Base rate and custom rate - the Air BnB software is confused

[Derek316]

I wanted to let other hosts know about the confused way air BnB software handles base rates and custom rates, and their support people do not understand it.

What happened to me:

We decided to change the minimum number of people in a booking.  Previous rate $150 for first two people and extra $30 each for third and subsequent guests.  New rate $180 for the first three guests and extra $30 for fourth and subsequent guests.  

I changed the base rate and number of guests but I noticed that the calendar still displayed $150 which was the old rate.  After five days of multiple messages back and forth to various different people at customer support who didn't understand what had happened, someone eventually told me that there was a custom rate for exactly the same as the previous base rate on all the open days on my calendar.  During the five days I got another booking for two nights and the guest was charged $60 too low.  I then had another long dispute with Air BnB - I asked Air BnB to make up the $60 deficit because they had advertised the wrong rate and continued to advertise it for five days after I noticed and informed them.  (Eventually, reluctantly they paid me the $60.)  I refused to ask the guest for $60 because they had paid the advertised price.

I have worked out what the software does:

There is no such thing as a base rate.  When you open days on the calendar the "base rate" is automatically converted to a "custom rate" for those open days.

Suggested steps if you change your base rate for any reason:

Close all the unbooked days on your calendar.  Change the base rate.  Open up the calendar again.

Something else I have learned:

Air BnB is happy to take our money but they do not employ customer support people who understand the software interface and they are very reluctant to pay a deficit due to their mistake.

[John4534]

I've had a similar problem, though they say that this only happens if I've set a custom daily rate. I don't recall doing this, but let's not worry about that. (Maybe it's like Derek316 says and the software automatically does that.)

Problem is that there's no way to change the dates back to match the base rate. That means I have to update all the available blocks by hand to match the base rate. Seems like setting a base rate is basic functionality and one would expect it to affect all dates currently using that rate, or at least be able to have a way to say "use the base rate on these dates". Huge oversight.

It wouldn't be so bad except that one has to update each block separately. If the method described above magically sets the dates back to always match the "base rate" then that would be cool, otherwise you have to block and then unblock each set of dates, which is more work.

So frustrating. I lost out on $700 of income due to how this works. And support keeps telling me that's just the way it is and to request the money from my guests. This is a hole in their UI/UX. I already had some back and forth with my guest wondering how they got the old rate. I'm not going to tell them, "Sorry but Airbnb got it wrong. That makes me look like I'm trying to extort more money from them."