Review your Instant Book Setting - - how many think this is trustworthy?

The latest thing is ABB raised the Air Cover limit to $3 million.

I could be cynical and call it a marketing stunt. Instead, I’ll be good and just point out that this will only be of use to a very small group of hosts. Most of us don’t have homes worth $3 million.

4 Likes

Last week I was scratching my head about a guest who IB’d with 5 stays and no reviews. Joined in June 2022. In 5 stays why had nobody written a review? I understand that some of the stays could have been within a few days before, but I had always felt protected from such a risk and didn’t know how this guest had slipped by.
The suite is in my house, and I had been feeling secure in knowing that guests needed a good review before IB’ing. Clearly hadn’t kept up with the updates.
Not the worst guest ever, not disrespectful, but entitled.
His only request was a 1pm check out. Check out is 11am.

Had unregistered visitors, hosted an event (birthday balloons), loud noise before and after quiet time. End result, sleepy host, extra, extra cleaning.
I wrote his first review after 6 stays wondering what the previous hosts wanted to say but didn’t.
My question is, how common is it to have multiple stays, no reviews?

Well, sounds like he’s going to get his first review, and it will not be good. Always always always leave a review and always always always make it honest and factual.

6 Likes

There are a lot more online resources since I started hosting. I really struggled writing my first negative review, years ago. Luckily I haven’t had to write too many. The online resources that are now available for host reviews have improved over the years and I still refer to these for wordings if I’m stuck.
I’m waffling about turning off my IB, but don’t see an alternative for staying ahead of that sinking feeling of a booking that has signs of a train wreck and little in the way of tools to change course.
Maybe his other stays were magnificent 5 star stays, but, without the host review there isn’t any guidance for hosts, and just as importantly, for the guest’s future stays.
Seems like a simple concept.

That isn’t a benefit, those are just words on paper. Hosts can’t even get a couple thousand dollars worth of damage reimbursed, let alone a million or 3. Raising the limit is pointless if Airbnb decides they won’t pay out.
Any real benefit they have added for hosts? Seems to me they’ve been taking things away from us, not adding any.

5 Likes

You say the suite is in your home. I don’t understand why you allowed him to do this when you are right there and could have just told him “no way”. One of the advantages of being an onsite host is that guests can’t get away with things like this. Why would you let this go on and not take control of the situation?

3 Likes

Check your settings. They’ve tweaked it for IB.

I had a fellow book two weeks ago. He requested to book at 3 am. I accepted and sent him check in info at 6:30 am and took off for the morning to do errands. He called me requesting noon check in which I granted but he never showed up. In the evening I looked at my Ring footage and saw a guy walking around my house trying to find the Airbnb door, coming on the porch then leaving. All at 7:40. He had a backpack and was on foot. He called me after that. Then when I saw the footage I was just all out of sorts about the whole thing and I’m glad he didn’t return to stay. He tried calling again but now I didn’t answer given my new knowledge of his odd situation.

I left him a “do not recommend” review but he’s probably staying with other hosts in the area. He arrived on foot so I assume he doesn’t have a car and probably doesn’t have money for ride share if he can avoid it.

Here’s what I see on his profile now:

j

He can have a number of stays before any reviews show up. I’ve long disliked the 2 week review wait period for this kind of reason. I get a lot of one nighters traveling across the country and even though I review right away, I have no way to tip off the hosts upcoming.

You say the suite is in your home. I don’t understand why you allowed him to do this when you are right there and could have just told him “no way”. One of the advantages of being an onsite host is that guests can’t get away with things like this. Why would you let this go on and not take control of the situation?

I messaged at 10:15 regarding the noise, they quieted , but got a bit louder, then louder again, interspersed with loud peals of laughter. I was about to put on my coat to knock on the door when the sound shifted, it became quiet and visitors left at 12:30. I don’t have cameras on my property and didn’t know there were extra guests. I only saw the reason for the noise later, and the reason for the celebration after check out.

