Listing settings changing ON THEIR OWN

[Lindsey231]

Has anyone else experienced, as a host, listing settings changing on their own? 

I have experienced this multiple times over the past year. 

- At first I noticed that even though I set our property to 2 beds, when I was reviewing the listing a few days later, it said 1 bed. I changed it to 2 beds, and previewed the listing to be sure it was showing up correctly (it was). A few weeks later, checked the listing again, and it was showing up as 1 BED! This happened maybe 3 times over the first few months having the listing.

- I have noticed the same thing with the cancelation policy. We set a "strict" policy for our listings. Every so often I look through all the settings of our listings to make sure they're as they should be, and a few weeks ago I noticed our "strict" cancelation policy was suddenly set to "flexible". I immediately switched it back to "strict". I viewed the listing on preview to be sure it was "strict" again and it was. I checked it days later and it was still correct. Today we had a cancelation for a reservation 2 days from now (it was originally booked weeks ago), and the payout said $0! I looked at our cancelation policy and it was set to "flexible"! I am furious because now we've lost money over this glitch, and I have yet to research how many guests have booked under the "flexible" policy since it last reverted, and how much potential revenue we will lose because of this if guests choose to cancel last minute. 

I have found this same issue from multiple other Hosts, here is an example from two:

Suzanne210 in San Diego, CA
Level 2
‎01-03-2019 08:25 AM
When did Airbnb update the "strict" cancellation policy. I had a guest book before the change and now wants to cancel, he will now be able to get full refund. We had a contract. Airbnb continually impose their policies on hosts but flout the original policies hosts have signed up for.

Michelle147 in Dallas, TX
Level 2
‎01-11-2019 03:53 AM
I just had the same thing happen to me. I always have had a strict cancellation policy. Guest books Dec. 29 for Jan 12. He cancels reservations Jan. 9 and gets a full refund. I look at guest itinerary and it now ahows Flexible cancellation policy. Of course now Airbnb accuse me of making the change. Also it's almost impossible to get a supervisor on the phone. So much for being a Super Host.

When I messaged Airbnb about it they said that it was likely my co-host (which it definitely wasn't) and that they "haven't received any update that we're having issued with listing settings changes without changing it from your end as you're the only ones who has an acceds to make changes to it".

They are currently looking into it further but I'm not feeling too confident that we'll get any financial compensation out of it even though their programming is at fault.

Has anyone else had a similar issue?

[Lindsey231]

This user seems to be having a somewhat similar issue (with no resolve) of settings changing on their own:

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Help/Bug-glitch-Any-editing-or-changes-of-my-listing-are-reset-a...

[Brian686]

This is yet another one of the glitches - or is it a deliberate coding of the software- that is apparent with the platform. You are certainly not alone in experiencing this. There are a range of other ‘bugs’ waiting in the wings as well. Pointless raising them with Cx as they simply turn around and tell us it is a change we made and their software is not at fault. I am starting to think they might be right in that there is no software fault - it might well be deliberately coded in. 

[Lindsey231]

Okay ya'll are not going to believe this...we got a response from Airbnb to my original message...

Hello,

This is Noverien, your friend and your dedicated community specialist here at Airbnb. I hope this message finds you well and in high spirits. I tried to call you just now but sadly I was not able to reach you out so I am sending you this message instead. I understand you need help with you listing cancellation policy, let us figure this out together. I will be happy to help you.

After investigating your account, the reservation which your guest cancelled and got a full refund was part of Airbnb experiment. On the experiment, guest will have the option to select a different cancellation policy upon making the reservation but they will be paying it at a higher nightly rate.

Experiments are done to entice users to book the listing, check if it will decrease reservation cancellations and increase reservation bookings, to be able to make.

I apologize if you are not informed about it, the process is usually system generated, this is for our system engineers to find ways to improve the platform that will benefit both Airbnb hosts and guests.

Best,
Noverien

....um...someone come get yo boi Noverien cuz he's gone lost his mind....what the actual F***

First of all, IS THIS EVEN LEGAL?? Second of all, ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? Can I sue over this?? So our livelihood is their experiment and we're just their guinea pigs??

I responded with the following:

I don't understand...are you telling me that even though I have our policy set to strict, that Airbnb engineers can go into our account for "experiments", change our settings without telling us, resulting in us loosing hundreds of dollars, or potentially even thousands if guests decide to cancel last minute?

