stop with people they knew expecting free or very discounted items/services. One of my neighbors constantly told people to push for the store discount at the Hallmark store when friend was in working. She shared with me that it happened too often and was unpleasant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another voice here that is shocked you charged family in the first place, even at a discounted rate. You should have just said spring break is blocked on the calendar because it’s high season and offered up a different period of time instead, for free.

Either way, I’d express disappointment with the last minute cancellation but I wouldn’t ask for more money or anything like that.

You’re being ridiculous. Not everyone is made of money. Clearly the moochers didn’t want to pay the full price by going elsewhere. No one is owed free accommodation.

OP had a lot of options including saying no. OP just chose wrong and now knows. We have a very desirable rental and never ever would charge family. Even for high season. In fact if we have a free week here or there during high season I send the alert out to family that it is open. They pay cleaning and we love having people use it.

Sorry but you do do not have a “very desirable rental” if you have open weeks during high season, barring some last-minute cancellation.

I use a pricing software that maximizes revenue. The shifting rental market (more supply than demand in the winter) means that occasionally they are more last minute bookings but we are always booked. That's why we told them they could wait and if we didn't get a booking we'd let them have it for just the cleaning fee. They insisted on paying and blocking the calendar. Then didn't pay and backed out day before check in.

I think they did not understand you would lose out on income if they blocked the calendar, and maybe they don't understand that this is your business and you care so much about this.

So you need to tell them.

You theory is that these people don't understand that the owner of a rental property would lose money if they booked the place, didn't pay, canceled at the last minute, and prevented paying customers from renting it?

That's even dumber than these people would have to be to believe that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can’t believe you charged family members. What is with you people? Are you the same poster who lended her friend money? Same principle applies, gift it or don’t give it at all.

You don't sound very intelligent for a variety of reasons, number one being that "lended" isn't a word.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why would they purposefully wait until the day before to back out if they knew for a while they weren’t coming? Just to screw you? Something doesn’t make sense.

IMO to save face. Why else would they have avoided paying?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can’t believe you charged family members. What is with you people? Are you the same poster who lended her friend money? Same principle applies, gift it or don’t give it at all.

You sound like an absolute mooch!

If having an AirBnB is a person's business, why should they give it away for free just because they're family/close friends? That makes no sense. By your logic, a person who owns a restaurant should let their friends and family eat for free. My uncle who owns several convenience store gas stations should allow me to fill up my car for free, right? The software company I work for should give the software away for free to all friends and relatives of the employees!