shawneve

Yes, I would wait until the last minute to cancel the ticket if there were no difference in penalty because there could be a weather event that allows for free cancellations/rebookings.
If I wanted to be more aggressive with the owner I guess I can push the issue a little bit by letting him know I plan to cancel at the last possible minute therefore forcing a value decision on his part. Do I give a bigger refund now and give myself longer to get another booking, or do I hold and risk not getting a booking in the last 7 days?
It's not about being vindictive, its about doing what I feel is good for me, the same as what the owner is doing.
I wait, keep my options open, and if circumstances don't change, I cancel
I didn't fail to read/accept the policy, I was fully aware of it, however what must also be accepted is the subsequent behavior that results in a more strict policy.

Often1

Chances are that the owner is well aware that few people who cancel will do so before the deadline. But, he believes that he can rent the place again on very short notice and so long as he gets more than 50% of the rate he charged the first renter, he is making a profit off the cancellation.

"Walk up" rates are often very high because people are desperate for a place and can't commit early. So, my guess is that for a high-demand property, this has all be thought through and the owner could care less whether you cancel today or 8 days prior to scheduled arrival.

This is just another one of these misdirected hatred threads. If OP has a properly scheduled vacation and his employer requires him to cancel, a decent employer will pick up the various non-refundables as a matter of course. No reason for the property owner to step in for a lousy employer.

travelmad478

Obviously, this situation doesn't apply here, unless you're booking on the Gulf Coast in hurricane season, or something like that.

[Moderator edit]
No, the owner is making a business decision based on the experience of how his business works, just as Often1 explains.
The sentence might as well end here. You want to get out of a binding contract you signed. That's all there is to it.
Yup.

shawneve

So in your opinion, attempting to use the leverage I have in this situation to get a more favorable outcome for me is being a jerk?
But weighing the probabilities that he will profit from a cancellation rather than offer a refund contingent on dates getting rebooked is a "business decision"

Got it, Thanks.

Often1

No, you missed travelmad478's point. It is simply that it doesn't matter what you do. The owner in this case had made a calculated business decision and has built the risk that he is stuck with an empty unit into his business decision. Maybe he figures that if you can subsidize 50% of the cost and not occupy the place, he can use it or give it to friends.

Cancel now or cancel later as you choose.

travelmad478

Since you are not an Airbnb host, let me explain how the calendar and booking process works from the host's end. Simply put, there is no way to offer a refund "contingent on dates getting rebooked." In order for the host to have the space available to re-book--i.e., in order for it to appear on the Airbnb calendar as available--you have to cancel your reservation first. As soon as that happens, you get your 50% back and any other refund that the host decides to give you (it is up to the host's discretion whether s/he will give you any additional refund). The host can't give you a refund contingent on re-booking--s/he either gives it to you immediately when you cancel, or never.

In other words, you don't have leverage in this situation. And you've made it pretty clear in your previous posts that the reason you are looking to cancel at exactly seven days out is to screw the host because you're annoyed that you can't weasel out of a binding contract that you agreed to. So yes, my opinion stands.

shawneve

I know how it works but thanks for the explanation, hope it was a good use of your time.

travelmad478

Then you should have also known that what you are trying to accomplish is not possible.

escapefromphl

I have successfully cancelled prepaid non-cancellable hotels rooms booked through Priceline and Hotwire a few times before. Once was user error I booked wrong month, but another was just change of plans and another was a hurricane warning. It was a bit of a pain having to call and have them ask properties to manually cancel, but it worked. Just a data point that hotels can be a lot more flexible. I don't think they are trying to make money from cancelled bookings it's more segmenting the market to attract price conscious customers.

travelmad478

escapefromphl, you can do the same with Airbnb properties if--like the hotels you dealt with--the host is willing to give you a break for whatever reason. (A host is allowed to refund any/all of a prepayment, at the host's discretion.) Some hosts will do this, some won't--just like some hotels will do this, and some won't. You got lucky a few times with hotels, but the exact same thing could happen with an Airbnb reservation.