Last Minute Cancellation by New Guest at the Start of Multiple Bookings

[Clay29]

Hi,

I have a new but well-reviewed guest who made made multiple booking requests. I also have a moderate cancellation policy. The first red flag was during the reservation process when he declared himself a regular midweek traveler of three days and wanted a discount. I told him no but accepted the reservations so my search rank would not drop. A few days later, he came back with another odd request, "would I store his bike between visits?". I am sorry but there's no way I want responsibility for a guest's property when they aren't actually staying here so I said no again, hoping he would cancel. No such luck.

Now we come to a few days before his first reservation and immediately after Airbnb's guest reminder and he cancels without reason, meaning I get nothing except the pleasure of having had blocked calendar dates for several months other legitimate guests could have booked. I want to go back and cancel all of his stays and block him but I know I will get in trouble for doing that.

My assessment is the guest is booking my place as a backup because he cannot get his favorite at the time of the booking and cancelling if the other opens up. I called support to complain and find if there was a way to at least block him from making further reservations with ones outstanding and I am told I cannot. Support did put a strike on his account for cancelling and say that if he accumulates to many, he can be removed from the platform. In a round-about way, they also said this is exactly what the guest is doing.

/rant This is not cool. Three days is the shortest stay I will take after covid and with all I offer my guests as there is very little profit. Asking for a discount because "you're such a great guest" is laughably stupid. And then you want me to care for your tricycle while your away? And if not you'll hover like a bird over my calendar and poop everywhere so no one else can book? /end rant

I get why Airbnb won't cancel his other reservations but he should be told as the host I have the right to do that penalty free and that should be true. He would be gone now. Alas my calendar awaits his next cancellation and it will be months before I can finally block him for good (or he rips out the last feather allowing him to fly like this). Anything I could do better here?

Thank you and thanks for listening.

Clay

[Huma0]

@David8879 

My rules do already include no luggage storage. The guest I mentioned above was firmly told NO. He took this to mean that if he asked again and again that I would eventually say yes. When I didn't, he cancelled last minute. My point was not about guests obeying house rules, it was about last minute cancellations and why I switched to a Strict policy.

But you are right, it's very important to ensure that guests read and agree to house rules before they book. For me, it's literally the most important thing. I have an 'Easter egg' question in my rules that guests must answer before I'll accept their booking and there are also some key points they need to confirm in writing that they understand. I simply won't accept the booking otherwise. I don't care too much about acceptance rate except that it affects my position in the search results, which is especially important now with this Summer Release fiasco, but I'd rather have no booking than a guest who is not going to follow my rules or complain about them afterwards.

I've never had problems with more people showing up than are on the booking, people throwing parties, bringing pets etc. or similar such stuff as I'm a live in host so they can't just sneak in extra people. They don't even try to lie about it. I stick to my maximum capacity, I stick to my extra person fee, I stick to no visitors without permission, no pets, no children.

Where I have had problems recently is always when I get a bit relaxed about the confirming of the house rules thing. One guest ignored this question and went ahead and instant booked. I chased her and she sent the answer to the Easter egg. At this point I was uneasy hosting her (guest who asks you lots of questions but ignores the questions you ask them = red flag), but I had used up my penalty free IB cancellations and she had good reviews, so I let it pass. Error. She was a pain in the backside and left me low ratings. 

The other one request booked but didn't respond to the question about house rules or anything else, so I declined. He then got back to me apologising and saying he didn't realise his notifications were turned off (happens a lot with guests) and answered my questions, so I accepted. Error. He was a miserable, socially awkward guest who didn't complain about anything while here, then left me low ratings for things already mentioned on the listing.

I already turned off IB after the girl mentioned above and now plan to be even more vigilant. Guests need to either answer the Easter egg when they message me, or the very first time I ask for it. Otherwise, they don't get to stay with me. Guests often miss the info the first time and can turn out to be lovely. Guests who ignore the information when you keep repeating it are exactly what you mention, "only thinking about themselves" but perhaps to a greater extent than most, i.e. they are entitled. They don't think the rules apply to them. They don't care if something was mentioned on the listing and they agreed to it, they will still complain. I've had enough of those types.

[David8879]

@Huma0 thank you for few great ideas (I am just learning)

[Helen3]

Hi @David8879 

If you have a moderate or flexible cancellation policy you will always risk attracting guests who cancel at the last minute .

have you messages this guest to find out why they cancelled and ask whether they are likely to cancel the other multiple bookings they have made at the last minute 

unlike some of the other hosts here I understand why you wouldn't want the responsibility of having the guests bike while he's not with you . I live in an inner city area where bike theft is common.