Changes over the past three years: observations and questions

Hello everyone! I hosted from 2015-2020. I recently reopened my listing after a three-year hiatus. Everything is going well so far, but I’m still early in this experience.

Some things I’ve noticed changed that seem like improvements for the guest and host experience:
*AirBnB generates a listing title for you that appears above your host-written title. [Unit type] in [Neighborhood]. This seems like a nice way for guests to understand the unit type and location.
*The total price also shows up in the search, so you get a sense of the taxes and cleaning fee without having to get all the way to the booking page.
*I’ve read that guests must now report a problem within a certain time frame, so they can’t complete after a completed stay and then ask for a refund.

Questions:

  • Third party bookings: are they still against the TOS? Do they still void the "Host Guarantee? Not seeing anything about this on the TOS or the “Host Damage Protection” page but I might be overlooking something.
    *IIRC, hosts could theoretically get reviews from third-party guests removed under the grounds of the guest not actually staying. The review policy says: “If a guest never arrived for their stay or Experience, or had to cancel due to circumstances unrelated to that stay or Experience, their review may be removed.” I’m unclear if this refers to third-party bookings.
  • Has the quality of the CS gotten better or worse? Still the same?
  • Does anyone else have the calendar refresh every time they click on something? I’m using Google Chrome on a Windows PC.

Yes, although I think customer service is still squishy on this. I don’t know about the Host protection since that has changed recently. I never think of the protection, now called Air Cover, as being failsafe anyway.

I haven’t dealt with them but the anecdotes here are still mixed. Several people have taken the time to report that they were pleasantly surprised.

While I don’t have much occasion to contact CS, the dealings I have had with them have been quite mixed. I have gotten good service through the Canadian Superhost phone number (I have no idea where on the planet the reps were located, although once I asked and she said she was in Winnipeg), but messaging to CS about a couple of issues have been fraught with frustration, being sent endless useless links and going through several reps before I got one who even understood the issue, even though I stated it simply and clearly over and over again.

So CS is still a mixed bag of competent, helpful reps and the completely clueless.

1 Like

My Chrome browser does the same. It’s a PITA. Scroll down 6 months in the future to modify some prices for a holiday, select those dates, and wham, calendar resets to “today” but with my dates selected in the right bar. I can still make the edit, but anytime you click on the calendar it resets the view to today, necessitating repeated scrollings.

CS: seems they keep hiring international remote agents who only work off a script. Their “judgements” (guest/host) vary as often as the thickness of their accents and ability to comprehend basic scenarios. The consensus seems to be call back several times until you get one who actually understands your situation and will work to your advantage.

1 Like

On that Canadian Superhost number I used, the rep asked me to hold the line while she checked something out, but the call got dropped as I was waiting. I immediately thought, “Oh great, now I’m going to have to call back and explain the whole thing over again to a new rep”, but before I could dial, she called me back!

3 Likes

In the past, I didn’t like hosting third-party bookings because I didn’t have a way to directly communicate with the guest(s). When I’d call AirBnB to cancel, the CS Agent would always ask me to make an exception. I would not be surprised if this is the same.

I have a third-party booking next week, but it is a wife using a husband’s account, so I think she’ll have access to the app. I don’t really see a reason to cancel.

1 Like

Why do you think this is ok?

1 Like

I don’t understand why couples don’t put both their names on an account. There are plenty of accounts like that- they say Paul and Jane, whatever the names, and the profile photo depicts them both.

Lots of hosts accept some third party bookings, as long as they don’t see any red flags. If a guest has plenty of good reviews and communicates well, and it seems reasonable that they are booking through another account, it’s probably okay. The only reason not to take third party bookings that I can think of is that Airbnb may wash their hands of it if there end up being any issues.

I don’t either.

When I accept third party bookings I always tell whomever is booking to send me the full name and cell number of the person staying. I’d only have misgivings if someone was hesitant. And like you, I live onsite. If I didn’t I feel differently about a third party booking.

… but you do these things at the risk of the wrath of airbnb, or loss of income. It is not ‘ok’ for everyone just because YOU do not feel a threat…

1 Like

The wrath of Airbnb? Airbnb doesn’t care if you accept third party bookings, in fact they tell hosts to decide for themselves.

Airbnb will not support you if it is a 3rd party booking and problems arise. I call that the ‘wrath’ lol .

1 Like

I call it happy to shirk responsibility.

I can’t find where in the current TOS it says third party bookings are prohibited. I welcome anyone who is better at me at reading legalize to highlight what I’m missing. It may still be there.

If that is the case, I can sit on hold for a half hour and argue with the CS agent who begs me to make an exception and host a wife using her husband’s account.

See here.

3 Likes

Thank you! This was what I remembered from the years past but wasn’t able to find today.

1 Like

because I’m listed also with BDC and vrbo and it’s allowed over there. And because in the normal real world, people do this often. I book all my husband’s flights for him too.
but then again…

well, take it from me, that’s a real thing! So I generally play by all the rules because I’ve been burned by ABB once, and that was a terrible experience.

2 Likes