steve12345

I had planned to visit Berlin later this year and paid in full for my hotel room in Berlin. Now because of the virus, I may need to cancel If my hotel won't give me a refund or a credit, what can I do? Is there some Berlin consumer complaint agency anyone knows about?
Thanks for any help,
Steve

StCirq

Did you book directly with the hotel or with a third party? If third party, which one?

Did you book a non-refundable room?

I'm sure Berlin has a consumer complaint agency, but whether it would have any interest in helping a traveler who made a non-refundable reservation (if that's what you did) at this point is pretty dubious.

You can try contacting your credit company and asking them to intervene.

quokka

This and other forums are showered with similar posts. I am constantly amazed how people think that the hotel's terms and conditions do not apply to them. Non-refundable means exactly this.

hetismij2

Have you actually asked about cancelling? Did you book using your credit card?
Who knows what the situation will be "later this year" whenever that is. Maybe you will be able to travel by then.
Generally speaking non refundable means just that. Hotels are struggling right now, some may not survive, but some nonetheless are refunding non refundables because of the circumstances. If your planned travel is very much later in the year hold off on trying to cancel if you haven't already tried.

Macross

I am starting to cancel. I have all refundable rooms but I booked a loft in Berlin and booked directly through them. Berlinlofts. So far no reply from them. I think they keep 25% and I am ok with that. I just hope I get the rest of my 400 euro. I have one airbnb and have not tried them yet. All hotels are Premiere Inns, Hilton and Ibis. Should be ok and a studio to let in London. I think some smaller places might be running out of refund money. Most places I booked want me to pay in full after arrival and happy for that now. If you booked at the cheap non-refundable rate then it is what it is. Non-refundable. I have eaten a few of those in the past and now always go for a semi refundable rate.

Traveler_Nick

Later being when? If they're open you're counting on the goodwill of the hotel. They might be willing to change the date for you. If OTOH they're closed they should be refunding you.

The above assumes you booked non refundable. The terms of what you actually booked matters if they're open.

Odin

You don't know if your hotel won't give you a refund or credit as you haven't asked them yet so why ask about a "Berlin consumer complaint agency"? If your hotel does not give you a refund or credit, you can try to claim on your travel insurance. If your trip is very much later in the year, it is too early to decide this is a cancellation due to the virus.

mlgb

Too many "what ifs".

Christina

No mention is even given on when this date is, if it's in December, why would you expect a refund now? I don't know what you can complain about, if the hotel is actually closed and it is impossible to travel to Berlin because the country won't even allow people to enter, who knows, maybe one is owed a refund. But booking a nonrefundable rate means you are agreeing to condtions of no refunds in exchange for a cheaper rate. So if the hotel is open but you just choose not to go later, that is totally on you. I can't tell you how many people I've seen complaining that they booked a nonrefundable rate, don't think the rules apply to them, and the hotel is even generous enough to give them an entire year to use the credit (which is more generous than some), and they whine that they just don't think they'll be able to go within the entire next year (for mysterious reasons that are never defined usually, given it was a place they supposedly wanted to visit so much), so think the contract doesn't apply to them and they should get a refund. I've also seen people wanting refunds on things when the ticket itself was open date until end of year and they just want a refund now (eg, attractions).

I don't even know why so many people are booking nonrefundable hotel rates, I rarely do that. If I do, I always know I am the one taking the economic loss if I don't or maybe leave early for some reason. People who do this to get a cheaper rate shouldn't get refunds if something happens and they can't go.

This post is entirely speculation, anyway, why worry about something that hasn't even happened yet.

Melnq8

Macross - when are you traveling? Air BNB has an extenuating circumstances cancellation policy currently in effect.

We were reimbursed for our Madrid accommodation and one night in Barcelona.

progol

Right now, AirBnB is guaranteeing 100% refund for all reservations that were scheduled to begin by April 14, even those with strict cancellation policies. They ask that you contact the host first to request the refund.

I had 3 reservations which have been refunded 100%. 1 reservation was 100% flexible, so was cancellable immediately. The other 2 had moderately strict policies which under normal circumstances would’ve meant only 50% refund minus the service fee. After contacting the hosts (one in Barcelona, the other in Lisbon), they each gave me refunds minus the service fee. AirBnB has since refunded those fees to me.

Macross

We are traveling end of May through June so think I am good. They were showing refinds till end of April last I checked. I did get back 75% of my Berlinloft. Might take a bit to show up on card they said. They said they would give me 10% off next booking. It was such a cool place, the seven olives loft. The other is in Kiel on the Baltic. My husband wants to see this submarine. I actually booked a hotel in Paris this trip. Studio in London and hotels in other places. The military is not moving troops for two months or families so that is the second week of May. I just don't see travel for a while.

menachem

Just mentioning that if you need to sort things out with AirBnB, do it quickly, because there are signs that the company is collapsing. Many hosts in Amsterdam have pulled their apts from AirBnB and are now offering them on the regular rental market for a vastly decreased price. There may not be AirBnB after this crisis.

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/25/airb...ronavirus.html

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/real...navirus-fears/

Traveler_Nick

They were losing money before this. The survival of companies like AirBnB are based on the belief they will be worth more in the future. If investors think so they'll keep getting more money.

bvlenci

From the Globe and Mail article link provided by Menachem:

It's an ill wind that blows no good.

mlgb

No good for who?

MmePerdu

I have no doubt that Airbnb will survive, maybe with a return to the original concept of making a part of hosts' homes available for short-term guests. It may be that those who intended to make a killing buying up real estate for the vacation market will fail individually but a company like Airbnb that sells what others provide with no capital outlay for inventory of its own will certainly survive, even if in a contracted form.

whitehall

Despite the latest airbnb pronouncement, IF the Host refuses the refund, airbnb requires a fair amount of documentation to get that promised "100% refund." It is far from automatic. And, if it's too much trouble to document (it seems to require a showing that it's impossible legally to get from your home to the rental despite fears, advisories, cost, inconvenience, and safety etc.), and you simply "want to skip the process" they are happy to give you a 100% credit which their site works hard to get you to accept. ×

menachem

I think it will fold before that, and the rental properties will be gone. Apartments are flooding the boards of regular rental brokers in Amsterdam at prices that conform to the going market rate. Listings were 64% up last week, and they're all being offered for long term leases.

AirBnB has never ever made a profit. And now the start up business model is shown for what it is: extractive and unsustainable.

Traveler_Nick

If the number of properties being offered is up 64% why aren't rents down? Prices should be collapsing.

The thing to understand is many of these landlords can only hold onto those properties if they get short term let prices. Putting them up for long term leases is just a short term stop gap. At some point they will need to turn the keys over to the banks.