Guest booked my place twice a month for 3 months and canceled most stays.

[Pat21]

I had a guest book my place during Dec, Jan, Feb, and March. 2 separate weekends each month. This is a busy time with holidays, Winter Ice Carnival, and two ski hills. So far he has canceled all but one booking. He is scheduled for two more weekends and I would bet anything he will cancel the upcoming one too. I have a flexible cancellation policy, so he only has to give me 24 hr. I'm so frustrated with the situation but have been able to fill the place on all but one weekend. He lives 2 hours away, so it is likely he will be a problem next season. I would like to block him, but not sure what that will mean or do. If I understand the stuff in help it would mean he wouldn't be able to see my booking. Is this right? What else will happen if I block him?

My second question is can I change the cancellation policy for different months? Like summer and winter.

[Helen744]

Helen@744 some people will double book to make sure they have a place especially if they may be travelling with different amounts of other people. H

[Gillian166]

what if he's doing it on behalf of a friend who has a rival listing near you, and he's trying to sabotage your calendar? 
change your cancellation policy. Moderate is a good deal for guests, they get a 10% discount if they choose to not be able to cancel. 
simple. 

[Pat21]

Thanks, I am looking into changing my cancellation policy.  Luckily I have filled every cancellation so far that he made. Financially I haven’t suffered. Appreciate your suggestions. 

[Debra300]

@Pat21,

Most of the cancellation policies have the option to include a non-refundable rate.  This is a screenshot of my Policies and rules tab.

What a guest sees when entering dates on the listing's page.  If the guest chooses the discounted rate, it's non-refundable under most circumstances.  Otherwise, if they choose the refundable rate, they have 48 hours after making the reservation to cancel, and get a full refund.  If they don't cancel within that window, they have until 30 days before the date of arrival to get a full refund, less ABB's service fee, and so on with the rest of the cancellation policy.

[Arnie89]

I am a new here and have only had three tenants so far.   I do have about 5 or 6 bookings pending sprinkled through out the next 4 months.  Do you know if I change my cancellation policy from flexible to firm,  will it affect the people who have already booked when it was flexible?  or will it only affect the future bookings that happen after I change the policy?

thanks

[Sarah977]

@Arnie89  Anything you change only affects new bookings, not confirmed reservations, which are governed by whatever was in place when the guest booked. This could be cancellation policy, house rules, amenities, anything. 

So if, for instance, you decided to change your check-out time from 11 am to 10 am, a guest who booked before that would still be able to check out at 11. Or if you decided to no longer offer washing machine use, and removed the machine because guests were abusing it and broke it, you would have to let an already booked guest know that and either offer to wash their clothes for them, offer a discount for the missing amenity, or refund them if it was a deal-breaker and they wanted to cancel.

[Pat21]

It won’t change anything you have booked only what gets booked after you change it. 

[Arnie89]

I would block him if he cancels again.  This is a business and being in McCall I am sure you will stay plenty busy with out his bookings.

[Pat21]

He has been blocked. Thanks 

[Pat21]

He did cancel the last two stays. I did block him. Thanks