New Inquiries

[Zacharias0]

Tis the season for odd and cheap inquiries:

"Is it possible to call me so I can go a head and pay for the room for 3 nights? I have only few questions about the room. Moreover, I am allergist to cats, I want sheets clean from cat's hair and I want to know if the cats will be freely walking in the house and even to my room?"

DECLINED- The cat was here first and I've been down that road before. The guest stays and wants a refund at the end because they saw cat hair.

"hey. if you can do 140 a night for my 7 day stay I'll book your place today."

DECLINED- The rate is as stated. Hosts shouldn't be asked to pay for their guests vacation. Its insulting.

"Can you give me a discount for these two days?"

DECLINED- The rate is as stated. Total is only $89 bucks. Come on people!

On the flipside I've approved the other 32 reasonable requests to book and stay with me.

[Mariann4]

@Jeet0said: -What's wrong with negotiating the price? Airbnb itself offers an option to give weekly/monthly discounts, so there's nothing wrong if someone booking for 2-3 nights and is on a restricted budget wants to try out their luck in getting the best Airbnb experience. It is very common in many countries.

Well... The culture and stuff is the wrong. Where I live asking for reduction in any price is plain out RUDE. Just that simple. Anyone trying to negotiate are considered rude, actually very rude, even if we try to remember about different cultures etc. What I charge for one room is expensive for others from different parts of the world. But it wouldn't even cover one hour of cleaning if I were to hire help. I don't run a subsidized hostel. I share my home in a high cost country. My price is what it cost. I don't want to share a house with someone that is rude from the beginning. It's not worth it.

Yes, Airbnb offers the options of discounts and Special offer. Because the culture of negotiation is present in many countries. But not in all parts of the world. If I want to give a special offer I do so when I have a request. If the guest ask for it I will decline the request in total.

On the other hand, I am probably considered rude in other parts of the world because I never negotiate. This is a bit of what Airbnb is about. Exchange of cultures.

Mariann 🙂

[Pedro190]

Jeet, completely agree with you! 

While I read here that some guests seem to not have respect for hosts, I can't stop thinking that maybe some of the hosts here are way too sensitive! If the request is written in a respectful manner I don't see any reason to classify it as ridiculous or disrespectful. Sure some of them will make me laugh and obviously reject them, but it is their right to try... and as someone here mention, I'm sure that out of 10 or 15 hosts they ask the same question one or two will accept the demands, so from where I see it, the all airbnb community wins!

Not to mention that we live in a more and more global world and what can seems ridiculous and out of contest for you, can be completely normal for your guest from the other side of the world!

More tolerance and we can all be happier! 🙂

[Jeet0]

Thanks Pedro. I agree that some folks are super sensitive, impatient and intolerant to have a conversation and live under the belief that they are making a big favour to the world by renting out their home.

I often get discount requests since it's common here. And I offer one if I'm having a low booking season and I chose not to go below a lower limit that I need to maintain my place. If I can't I politely explain why I cannot reduce the price and leave it upto the guests to decide if they want to shell out a little more than their budget to enjoy my hospitality. 

It it leaves me shocked when I read hosts saying that people who are on a humble budget from a nation with a lower currency rate should not travel. I strongly believe that hosting on Airbnb is about exchanging cultures and making memories and obviously some money but if one if going to be so stubborn and impolite with their attitude towards guests they are nothing better than a regular hotel. 

[Alice-and-Jeff0]

@Jeet0 - When understanding multiple cultures, it's important that we are all tolerant of others.  Dickering is not a "thing" in the US. If I were traveling to India, I would learn about the social norms of the area.  I might even try to ask for a lower price myself if it were expected - maybe even considered disrepectful if you don't.  The same would hold true if someone coming to the US.  I would expect them to pay the price that is noted because that is the norm without trying to counter-offer.  As asking for a reduction is considered disrespectful and, frankly, a red-flag of a potentially difficult guest. Airbnb is, indeed, a melting pot of cultures and the forums here are to help us all understand each other better.  

