We were unable to stay with Lindsei due to the coronavirus pandemic and were due at Lindsei’s the next evening. We sent Lindsei a note of cancellation and explanation the evening before our visit. Unlike other Airbnb hosts, Lindsei never acknowledged our cancellation or the circumstances causing our cancellation.
Therefore we received a request for Airbnb review of our lodging with Lindsei.
And this is it:
Three hours before our flight to London, a planned 4 week trip which included 1 week in London, onto other parts of England, then Paris, we felt forced to cancel due to the US president announcing a vague, impulsive travel ban in response to the coronavirus. The details were vague and we could find no additional, specific information on the appropriate official government websites related to travel and infectious disease. We did not know if we would be allowed back into the US, and there was the announced possibility that we could be put into quarantine at a military base location of the government's choosing upon our return. We then notified Lindsei.
We requested a refund from Airbnb for our week in London which we received from all other lodgings with Airbnb and other inns or hotels. Unfortunately, Airbnb’s coronavirus refund policy does not go into effect until 2 days after our cancellation with Lindsei which was one day after our scheduled arrival in London. Within 4-5 days (the middle of our stay), the UK changed it's policies and most sights we had planned to see in London were closed. Italy was in crisis. Infectious cases in Europe were multiplying alarmingly. Our own city and state has instituted a shelter in place policy.
Already in a high risk group for the coronavirus, if we hadn’t canceled, we would have been at enhanced risk for coronavirus infection and spreading contagion. Also, during our stay in England, public places were closed.
Airbnb suggested we write to Lindsei to request reimbursement. We suggested a compromise with her, thinking we could share the cost of the week’s lodging in London, for example. Again, we never heard from Lindsei.
We did not choose these circumstances. It is all out of our control. If we had left as planned, our trip would have been decimated and possibly tragic.
We are all currently living in dire times. We are all under pressure including economic pressures. We would have appreciated communication and acknowledgement from our host, Lindsei and Airbnb.