I can't actually believe this

[Robin4]

@Lizzie.....I cannot actually believe that Airbnb would totally alienate a huge section of their hosting community!

This is an excerpt I just came across from another post purportedly from a member of Airbnb staff!

Customer Support:  "I have reached out to my colleague who is working with this system change to get more information. It sounds like we are working to phase out this method of notification, which is why this change has been coming about. For now, it sounds like it should be able to be switched back on through the app on your phone. You can do this by going to Settings > Notifications and turning on the Text Message Notifications. You may need to switch it off and then back on again".....

Tell me their kidding!!

My situation requires me to transact business from my PC, but I depend on sms contact in order to do that!

What if we don't use the apps and depend on that sms for first guest contact?

What happens when we haven't ready access to the internet?

How could they, for a moment, consider doing something like this!

How do other hosts feel about this....Cheers.....Rob

[Miraï0]

 @Christina @Donna @Catherine

Hi everyone, FYI:

Since last March my notifications have been mostly sent through a French mobile number, not labelled "AIRBNB" as it used to be.

Is there some "change" or "bug" in the system... or what? But it works!

Is it the same at your place?

Nice day!

Miraï

[Miraï0]

@Robin4

Hi everyone, FYI:

Since last March my notifications have been mostly sent through a French mobile number, not labelled "AIRBNB" as it used to be.

Is there some "change" or "bug" in the system... or what? But it works!

Is it the same at your place?

Nice day!

Miraï

[Robin4]

@Miraï0

Now I know this is going to sound a bit stupid Mirai but I have no idea what number my messages come through, when an SMS comes through it shows on my phone as from AIRBNB and that's it....and I can't seem to access any properties of the SMS.

Now, having said that, a lot has happened since I made that post exactly one year ago! the main one being from the day I achieved Superhost status my SMS contact has been absolutely perfect. Every time I have had a guest enquiry an SMS has come to my phone and to my knowledge I have not lost any further bookings other than the one mentioned just after I made that initial post.

Either Airbnb decided to drop the phasing out of SMS notifications, or my Superhost status has given me some sort of preferencial treatment as far as mobile contact is concerned.

What you are describing Mirai about contact coming through a French service is logical as you are operating within France. Maybe an Airbnb office was opened in France about that time, and Airbnb contact in France is through the designated 33 1 84 88 40 00 French number.

Cheers.....Rob

[Fiona1]

I totally agree with you Robin. I live in Cairns and you only have to drive 20km west and you're in the sticks! Sometimes even less. Driving between towns, we get no internet and even our phones have limited coverage, however at least we get sms. How could anyone say it's better? The more ways to contact us is better and I've never had a problem with sms. So what if the messages are only half there, at least we know when we get a message. Our response message can just be sent back in only a few words until we get access to the internet. At least then our response rate won't drop.

[Dominique-and-Nick0]

I receive notification pushes on both sms and email. (I use google voice, and use that phone number instead of my mobile. I get the push through both my gmail account, and a text message from Google Hangouts. I have the app on my windows laptop and my iphone, so I get multiple notifications)

What boggles my mind is... why can't we have these notifications sent to MULTIPLE phone numbers? I need my son to get notifications when I'm out of town. He manages the airbnb space, but can't do his job unless I forward everything to him. And when I'm off-grid.. it's a bugger.

Yes, I can change information back and forth, but why not just allow MULTIPLE host notifications? Seems like an extremely easy programming code addition.

[D-Ellen0]

I use to be able to change my notifications sounds and now - there is no choice - it sounds like my twitter notification- very confusing - work with apple ! 

Fix this!

[Jeet0]

This is very shocking!!! Thanks for highlighing @Robin4.

I'm unable to tag Lizzie for an update, could you you re-tag her please?

In third world countries we heavily depend on SMS as the Internet isn't always reliable and so we would be up for total chaos and losses with no SMS notifications.

Thanks,

Jeet

[Kate399]

has this been finalised that there will be no Text notofications? problem is i dont have wifi out side my home - i am missing bookings and to be honest i bet Air Bnb is missing out too - this is insane and seems madness?? if there is now a resolution can i please have it - i might go to a competitpr if air bnb are now beocing complacnt and uncaring!!!

made thier money eh!!!

[Matthew285]

@Kate399 there are two slightly related issues regarding Text notifications.

1. Getting notifications of any type via SMS
2. Being able to respond to guests via SMS

It is certain that #2: being able to get full messages via SMS and to respond to the guest via SMS is not something that happens any more. (I think that functionality went away before I began hosting, so I am not sure when.)

#1: Being notified via SMS when certain things happen on your AirBnB account still works, and I haven't seen any public posting that SMS notifications are going away. You will hear occassional complaints that someone's SMS notifications stopped working, but that can just be due to account problems, and not necessarily a policy change.