Are you on another platform along with ABnB.?

[Wende2]

Hi all.......just curious to how you're making out with that.  Any issues with being double booked.? 

Seems to me I remember some yrs back someone mentioned that happened.  Just thinking

I may go to VRBO, do a test run, just really worried about the double book.  If my bookings drop off

I'm diffidently looking into going elsewhere.  I doubt ABnB cares, after seeing the listings they have

on their opening pg.  I'm a small, well tiny fish in this sea.

Thanks guys.

[Fred13]

^^^ Overall identical experience. To me, Airbnb is really a Godsend, albeit unnecessarily chaotic at times. 

[Wende2]

@Fred13   Same here...Godsend...but if my Aug doesn't soon start getting booked, I'll only have these changes to blame.  I even went back to double check when the few bookings I have were made, it was before the changes, so we'll see.  I will list with VRBO tho, it's worth at least a try til this time next yr.

[David8879]

I really hope ABB will sort out all this "modern, hip, cool" changes> We will have to wait till Quarterly Earnings release after the Summer Abomination for it to sink into numbers and a lot of heads in ABB IT department will roll 

Patience is a virtue

[Laura2592]

So is everyone having issues with booking right now? We have a new property we are getting ready to market as a furnished LTR but were thinking we might have ABB/STR in our back pocket if we couldn't find the right tenant. This whole "Category" debacle seems to have had a true chilling effect on bookings from what I am seeing in the forums.

[Lenore22]

Yes. We open up 3 months at a time. By April just about all our dates were full through September. June 1st, we opened our dates for October thru the end of the year and... Nothing. We've actually been contacted by 2 people looking to book for summer 2023, and we told them check back in January or get on our list... But no one booking for the end of the year.

I'm so glad we booked up September early, But those open dates are making me awfully nervous. Interesting that it coincides with the summer rollout...

[Lenore22]

Correction: we have gotten ,2 bookings for the fall so far: both from VRBO...

[Wende2]

@Laura2592   Hello, how are you guys.?  I had my place on a lease agreement, some people you wish you'd never given it to.  I was so glad to get away from that on ABnB, it's so NICE knowing if you get a jerk for a night or week, they're out, no dealing with trying to get them gone.  I know someone who bought a house that had a tenant, she refused to leave, ended up in court to get her out.  So be very careful about who you get in there, liars will be liars, and the pathological ones are really something else, I had one up there yrs ago.  I am lucky that the ones in the apt over me are good people, they came recommended by my friend.

Hope you are well, did you your cottage sell.?

[Elaine701]

Here's something that was suggested to me recently. 

https://marketing.direct-owners.com/alternative-to-airbnb

Sounds interesting, but again, the big question is can they deliver bookings? They're new, nobody's ever heard of them, and like VRBO and all the others would it be just a waste of time?

What they say sounds attractive. But can they really compete with Airbnb? How much are they spending on marketing? Airbnb has some of the best in the business. How are you going to compete with that? 

I feel like signing up just to help them out. But I doubt they'll ever deliver bookings like Airbnb does. I already listed on unproductive platforms. It didn't work out. 

[Wende2]

@Elaine701   This whole concept reminds me of a co-op biz, like everyone on it owns a piece of it, this kinda sounds like the same idea.?  But why at the end do they say first year free, when it starts out no commissions and Admin fees.  Like you it may be nice to list just to help them out, who knows could end up being a really good decision.

[Elaine701]

@Wende2 

I'm sure it's not philanthropic. I suspect there's a "membership fee". Perhaps a flat rate. You get the first year free,  to attract members and establish some ratings. 

I think I might give it a shot. I don't see anything to lose. Unless Airbnb decides to impose fines for being listed with them 🤨

[Wende2]

@Elaine701   I was thinking yrs ago when I first thought about connecting VRBO with my ABnB calendar they took a fee from those bookings.  Yes I suppose you're right that it's a membership fee.

[David8879]

AirBNB needs to understand that they screwing up hosts - will result in competetors getting rich 

[Elaine701]

@David8879 

Airbnb do not need to cater to hosts. They have the bookings. Hosts will sign up or stay even if Airbnb screw them.

So, to live with Airbnb, Hosts need to understand where the Airbnb land mines are laid, and be careful to avoid them. I'm always finding new ones, and this forum has been very helpful in that respect. 

But yes, it's never a good idea to be exclusive with Airbnb. It can all end in a minute, for no apparent reason. And starting a new platform from scratch is painful. Especially since none of them have the reach that Airbnb has. 

Watch your back. And try to keep Airbnb out of anything besides bookings and payment. That's all you should expect from them. Anything else is asking for trouble. 

[David8879]

precisely. As I said in another post - AirBNB is our employer. Period

[Fred13]

In all cases, Airbnb is really no more than one of the suppliers if a host so chooses. It appears the relationship oftentimes becomes a symbiosis to such a degree, people start to forget its very beginning.