[Pedro190]

In this topic we have someone saying it is fine to ask for discount when buying a car and someone willing to accept the request for a discount if their house was in low demand for that period and the discount was reasonable, and both are from the US. So I think in the end is more of a personal thing rather than a definitive rule in the US, unless it's well documented in the US travel guides as it is your (almost mandatory) tipping "system", that seems crazy for me, but as it was clearly stated in any "tips when travelling to the US" I tried to follow when I was there.

[Jennifer178]

@Pedro190 and @Jeet0, it is actually promoted by car dealers that they will get you a price that makes you happy.  It is about the only business in the USA that does that.  You can also have a discoussion with a vendor at a flea market or fair about pricing. If the first response is no, you stop.  It is more common when getting multiple items for example: as in what do you want for the set of dishes. These events are usually attended by hundreds, sometimes thousands of people and the vendor will have someone else come by and scoop up those dishes if you do not like the price.

People charge what they feel they need to to make it worth their while.  My privacy is important to me as well as not having to clean up after people who get toothpaste splatter on the mirror.  I would truly rather not have someone than work hard for little money.  I have to feel good about the transaction and see some benefit other than being a maid.  Nothing wrong with being a maid but no one wants to be an abused maid. Plus, I would most likely get that time booked anyway.

What is good in one society is not always good in another.  Not good, not bad - just different.  

[Annette33]

@Alice-and-Jeff0 , dickering is not a thing in the US? Made me smile.. o yes, it is! Where I came from (Germany), yes, price haggling is considered an insult and you wouldn't dream of starting it. But it was one of my first re-education lessons here in the US realizing that lots of people do it, in lots of situations.
 I got used to it from owning and running my own gallery where initially I spent time trying to "make" people see that the work of an artist deserves adequate compensation. That was pretty useles, so I gave up after a while. Interestingly enough, the requests often enough came from people who could totally afford it, the ones that bragged about  staying at the most expensive place in town, where a night at  $300 was more than the  piece of art they were haggling over.
 Yes, the dickering somewhat offended me, but I let their ignorance and rudeness wash right over  me - and I developed a great answer to to their last attempt to get me to give in: when they said, "is this your best price?", I smiled and would say, No, you're very welcome to pay me a premium!" anybody here wants to borrow that line, feel free! 🙂

[Alice-and-Jeff0]

@Annette33 - Fair enough, it seems that there are industries and situations, like @Jennifer178, pointed out where the idea of "negotiating" is definitely a norm.  Using your example, you have a "suggested price" on a piece of art if you are willing to discount it when someone asks, it's not really the "price".  Same for the Used Car, the set of plates at the flea market, buying a house, or your mortgage rate - all suggested and negotiable.  There are entire industries dedicated to teach people how to present and withstand an offer.  To @Jeet, you are right, there is no harm in asking but I certainly don't have to engage in this haggling and won't.  So I will decline every request, because my listed price is not a suggestion, it is the price.  

[Cormac0]

@Jeet

If you have a complete handle on your costs and it’s going to cost you money to host guests that request a discount why bother.

e.g. Smart pricing suggest that I charge zl 98 per night for a 55m2 two bed apartment here's just a few examples of my costs

Tea 11.59 zl per box

Coffee zl 21.99 a group of 4 people consumed practically hole tin of coffee in 3 days

Bedlinen zl 23 for two set of bed linen to be laundered, I negotiated a rock bottom price because of volume normally twice that price

Cleaning zl 20 per hour normally takes five hour between lets

Milk zl 5.18 per two litres

Cleaning materials…

Toiletries…

I have not included electricity or heating or mortgage contribution or depreciation charge into this, another element is occupancy levels and opportunity costs.

Only at the point that its making a contribution to you mortgage repayments is it worth while.

So just maybe these Host have a better insight then most

Regards

Cormac

The Explorer's Club Krakow

[Pedro190]

@Cormac1

 I don't believe anyone here is suggesting you (or anyone else) to accept a request were you gonna loose money... but most times if you offer a 10 or 15% discount that means only you will profit a bit less. So is just a matter of analysing each case and accept or reject it depending is its profitable to you to do so. Or you are also free to reject it on the ground that you feel it's rude to just ask. If you do it in a polite way don't see any problem...

zl 21.99 in coffee... that is a big portion of coffee to be gone in 3 days. I recommend you to get a smaller jar for the coffee (that you can refill) to avoid situations like that.

