Questions over Airbnb refusing full refunds

WELLINGTON: Travellers have been left out of pocket by Airbnb’s response to the latest Covid19 lockdown.

Those who booked travel while New Zealand was in Level 1, only to find they could not travel out of or into Auckland as a result of the reemergence of the virus, have not been receiving full refunds from Airbnb.

The company is refunding those who made a booking on or before March 14 for travel through to October 15, including the company’s own service fees.

But Airbnb will not offer a similar dispensation to those caught out when Auckland went into Level 3 lockdown on August 12.

One Aucklander, whose group booked on July 22 when the country was at Level 1 and had gone 82 days without community transmission, said he and his friends were now out almost $370 as Airbnb would not reimburse its service fees for the cancelled booking.

Some confusion between them and the host initially meant they had only received $85 out of their $2191 booking.

But after RNZ contacted the host, they were happy to issue a full refund and asked Airbnb to do so.

However, Airbnb has held on to its $368.14 service fees, essentially its margin for the booking.

Airbnb refused to front for an interview with RNZ.

It also ignored RNZ’s specific questions about its policy, including whether the company would be making any adjustment for those in New Zealand affected by the latest lockdown; how many New Zealandbased customers contacted it regarding the lockdown affecting their plans; how many asked for refunds; and how many were declined.

Consumer New Zealand said it was looking into the legality of Airbnb’s response to the reemergence of Covid19 in New Zealand.

Consumer New Zealand head of research Jessica Wilson said, in its view, those caught out by the return to Level 3 should be refunded.

‘‘We think it raises legal issues and the company’s compliance under the Fair Trading Act. We’re currently reviewing these cancellation fees charged by accommodation websites as we consider they’re likely to be unfair.’’ — RNZ