Improving the accuracy of listing details to avoid invitation declines

[Mike2294]

I routinely attempt to book reservations with hosts that decline because they do not maintain accurate availability.  I respectfully request that AirBnB create appropriate disincentives for hosts that do not provide accurate booking details, as it implicitly devalues my time as a customer and positions AirBnB services as purely guesswork.  A natural customer response would be to request several bookings with the intent to cancel some in an effort to mitigate against such declines resulting from misinformation, which would be problematic for hosts and seems equally unfair. Perhaps allowing interested parties to rate others based upon their booking experience would be helpful.

[Sarah977]

@Mike2294  "A natural customer response would be to request several bookings with the intent to cancel some in an effort to mitigate against such declines resulting from misinformation, which would be problematic for hosts and seems equally unfair."

Yes, you are correct that it would be unfair. It will also result in a guest being charged for all the requests that are accepted, forfeiting the Airbnb service fee on every one, so it would be a very foolish thing for a guest to do.

If you want to make sure the dates are available, you should send an inquiry message (the 'Contact host' button below the listing description), not a request.

Certainly it isn't professional for a host not to keep their calendar up to date.

But that is sometimes not the host's doing, but due to Airbnb tech glitches, which are quite common. Dates sometimes show as available when looking at the calendar on the phone app, yet are blocked on the desktop version. Or the host has dates that show as blocked from their end, but show as available on the listing. Or dates the host had blocked mysteriously become unblocked. It's not always due to a host's error or inattention.

[Mike2294]

Thanks. These solutions place the burden of misinformation on guests. I don't find that fair or helpful. If there's no disincentive for inaccurate listing details, then I think I should pursue other alternatives. 

[Sarah977]

@Mike2294  If it's due to an Airbnb glitch, I can assure you it's just as distressing for hosts as for guests. It can result in the host losing bookings if dates appear blocked that are actually available, or guests like you being irritated to find out what appears to be available actually isn't. 

If the host is just unprofessionally inattentive, they are likely to be inattentive in other ways as well, which may be reflected in the reviews.

I can understand that it's a time consuming drag for guests. But there are many things that are so for hosts as well, like guests sending questions, the answers to which can be clearly found in the listing ad if the guest had only bothered to read the info provided. Hosts spend a ridiculous amount of time having to answer inquiries, only never to hear back from the guest, not even a thank you for their time. And there is no disincentive for guests doing that.

[Mike2294]

Thanks for sharing your experience. It seems that disinformation and poor communication are common at AirBnB. It makes sense for me to try other services. 

[Debra300]

@Mike2294,

Everything that @Sarah977 said is valid.  You didn't indicate how long and the frequency in which you encounter listings that are unavailable.  During the past year, many hosts blocked their calendars until a future date that they thought they'd be ready to host again, and may have forgotten that date, because they've gotten out of the habit of routinely managing their listing calendars due to inactivity.  It's only when they receive a reservation or booking request that they realize they're still not ready to host during the time period of the desired stay.

When I am looking for places to stay, recency is one of the things that I check while reading the reviews.  Reviews left during the past couple of months are a very good indication that the host is actively taking bookings.

There are large professional property management companies listing on Airbnb, but for the most part, guests are making reservations at the homes and personal property of individuals.   Many of these hosts have other jobs, and have had their routines disrupted with work from home while children are schooling from home, but not being able to check on grandparents or other vulnerable loved ones.

Even if you performed searches on OTAs that focused on hotels, you still would not get a platform that would penalize hotels for not keeping their calendars current. There have been several times when I've done searches on OTAs, and there are hotels displayed in the results for the dates entered that actually turn out to not have any availability after I click to reserve it.

[Mike2294]

@Debra300. Thank you for confirming @Sarah997's experience. I hope I did not come off as questioning it. I have no reason to do so, and I appreciate hearing from more experienced AirBnB users like you and Sarah. 

Simply put: I don't care to be subject to or implicated in the dynamics you and Sarah describe when making lodging arrangements. As a parent working full time and caring for extended family, I don't have time for the extra due diligence described by you and Sarah. So it seems that I cannot be the responsible AirBnB you expect of me. That's ok with me. I simply need more certainty when spending $3000 - $4000 on lodging.

I am quite sensitive to and patient with those who find themselves in difficult circumstances. We care for extended family in difficult circumstances. My wife and I hosted (under her account) when we had three kids under three years of age. It is not an easy job.

As such, I do not expect perfection when booking. If you must know, three of our last six reservation requests were rejected due to availability inaccuracies, none of which were described as being related to COVID. One host simply listed all dates and times as a available as a means to direct potential guests to their own booking services. This appeared to be an inappropriate use of AirBnB, and I reported it accordingly.

