How to handle COVID-19 cancellations: A message to our customers

In Bookabach’s nearly two decades, we’ve been through a lot, but nothing comes close to the current challenges facing the travellers and partners (homeowners and property managers) who advertise their homes with us. This is an impossible situation. Bookabach is a two-sided marketplace, so for every traveller who paid hard-earned money for a getaway they may not take, there is a partner who relies on clear cancellation policies and the associated money within those policies to pay their mortgage and hard-working employees. Despite that, the vast majority (>95% in the past week) of our partners are rising to the occasion and giving credits or refunds to travellers given these extreme circumstances. We’re actively listening to feedback from travellers and partners as this outbreak develops, and today, to help ease uncertainty during this time, we are rolling out a new policy that strikes the best balance of protecting travellers, partners, and the public.

Here’s what Bookbach is doing as part of our COVID-19 Emergency Policy

Full Refund of Bookabach’s Fees

Bookabach is refunding 100% of the money it makes through traveller service fees when someone must cancel a trip due to COVID-19, whether the cancellation is government-mandated or because you’re prioritizing the health of your family and loved ones. This is in effect for all stays booked before March 13 with a stayed night between March 13 and April 30. Travellers don’t have to do anything to collect the refund; it will happen automatically over the next few weeks. No need to call and confirm.

Flexibility for Future Travel Plans:

We are asking partners to offer a full credit for flexible stay dates within the next year (at no additional cost). If the traveller is unwilling or unable to accept the credit, we advise working with our partner on an acceptable refund, and we have incentivised our partners to go above and beyond their standard policies. The more our partners are able to do for travellers, the more Stayz will reward them with future bookings.

Visit our COVID-19 help page for FAQs and additional details on our policies.

Here’s what you can do now

Adjust your vacation from your traveller account. From your account, open your upcoming reservation to adjust or cancel your dates. If you are making changes outside the cancellation policy window, please contact the owner for refund options.

Taking care of our customers is at the centre of everything we do. As the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve, our teams are focused on first addressing the needs of travellers and partners with imminent stays. As always, you can manage your booking through your account or contact us through the help center. As a courtesy to fellow travellers, if you’re not travelling in the next four days, please wait to call our representatives. We’re thankful for the thousands of partners who are already working with travellers to change reservation dates or offer refunds despite cancellation policies. And, we thank you for your patience as we navigate this situation.