Unintentional booking cancellation

[Mengen1]

Airbnb does not protect their guests at all and have ridiculous policies to protect hosts. I booked a 3 week stay by accident and I only recieved 50 percent of my cash back (around 700 euros) after I requested cancellation within 1 MINUTE. It's ridiculous, I'm a student and I cannot risk to loose this amount of money. And Airbnb customer service are very much useless. I'm extremely disappointed in this company and how they run things and all their unjustified policies.

Is there something I can do? The host isn't replying at all and Airbnb representative says they have contacted the host and does not want to return a full refund.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Sarah977  I wonder the same thing. But it can happen if the guest wants to ask a question to the host and instead of using the "contact host" link, he clicks on the request button. If the host accepts the booking is done.

[Sarah977]

@Branka-and-Silvia0  True. I doubt that Airbnb gives guests any instructions re the difference between sending an inquiry or a request.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Sarah977  well,  the "request" button is big, red, on the top.... and the contact host is just a tiny link somewhere ... scroll scroll.... down...

I doubt it is accidentally designed that way

[Emilia42]

@Branka-and-Silvia0 @Sarah977 

after clicking the inquire (contact host) button, you are instructed to type a message.

after clicking the request button, you are instructed to physically input your credit card number. I have never in my entire life volunteered my credit card number solely to seek information. And whether or not this was the case with this guest, I am always baffled when I hear of instances of confusing the two.

[Sarah977]

@Emilia42  @Branka-and-Silvia0  Well, the OP didn't explain what he meant by "booked by mistake". Could be anything.

Having never been a  guest, I didn't realize they are asked to input their credit card info when submitting a request, I thought the credit card info would be entered on their account info.

But even though it seems obvious to you or me or most people, as we know, many guests don't really bother to read anything, nor have common sense, so I could see them not questioning why they would be asked for their cc number if they just intended to ask a question. 

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Emilia42  are you sure you have to enter your card number every time you want to book? Isn't it enough to set the payment method just the first time=? 

I remember I got a booking once and when I contacted the guest it turned out she didn't even know she booked. Another time the guest booked the right days but the wrong month. But these were the only 2 cases in 5 years of hosting 1000 groups.

[Colleen253]

In my experience, cc details are saved if you’ve already entered them previously. But it’s quite obvious what’s happening when you request to book. After you input dates for a request, you get the big red ‘RESERVE’ button. Next is the booking details page. Under the dates/guest count may be the option to pay in part or in full, then below that is the price details, then your method of payment. Further down is the cancellation policy. You’d have to be seriously dozy to mistake this for ‘just asking a question’.

@Sarah977 @Branka-and-Silvia0 @Emilia42 

[Sarah977]

@Colleen253  Rereading the OP's post, he never said if this was request-  it could have been an instant book. Do IBs make it clear that once you hit the Book button, you're locked in? 

[Colleen253]

@Sarah977 I was just responding to @Branka-and-Silvia0 's question, and speaking to the the issue of requesting to book being a very intentional act, not addressing the OP. I don't have direct experience with booking something instantly. But I can only imagine that's pretty clear as well.

[Sarah977]

@Colleen253  Yes, I understood that. I was just curious as to whether Airbnb makes what happens when a guest IBs clear.

It seems obvious what Instant Book means, but even total no-brainers seem to be capable of being misunderstood by guests.

[Emilia42]

@Colleen253 @Sarah977 @Branka-and-Silvia0 

To shed some light here, the booking process is basically exactly the same whether a instant booking or not. The only difference is that the guest has to wait and the host has to accept/confirm for a request. Here are screen shots of what it looks like to book Colleen’s listings. She has instant book on for one listing and off for another. The difference here is that one says “Request to Book” and the other says “Confirm and Pay.” Also note that my credit card number is there and ready to be charged!

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Emilia42  thank you to remind us, it has been a while when I booked through ABB and I forgot what the process was.

Yes, it is highly unlikely to book if you just want to ask a question. It was probably some other reason, maybe the guest confused two listings or booked wrong dates, who knows

[Huma0]

@Sarah977 

I've only had this happen once (last week) but I had an IB from a guest who had no idea he'd booked (was still expecting me to accept or decline). He didn't know the difference between a request and IB, or cancellation policies at all. 

However, he was really clueless all round and, like I've said, it's the first time I've ever heard this from an IB guest. All the others were completely aware of what they were doing.

[Mark116]

@Huma0  I think it goes the other way too, we had a group make a request to book, and we sent them our typical greeting with some questions, then another message to say we want to be clear we need responses to move forward, and when after about 19 hours, well into the next day, still no response we declined them.  But my guess is they assumed their request=having a booking, because otherwise, why would you never respond?

[Huma0]

@Mark116 

I think a lot of guests do not respond because they don't expect to be asked questions, they definitely don't realise that there is a 24 hour timer ticking away and they often do not have notifications turned on.

I've have several guests whom I had to decline because they didn't respond in time, who later came back apologising and still wanting to book. So frustrating, because your response rate has gone down for no reason.