What am i missing here?

[Elaine701]

Is it just me? What am I missing here? 

https://rentalsunited.com/blog/airbnb-request-to-book/

Are you a property manager who doesn’t list on Airbnb because you operate on a request only basis? With Rentals United’s new feature, you can list your properties on Airbnb and set them to Request to Book, so you can screen your guests and accept or decline booking requests. Here’s how it works.

[Pat271]

I don’t use a channel manager, but this implies that there are channel managers that are automated and only accept instant bookings, but apparently this channel manager is touting the ability to enable a request to book option so that guest screening can take place.

[Elaine701]

You can also achieve this by turning off instant book. I don't need a channel manager for that. 

[Pat271]

Correct, the company is comparing itself to other channel managers, not to individual hosts.

[Elaine701]

Oh, then "other channel managers" appear rather incompetent.

I think if this is a major feature of this channel manager, they also don't stand out as the brightest bulb on the chandelier either. Unless compared to the others, I suppose. 

They do state that many can't use Airbnb because you have to accept instant book. Which of course, anyone familiar with Airbnb knows is not true. 

Is it just me? Or does this business often appear brainless? 

[Pat271]

@Elaine701 

They do state that many can't use Airbnb because you have to accept instant book. Which of course, anyone familiar with Airbnb knows is not true. 

I don’t think that’s what they are saying. They are saying that many property managers who use a channel manager can’t use Airbnb if they don’t want to accept instant book. I think the vast majority of STR property managers use a channel manager, and that is the audience they are targeting.

I do agree that the ad copy is poorly written and (perhaps by design) easily misconstrued. The reader really has to dig through the ad to figure out what it is actually saying.

[Elaine701]

They're saying that if you (a property manager) cannot list on Airbnb because you need to vet guests rather than instant book, you now can do it with this platform (although this has nothing to do with Airbnb or what Airbnb can or cannot offer, ostensibly, nor is it any reason to use or not list on Airbnb specifically). 

And as @Branka-and-Silvia0  point out, they also strongly suggest that it's potentially subject to severe penalties if caught doing this, which I've certainly never heard of, and I seriously doubt even Airbnb knows about. This is obviously just conjecture designed to justify the need for this amazing new feature unique to this platform, which magically works around this nonexistent problem. 

But you know, per @Sarah977  's example, I wouldn't be surprised if even large scale professional property management outfits take this bait lock, stock & barrel.

But that's where the business is, apparently.. Much ado about nothing. And it all runs downhill. 

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

mportant: Please be aware that Airbnb only allows properties to be on Request to Book if they are not available for Instant Booking on any other sales channels. 

Airbnb is very strict about this and has a dedicated team checking listings that are Request to book only. In the case they do identify a listing that is Request to Book on Airbnb and instantly bookable elsewhere, they will remove that property from Airbnb, and your account may be suspended.

😄 😄 😄

Really?  Since when?

[Pat271]

@Branka-and-Silvia0  Do you know for a fact that this is not true? Do you have a channel manager, with all platforms set to Instant Book, except set to Request to Book for Airbnb?

It’s interesting, really, that they would be so strict about this that they would dedicate staff to go out and manually compare Airbnb listings to the same listing on other channels. I guess they really don’t want people bypassing them by going somewhere else where it might be more convenient to book.

[Sarah977]

@Elaine701   Brainless. Kinda like the post yesterday from TurnKey property management which shows 160 listings, and thought they were talking to customer service when posting here. If a "host" with 160 listings is ignorant of how to contact customer service and doesn't even notice this is a user discussion forum, you wouldn't exactly have much confidence in their competency, would you?

[Elaine701]

@Sarah977 

It irks me that there's so much misinformation (seemingly solely to attract new business or otherwise profit in some way), often emulating from Airbnb itself, or from spawned cottage industries. 

And as you point out, even larger property management businesses don't seem to (conveniently? ) know even basic things. It's as if nobody bothers to think through anything anymore.

I'm sure you know it's not limited just to this business. It's everywhere. Maybe it's a result of information overload, and taking advantage of the opportunities that it facilitates...