Canceling and booking new host

Gary8
Level 1
New Jersey, United States

Canceling and booking new host

Hello Everyone - I made a rookie mistake today. I had an inquiry from a guest which I pre-approved for 10nights in July and was awaiting for them to book. During the 2 days, I received  a direct request to book for 5 nights with dates that overlapped the other guest. In my sloppy review of my calendar, I had accept the request. I realize this within 48hrs when the original guest wanted to complete their booking. I then cancelled the booking that I had accepted not reading the fine print that the dates would then be blocked out for booking a new guest for those dates. This is a lesson I'm learning in making sure I read all the fine print. I'm now currently e-mailing airbnb and requesting that they lift this block and grant me a waiver this one time for being a new host. Is this something that airbnb will do? Is there another way around this? Obviously, this is a lesson learned on my part as I now can't book the 10 night request or rebook the 5 night request. =(

3 Replies 3
Lisa7
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

Hey Gary,

 

First, Airbnb should be able to resolve this issue for you. But I'm confused: You approved a request for the 5-day stay, but then canceled the 10-day stay inquiry... and somehow Airbnb also then automatically canceled the already-approved five-day stay? That doesn't sound right -- meaning that it doesn't sound like how Airbnb's system works.

 

Lisa

Tracy0
Level 10
London, GB

You can ask but I'm not sure if they will do it. Plead 'newness'. One good rule of thumb you will find given by experienced hosts is 'first come first served'.  A lot of us get enquiries and say they are going to book, and then don't - so don't pass up a good REAL booking for a good MAYBE booking 🙂



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Danny9
Level 10
Palma, Spain

@Gary8

 

You want to distinguish between the two things: 

 

A booking inquiry

A guest is asking you something about your listing before he makes up his mind and POSSIBLY firmly reserve your listing. If you feel that he may be a good guest, you are perfectly fine with pre-approving his booking. Remember that this pre-approval is only conditionally binding. Yet another potential guest may be inquiring with you for the same time frame and the same listing. You are perfectly fine to pre-approve him, too. 

 

A Reservation Request

In the meantime, yet another guest requests to book your listing in the same time frame. You are perfectly fine with accepting this reservation request. The Airbnb will automatically lift ALL of your previous pre-approvals and accept the firm reservation on the spot with no penalty for you. 

 

In other words, Airbnb is keen on facilitating firm, paid for reservations. This is where both their and your income comes from. Inquiry pre-approvals are ways of allowing the guests to really shop around, and decide whose pre-approval will they (or not) convert into a firm, paid for reservation. 

 

My experience shows that guests who go on asking many, many questions only to decide to book at some later point in time, usually do not get to book the listing they really like because someone else snatched it away right before their noses. 

 

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