Booking a year ahead

[Tanya622]

Hi from UK, new to this, so if I sound dumb apologies. How far ahead can you book? I know my dates etc and it’s a year from now, the prices etc with early booking discount ,dates were available, so I reserved. Few hours later I got message from host saying they can’t take my booking as they’ve not worked out next years rates yet. I’d of been happy if they’d said we can take it but there will be an increase. Surely the rate aren’t going to be doubled or anything, I know we’re in the middle of an economic crisis but I’d of thought they’d snap at business with that in mind. 
like I said it’s all new to me so just hoping someone can give me insight into the workings of it all. 
much appreciated 

[Lorna170]

@Tanya622  Hosts can and should set their booking window only as far ahead as they are willing to book.  If the hosts can take a booking a year from now, they should also have their pricing set up for then as well.  This sounds like either a new host who hasn’t quite figured out all of the steps involved, or a host who is behind in getting ready for the next season.

I agree that the host might have been better at communicating their oversight.  Had it been me, I would have honored your booking at the price you got.  I would then have turned off instant book and gotten right onto my calendar and fixed my pricing or shortened my booking window.

[Tanya622]

Thanks @Lorna170 i think as you say they are quite new. She said they’re doing them next week, so maybe not quite ready. How come the prices were there? That I don’t get. 

[Huma0]

@Lorna170 

@Tanya622  said she 'reserved', so I took that to mean that she made a reservation/booking request. Of course, it is still annoying if the dates were shown as available for a certain price and the host had not made sure the pricing was correct, but there's no obligation for a host to accept a booking request.

It's a silly way to go about things though as their acceptance rate would still go down and then maybe also their position in the search results. Perhaps it was a new host, but I've heard about long term hosts doing that sort of thing too.

[Tanya622]

@Huma0 @I had made a reservation , the money was taken, then  3 hours later the payment returned and she wrote the bit about not accepting as not done next years rates. It’s fine, there are a few in the area I’ll just make sure I message any hosts first before I reserve. Thanks for advice 

[Huma0]

@Tanya622 

There is no standard as to how far in advance you can book a listing because each host gets to set their own booking window. Mine, for example, is set to a year in advance, but only because I host long term stays. Before I decided to do long term, I had a maximum six month booking window.

So, you can't really force a host to take your booking a year in advance. There are some quite severe penalties for hosts if they cancel on a guest so a lot of them are not going to want to make that commitment so far ahead.

[Tanya622]

Hi @Huma0 , thanks, that makes sense, just confusing as the prices and early booking discount was there. 

[Huma0]

@Tanya622 

Yes, I can see how that is confusing. The host should set their booking window according to the dates they are prepared to be booked right now. Anything later than that should not show up in your searches if those dates are not available to book for that listing.

So, it is misleading if the host selects a booking window that they won't actually stick to.

[Tanya622]

Yes, she also said they’re doing them next week, which is why I thought she’d of taken the reservation, another member did say they might not be familiar if they’re new to it.