Contacting Host Before Booking

[Andrea1588]

Hello, I am new to Airbnb and I am looking for a place to stay in July.   I have tried to contact three different hosts qith a couple of questions about their location.  None of them have responded.  Does anyone know is I need to book before asking questions??  That doesn't sound logical to me, but I don;t know why they are not responding???  I guess I should'nt consider those places is they don't even get back to me.

[Mike340]

@Andrea1588

I would not book if you have had no response. You can ask questions before making a reservation..sure.

It depends how long you have given them to respond. People have busy lives, sometimes are on a flight, time zone differences etc ...but there is the App to answer questions from a mobile device. Most hosts answer within 24 hours. Most good hosts would at least answer to say they are busy and will then respond properly in 'x' number of hours. 

[Andrea1588]

Thanks Mike.  It's been a while: May 2nd and May 14.  I think I've given them enough time to respond.  I will look elsewhere.

[Elena87]

@Andrea1588

When you view a listing, it also gives a brief spiel regarding the host near the bottom underneath their picture.

It has a little checklist ; languages spoken, response rate and response time - with some published statistics regarding responses.

You can check there to see their trends and the likelihood of a fast response.

[Sarah977]

@Andrea1588   As a host, I welcome Inquiries from my guests- I don't use Instant Book and I like to get a feel for a potential guest before approving a booking, as well as liking to host guests who feel the same way. And I always respond within 24 hours, usually a lot sooner.

It's seems odd though, that you haven't gotten responses to 3 inquiries. I could understand one non-responsive host, but 3? Maybe there is something wrong techwise with the messaging from your end and the hosts aren't even receiving the messages. You might want to contact airbnb and explain what is happening-they can contact the hosts to see if your Inquiries were received. 

[Martin-and-Ingrid0]

Or the responses end up in your spam folder.....

[Marit-Anne0]

@Andrea1588

I t looks like your profile has been taken down - I am unable to access.