And if what you're saying is true, does this mean that Airbnb, who did this without our knowledge or consent, will be refunding us the money we lost and will loose in the future due to their actions?

...I just can't even fathom this...I'll post their reply when I get it.

[Brian686]

This is certainly interesting and well outside their constant ramming down our throats that prices are always the hosts responsibility. I would expect their unauthorised changing of a hosts cancellation policy is tantamount to theft and will likely see them in the courts if they think they can get away with this. Certainly explains why the glitches mysteriously stop once they get caught out - if only the glitches stayed away permanently. 

brian

[Jacqueline637]

I have just had the third change to my listing that I have not authorized.  Example:  We do not accept children between 2 and 5 (we love the children but too many parents are completely irresponsible).  We are also not set up for children.  I just got another request for a month reservation.  AirBnB will be "ticked off" to lose the revenue and so will I.   If the listing had become unstable, we would both have been spared the pain.  I am a SuperHost at my ot her property but the situation at this property is quite different.  It is an adult experience (and baby under 18 months permitted) 

Has anyone had their listing changed without having made the change themself?

[Susan17]

@Lindsey231 

."...um...someone come get yo boi Noverien cuz he's gone lost his mind....what the actual F**

First of all, IS THIS EVEN LEGAL?? Second of all, ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? Can I sue over this?? So our livelihood is their experiment and we're just their guinea pigs??"

I'm sorry to hear you're having to deal with this crap, and I'm not for one minute making light of the seriousness of your situation.. but I laugh harder every time I read that! You've perfectly described the exact chain of iincredulous thoughts that cycle through so many of our brains, when trying to process our interactions with Airbnb customer support! Every host who has ever had these surreal experiences with CX - regardless of what particular issue it was relation to - will be totally relating to how you were feeling in that WTAF??!!  moment.. 😉

[Trude0]

Wow! I think poor Noverien may soon be out of a job. If what he is saying is true, then it most certainly was not intended to come out. 

Maybe it explains why my listing was suddenly available for IB (which I could only see via the laptop, not via the app). I complained, they said they checked and ”could not see the same on their side”, an the next day it was back to normal (no IB). 

[Suzanne302]

@Lindsey231  He's not referring to some "secret" experiment, he's referring to the optional cancellation policy called "flexible or non-refundable." You may have not noticed this setting, or, it could have been turned on in your listing due to a glitch. It's not, however, an experiment going on without the host or guest's knowledge. (outside of the fact that you may not realize this was turned on)

With this policy, the guest chooses to pay a higher rate for a flexible cancellation policy, or, they pay 10% less and the reservation is non-refundable. There is also a "moderate or non-refundable" cancellation policy that is similar. EDIT TO ADD: They have also added "strict or non-refundable".

[Susan17]

@Suzanne302 

Many hosts reporting that their cancellation policies have suddenly "defaulted" - without the hosts' knowledge, consent or input - to more lenient policies than they had set.

So it's actually equally plausible that all these canx policy defaultings are as a result of some bonkers back-stage revenue-boosting experiment that Airbnb is conducting, as them being a result of Airbnb System "Glitch", Number 999.

Whatever the reasons though, it's costing a lot of hosts money that they absolutely should not be losing, it shouldn't be happening, and is - at best - just another example of the company's sheer incompetence and ineptitude. At worst.. well... we best not go there...

[Suzanne302]

@Susan17  Oh, I don't doubt that at all. I was just saying that it wasn't some secret experiment, aside from perhaps a "glitch" changing the settings. You may not be aware that your settings have been changed due to a "glitch", but they are not just overriding the settings for a secret experiment. ie, if she goes to look at her settings, I'll bet they are set at one of the either/or scenarios I mentioned above.

[Kenneth12]

Yes,  lots of us are seeing minimum booking,    latest booking,  and other settings "glitches" changing on their own.  😞

The above message is odd,   can't tell if he's talking about the current lowered fee for non-cancellable bookings,  or a new "pay more to get around the rules" option.

Obviously,  if it's entirely refundable and you know you could pay more in a situation where you are likely to cancel to get refundable,  ...  

[Eyal11]

Change your password

[Ava34]

Why is it that when I type a comment, it won't go through, but when I just sent a    .(dot)    it did! Will type my comment again...

[Vivian932]

I have the same issue, the cancellation policy in the reservation is changed without my notice.

Airbnb they are not able to address this issue, and it occured twice now! 

Their help center support is not really support at all.... So frustrated!