Update to Strict Cancellation Policy

[marika]

You don’t have to: there are statistics out there…And thank you for your wishes although I tend to rely less on luck and more on excellence. Striving to keep our stellar performance on all platforms

[Brandt]

@konacoconutz

@marika

Let me give you an example: Mr. A wants to book your place, and Ms. B is considering it. It’s Friday night. Mr. A says “I’ll book, just in case”. He books: when Ms. B goes back to your listing, the days are now closed, she looks at another property and books it. ABB now has two bookings, and there are two happy hosts. Sunday after lunch Mr. A has a fight with his wife, who preferred another listing on ABB, because it was cheaper, nearer to the shopping district…whatever. He cancels your booking and books his wife’s favorite. ABB still makes it’s money. You don’t. You are basically being used as a cancellation insurance policy by ABB. Not by choice, which would be OK. But because they force you to.

What I’m saying is that ABB now has a huge pool of hosts, which are going to get less and less bookings from them. Which ABB doesn’t mind, because what they want s to keep their guests happy: hosts are just a commodity, of which there is a seemingly endless supply

YES, agree…why is this so hard to understand???

Nobody is forcing you to use Airbnb.

[KKC]

@marika

Striving to keep our stellar performance on all platforms

Vacation rentals existed before Airbnb, they exist after Airbnb. Their niche was/should have been the renting out of the spare room but no they decided they wanted to be the Amazon of travel. Hosts like you really aren’t dependent on them. My little spare room by the highway does depend on them but so far their policies work for me.

I don’t fool myself into thinking they need me or care about me. I expect nothing from them and therefore cannot be disappointed.

[marika]

So you’re alright with the fact that many hosts have built their business around ABB, and that now the company is turning the tables on them and simply using them as insurance policy?
I’m very curious as to why you are so defensive of them, when they are doing something which is so obviously negative for most hosts?

[Brandt]

@marika

It’s difficult to leave when you have bookings until next year, but I’m certainly looking forward to have less bookings from them and more from host oriented platforms. Once the other platforms fill the gap, it will be a pleasure to kiss ABB goodbye, which IS my constitutional right.
And I’m not the only apparently: in my market at least, they are losing market shares daily. Much less new listings and lots of the old ones disappearing. I had a long list of places I liked in my city, which I kept because I wanted to get decorating ideas from them: I looked at it yesterday and two thirds of these listing are gone. So ABB might not care for the moment…in fact, they certainly don’t, since their strategy is entirely guest oriented, but I bet they will regret it in the long run. Smarter and older companies are quietly taking in new hosts.
Oh, and as for another listing taking my spot? Somehow, I doubt it…If you saw my main listings, you’d understand why. It will be ABB’s loss, not mine.

I’m on Vrbo and Tripadvisor (although get nothing from TA) what other platforms are you getting bookings on?

[konacoconutz]

@Brandt

Bookings that result in stays.

How can they result in stays when they are canceled after 48 hours?

[marika]

And that is very wise of you. A great Greek poet said: " I hope for nothing, I fear nothing: I am free". Sounds like a good idea.
Especially when dealing with the likes of ABB!

[Brandt]

I don’t think it is negative for me or most hosts. I get most reservations 30-60 days in advance. Some as far as 6 months I think the net impact for me would be positive.

I think there is some reassurance to guests that they can cancel in the next 2 days. (I moved to this cancellation policy when it launched a few months back). I’ve made the calculation that I’m more likely to get additional reservations this way. If they cancel, I will get someone else. Hopefully they stay.

[konacoconutz]

@marika

I’m very curious as to why you are so defensive of them, when they are doing something which is so obviously negative for most hosts?

I am too, because this line of thinking does not make sense. Makes me think Brandt might work for them.

Who on earth would think that this 48 hour benefits hosts? It’s total spin and BS to proclaim it was enthusiastically embraced by hosts. Give me a break.

[Brandt]

@konacoconutz

@Brandt

Bookings that result in stays.

How can they result in stays when they are canceled after 48 hours?

I’m done trying to reason with you.

[marika]

I know…I was laughing so hard when I read their email. they must really think we’re very very stupid. Or gullible. Or both. It’s disgraceful.
What amuses me is that you can keep on asking the same question “In what way is this positive for hosts?”, and obviously they can’t answer. So they try another spin.
But the truth is always to look at the bottom line, and no way this is good for the hosts’ bottom line.

[konacoconutz]

So be it. But you are actually saying a policy that allows guests to cancel free of charge within 48 hours benefits hosts and is reasonable?? I’m not getting it.

[konacoconutz]

@Brandt

If they cancel, I will get someone else. Hopefully they stay.

But what if they don’t? You have lost but somehow you think that is a good thing.

You also don’t realize that this is only the beginning of the book and look policies that are coming. Come back when you get that email and tell us it’s still good for hosts, will you?

[marika]

Actually, I think we’re both getting it quite well! Well, what can I say: some people would boldly come out and defend the statement that "Strychnine is very good for your health, especially when taken before breakfast, because ABB says so."
Hm…

[marika]

More and more from Booking. Love them! It was difficult at first because their platform is not easy to navigate. They are taking over most of my listings, and I love the fact that they don’t pester you with dubious price recommendations, that they have fabulous customer service and that you can set your cancellation policies as you wish. And mainly, I’m getting so many more bookings with them. Tripadvisor is good too, very good quality guests, who usually pay more and demand less. Better educated and more mature crowd.

[konacoconutz]

Ahh, I miss the days when strict was really strict. Back in 2009 when I joined Airbnb and they were a small, nice and slightly funky company to deal with.

[marika]

I know: it was fun then. even their CS was kind of amusing, because they had no idea what they were doing…but in a nice way. Now they still don’t, but they’re not so nice.

[konacoconutz]

@marika

Tripadvisor is good too, very good quality guests, who usually pay more and demand less. Better educated and more mature crowd.

I would not be unhappy if TripAdvisor took over my Airbnb business.
They’ve improved instead of getting worse. They let me set Super strict and people still book.

I’ve been pleased with the caliber of guest who books on them since they ditched the flipkey brand. So far just zero problems. No nit picky reviews to worry about, just easygoing guests and TA really do charge and hold the deposit.

Of course no platform is GREAT as they all take a piece of the pie. Book Direct is really the way of the future and we should all be working toward that.

[Brandt]

Do you have to handle collecting payments on booking.com? People complained about that payment process from what i gathered. but my info is dated now.

Thoughts?

[marika]

Yup. The way to go is to set up your own website and to be on Google maps, but that has some problems also. I know a lot of hosts get bookings through all kinds of surprising things…Instagram…FB…