Question for Forum on Pricing: What Guests See - Price per Night.

[John1574]

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I’m looking at listings in my area and I find a place that is a competitor of mine with an “Entire Home” type listing, and the search blurb lists it at $78 per night, but when you click on the link there is no price per night. This is the listing:

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/13524144?location=Providence%2C%20RI%2C%20United%20States&s=oFAPvXgE

I have to pretend to book to get pricing:  when I book for one, for two nights, it come up with a price of $229 for two nights, a far cry from $78 per night.

6/29 to 7/1 

1 guest  -  $229 x 2 nights

$458

Cleaning fee  - $50

Service fee -  $73

Occupancy taxes and fees

$40

Total  $621

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If I book two guests I get:

Guests 2

$179 x 3 nights  =  $538

Cleaning fee = $50

Service fee = $84

Occupancy taxes and fees = $47

Total = $719

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I understand this has to do with smart pricing.  But it sure looks deceiving to me if I'm a guest and my budget is under $100 per night and I clicked on her listing.

Is this host using a common pricing strategy to get more views and then employing a type of bait and switch on pricing?

I list my AirBnB at $130 per night for two people  (+$50 for each person over two)  so when search results come up guests have a realistic expectation of what they will spend.

I thought pricing was evident when guests went to book.  This looks deceiving or am I missing something?

What factor should go into setting your pricing:  is it better to set up, in “Pricing” (in your listing) a price of $78 per night for one guest and then set each additional guest at $78 also, which she appears to have done.

Am I optimizing my listing at $130 per night (plus $50 per night for each additional guest up to four): or would I do better setting it at $80 for one person and $50 per each additional person up to four?  Then for two people it would still be $130 per night. I just feel that if guests can't see the pricing structure it is a type of bait and switch, a practice I abhor.

I thought guests could see the pricing structure before booking.  I have never booked on AirBnB as a guest.

Is it explained to guests, on my listing, that the price per night is for two and each additional person is $50 more per night?  Or do they have to go through the booking process and wonder why the price jumped so much?

If anyone has a link to Help info, I"d  be glad to use it.

[Kelly9]

I am dealing with this issue with a guest right now.  The price they saw listed for our home when doing a general search for a large home in our area was $299/night.  Then when she entered her dates and number of guests (10!) the price changed.  She didn't notice the pricing details when making the reservation, and contacted me yesterday, the day before arrival, confused and upset.  She contacted airbnb and they want me to refund her for 1/2 of the 555 dollar price difference (from the lowest possible off-season price for 1 guest to the actual cost for 10 guests for her prime summer weekend dates.) . This is indeed a bait and switch pricing maneuever on Airbnb's part and is frustrating for me as the host, considering I have no control over what airbnb is posting.  They should change the wording to say "starting at $xx/night" or "priced from $xxx/per night" instead of just a little flag with the lowest possible price in the corner of the listing picture.  

[Alexandra316]

@Kelly9I wouldn't give them a discount. As soon as you put in your dates, a detailed pricing breakdown comes up: it breaks down the per-night rate, extra person charges, cleaning fee, and the Airbnb service fee. To complain about it the night before checkin seems extremely disengenous, if not outright suspicious. I can't believe that Airbnb asked you to give them a discount! 

I agree that it should say "pricing from", but it doesn't, and that's not your fault. Almost no one has the same price 365 days per year. So crazy that they would try and put it back on you. 

[Keith88]

AirBNB needs a really good comptetor really really badly. The ONLY wayt they have a mote is the name. That is IT.

[Ned-And-Laura0]

Unless you have one set price for every single night of the year (which is a really bad idea from a business perspective) then I don't see how airbnb could do it any differently.  Most every host has some type of seasonal pricing, maybe a few mid week discounts during the off season and some peak pricing during the peak season.  This is common through all forms of rentals from hotels to cars and even airline tickets.  The consumer has come to expect this and there is nothing dishonest about it.  And since many people will go online and book months in advance, there is no way for the system to know when they want to book unless they enter the dates.  You could be booking this weekend or you could be booking next Summer.  Some people are flexable with their dates and they are just looking for the best price. In this situation it seems very reasonable for the site to automatically show the best possible price.  As I said before, it would be better if airbnb put "starting at" or "as low as" or some other phrase letting guests know its the lowest possible price available.

[Vie5701]

The house I posted is no longer available.  Rented it for a year. Have an inquiry and have no idea how to tell them it's rented.  My colleague went in and said it's not available until June of 2023 but, still got an inquiry.  I have a hard time with this program.

@Vie1