I often get bookings for the week then Friday same day ones for the weekend.
Yesterday afternoon I accepted a 3 night reservation. The system said it was awaiting payment but blocked my calendar. (I was not warned they were not in a position to book nor asked whether I wanted my calendar blocked). I tried to help the guest but they didn’t cooperate. I asked Airbnb to release my calendar but they said they couldn’t. The guest messed about until after 10pm when they finally cancelled. My calendar was blocked all Friday evening, peak enquiry time. Now Airbnb are refusing to pay even for Friday night and I have a strict cancellation policy.
Why was my calendar blocked?
This is a well known and discussed issue that as far as I can tell will never be resolved. Airbnb doesn’t care.
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This has happened a number of times but luckily always been booked. It’s total bullshit!
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I’ve experienced this a few times this year, and it’s bloody annoying. The first time I messaged the guest that their payment hadn’t gone through; they didn’t know, Air hadn’t told them and it was fixed in minutes, with an apology for blocking my calendar. Then again last Thursday by a new user who’d just joined, and was an utter tyre kicking pain throughout. I was so glad when it cancelled.
The second time was a weekend booking in two days time. When the payment didn’t go through, I called CS, asked them to cancel on the grounds that I could not be expected to have my calendar blocked for the coming w/e, when the guest might not actually book, and I would probably get another booking at the last moment. They fully understood, cancelled and I got a much better booking almost immediately.
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I had a similar situation. Person made reservation with Airbnb gave them 24 hours to pay. It showed up as pending. Then the next day it showed up as not possible. Meanwhile those dates were blocked on my calendar for 24 hours. It’s unfair to the host. Airbnb wants to accommodate guests and don’t care about the host. Pretty one sided.
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I have had this happen on 2 occasions. In both, their payment was declined and they were given (I believe) 48 hrs to pay! One of them, the payment declined TWICE which re started their 48 hr grace period…and that was a holiday weekend. I called CS and they tried to tell me that there was nothing I could do. I refused to accept that and argued it was a holiday weekend and a BIG for last minute bookings where I live. She finally opened up the dates. That was when he immediately rebooked and it was declined again…fortunately she unblocked again but I shouldn’t have had to go through that. I dont get why THEY would want to chance losing a booking because that’s money out of their pocket as well.
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Personally I would rather have my calendar blocked for verification than end up with an unverified guest for the sake of expedience. And good on you, Air, for doing a through job.
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I don’t think it’s a verification issue. It’s a payment issue. Their credit card was declined. If that’s the case, then the calendar should not be blocked waiting for payment. Their resevation should be declined for non payment. Instead, it’s on a holding pattern.
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Well not only was my calendar blocked Airbnb refused to unblock it. Some bots said for 12 hours some bots 24. To give the guest a chance to pay they said. Never mind my chance for a booking or my choice. If I’d known in advance they had no money of course I wouldn’t have accepted them. And what’s the point with a same day booking giving them so much time their check in time would have been and gone.
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What?! If I’d known they had no money or verification I wouldn’t have accepted them, I was given no information or choice. How can you possibly defend a dodgy guest blocking a host’s calendar? My calendar should have been left open until the guest sorted themselves out or not.
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I agree with you. If guests have no money to book, then they do not have the right to block the calendar. Airbnb is screwing over the host.
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I agree that people shouldn’t try to book if they know that they have no money - that’s just bonkers. But I’ve had this a couple of times with guests who have added a new credit card to their account or something similar. It’s only taken a day or so and then the payment has gone through okay 
That’s fine for say a week’s booking in the future. It’s nonsense for same day bookings. Also the host should be given the information that the guest has no payment method or verification and be allowed to choose whether they want to accept and have their calendar blocked or not.
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Yes, I can imagine it would be. The times it’s happened to me, the bookings have been for months in the future so having the calendar blocked for a short while doesn’t really affect things. I don’t think that the ‘accept’ thing would be an issue either as I use IB.
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It’s not like the system doesn’t know it’s a short notice booking …
Yes I have instant book too. However it’s set to guests with positive reviews from other hosts which stops people with a thumbs down from booking. It also allows me to give information to new Airbnb users. However it’s no protection for me if Airbnb won’t share the fact they’re not verified or solvent!