AirBnB booking credits

DanaeEa

Has anyone else also had AirBnB refuse to refund your booking credits when closing down your account? 

One thing is to keep booking credits when your account remains active to make a new booking. 

It’s a whole other matter to have AirBnB refuse to refund those credits when you close down your account and can’t use them for subsequent bookings. 

If other words, if you use booking credits you stand at risk of losing your money entirely under these circumstances, no matter the amount. Be that in the 100 range to the thousands. 

Exceedingly poor business practices. 

user1977

Not clear how you ended up with credit in the first place, but weren't you entitled to a cash refund instead? Why are you trying to close your account?

DanaeEa

user1977 said:

Not clear how you ended up with credit in the first place, but weren't you entitled to a cash refund instead? Why are you trying to close your account?

Got the credits when intending to make another booking fairly shortly after but won’t be trawling for a while now. 

Don’t mind the principle of them keeping consumer funds when the service is still to be used. It’s a whole other matter of having consumers pay money into their account and AirBnB refusing to refund it once the account closed. 

user1977

DanaeEa said:

user1977 said:

Not clear how you ended up with credit in the first place, but weren't you entitled to a cash refund instead? Why are you trying to close your account?

Got the credits when intending to make another booking fairly shortly after but won’t be trawling for a while now. 

Don’t mind the principle of them keeping consumer funds when the service is still to be used. It’s a whole other matter of having consumers pay money into their account and AirBnB refusing to refund it once the account closed. 

But the service is still there to be used, you're opting not to use it.

If you had an opportunity originally to ask for a refund instead, that was the time to do it.

DanaeEa

user1977 said:

DanaeEa said:

user1977 said:

Not clear how you ended up with credit in the first place, but weren't you entitled to a cash refund instead? Why are you trying to close your account?

Got the credits when intending to make another booking fairly shortly after but won’t be trawling for a while now. 

Don’t mind the principle of them keeping consumer funds when the service is still to be used. It’s a whole other matter of having consumers pay money into their account and AirBnB refusing to refund it once the account closed. 

But the service is still there to be used, you're opting not to use it.

If you had an opportunity originally to ask for a refund instead, that was the time to do it.

It isn’t when closing down the account. 

user1977

DanaeEa said:

user1977 said:

DanaeEa said:

user1977 said:

Not clear how you ended up with credit in the first place, but weren't you entitled to a cash refund instead? Why are you trying to close your account?

Got the credits when intending to make another booking fairly shortly after but won’t be trawling for a while now. 

Don’t mind the principle of them keeping consumer funds when the service is still to be used. It’s a whole other matter of having consumers pay money into their account and AirBnB refusing to refund it once the account closed. 

But the service is still there to be used, you're opting not to use it.

If you had an opportunity originally to ask for a refund instead, that was the time to do it.

It isn’t when closing down the account. 

Why are you "closing down the account" though?

Aylesbury_Duck

Surely the sensible thing is to keep the account open, use the credits when you have cause to do so, then close the account?

Is there more to this than you're letting on?  Have they closed your account for some reason?  Or have you accumulated a poor review score that makes it impossible to book somewhere?  If neither of those scenarios or similar, why not just do as I suggest above?

Edited to add:  Is it a cashflow matter, where you need to release money you've tied up in Airbnb credits?

Alderbank

I have read AirBnB's T&Cs applicable to Booking Credit on their UK website and I am sure you have also read them before you agreed to them:
https://www.airbnb.co.uk/help/article/2905

Upon cancellation, Airbnb is providing certain eligible Guests the opportunity to opt-in to receive Booking Credit as an alternative to a cash refund. 

“Booking Credit” is store credit awarded upon a Member’s Qualifying Cancellation. Booking Credit: (i) is non-refundable and non-transferable; (ii) is not cash, currency or a gift card product; and (iii) cannot be redeemed for cash except where required by law. 
“Qualifying Cancellation” means a Guest-initiated cancellation of a booking for a stay by a Member residing in the United States that would result in a cash refund value of $2,000 USD or less. 

How it Works

When you initiate a Qualifying Cancellation, Airbnb may provide you the option of receiving either a cash refund or an equivalent amount in Booking Credit.

By electing to receive the Booking Credit, you are agreeing to the amount of the Booking Credit is in lieu of any cash refund... By electing to receive the Booking Credit or by using the Booking Credit you are agreeing to these Booking Credit Terms.

I have also read AirBnB's terms for cancelling an account https://www.airbnb.co.uk/privacy/manage-your-data/deletion

This says that once they have confirmed that you are the account holder and you have  filled out the necessary application request, your personal data will be deleted. They must do this to comply with GDPR.
If you want to use Airbnb in the future, you’ll need to set up a new account.

Long story short:

1. You the Guest have chosen to opt-in to receive Booking Credit instead of a cash refund.
2. Booking Credit is non-refundable and cannot be redeemed for cash.
3. When you request that AirBnB delete your account, to comply with GDPR they must remove all records relating to you personally. If you want to use Airbnb in the future, you’ll need to set up a new account which will have no connection with any previous account which has been deleted.

Based on what you have told us, they seem to have acted properly in accordance with their published terms and your instructions.

Is there anything more you wish to share with us?