But again... I don't have the bandwidth to engage with potential hosts in this way. If the solution is more correspondence, then I made a suggestion to make booking behaviors part of the reviews, both for the benefits of guests and hosts. That does not appear to be palatable to you and Sarah, and I trust and defer to each of you given your experiences. So again... thanks for sharing them. Ultimately, I'm just not interested in the kind of experience you describe.

I did, however, discover that I can filter listings that can be booked immediately, a feature that I found very helpful and perhaps can help others in similar situations.

[Sarah977]

@Mike2294  Appreciate your reply. That seems like just really bad luck to encounter 3 of your last 6 bookings with availabilty issues. I wonder if those listings had some common factor- all run by big property management companies, or hosts with tons of listings who are disorganized, perhaps?

Instant Book would hopefully eliminate this issue, but I've certainly read posts from guests before where their IB booking was cancelled, the host stating non-availability.

At least you won't have a problem IBing, like new users do, as you have several good reviews.

I've never not had my calendar in order, nor I would hazard a guess, have any of the experienced posters here.

[Emilia42]

@Mike2294 I agree with you and think that instant book is the simplest solution. While Sarah and Debra would not operate this way there are many hosts who leave their calendars wide open so they may pick and choose the guest who best suits them. This may have to do with a lack of understanding of what the host is capable of on the Airbnb calendar. For example, instead of declining all stays under certain lengths over Christmas vacation and holding out for a longer stay, the host could set a 7-night minimum. Where there are instances of Instant booking reservations being canceled, it is safe to assume that in most cases the reservation is confirmed upon booking.

[Sarah977]

@Emilia42  I have noticed, on many of those big property management listings, the wording "Please contact host for availability". I could never figure out why they wouldn't keep their calendars up to date.

But what you say didn't occur to me- that they might be picking and choosing among the requests they get on any given day and choosing the ones that will earn them the most money. I suspect they also try to juggle guests between their listings. Like I submit a request for Unit A, but they want to save Unit A for a guest who will book for 6 instead of 4, and try to shuffle me over to Unit B, which has a max of 4 guests.

[Mike2294]

@Sarah977. We had several experiences like those you describe with VRBO, and it seems this is common at AirBnB as well. In addition to availability inaccuracies, we booked a place that was clearly outside of the advertised location range. We had no recourse. 

@Branka-and-Silvia0. I recognize that it's simple to message potential hosts, but doesn't that just encourage the very behavior that causes the problem? If it becomes the guest's responsibility to verify information before booking, how much should I trust the advertised details in the first place? As a guest, my confidence in what I'm buying is depressed, and I feel extra responsibility to police information. 

I am sure that savvy guests engage in similar gamesmanship, and I know that I'm not a representative guest. Ultimately, these dynamics are just a real disincentive for me. For me to spend money and time booking, I expect reviews to broadly reflect the totality of trustworthiness of users' choices, and, in my experience, they increasingly do not.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Mike2294  it is not simple to keep the calendar updated at every moment especially for hosts with multiple listings, (some of which may be the combination of two listings as one) and on the multiple booking platforms with daily changes of new bookings and cancellations.

Imagine how it is hectic on a top season. Even the most accurate hosts sometimes have double bookings whether that's their fault or a glitch on the system. And there are also unpredictable circumstances when previous guests damage the unit or something breaks like water pipe, or boiler etc... or a host gets sick.

And on top of it - Airbnb platform is constantly changing (they call it upgrades) without any warnings.

Being a host is a very stressful, full-time job for most of us. Every hotel has multiple staff working in shifts and if one is sick there are others to do his job. Airbnb host is often just a single person who is a cleaner, receptionist, accountant, doorman, marketing expert, repairman, customer service, PR, problem-solver, tourist guide... all in one. Keep this in mind the next time... or book a hotel if it suits you better.

[Mike2294]

@Branka-and-Silvia0.

The implication that I am insensitive to the challenges of hosting is not supported on this thread. The circumstances you describe do not represent the reasons hosts have rejected my requests. 

I have also stated in several posts our shared conclusion that AirBnB is not always the right alternative for me given the quality of information I have experienced and that you and others indicate I can expect. When planning expensive vacations or time with family, I want more confidence and mutual respect than AirBnB can provide. My hope is that direct booking signals the degree of confidence we seek.

Thank you for sharing your experiences. I have learned a lot from the information you and others have shared. I plan to disengage from further posts.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Mike2294  it is always easier and less time-consuming to "contact host" and send an inquiry before booking, just to make sure the unit is available than to instant book,  being canceled, and to wait a week for a refund.

[Deb216]

@Mike2294,  Mike, you and your family are welcome to book a stay at my property located on Cape Cod.

I update my calendar etc. often!  I'd be happy to Host you!  Best, Deb

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/36693684?check_in=2021-06-28&check_out=2021-07-02&guests=1&adults=6&s=6...