Guest Booking within 24 hours of check out and not paying

[Ken454]

Guests need to pay for a booking made within 24 hours of next day check out time (no matter how many days booked) to make it a confirmed reservation. (No refunds under any circumstances) Otherwise don't tell me about it. Guests are booking multiple places last minute, given 24 hours to pay (BS) to confirm their commitment and making hosts wait for a late arrival. And then Guests do not pay. Very disrespectful on guests and your part. This is BS and needs to be fixed in your software. I do main frame assembler programming and C++ and it should be an easy fix!!! Need help???

[Colleen253]

@Ken454  This is a forum of hosts and guests. If you have feedback for ABB, you need to send it directly to them, as it won't be seen here. You can adjust your settings to require as many days booking notice as you wish, to avoid last minute bookings, and the associated risks/hassles involved with potentially not getting a payout, and the other potential problems involved. I infer from your post you may also have Instant Book turned on. You can turn this off as well, so guests can only send a request to book. There are a number of other ways you, as a host, have control over your settings to avoid issues. Good thing, because if we let ABB have their way, it's utter chaos.

[Ken454]

Most of my bookings come the same day. To turn off Instant Book or require a 24 hour notice would close potential guests. Come on .... It just makes sense!! If you book a place withing 24 hours of checkout time, guests should be required to confirm it with a payment. I don't know of a hotel motel that works different. Do you?? BTW I have been complaining about multiple booking since I was a host I was a member for many years prior.

[Jennifer1421]

I agree with you, @Ken454 , that payment should be collected before a reservation is confirmed. In what world does this even need to be explained??? This has only happened to me once - a guest booked around 10-11 the morning for a 3pm check-in. I happened to notice the "Awaiting Payment" notification, which made me very nervous, indeed, especially when I read that they had 24 hours to complete their payment (which would be after checkout time).

I called Airbnb, and told them that I would have to cancel the reservation (under the "not comfortable" allowance) if the guest had not paid by 1pm. Hey, presto! Payment made...exactly at 1 pm.

This is not practical if most of your bookings come in this way, though. Until the issue is deal with in the code, I can't think of another workaround. Perhaps a longer-tenured host can make a suggestion.

Best of luck!

[Colleen253]

@Ken454  I am not arguing for or against your points, and I don't know anything about your history. Just pointing out that your feedback to ABB won't be seen here, and pointing out ways you have some control over your listing. Hosts have been complaining for years on here, and to ABB, about many things that work against them. It's well proven that ABB isn't going to listen nor act. We can either deal with it the best way we are able, or move off the platform. 

[Susan17]

@Colleen253 

"Hosts have been complaining for years on here, and to ABB, about many things that work against them. It's well proven that ABB isn't going to listen nor act"

Correct. That's why every host needs to start reporting every Airbnb transgression and irregularity to the relevant authorities and regulatory bodies. Every time. And take it to the media as well. 

That'd soon start yeilding the desired results in compelling Airbnb to behave like an ethical, professional, law-abiding outfit. 

No host who has spent any amount of time, effort or money in building up their businesses and reputations on Airbnb, should ever be forced to just deal with it or move off the platform. 

[Colleen253]

@Susan17  That's true, and a razor sharp point you make.... hosts need to stop simply complaining to ABB and instead take it where it needs to go to effect change. @Ken454 

[Ken454]

Fair enough. Here I can reach people who have similar issues that can join in giving feedback in the proper place. If no one besides myself complains then Air will do nothing. I call Air and write them properly as well as use this as a platform to gather like minded people to voice a properly placed complaint. It takes a small army to move Air. Hosts need to communicate this way. That's all.

[Ken454]

Let's all make it a suggestion...Properly placed. I have had my close calls with this kind of situation as well. What bugs me the most is waiting for Guests to show up at a time they said they would show, with a confirmed reservation.

Hey! maybe it would be a good idea to suggest (repeatedly) Air watch the banter here as well. Air's limited way to communicate is not all encompassing and a bit difficult to navigate.

[Ken454]

Thanks for the reply.