Reply to VRBO won't refund Sanibel stay for next week

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]This is from the article OP linked above in first post.

"However, should a host not cancel first, the situation becomes more complex, particularly with Airbnb, given its cancellation policy specifically excludes the annual storm season in Florida. Airbnb says that it offers refunds for “events beyond one’s control”, including some extreme weather events and natural disasters such as volcanic eruptions, but despite this, the company deems tropical hurricanes and storms in the state between June and November to be “foreseeable” and its cancellation policy  does not result in refunds under those circumstances.

Meanwhile, a Vrbo spokeswoman told The New York Times that “natural disasters, such as hurricanes or wildfires, do not override the cancellation policy set by the host and agreed to by the guest when they book”.[/quote]

BUT this isn't a cancellation due to a hurricane.  It is a cancellation because the condo is not habitable/destroyed/island is not available to non-owners.  Definitely dispute with the credit card, airbnb are going to lose.[/quote]

DP.  You don’t know that the unit is uninhabitable, and you don’t know that it won’t be available to non-visitors next week.  But all that aside, all of those issue absolutely do arise out of a hurricane and so very likely does fall within the scope of this policy. [/quote]

So you’re saying if the house wasn’t inhabitable for other reasons, then the renter would be entitled to a refund?  That makes no sense.[/quote]
Sure it makes sense if hurricanes are specifically excluded, which it sounds like they are. [/quote]
What's the time limit on this?  Some VRBO and AirBnb reservations don't allow for cancelations after 24-36  hours.  If a house was washed away in this hurricane and someone booked for next June, does the owner still keep the money if there is literally no house available?  What if the house was damaged but the owner just can't be bothered to make needed repairs for 6 months because they get to keep all the rental fees anyways?  That can't be right.  The owner has an obligation to live up to their end of an agreement and provide a rental unit.  It's not a blank check to cite a hurricane that happened in the past and keep the money.[/quote]

In reality, this doesn’t happen because if renters show up and the property is uninhabitable, they will complaint to VRBO/Airbnb, likely get their money back under the policies, and the owner can be banned from using the service again.  The issue right now is the timing where the owner may be in a bind because, if they cancel the reservation now but their unit would be inhabitable next week, their insurance won’t pay anything for the business income loss and it will all come out of their pocket.  If the owner does not know what the status will be at the time of OP’s reservation next week but had reason to hope the unit will be inhabitable at that point, they basically need to keep the reservation unless/until they know it won’t be inhabitable for OP’s reservation.  OP can wait and see what happens next week and hope the owner cancels first so she gets her refund, but if she goes ahead and cancels now, she may be stuck paying anyway. [/quote]

Will the causeway be repaired by next week? Hard to believe the owner actually thinks tourists will be let on to the island in a week’s time…[/quote]

The owner doesn’t need to believe this. VRBO’s policy excludes refunds for hurricanes in Florida. [/quote]

Fortunately, credit card issuers require refunds when services paid for are not provided. Their contracts override VBRO contracts when there is a conflict (also in the credit card contracts) [/quote]

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