airbnb becomes like booking. Disempowers hosts

[Mohammad2]

Airbnb has just recently forced new hosts to be subject to instant booking only with three free cancellations a year. Just spoke with them over the phone and they have an old system for previous hosts and a new system for new hosts. The old system allows you to turn off instant booking. However the new system does not.

The representative (David Salvadore) on the phone can hardly comprehend inquiries . I will most like switch as a host to Wimdu and see how that works out. 

[Paul146]

I keep get getting emails to try Instant Booking----Well I have and both times they were a disaster. I will not use this feature again as I prefer to screen my guests to actually see if my place is the right fit for them. My last Instant Book I did I was graded a 3 on location, then I got  a comment on my dashboard informing my last guest was not satisfied or something along that line. The guest left my home and went to the wrong Terminal at the airport. Is that my fault?  He wrote back to me in private feedback letting me know this. So I have turned this feature off last April and will not turn it back on!

[Marit-Anne0]

@Paul146  @Mohammad2

Just so, so happy I am one of the "old" hosts.  It will hit us in the end too I suppose.  Luckily there are other platforms.

[Daniel33]

@Marit-Anne0 which other platforms work good?

[Marit-Anne0]

@Daniel33

It depends on the market and the kind of property I think.  I used HomeAway (Abritel, VRBO, FeWo Direkt) in the past, but switched to airbnb due to better security on this platform.  HomeAway is now in the process of "improving" their platform, so I will look into that again. For the time being they do not have a secure payment system in place for my country - the launch of the new platform is July 11th, so time will show.

[Mike77]

I don't use it either.  I want to check and see if the people will enjoy actually being in a treehouse.  Just makes sense to see if the visitor will fit the situation.

Mike

[Ange2]

@Mohammad2 @Marit-Anne0 @Daniel33 @Mike77 @Paul146

Odd development, I agree it absolutely disempowers the host.

I know hotels, bnb's are instant book (not sure if that is a legal requirement)  but Airbnb is not a hotel platform. Or is it creeping towards that quarter.  Maybe it is something to do with complying with local laws to get cities to accept Airbnb. Whatever it is, mandatory instant book negates the whole idea of how Airbnb is marketed to hosts and to guests.

Also, if instant book is mandatory , then like hotels they should also have mandatory verification with photo ID before the gust can book (hotels ask for passports or Government issuded ID's) and 'terms of use' that the guest has to agree to,  or else it puts the host in an untenable position. You just cannot have one without the other.

[Daniel184]

Hi!

As a new host, I was shocked to see that airbnb is approving bookings without asking me! This is appalling. I have already had to cancel one booking. I only began hosting in June but by October I will have changed to another site.

danvaio