Middle of the night reservations

[Jo715]

In the last week I’ve had two reservations made between 00 and 0200 hours from guests - expecting to arrive immediately - but on both occasions they’ve actually booked for the next night. The first one Airbnb ruled he could have a refund despite the guest admitting he made a mistake, and the second the guest has somehow been able to cancel despite it being less than 24 hours. 

Given the room is in my home I think this is beyond inconsiderate - do guests really think we operate a 24/7 arrival system and don’t sleep?  There’s no way I’d leave keys in my key safe and let someone self check in while I’m asleep.

But more why does Airbnb allow this? Should there not be warnings to say this is an out of hours booking? And why does it not flag to the guest that they are in fact trying to book the next day? 

[Mary996]

Many thanks @Jo715 for bringing this to our attention.

This is serious and totally unacceptable. Especially, furthermore, since the Guest admitted their mistake. Why are they expecting a refund for unnecessarily disturbing you??????

Can we help to reverse this refund?

Very best wishes to all.

[Jo715]

Unfortunately the guest spun them lies that he wanted to use the room on the incorrect  night (despite living in the same city!) and that I was denying him access

He was so abusive and threatening I blocked him on Airbnb and my phone

I’m more concerned how Airbnb let’s these bookings come through - it’s scary to think both of these men could have been at my front door demanding to be let in during the night when I’m asleep - and then losing out on payment because they’re allowed to get a refund the next day 

Airbnb needs to clearly tell the guest that they cannot book a room after midnight for the same night 

[Helen3]

Hello @Jo715 

Welcome from a fellow Bristol host.

As you know hosts in shared homes in England aren't allowed to accept guests till 17 May so you wouldn't have been able to accept the booking anyway.

For when you can accept bookings you can go into your setting and put a 24 hour or more notice period for bookings so guests won't be able to make last minute bookings.

I've had quite a lot of last minute inquiries which I have had to turn down to meet legislation requirements. 

[Helen3]

Hello @Mary996 

This is likely to have happened because the host hasn't set her listing so she needs to have advance notice from guests of booking rather than because there is something wrong with the Airbnb booking system.

@Jo715  is not allowed to accept bookings in England in a shared home until 17 May so wouldn't be allowed to host and therefore isn't out of pocket .

in these circumstances the best thing for Jo to do is block her calendar until 17 May so she doesn't receive bookings she isn't able to accept. 

[Mary996]

Phew....!!

[Kia272]

@Jo715  You have complete control over this by changing your settings to a mandatory "advance notice" time before bookings. I don't think it's fair to blame AirBnB when you haven't exerted control over how and when your place can be booked. The tools are there, you just have to find them and utilize them. 

It's not AirBnB that let these bookings come through, it's you. 

[Jo715]

@Kia272  no the advance settings only give me the option of same day, 1 day etc. Please do direct me to where I can be specific and say no bookings after 10pm for example?

However because these guests are in fact then making their booking for the next night rather than the actual night when they’re trying to book they’re within the “same day”

If I’m missing something obvious with my settings please do help me out rather than being aggressive and telling me it’s all my own fault 

[Kia272]

@Jo715  Well, you seemed very quick to blame AirBnB, and I do believe the tools are there to control issues such as this. I think that between the advance notice settings, and limiting your check-in times, you should be able to avoid these situations. If you limit your check-in times, that should help. In other words, if your check-in time stops at 10:00 pm, but you still want to do same-day bookings, that might work. 

You could also turn off instant booking, or make the IB settings as stringent as possible (which aren't all that stringent.)

You seem to want to take same-day or short-notice bookings for the money, but this is what you are going to encounter by doing so. I think your personal safety and comfort are much more important. I would be very uncomfortable taking a stranger into my home without having the opportunity to screen them. Good luck. 

[Kia272]

@Jo715 it now occurs to me that it's a mix of your settings and human error, but that this situation came about due to human error. It seems that the booking system did everything right, with the understanding that the guest was booking for the following night, and it's the guests that made the mistake. You indicated that the bookings were for the next night, as they should have been, and it's the guests who were expecting to arrive immediately. There's nothing that AirBnB or you can do about that, because you can't fix stupid. 

[Jo715]

@Kia272  yes that’s what was happening and the guests booking anyway knowing it was for the next night. I’ve changed my setting to limit the time for same day check ins and will hope for no more middle of the night bookings! 

[Kia272]

@Jo715  Good luck and stay safe!

[Mary996]

|Hi @Jo715 

Have you had the help you needed?

I have to confess that I've made bookings in the night for the following day but would not have expected to be rousing anyone. Is it that you keep your phone on whilst sleeping and you had a notification which disturbed you ?

[Colleen253]

@Jo715 @Kia272See the post below for some more clues as to what likely was at play with these bookings 

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/Bug-Report-Guests-able-to-select-check-in-times-outside-...

[Mary996]

I'm relieved @Kia272  and @Helen3 

I just assumed there was a slip up!!! Thanks for advising this Host. Hope you find all the settings @Jo715 .

Very best wishes