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.

[Loretta2]

I so agree that Instant Book is a problem- I have been hosting successfully in Sydney for about 3 years, and am very careful about who I rent my place to- I live a long way from there, and am mindful of my neighbours, and one of the reasons I initially liked Airbnb was that I couls establish communication and some rapport with poptential guests before accepting a booking.  The way it's going, airbnb will soon be just like a hotel chain- and I will be out.

[Deanne11]

I have signed up for instant booking but the software isn't picking it up.  I asked the customer service center to correct it but nothing has happened this week.  Is there someone I can email or appeal to?

[Heather114]

Hi David, I think many hosts share your frustration with the Instant Book tactic.  It seems like Airbnb is forcing out good hosts who choose no to Instant Book for the the very relevant reasons you listed.

[Mike76]

I agree with pretty much all the complaints regarding Instant Book and Airbnb's preferential treatment to those who list their unit with it. If the company is dead-set on keeping it as such—and I hope they are not—could they at least add greater filtering elements for hosts? I might turn IB on if I had WAY more control over the filters.

For example, I don't want local people to instantly be able to rent my place because I don't want parties thrown in the house. Once I've spoken to someone who lives in my city and find out they are renting my house because their family is in town or they are doing home repairs, sure. But not knowing if someone just wants my house to throw their prom party or to get trashed in with two dozen of their closest friends?

Instant Book is currently a decidedly anti-host measure, particularly when coupled with Airbnb automatically setting new users to only see IB rentals. It's completely against the spirit of Airbnb, without question. Why not allow for a geographic filter, for example? I understand that Airbnb doesn't want demographic bigotry, and neither do I. I only ask for the capacity to rent to people who understand what they are renting, and just having a Facebook page is not enough.

[Karin69]

And the previous conversations is what makes airbnb different from lets say booking.com, and that is the whole idea of it.

I did a search myself to see if my listing shows up, and says only 9 properties available in this certain dates, mine not showing while available, totally not fair specially when instant booking was not even an option as I know when we started!

[Mike215]

hi everyone, i guess i encoutered the same problem many hosts went threw.

first my listing was not shown cause my instant booking was off. so i was obliged to turn it on to be able to get requests! but something weird again happened: i can see my listing  with IB 'on' if i choose maximum 15 days staying, if longer (even my calender is open) my listing disappeared!!!! and still dont know why? if anyone has an idea, it would be appreciated to clarify it. 

i agree 100% that the option of IB is unfair for the hosts who prefer to know their guests before they book their place. it is more secure, more understanding, and more clarity concerning details. if ABB wants it for bringing more money to them, it is their right, but blocking the others is not right! better they behave in a clear and honest way, so we find our place on different site or different way to rent. 

this issue should be negociated directly with airbnb, but they look they dont care about. and no one from their side made the effort to reply anyone or justify their step. they should know that free host like us made this site working, not corporates. and IB off, let us verify who are our guests. we are not hotels who can garantee their money by holding deposit on credit cards?!

[Dunny0]

Totally agree. Our bookings have dropped off a cliff since the implementation of this policy.

What is happening in Japan is that the original warm & caring host is disappearing, being replaced

by professional real estate agents (these sharp guys often have familiarity with those in the underworld).

It seems AirBnB is most concerned with volume prior to its Stock Exchange listing IPO.

Most of all, the Instant Book feature disables SECURITY.

Will this change? Who knows? And can't even find the Instant Book setting to set it back to

'Positively Reviewed Members Only'!! Mind you - do that and the majority of visitors won't see

the listing.

[Mary-Ann0]

@Dunny0

Instant book setting is in the "Booking" section.  Change it to "No One" books without contacting you.

[Dunny0]

Thanks Mary Ann! Appreciate that - and happy holidays from across the Pacific.

Dunny

[Mary-Ann0]

Your welcome @Dunny0 - and best wishes to you an everyone everywhere.

