Glitch, instant-book on, but listing doesn't show in search results when filtered with instant-book

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Hi, this is my first post here, although I have been reading the posts for couple years now. I have been hosting for three years now, started to host a new listing in June.
Have been having a busy summer, lots of bookings. I have instant book on, it’s been on the whole time. Suddenly two weeks ago the new bookings stopped. I checked my settings, did the incognito-searches for my open dates etc. everything seemed to normal, lowered my prices. Yesterday I received a booking request from a guest that filled the criteria to use instant book. Also Air sent me a message saying: “Can you host “guest’s name” ? Why am I seeing this request? We sometimes require hosts to accept a reservation request even when they have Instant Book turned on. You’re most likely to see this when you haven’t updated your calendar in a while or you’ve recently canceled a reservation.” (not the case)

So. I go do the searches again for my listing AND put the filter instant book on and see my listing disappearing. Every time, for every available date.
Called the support and they couldn’t do much. Just told me to turn the instant book off and on again. Didn’t help, it’s been several hours now since I made the switch.
Can’t add links here, but my listing is called “Cute & Quiet Studio Near Center, 35min to Airport” (in Helsinki, Finland).

So frustrated with this. Hate to lose bookings, because of glitch that Air can’t fix.
Thanks.

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Do you have any criteria set for guests when you have instant book? If so, incognito searches won’t work properly because you’re not logged in and therefore, as a nobody, you don’t have the criteria required.

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Thanks for your reply. Yes I have the id required. I will try to do a normal search now. Hopefully this is the reason, very stupid of me obviously, but still think something is going on and have to figure it out.

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Sorry, I don’t know how to edit these messages, so just keep chatting with myself. Removed the criteria and the listing still doesn’t show when using the instant book filter.

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Have you cancelled anyone recently? That happened to us, we had an IB and felt uncomfortable with the guest, so called Airbnb and asked them to cancel, due to the reviews he had with anger issues. Our bookings then slowed down, only receiving requests. Discovered due to the one cancellation, they removed us from IB for a couple of months to teach us a lesson never to cancel. They informed us we were in a “pilot program”. It took multiple calls to even have CS figure that out.
I would keep calling CS, or ask on Twitter, don’t give up. It’s extremely frustrating if that happens.

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Yes, well I called the Airbnb to cancel a booking recently, because the guest demanded for a special price. She requested me earlier, didn’t use the instant book and asked for lower price. I refused. A week later she instant booked anyway. I told the Airbnb I don’t want a guest that wouldn’t want to pay the price in the first place, she was already unhappy and would probably leave a bad review. Can’t believe this I how they deal things, I mean I know they will punish you with the algorithms and all but is just too much.

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So I’m looking at it with an anonymous Firefox session. Once I zoomed in with the map it was at the top of the listings. It looks like a nice place but why is a five star listing priced at $10 per night? Is that another glitch, or are you trying to attract booking by lowering the price to the Air minimum? Super low prices will attract bargain hunters who tend to be problem guests. The only open September dates are 9th through 12th, but many October and early November dates, but no weekends?

I zoomed in with the map so I could try to match the map with a regular session.

But you are right — when I do a search with a regular Firefox session and filter for instant book using the same map, your listing does not show up even if I zoom the map to your block, and I know that I’m eligible for instant booking!

If you don’t get this resolved with Customer Disservice, try posting about the problem on Air’s Twitter account, which seems to be the best way to get higher ups to pay attention.

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Thank you so much for your help!!
My all Sunday nights are $10 as I create price bump for Friday or Saturday meaning that I will double the price so that guests won’t break the weekend when they check out. It’s been working quite well actually. I only allow check in on Fridays (check in is not allowed on Saturday and Sunday) and the price for the whole weekend is the same in any case, just divided differently. Before I was stuck with so many Sunday nights that wouldn’t be booked. Also I like to keep the weekends off as I personally clean and prepare the place. So that’s the reason my Sat and Sundays look like they’re closed.
Air still hasn’t replied me for this, when I called them yesterday they said they would get back to me.
If I try the Twitter thing, should I first make a Twitter account myself as I don’t have one?

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Update
Airbnb admitted that they took my listing’s instant book off, because of the cancellation I made two weeks ago, although they ensured me on the phone that there would be no penalties. Thinking back I should have kept the reservation even though I’m pretty sure the guest would have left a bad review. I just don’t want to rent my place for a discount seeker. Now who knows how long it will take me to get the instant book on again.
I will later post on Airbnb facebook page and try the Twitter.

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My instant book feature returned today. So it took about 3-4 weeks to get it back. During that time I only got three bookings (requests). Luckily my place was sold out for almost two months, but I definitely lost a lot of bookings. I read posts on other forums where people had this same issue, and getting instant book working again took them about 2 weeks to more than 6 months so I am relieved, if my penalty wasn’t longer than this.
I tweeted and posted on Airs facebook page and this is what they wrote to me: “Canceling because you are not comfortable with a guest, gives you no penalties towards your Superhost status. In some cases, when cancellations happen, our system automatically unable Instant Book for a while so hosts can have more control about who they want to accept. As it’s an automatic process, we are not able to revert it to Instant Book manually. When bookings are successfully completed, it will be automatically assessed and the listing will be returned to Instant Book.”
Air also wrote that: “Your activity is characterized by certain actions on your account, such as recent cancellations, booking inquiries declined, messages sent, and calendar views. As bookings are successfully completed, your hosting account will be automatically assessed and the listing will be returned to Instant Book in no time.”

I hope nobody has to go through this, but I’m afraid probably will.

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Do you know what that is referring to?

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I would guess that the algorithm just takes all those into account.

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I think they meant that is they way to get out of the situation faster. In other post people told that you should edit your calendar and your listing daily, maybe changing or adding a photo etc. Also I found out that some hosts got this “penalty”, instant book feature taken away, because GUESTS cancelling on them, which is ridiculous.

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Same thing here. Try turning off the new option they added “Good Track Record” but leave instant book on (if you want that). Worked for me and listing majically appeared again in searches. There is an obvious glitch with the new “Good Track Record” option they added.