"New" to platform request

[Laura2592]

Yesterday I got a booking request for one person that said:

"Booking for a quiet weekend. "

No information otherwise.  No house rules Easter egg.  Guest had a phone number and proof of age according to Airbnb but was "verified." 

I responded asking how many people and pets were coming as the booking was for one and please send the Easter egg. Tell me a bit more about your visit etc. The usual.  

I get "sorry I'm booking for 3. I read the rules. I don't have questions." At 11:25 pm on new years eve. 

I responded this morning "ah OK. If the booking is for 3, please withdraw and resubmit with the correct number of people and pets. Please add all 3 profiles to the request. The house rules has a phrase embedded in it that you will need to send over as well.  Let me know if you need info on how to expand them so you see all of them. Thanks and happy 2022!"

This person has 0 reviews and has been on the platform since 2016. That seems like a long time to lurk. Communication is poor so far. We will see how it ends up. 

[Colleen253]

@Laura2592 Iffy. Likely the type of middling guest who is not outright horrible, but far from fabulous. Just problematic enough that previous hosts have decided 'eh, too complicated to review'. I would ask why they have no reviews, being a long time member.

[Laura2592]

@Colleen253 yes thats my take. We will see if she responds to the request to withdraw and resubmit.  Otherwise it will be a no for me....merely on the grounds that she says she has more people coming than she booked for. 

[Normen0]

@Laura2592 Ha! New Years Eve!  At 915 am New Years Eve morning I got a request from a guy with little information but one positive review. I asked him how many people as the request said one guest and I reiterated that no parties were permitted and my business partner lived below. His response was I don’t party. Quit three years ago. Just want to spend the night playing some PlayStation. As this was a two night booking, I decided to approve and told him check in details were forthcoming.  
Then the payment pending notice. Ugh. 
He did advise immediately that he had to go out and put money on his card. Ok, it’s a red flag but ok. 
Five hours later, still pending payment so I messaged him and asked him politely to cancel if he wasn’t going to follow through as my calendar is blocked for 24 hours so no one less can book. 
Half hour later, 300 pm he messaged to say he has car trouble and he was going to the bank now. 
I was about to call Airbnb and try to get a no penalty cancellation when it suddenly approved. Ok. So, I send the check in details with a request again for the number of guests and almost immediately he says I’m in the parking lot. (Like how did he get there so fast???) And says  It’s just me and my furry companion. At the same time my business partner is phoning me to say the guest is here with a very large furry dog in his car.
Well!! no!! Not a pet friendly apartment due to allergies. 
The guest and I  politely discussed this issue and he booked somewhere else. He asked for his money back and I explained that I don’t have your money. AIRBNB will send it out tomorrow and it arrives in a few days. In advise him to call AIRBNB to cancel and explain and ask for your money back but he cancelled online (as far as I know) and of course I’m still getting paid.

I know I could have called AIRBNB last night and told them not to charge him but it was New Years Eve so I’m busy, he took all day and strung me along and didn’t read the rules or disclose the dog until entering.
I had to go the apt to clean the entrance and didn’t get another booking.

. I suspect he will ask for his refund in a few days. Do I give it all back? Keep the cleaning fee?  

[Susan990]

Keep the money. Do NOT reply.

[Mark116]

@Normen0  I'd keep whatever money is owed you under your cancellation policy with the knowledge of the risk he can still review you.  Since it was a day of check-in cancellation the guest could screw you by giving a 1 star revenge review if he doesn't get his money.  You could bank on his disorganization that he won't realize he can do this, but its still a possibility. 

If he contacts you asking for a refund, it is possible that you may be very busy and not able to finalize anything until after the 14 day review period has passed, in which case, you can again, refund according to the policy.

[Normen0]

Thanks for the input. It’s an actual cancellation so I didn’t think he could do a review but I just got notified to review him.  Ugh. Yes perhaps his disorganization will will for me. 

[Sammy-L-0]

I have a similar one. I received it 12:30 today to book tonight. Member since October, verified, no other information. Request only asks if three guest are OK, but the request is for two. When I replied there was only one queen bed and there is a $20 charge for an extra guest, he replied "How many couches are there?"

I have told him to cancel his request and resubmit with the correct number of guests.

[Emilia42]

@Sammy-L-0 just so you know, a guest cannot enter more than two on the booking page because you have your listing max set to two. So there is no actual way for the guest to change the booking to include 3 people.

[Sammy-L-0]

Thank you.

[Katherine728]

This is why I do not do instant booking. I need the time to iron our who folks are and confirm reservations. Instant booking puts you on a tight schedule.

[Patrick568]

I'm not sure how long you have been hosting, but this is pretty typical. They have probably never booked themselves, and have no real idea what to say. You are doing the right thing by asking for specifics, I would just be careful about being overly negative about these types of interactions. It happens a lot.

[Huma0]

@Laura2592 

These types of scenarios happen from time to time but I have been finding they do more and more frequently lately. Has anyone else noticed this?