A camera would help get in front of this, but still doesn’t excuse the guest.

Thx for the explanation, I get it. I assume those guests didn’t arrive with cars or parked where you wouldn’t see or hear them.

I am a homeshare host myself and don’t have cameras. Seems pointless to me when I know what’s going on, plus I don’t like surveillance devices, although understand their value for off-site hosts.

I had a guest once who brought a guy home at 3 am, they were drunk and noisy and woke me up. I opted not to get up and make a scene at 3am, just waited until the morning to tell her how absolutely not okay that was. Not just the noisiness or bringing someone unapproved back, but my listing clearly states it is for 1 guest only.

I still have IB on this whole month. So far I’ve only gotten IBs from guests with 4.5 stars or above. Same as always. Just wondering if anyone has gotten IBs with less than 4.5.

I have seen this before. I believe that airbnb ‘knows’ when these people have stayed at an airbnb with another guest as the primary booker. ABB ‘attaches’ the review (or lack thereof, or lack of problems) to the guest as you see.

This is likely how they prevent young guests who have attended an airbnb party from booking as a primary going forward. Tag them as “high risk”.

I suppose I am fortunate that my bookings tend to be repeats so the gusts know what is expected of them.

However, I do have to ‘indoctrinate’ new guests all the time. Certainly, minimizing the host’s rules by airbnb before check-in makes that harder. However, there is a positive that comes from this - and here is what I do.

My RemoteLock software allows an immediate airbnb message to be sent upon booking - it comes to them the moment their $$$s go thru, I suppose - and I say this:

"Welcome xxxx - SO happy to have you as a guest. Here is all the info you need for your stay…

BUT FIRST, here are the 7 house rules you agreed to:

xxxx
xxx
xxx"

Even before airbnb changed the ground rules for IBs 2 weeks ago, I would ALWAYS have a guest who would say (in reply) something like "oh, I did not know that rule 7 said xxxx"and opened either a dialog or lol a request to cancel.

I think we give guests too much credit for their insight. I think they see a pretty picture, a good price, and ASSume they ‘know’ enough to ‘wing it’. Wrong of course, but human nature being what it is, Dunning-Kreuger always is present.

5 Likes

I will answer my own question. Today, on a listing with IB on and “Good track record” required…
I got a booking from a young looking fellow. 10 guests total. Zero trips and zero reviews…
Just 1 night. We are in a ski town, so good change a bunch of friends coming to ski/board the next day. Let’s see how this goes.

Come on airbnb!!! how can this fellow possibly be said to have a good track record?

peter 1
peter 2

2 Likes

Read the explanation of “Good track record”. It doesn’t say they need to have any reviews or good reviews. It says they can’t have negative reviews. So total newbies qualify. Great update, huh?

3 Likes

The only saving grace on keeping IB on is that if you are uncomfortable, you can get 3 cancellations (I think within a year) with no penalties.

Yeah, way to go Airbnb - always looking out for the host - NOT

1 Like

But if you only use request to book, you would pretty much never need to cancel because the guest was making you feel uncomfortable about hosting them, as you have a chance to communicate with them first and check out their reviews before deciding to accept.

The only reason you get or need penalty free cancellations for IB is because you have no chance to vet the guest before the booking is confirmed. With them now having removed IB criteria and the pre-booking message, those 3 penalty free cancellations are gonna get used up quick, I’d suspect.

I used one of my cancellations last week…
Airbnb charged me $50 for inconveniencing the guest. Even though the stay was over a month away and I cancelled within 4 hours. Yes, I had inventory open accidentally and the guest was slightly inconvenienced, but… another case where RTB would have prevented this issue for me as I would have seen my mistake before they booked and could have fixed it and saved $50… Maybe I will just go to RTB only.

1 Like

Would love to see Airbnb’s reaction if everyone turned off IB. If such a thing could be organized, then no one would have to be concerned with lowered search ranking by turning it off. :wink:

4 Likes