Airbnb Promised Refund After Cancellation but Never Paid

I made a reservation through Airbnb for a family stay in Tbilisi from January 23 to January 27 and paid approximately $814 in advance. However, I had to cancel the trip because my father was suddenly hospitalized due to a medical emergency.

I informed the Airbnb host about the situation, but the host said they could not issue a refund. After that, on January 22, I opened a support request through Airbnb, and later that same day I received a phone call from an Airbnb support agent named A*.

During the call, A* clearly stated that my situation was exceptional and that if I canceled the reservation, the payment would be refunded within 72 hours. The agent also instructed me to cancel the reservation and include the reason for the cancellation, following their guidance. Trusting this statement and the assurance provided by the Airbnb representative, I canceled my reservation.

However, even though more than 72 hours have passed and I have opened multiple follow-up support requests, I have only received standard responses saying “this reservation was non-refundable” and “refund decisions are up to the host.” My agreement regarding the refund was not with the host, but directly with Airbnb’s representative A* during the phone call.

During that call, I was also explicitly informed that the conversation was being recorded. The call in question was made by A* at 12:39 AM on the night of January 22–23.

Based on the refund commitment given by Airbnb’s support representative A* during that recorded call, I request that the approximately $814 I paid for this reservation be refunded to me. Otherwise, due to the failure to honor the promise made by Airbnb, I will be forced to pursue legal action to resolve this matter.