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 on IB also my place is extremely nice! 

[Craig67]

How do I change this setting to allow instant book?

Craig

[Linda108]

@Craig67  Go to Manage Listing, select Booking, under who can book instantly, select the first option.

[Craig67]

Thanks Linda,

I think on my page it is the tick the box to 'Require guests to go through verification'.

Mine is unticked

In: 'Host'  >  'Manage Listings'  >  'Reservation Requirements'

Thanks

[Michael570]

I agree,  I've had people not read the rules resulting in costly repairs for me and I really do like to screen the guests.  On instant book you don't get the opportunity to do that.

[Steven112]

I looked at our page  as if I were a renter and our house showed up and we are not an IB. It may also be the fact that there are only 1 or 2 IB owners so if they don't show ours in the NC town we're in they wouldn't have any to show.  It looked like the renter has to really know what they're doning to click the IB icon.

[Cathy109]

If you are logged in, then you get different search results. Apparently if you aren't logged in, your search defaults to IB, if you are logged in you get non-IB as well. However I've also read that ABNB is experimenting with different search accessibility in different communities, I guess they are testing which benefits them the most vs. complaints they get from us??

[Jeff69]

I also find this an unfair 'request' by Airbnb.  There are hosts that have hundreds of 5* reviews, that want to control who and when their property is booked, who are falling behine the first time Airbnb hosts (with 5 reviews) that have SUPER HOST status because the later host allow instant booking.  There is no reward for the host that has HUNDREDS of reviews, but the Instant Book host gets priority.

DID YOU KNOW....  If the guest INSTANT BOOKS and you have an issue with the guest, you can cancel their reservation without penalty.  However (and most hosts do not know this) if it not an instant booking reservation, and you are uncomforatable with the guest and cancel their reservation, YOU the host are penalized upward to $100 and loose super host status.  WOW, not that is unfair to the host that wants to ensure the guests are a perfect fit for their property.  Personally like to chat with the guest, find out more about them and why they are coming to Tampa.  Instant Booking looses that connection and they guest becomes a number ( or $$$$ as Airbnb sees it)

LET'S BE REALISTIC...  INSTANT BOOKING is INSTANT MONEY to Airbnb, so why care about the thousands of hosts that made them #1 in the vacation rental industry.

PLEASE STOP PENALIZING THOSE OF US "SUPER HOSTS" THAT DO NOT WANT INSTANT BOOKING

[Annette33]

@Jeff69 , actually, the  new penalties rolled out  for 2017 are worse, can be up to $500 per cancellation.. see my screenshot below. (nevermind that Airbnb made a mistake here, saying 2016 instead of 2017...)

[Jeff69]

wow, thanks for the details.  Sure is nice to know Airbnb is so concerned about their hosts.  

Here is a sad, but true story.  I had a guest INSTANT BOOK, and then immediately contact me and say OOPS, I instant booked by mistake.  I told her to contact Airbnb to see if they will refund her the full amount since it was literally seconds after she booked.  Airbnb told her "the only way to get a full refund is if the host cancels the reservation" - true story.  Guest asks me to cancel the reservation.  In four years as a host, I never cancelled a reservation.  But to help the guest, I cancelled her INSTANT BOOKING. and guess what.  I was slapped a fine of $100 and lost super host status.

I immediately contacted Airbnb support and questioned why I was being penalized for helping THEIR guest, who obviously clicked INSTANT BOOK by mistake.   They waived the $100 but I lost my superhost status for 3 months.

[Annette33]

okay, so @Jeff69 , how much truth is to Airbnb saying that with IB, the host can cancel penalty free? So you  did that with an IB booking, yet you had to jump through hoops to get your $100 penalty slap reversed, right?

Gorgeous home you got, congrats!!  and  you got your superhost status back, that's good..

I'm experimenting with IB a bit - don't like it - but as soon as I turned it on, I got two bookings within 24 hours. For now, I turned it off again, but will probably turn it on again when I am really looking for bookings.....

My experience lately  is that guests just casually inform me of a much later arrival time than is stipulated in my house rules. So far, it seems easier to go with the  flow (and to accept it) than to stick to it,  or go through the cancellation procedure, with Airbnb on my back and not trusting their reaction. 

[Kelly36]

WOW!! TOTALLY UNFAIR. I had the same, exact, thing happen about 6 months ago, but when I called Airbnb, they didn't fine me or take away my superhost status. BUT that was 6 months ago.

[Kelly36]

AIRBNB PLEASE NOTE, YOU ARE GOING TO LOSE A LOT OF YOUR HOSTS AND THEIR INCOME TO YOUR COMPANY, IF YOU PUSH HOSTS TO IB AND THEN PUNISH US IF WE CANCEL AN UNDESIRABLE RESERVATION!!

[Mike215]

100% , 

[Mariya2]

I do not like the fact that airbnb turn on the instant booking filter by default!

I do not instant book only due to the reason that I want to make sure the cancelations are not happening later!

very unfair!