[Sharise0]

I actually had instant book set, until I got a homeless guest. She didn't say on her reservation what her traveling intentions were. Turns out that she had been bouncing from one seedy hotel to the next. Her profile picture must have been the best picture she had ever taken in her life, because in person she appeared beat down perhaps by her situation. My heart went out for her. She booked for one night but had two large suitcases. Once she got settled she told me her story. All I could think of was the bed bugs or reaches she could be bringing in. She also mentioned that she may need to extend her stay but only had a prepaid card. Long story short, I changed my settings from instant book and raised my price. I figured I need to make this hosting thing more worth the time and stress.

[Dunny0]

Sharise - thank you for posting this 'experience'. It is the straw that broke the camel's back here. We are turning off

the IB feature forever. Also, we're not encouraging singles for our 'entire home'. They tend to need lots of assistance as they're

looking for some company, then are inclined to complain over nothing. Had an ex-convict single last year, supposedly

reformed and a do-gooder - almost zero information prior to booking. Saw his face and manner, immediately knew the score and danger of having our place scanned for weaknesses, set up for burglary. What happens a couple of months later? Our security 

company does a routine audit, and picks up on small signs that our place has been targeted. Creepy, creepy. 

On high alert now.

If anyone knows any Venture Capitalists out there who are looking for an opportunity, now is the time.

Tens of thousands of original good caring hosts would join.

[Rachel194]

I've been an AirBnB host almost from the begining, one of the original hosts in New Orleans.  I couldn't figure out why I haven't been receiving bookings for the upcoming high season, usually am mostly booked up by now for Jan through March, then I realized that by default AirBnB is now only showing IB hosts unless the guest takes the time or inclination to switch that button off....

My house is a home, not a hotel.  Much as it pains me, I am going to hang up my hat as an AirBnB host.  I have enjoyed hosting all kinds of people and making sure that my place is a good fit for them, besides which I travel a lot, if I were to IB I'd have to only keep my calendar open a month in advance.  Not going to work for me. 

[Dunny0]

Hi Rachel,

We're thinking the same thing. To stop. Quite a shame. Really enjoyed many of the guests,

and helping them out. Had dinners with many of them - CEOs, IT experts, investors.

We're also thinking to reach out to companies, company departments, sporting groups,

circles, clubs with an interest in Japan or just in nearby countries. Collaborate with

like-minded hosts and ex-hosts in other cities, make contacts privately.

There's another aspect - the Macro-Economic one: the VC investors behind AirBNB

are so big, they're tied up to other players - New York banks, and behind them London

banks, the top financiers. Having masses of real estate agents flooding AirBnB with

listings means local residential rental market prices are zooming higher and higher -

great for investors, horrible for local renting folk. They are literally camping out, homeless.

Is this imperceptibly connected to a destabilizing agenda? No one knows,

but it's a good question. Keep your eyes open to stuff like that.

For example, in Vancouver, Canada, an average house that used to be over-valued at 300,000

CDN is now marketed at 3 million CDN. It's insane. Chinese black market money pumping that up too.

Local Canadians don't have that kind of money, and never, ever will. Taxes are too high.

The solution?

Reach out privately, make your own networks. Every one wins. Old-style hands-on business.

[Maureen61]

I am back hosting on Airbnb after a year's absence for an extensive remodel of my space and have been wondering why I don't have the views and bookings that I had previously even though my space is much improved...now, after reading this thread and researching, yes, when I go to Airbnb and search my city, the setting for IB is automatically on and my listing is nowhere to be found. Yes, I can turn off that filter, but I am betting that a whole lot of users aren't reading all the filter headings at the top of the page, they just start searching without realizing they are seeing only a subset of the Airbnb listings available. Very frustrating because I do not want to be a hotel as I share my home with those I rent to. Unless a guest actively turns off that filter, my listing simply doesn't appear--it's not even a matter of being placed higher or lower in the search.

I think it's time for a competitor to Airbnb that goes back to the previous personalized host-guest arrangement.