Example of how Airbnb treats its seasoned hosts like babies

I had a Request for 4 nights from a small group. I responded immediately with some terms and conditions and questions. The guest never responded. The Request expired. Airbnb blocks my calendar on those dates and basically blames the host for not responding even though the ball was totally on the guest. I’m was waiting to hear back from THEM!

If you only host on ABB. No big deal. Go to your calendar and ‘unblock’ the dates. But because I am connected through an API. The unblock tool is not available in the ABB calendar. Hmm…

I did find a work around. Block the dates in my software, wait until ABB receives the blocks, then unblock again, and viola, ABB calendar open again.

So, all this is just to vent… Come on ABB! I make you $25k/year and you micromanage me to DEATH!! Just let me run the show!
Also,

  1. Decline within 24 hours or get blocked unnecessarily. (must keep harassing guest until they do/don’t respond)
  2. Don’t forget to unblock your calendar if you accidentally let requests expire.
  3. Use block/unblock hack to unblock if connected via API.
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Good to know, I had not heard this one.

I use IB so I rarely get a request to book but ya never know.

RR

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I don’t understand why the dates were blocked when the request expired.

Very good to know. Thank you for sharing!
.
Is that an API with your own site - or are you using one of the Channel Managers? If latter, which site (if you don’t mind)?

I am guessing because he did not accept or decline…

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The dates aren’t supposed to be blocked if you fail to respond to a request within 24 hours. If you let a request expire, it counts as a decline, which doesn’t block dates. Something’s wonky.

Did you try clearing your cache and cookies?

Actually a year or so back Airbnb introduced a change where if you don’t accept or decline a request they can block the dates.

@James333 you’re an experienced host - you know airbnb asks you to accept or decline. Booking requests within 24 hours .- so why didn’t you? It’s hardly arduous :grin:

If you don’t like how the platform works set up and invest in promoting your own marketing channels/use other listing platforms .

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I have had to tell guests who were slow to respond that I am declining them to meet my 24 hour response, but they are welcome to inquire/book again if the dates have not been taken.

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Can you list any other platforms for the US that work better than Air? I’ve looked and can’t say that anything looks better which is pretty discouraging.

So I’m supposed to set an alarm each time I’m waiting for a guest to respond to some questions while the 24 countdown is going so I can decline at the last minute? Arduous-ness is subjective and you must have more time on your hands. :laughing:

ABB should have a flag that says that “Host is waiting for response from guest.” and if guest doesn’t respond, it expires without dates blocked.

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That would be nice, but I don’t expect Airbnb to go out of their way to add that feature. I’ve temp switched off IB for my covid reopen, and declined some bookings when guests were slow to agree to rules (no, you can’t bring your dog!).

I assume the guests then think I’m a jerk,as they usually respond, but wait, we’ll agree (as per usual, they didn’t read the rules.) Then a PITA special offer to revive the booking, by then they’ve found another place, which is probably just as well.

But it’s such an unnecessary go-round.

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I’ve got my own booking site. BKC sends guests that have no idea what they rented. VRBO doesn’t produce much for anyone in our area. Visitor center can’t get their #*(%& together. ABB has the eyeballs in our area. But believe me, I’m trying to diversify. Hopeful that Google Travel search takes off for STR > Direct.

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No I’m not based in the US and it depends on your target audience and type of listings.

Why not carry out your own market research and Google for your type of listing in your area and see where people are advertising.

Lordy it’s not that difficult… most bookings are IB so won’t be an issue.

With the rare bookings that are request to book answer the guests query or ask your own.

If they don’t come back within a few hours, then just decline and ask them to resubmit a booking with the information.

Doubt I have more time - sounds like I’m just much better at managing mine and multi-tasking :grin:

… single parent , work full time , have my own co-host and long term rental business, trustee at local arts charity , jointly run community project providing hundreds of meals each week for those living in food poverty

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Yes, if you can’t remember to either accept or decline within 24 hours, that is what you would need to do. Setting an alarm is arduous? Gimme a break.

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So that easy money actually takes some work. Poor little James. :frowning:

Coulda, shoulda, woulda. Success with AirBnB comes from learning how to work with and sometimes circumvent their system, not with whining about it. They are like any other Silicon Valley company, living in a bubble and not understanding the real world out side the Gray Area.

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I almost think that as a host, you have either an IB or a non-IB personality! Seems the non-IB hosts find the pre-communications informative, interesting, reassuring, etc.

I’m finding them more work than worth. I suspect the tidbits of information I get out of an inquiry are more the illusion of than actual quality control, which is what I was looking for during a pandemic. I know other hosts will disagree with that.

I will switch back to IB by year end if not sooner.

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My former rental didn’t have IB so conversations are what I’m used to. Now, have to have IB so don’t get stuck on page 10 since I’m new.
Yesterday I got an IB but she also told me why they were coming and hoping I was close to restaurants. I wrote back with a little more info about downtown street closed off on weekends so restaurants can set up in the street. She was happy to hear this. These are the connections that I love and hope to get more of and think it makes for a happy connection.

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Perhaps it has to do with my location or that my listing is a private room, therefore attracts a certain type of guest, but the vast majority of my guests send quite informative and personable initial messages when they inquire or send requests, and don’t ask stupid questions or ones that indicate that they didn’t bother to read the listing info.

And if I send them info about something they asked about that really doesn’t have anything to do with my listing, like the guy who was considering renting a car, so I warned him about the gouging at the airport rentals here and sent the info for a private car rental near me who have a really good reputation, the guests are always super appreciative and tell me I went above and beyond.

So I don’t find the non-IB model to be at all annoying. And I would never ever share my home with someone I didn’t have the opportunity to communicate with before approving their booking.

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I also tend to prefer IB to avoid bias, both conscious (“Coming for a job interview with The Heritage Foundation – Paul”) and unconscious (“Coming for a family reunion – Jamal”)

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