Host Declines Booking Due to the Price they posted? Is this normal?

[Jennifer1312]

I submitted a request to book a propertly last night and had a wierd interaction, when the properly said that the price was incorrect (that I posted).  That is not true at all.  I used their information.  Seems this is fraudulent.  Is there a way to file a complaint?

[Letti0]

@Jennifer1312  They did not have their pricing updated is my guess. As it was a request to book not an actual booking the host has the right to decline the booking. Not a lot you can do in this case. If you had instant booked that would have been another story. 

[Jennifer1312]

Thanks Letti!  So what is the difference with an Instant Booking?  I could have gone that route, but chose not too..

[Letti0]

@Jennifer1312  If you had booked instantly AirBnB would have made the host honor the price or the penalties for canceling the reservation would have included not being a Superhost for a year, getting a public review that shows they canceled, paying a cancellation fee, and having the canceled nights blocked on their calendar. No host wants to cancel a reservation. Because you did a request the host had the choice to accept or decline the booking. AirBnB does penalize the hosts also for declines by lowering their listing acceptance ranking they must keep it at or above 88% and placing the listing lower down on the search. Too many declines can get a listing suspended or delisted. 

[Jennifer1312]

Good information to know!  Thanks.

[Emilia42]

@Letti0,  this is one reason why when I travel as a guest I prefer to book with hosts who use instant book. It all just seems more professional that way. Do you think there is some truth to that?

[Emilia42]

... posted twice

[Ana1136 · Accepted solution]

@Jennifer1312 nothing you can do about this. If you had already booked they can't change the price or ask for extra money, but they can always decline a bookig and change their prices, it is not fraudulent.

[Lilly28]

@@Letti0

I did not know that there are penalty for declining an inquiry - I do decline sometimes and always find that after that my listing is not appearing in the first pages... Now I understand the reason= But when I decline it is always because the guests are asking me to accept something I do not provide - why do I have to be penalized? i.e. - I do not accept long stays, even though I accepted the requirement of a couple for a 1 day stay to see how they would be caring about the property as to decide should I break my rules and accept them or not - but after they got the acceptance they insisted that  I tell them my address as to see the flat - and it was then I declined, explaining the reason - they wanted me to agree on a price far below my already low price, and obviously they wanted to negotiate outside airbnb.

Letti - what can I do - not to decline when guests are asking me to provide them acceptance when I am not comfortable with?   I  always agree to have a first time users although it is written in my requirements that guests should have at least one positive review before. But I would not like to have guests without ID, and guests who want to tell me how my price should be or who insist to tell them the address before booking=  

[Letti0]

@Lilly28  It's not Inquires it's Requests to book that effect your acceptance rate. Inquires can be declined and you will still meet the basic requirements of AirBnB.

[Lilly28]

@Letti0

Oh, I made a mistake - but I always receives Requests - not Inquires. Litti, I am astonished how you can find time to help so many hosts! You have a great and friendly heart! Thanks that I can read your messages!

[Letti0]

@Lilly28  Explain to the guests why your listing is not suitable for them then you can ask the guests to please withdraw their request to book in 12 hours or you will be forced to accept the booking as AirBnB penalizes hosts for declining booking requests and they will then have to cancel within 48 hours or my strict cancellation policy falls into place in addition to paying the service fee's. This works pretty well for me most withdraw or cancel in the 48 hours. Though how they can do a request for long term stays I don't understand unless they are requesting for only part of the time they want to stay. Do you not have a maximum nights allowed set in your listing, so they can not request to book more days than you are allowing? If this is the case add a maximum nights ssetting to your listing.