Airbnb host won't react to my messages

[Anna8413]

Hi,

I have booked an airbnb stay with a host who only has positive reviews (hundreds of them). I have sent them two messages, 3 weeks apart concerning the booked place. My query is about the check in time, whether I can store my luggage there and if the room has ventilation (it is in a cellar.) I cannot rebook because my destination is a very small town in northern Europe where there are no alternatives available. I am a migraine sufferer so a stuffy room is hard for me to cope with. I have voiced this concern with them twice, and have gotten no reaction.

What can I do? I don't want them to cancel on me, or to cancel myself, but I am now getting pretty annoyed at their complete lack of interest in my questions. Also they have Whatsapp, but the last time they were online was 9 days ago.

Do you think calling them would be annoying? I don't to annoy them, but I have to know about the room.

[Kelly149]

@Anna8413 what does the listing say about these things? (best to read it on a full-size device)

[Anna8413]

@Kelly149  The thing is that the listing does not say anything about my questions. The host said on airbnb messenger that the room has ventilation, but never reacted to my question about what kind specifically it is. 3 days later, after I sent my second message I saw that the listing has check in instructions, but those were not there at the time I sent the message. They appeared later and I can only look at them in detail 3 days before check in.

[Anna8413]

deleted

[Kelly149]

@Anna8413 but if you are asking questions that the listing already specifies (for example, checkin time is usually quite clear) and you are asking for things extra to what is offered (does the listing say that the host has the space and ability to store things for guests prior to arrival) and if you are implying that you have health needs that their space may not address (hundreds of guests prior to you have been happy - do you think that none of them needed fresh air) then yes, maybe you are being picky.

You specifically want what: the brand or the manufacturer specs of their ventilation system? Do people typically know that or want to know that? Hundreds of people have been happy...

Those checkin instructions are very specific, but what time checkin begins is always a part of the listing info. It would be right there in your reservation.

Maybe they find your questions needy, maybe they're busy, none of us can know. But when guests ask, more than once..., about things that are already fairly well specified in the listing or for details that make it look like we're headed for a complaining difficult guest, well, then that host might choose to take a step back. Maybe

[Anna8413]

@Kelly149  I tried to voice my messages very politely and not to be demanding.

The luggage in question is a backpack which is 45cm by 30 by 20 cm, so nothing too large. It just would have been nice to know if I could store it there during the day.

And yes, maybe these things are clear to the host but not to me-I am still not very savvy around airbnb. And to react to these questions would have taken 3 minutes and saved me a lot of wondering and being annoyed at being ignored.  And about the ventilation-it can be described shortly in more detail. E.g, is it possible to ventilate after cooking? I cannot stand cooking smells, etc. 

I do not think it is reliable and would not do so myself.  I'm just someone who likes to know about things more in detail. 

So now the question is-what do I do? Call them? or just ignore them myself till the check in and take it from there?

The host is not giving me an accomodation for free, and I think as a guest I have a right to ask reasonably and to get a short, equally reasonable answer without this being such an issue.

[Kelly149]

@Anna8413 waiting until the moment of check-in to find out you don't have a good situation is always a bad idea with ABB (IMO)

Many people don't answer phone calls from unknown numbers and ABB tells hosts to keep all communication on the message thread where ABB can see it.

So, my advice would be to message one more time and just honestly tell the host that you're upset that you don't know what you don't know yet. If you're not going to like being ignored or perhaps not like the answer then you'll need the full convo to be there to make your case to ABB about changing your reservation.

Good luck!

btw, for future reference, many hosts would prefer to get these types of questions PRIOR to you making a booking, bc at this point they're stuck with you whether you're a good fit for each other or not. So, the question isn't wrong but there is a better time to ask it.

[Anna8413]

@Kelly149  yes, unfortunately you are right about that. In another kind of situation, I wouldn't have booked it but there was little alternative available, so I went ahead.

For the future, I will definitely ask beforehand.

[Kelly149]

@Anna8413 sure, but if all possibilities mean that you need to make the best of this place no matter what then fussing about these details doesn't help you much anyway.

[Anna8413]

that's correct, but the host answering my questions would be much better than just ignoring me and 'leaving me in the dark' about the issue. 

[Lyn3]

Hi @Anna8413  may I ask how many nights you have booked to stay at that place?

[Mike-And-Helen0]

@Anna8413 you could contact airbnb and say the host is unresponsive.

[Stephanie]

Hiya @Anna8413 ,

Thanks for sharing your situation and to @Mike-And-Helen0 @Lyn3 and @Kelly149 for their great support so far.  As Helen mentioned, please do reach out to Airbnb CS at your earliest convenience as communication is key to a successful and enjoyable stay. Fingers crossed your host is well and it is just an oversight. 

Keep us updated!

Thanks,

Stephanie