Airbnb favors Instant Book listings by making "instant book" the default setting when guests search

[David631]

When you do a search for a place to stay in a city and put in the dates, by default, it only shows you the listings that are "instant book".  That means none of the other listings are showing at all, so all of my listings are not being shown to potential renters.   People who have never used airbnb, will not know how to change the filter, so won't be able to see the broader range of listings.  Thus, it seems airbnb is favoring hosts with instant booking, which I believe to be unfair. 

Also, I believe hosts that get to know their guests prior to their booking provide guests better customer service.  They also do their neighbors a favor, by more carefully vetting guests through pre-booking conversations and ensuring guests understand the rules. Please change this unfair policy of favoring instant book listings over other listings that require host contact.

[Sunny28]

I am not happy with not being able to find my listing and it is embarrassing also...

[Cathy109]

I ended up doing the same thing Jude! A whole bunch of mediocre listings with less than mediocre reviews, so I booked with a cheap hotel that had a great location. I've still got 4 months to look for an alternative, because I can cancel the hotel with NO PENALTY up to 24 hours before check in. Would have loved to go ABNB....maybe I still will!

[Hans--Sandra-and-Son0]

Thanks for the info. I didn't know that but totally agree with you..

[Sunny28]

My setting is instant booking and I can't find my listing anywhere… Not even when I map my address… I don't know why this is and I don't know why I can't find my listing

[Jean119]

Thanks for the info.

Regards

Jean

[Natalia75]

Dave 

so you Recomend don't use instant booking ? 

[Cathy109]

For the first time in 3 1/2 years I have had NO bookings. Now I know why. I am so mad at ABNB for making Instantbook the default for searches. I am single, my guests stay IN MY HOUSE, and I do NOT want to book to people without a passport verification and either recommendations from other hosts or having a chance to google them and find out more about them. 

Loyal host, loyal guest, early adopter - and ABNB is screwing me in favour of places that care more about booking people than hosting people. If that's where I wanted to host my listing, I'd be on tripadvisor or something tacky, not here.

COME ON ABNB, get back to your freaking roots. I am SO MAD!! You have cost me over $800 in bookings already. 

[Rosaleen3]

Presumably, if AIRBNB become too large and corporate, another more niche player will step into the market to meet the needs of those prefering the more personal approach.

Its a fast moving world ....

[Kelly36]

I totally AGREE!!

[Cathy109]

I turned IB on, and had a booking within 48 hours. 

So it's absolutely IB limiting my booking, not surplus of rooms or lack of guests.

[Kelly36]

I totally agree. Airbnb promoting "instant book" listing first, is Unfair!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Jovanni-and-Natasha0]

Greetings, I'm sure AirBnB has certain criteria in order for your listings to be shown on the "first" page. Why don't you use Instant Booking for guests who are verified in all areas or verified in all areas plus contain excellent guest ratings? I use Instant Booking only with guests who are verified in all areas especially with Gov't ID with 3 days notice. And I've received PLENTY of requests from guests who are NOT Instant Booking qualified! Therefore, I don't believe most guests even use the Instant Booking feature to narrow down their search results nor do they rely on all the Instant Booking listings since they DO NOT qualify to use Instant Booking.  I think Instant Booking is fair especially if the company wants to help combat discrimination. I do my neighbors a favor by being very transparent in the House Rules AND in the Description which is very strict... which will help us attract the type of guests we would be more comfortable and guest who would be comfortable in our space knowing all the rules... and guests receive an automatic pre-booking message too which I mean by this point they can cancel penalty free if they don't agree with all the House Rules (I have the flexible cancellation policy).

My whole point is instead of worrying about Instant Booking feature being automatically turned on, why not try to change/improve your listing and/or service to help increase your Listing Views which will then help increase your Booking Rate.

[Marit-Anne0]

@Jovanni-and-Natasha0

The point is that those who search do not need to select the IB for narrowing down - it is already on as default.  You would have to turn it off manually to see listings without IB.  

If the guest does not meet your criteria, your listing will not show.

Here is a recent post on the matter:

https://community.airbnb.com/t5/Hosts/Instant-Book-is-on-but-doesn-t-appear-as-such-in-searches/m-p/...

[Linda108]

@Marit-Anne0  In my area, IB is not automatic.  The traveler has to turn it on.  I cannot get a handle on why some areas have IB that

has to be turned on and other areas have IB that has to be turned off.  Makes it difficult to have a coherent host forum on this matter.  BTW for a brief time, my area had the IB message that mislead travelers into thinking that was the only way to search.  Then there was uproar on the CC.  Then it went away and we now have IB has to be turned on.  My listing, which has IB, shows either way when I search.

At the LA Open, Brian Chesky, defended IB as necessary to traveler convenience especially when booking both a place to stay, transportation and the new "experiences" feature.  

[Marit-Anne0]

@Linda108

Agree - it is pretty hopeless - and it changes every week, so I suppose airbnb is carrying out tests area by area.  And it depends from where the search is made. Right now I search from France. When I go back to Norway for Christmas, it will probably look different.