[Helga0]

15% discount? That's the difference between a nice place and a hellhole here, given that you can't change the size of the flat between guests. 

I don't grant any discount any more to first time visitors, as most time it offends me how it's formulated and whenever I did, I got a dunking in stars. 

2 summers ago, I got such a request from a person with family, who lost his job. I did not reduce the price for the 4 days minimum and he booked after a few days of searching anything cheaper. They were nice and as there were days free in my calendar, I offered them to arriveearlier for free. They gained 2 days on the beach that way, left very late but spotless, to allow immediate checkin of the next (not agreed but better than late and chaos). Left me 4 stars, the person before did, as I did not send heavy forgotten stuff for free. The next did not review and I had to watch a yellow listing for 9 months. 

But I geant discounts to nice repeat guedts, evdn generous ones, if it's a whole apartment rent and I know it won't be a problem, if I forget to lovk my cupboard, should the sink leak or the computer explose and I'll return to a clean place. 

[Cormac0]

@Pedro190

Regarding the coffee, I suspect they filled a bag and took some home!

Regarding discounts people are already pricing competitively and offering very attractive accommodation at bargain basement prices.

That’s why AirBnb is such an attractive arena for swindlers because people believe that they can get an apartment on Airbnb for £300 sterling a night in the heart of London’s poshest areas that realistically would command a price of £6,000 per night.

Airbnb is already very competitive environment and there no price gouging going on?  so, people have a wright to feel vexed, empirical evidence has shown that those people looking for further discount are usually high maintenance and not worth the trouble.

Regards

Cormac

The Explorer's Club Krakow.

[Pedro190]

Maybe I price my room diferently than most in here... I tend to price my room at the maximum I can charge to be competitive with the rest of the offer in the area and keep the ocupancy at a desired level, not to provide cheap hotel alternative accomodation.

Maybe that is why I don't see any problem if someone ask me for a discount and if that will end up being in a week/month with lower ocupancy I will definitely consider it. If a small 10%discount would mean I would end up not having any profit I wouldn't lodge my spare room to start with!

[Mariann4]

@Jeet0said: -What's wrong with negotiating the price? Airbnb itself offers an option to give weekly/monthly discounts, so there's nothing wrong if someone booking for 2-3 nights and is on a restricted budget wants to try out their luck in getting the best Airbnb experience. It is very common in many countries. 

Well... It is the crash of cultures that is wrong. Where I live it is considered extremely rude to try and negotiate ANY price. We have a lot of tourists and it can be a problem when they don't understand this. It's not just about tolerance towards the guests. It is both ways.

I share my home at a fair price in a high cost country. Yes, my rate is expensive for a lot of people from other parts of the world. But it wouldn't even cover the cost of one hour of cleaning if I were to hire help. I don't run a subsidized hostel. Having guests cost. And the price is different in different countries.

Yes, Airbnb offer the possibility of giving discounts and Special offers. If I were to give a Special offer I would do so myself after a bookingrequest. If a guest ask for a Special offer I would dismiss the request in total. I don't want to share my house with someone I consider rude from the beginning. 

This is a bit of what Airbnb is about. The learning of different cultures. Maybe in your part of the world I would be considered the rude one because I could never bring myself to negotiate a price. The trick is to read up about the country you are about to visit.

Mariann 🙂

[Helga0]

At least, if they ask first, you can decline them. I just had a booking, taking two days I had forgotten to block or blocking had not worked, seemingly nice lady, never said a word during the stay and left a review how expensive my place was, far off the reality, lamenting about small space and expensive twice. Thrice in private and several times, with crazy details, in her public answer to my very nice review of her. She compared inside Paris, with breakfast and products to suburb without any of it, 40 in the suburb, 42 at my place.

Yeah, well, thanks a lot. At least, whoever reads the public anwser she wrote on her own profile, will be duly warned. 

That was also a guest lamenting about her budget (in the public answer). The training she takes is in the same suburb, where she booked last time. Not nice enough to stay again? But the nice area is too expensive...

She left me 1 star, after 150 guests, I had not yet seen a 1 star review. I sent her a message formally asking never to book again. Where is that blacklist we were talking about in Host Voice ?!!!