Ha! Ha!
I started thinking about it before the invasion started, and will keep a distant, wary eye on it as things develop. I think unless the senators stab Ceasar on the steps of the Kremlin this is going to drag out for months and months and months.
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Clicking on hosts profile offers no means of sending a message.
Profile bottom of page are listings, from listing send an inquiry
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If you scroll to the bottom of a listing there’s a box that says “contact host.”
I don’t know if you have to put any dates in when you do that. I know I dislike inquiries that aren’t from prospective guests. So good luck, @Ced.
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We are on the same page. It creates an inquiry. I think dates are needed but any available dates will work.
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You do. At least that was the case last time I was contacted that way, maybe a month ago? So keep in mind, @Ced , that it is going to be a bit annoying to the host. You can help by withdrawing your inquiry as soon as you have your answer so it doesn’t sit on their dashboard.
If it looks like the host has a place that is google-able, you might do that and see whether they have a website or some other means to get in touch.
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Good to know. Now, if I can just remember that. LOL.
That’s what I was saying. And if a current host contacted me about a prior guest that was no problem for me I’d probably be doubly annoyed. It would depend on how the message was framed. If it was lacking detail like the post (Eastern European is wierd and won’t answer my questions), and I’d had no problems I’d probably answer with some version of “why don’t you mind your own business?” OTOH, if I had problems and so did the next host and there were serious concerns then I’d be glad to be contacted. Once a local host contacted me to tell me that he had kicked a guest out for illicit drug use in his home and to be wary of renting to him. At that time I was still home share so I appreciated him taking the time to contact me.
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It would actually be a nice feature- a way for hosts to message other hosts other than an inquiry. It would have to come with a caveat that it isn’t to be used to inquire about booking, and not have any time limit in which to respond. So if the receiving host objected to being contacted, they could just opt not to answer.
It could be used to ask about clarification of a guest review if you have doubts about a guest, ask if they have any recommendations for cleaners or co-hosts in the area, etc.
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The 2 faced guest review is what I would want to ask about. The short written review that reads ok, but when you look at the guests score, it raised big red flags!
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Yes, I hate it when hosts do that. It’s cowardly. If there is reason to mark a guest down in ratings, the reason for that should also be made evident in the written review.
And it is a huge disserrvice to non-IB hosts who are not privy to a guest’s star ratings. We only have the written reviews to go on.
(Although I’ve read that some non-IB hosts are lately being shown them, so perhaps it has changed)
I can reach this conclusion. Discomfit a Russian populace that doesn’t want to annex Ukraine in the first place and you’ll put pressure on the regime.
Since airlines are canceling Russian flights, NATO countries are making their airspace a no-fly zone (remember the time after 9/11?), and countries are denying entrance and visas to Russians, I’d cancel right now.
This.
SuperHost is the least of your worries. So they take it away for a year? You’ll get it back and they’ll probably reinstate it if you bother them on social media.
This. Between Elon Musk putting his StarLink up for Ukraine and prominent Russians openly telling Putin to knock it off, the pressure on Putin is growing.
However, if I were Russian and planning a July getaway to Canada under the current climate, I’d cancel. Unless I was planning to flee and ask for sanctuary. In which case, I wouldn’t be waiting until July.
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The guest really has no incentive to cancel before June, right? So unless/until the guest feels that they ‘know’ that they won’t be able to come they might reasonably take a ‘wait and see’ approach unless you provided them some incentive to make a decision earlier.
If they’re good people and if at some point between now and June they ‘know’ that they can’t/won’t come, you might point out to them that you hope they will remember to cancel to fee up the property.
Without your nicely advising them of that they might well have other things on their mind and not think to cancel earlier for your benefit.
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There may come a time when the international banking system is no longer capable of getting the refund from Airbnb into his hands… and he does have an incentive to cancel before things reach that point. I’ve read several reports of Moscow hotels suddenly asking western reporters to to pay their anticipated bill in full mid-stay because “we’re not sure whether we will be able to process a credit card by the time you check out.”
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Ahh. Good point. You will want to raise THAT in your communications on the platform with this future guest. Yes, now the guest has an incentive. Couch it in those terms. Well done!
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You really (really really) need to message the guest right now and say “Based on the current climate (airlines, banking, sanctions, travel restrictions), we should discuss whether or not you should cancel your reservation. Please message me to discuss. I’m especially concerned as Russian credit card processing may not be available outside of Russia soon. I’m not comfortable with this scenario.”
Now, you’ve covered your butt with ABB -“I’m not comfortable,” and you’ve opened your door to communication. Here’s the think - with all the stuff hitting the fan in his country, a July visit is probably low on the list.
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You’re going to lose that reservation one way or another. I would plan on it and figure out how to lose it with the least amount of damage to my business.
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If you install AirReview extension to your Firefox or Chrome browser, you can see all the reviews hosts wrote about the guest.
If it was me, I would have already messaged the guest asking them if they want to cancel given the war and subsequent banking issues.
Apparently many are. And I just read there are Russian troops who are refusing to cross the border into Ukraine. Mutiny from within.
A Ukrainian sailor in Spain just opened the valves on a Russian arms dealer’s $8 million yacht and partially sank it. I loved that chutzpah. The Russian produced the bombs they’ve been dropping.
And Switzerland, which has always maintained a neutral stance in all conflicts, just froze Russian banking assets.
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Ditto for some state liquor stores in the USA. Also our favorite local non-state owned liquor store has done so too.
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Interesting, JohnF, that you have these lines of communications and interactions with actual folks! Please keep us tuned in to their comments!
To the Op I would get Air to cancel for you. Tell them he needs to have his money returned asap in order for his family to be safe. I can’t imagine they wouldn’t do that by now, but it might be impossible to return it by now also.
I am a Pacifist so this war is more than distressing and my hopes are for Ukraine are to hold on and continue fighting until Mr P has obviously become so crazy that the Russian people, possibly with those oligarches (not that they are ok), come out against him and are able to change the leadership there. It might help if all the parents of the kids in the Russian army knew that their kids are eating foodstuffs outdated in 2015! Maybe a giant blizzard would help in some way. It must be so awful.
We had some Russian guests recently. I think he used a translator when communicating with me online. She was possibly less educated and didn’t speak English at all, but gave me some fantastic cake. They left the most unintelligible 3 page hand written note in my booklet!
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