IS LOW BALL PRICING THE SAME AS BAIT AND SWITCH

[Maria-and-Jean0]

Why are some Host allowed to deceptively price their units with the low ball price during peak season?  Is this not dishonesty?  What do you think about this type of promotion being unfair to Host that are not deceptively advertising?  Is honesty not the basis of Airbnb's standards?   Does Airbnb promote deceptive pricing?  Jean

[Maria-and-Jean0]

yes, i can see you are only looking for a fight.. i have your messages.. 

[Ana1136]

@Maria-and-Jean0 none of us have said anything to insult you, unlike you who says "idiots, liars, drunks" and many more in every responce. Maybe we should report you.

[Emilia42]

If prices are the same all year round, I would feel cheated. I usually travel in the offseason to take advantage to these lower rates.

[Maria-and-Jean0]

Dang, I never thought of that.  Sorry everyone.  You are right.  I am wrong.

[Fred13]

@Emilia42 you are right: "This is quite the read! Maybe Maria should chime in at somepoint here . . . . " LOL

I get what you all are saying, including Jean's point of view (in part), especially when setting a price that is not  really representative at all of what the guest will pay (within reason) can constitude deception. Especially when one day is set at a lower price in order to affect the price shown in order to look more attractive than anyone else. Where I would disagree with you @Maria-and-Jean0 is that it is ethical to put one's best forward, not the 'worse'.

Example: My 2018 base price is $495, in 2019 it will be $595, 2020 $695. But since I do not have any open dates till December 2019, what price should I forced the listing page to show? I choose to show $495 because there are always available cancellation spots this year and we are still in 2018. 

I believe the practice of showing the starting price is the norm and implied, but when it comes to added accessories or special dates (i.e. Christmas) the'buyer' will expect to pay higher.

[Maria-and-Jean0]

i never said anyone had to do anything.. and i dont set your pricing scheme.. i simple asked if lowball pricing is the same as switch and bait... i only fight back when someone takes it personal as @Leti0 did when she said she needed to get her sun glasses.. nor Ned who just called me a nutbar I am.. 

i hate the practise of lowballing.. and i would be willing to bet that everyone who is here and those calling me names hates it to.. but instead of straight shooting.. they choose to lowball.. because everyone else is doing it..  and then they want to call themselves leaders..  

personally.. if you are booked all the way to Dec.. I wouldnt wait to raise your prices to the $695.. 

[Fred13]

^^^ "personally.. if you are booked all the way to Dec.. I wouldnt wait to raise your prices to the $695."

   Ah @Maria-and-Jean0 there is a reason for my madness.  I was locked into those prices 2 years ago, also a 2nd reason - I have an implied 'arrangement' with my guests: I will bring you to the island and it is offered at a great price, but I do not want to hear squat from you for 4-5 days (when I say non-catered I mean it) and also do not want to hear whinning, bitching or complaining which is worth a lot to me. As long as they do their part, the total peace is worth it to me. at this point of the game, I just do not have the same patience today for nonsense.

I took your original post seriously and  based on strong moral grounds, which I can respect. Safe journeys.

[Maria-and-Jean0]

I need to do that with my place in the Philippines.  

[Mark116]

Of all the problems that exist for hosts and guests related to airbnb, the listing showing the lowest price that has ever been offered ranks at the very bottom.  

[Maria-and-Jean0]

it is all about your personal priorities i guess.. 

[Mark116]

 Absolutely.  Me, I'm more worried about the lack of transparency in airbnb decisions, the lack of consistency in airbnb decisions, the increasing hostility to STRs by governments around the globe, airbnbn's phantom host guarantee, and the deposit that isn't a deposit, the ongoing failure to educate guests about the rating system, the huge pressure to approve anyone who makes a request, the every changing criteria for hosts, and the punishing of hosts who won't use Instant Book.

These are just a few things that I find much, much more problematic than the booking price changing once dates are entered.  But, that's me.  

[Ned-And-Laura0]

I rented a car not that long ago. I did a generic search in Google for car rentals in the city I was visiting and I saw an ad saying I could rent a car for $10 a day! Wow I thought, that seems like a great deal so I visited their site and I entered in my dates and it turns out it was $30 a day. Was I cheated? I don't think so. There were in fact cars available for $10 a day during certain times of the year and since the rental car company had absolutely no idea when I wanted to rent my car I see nothing wrong with them putting their best foot forward and advertising the $10 per day deal. I knew I was renting a car during peak season in the summer and that it wouldn't be $10 before I even clicked on their ad.  But everybody else was advertising $15 a day for their offseason prices so I figured I'd give the $10 a day rental company a chance.  You seem to think this is some great moral problem in our society and that everybody who follows this advertising model is a liar and a cheat.

[Maria-and-Jean0]

I didnt say you were cheated.. i said you were deceived... so you accept up selling as the norm..  i dont doubt it.. a lot of you here..  and it is the norm... we have come a long way from honesty in advertising as being the norm..  you are not alone.. and maybe since you allow it to attract you knowing its a lie but hoping it isnt.. you really arent decieved.. just conditioned..

it is i that is alone.. i prefer a less deceptive approach to aquiring my Guest..  i hate up selling.. dont you?  It is immoral if nothing else.  

maybe i should list my place at $1 per day.. oops.. that day is rented sir.. but keep trying (fools he says)..  or $1 per day plus $138 per day cleaning fee...   opposed to yes sir.. $139 per day for 4 persons - 12% to cover the Muni Bed Taxes for you, $100 cleaning fee, 3 day minimum.  It is not all about the money.  However, it is all about the journey my friend.

the reason lowballing is effective is because we are all looking for something for nothing.. or as P.T. Barnum was reported to have said, "A sucker is born every minute".  Maybe i should list my place at $1 per day.. oops.. sorry, that day is rented sir.. but keep trying (fools he says to himself).. 

i use carrentals.com myself.. no surprises.. best rates and the auto insurance is a lot less than in the agency.. but bring your receipts because the rental agency will try to sell it to you again... because carrentals.com does not report the insurance purchase to them... same company... same policy.. allianz.. 

[Ned-And-Laura0]

As long as your space is actually available at some point throughout the year for $1 then I have no problem with you marketing it for $1. But you must be willing to actually except a booking for a dollar and once you do the air B&B search will no longer show your place is listed at a dollar because it's already been booked and is no longer available. You would have to continuously have nights available throughout the year for $1 and you could not change that price once somebody books it.  If you are willing to sacrifice your income for that one night in order to get a few people to click on your ad then I have no problem with it and neither would the people who manage to get that booking

[Mikki0]

I don't have low or high seasons, but I do have weekday and weekend rates. If guests select dates that cover both prices, they see the average price per night. If they don't select dates, then they see my and I would assume, everyone's lowest pricing. 

I also go through my calendar every month and adjust pricing a year out for special events in my area, setting demand pricing. I don't consider that dishonest.