Host accepted a booking but now says it is unavailable

[Clayton-And-Ana0]

Hi,

We made a request, the guest accepted, we have been already charged (even though it is a new year's trip and we are in July!) and now the host tells us that we can't have that place because it had already been booked. 

On the host's profile she mentioned she looks after 200 flats in Cape Verde, so obvisouly she has only a couple of lisitings to use them as a "catalogue" and got lost with whatever system she is using to get organised. 

The reviews are glowing (for the flat we thought we were going to), but if we accept this alternative (in the same building) it will be without looking at any pictures or reading reviews. More importantly, we are extremelly wary of this host now. We worry she might get confused again and we might be on the street in a small village in the middle of nowhere. 

The question here is: how the hell this is happening? Is it OK for Airbnb to have people false-adversting? How can we report that behaviour? 

Thoughts? Opinions? Advice? 

Thanks

[Sarah977]

@Mike781   Oh, I don't underestimate the inconvenience for guests at all. I was just explaining how it works for us hosts, so you'd have little better understanding. What you say is so true- the system and its policies is poorly set up for both hosts and guests. Hosts have asked for all kinds of changes, and those changes would benefit both hosts and guests, but Airbnb's attitude seems to be an arrogant "we know best".

For instance, a few months ago Airbnb tacked a "feature" that no host asked for and no one wants- a box right at the top of our listings called "Home Highlights". This takes up more space on our listing page, which leaves less space for the actual listing description- we take time to describe our places accurately and hope that guests will read it. But now, there's very little visible, and the guest has to click on "Read More" under each section. Many don't bother. So this stupid new feature is bad for both guests and hosts. Plus, Airbnb decides what to put in the "Home Highlights", we have no input. Some hosts have had things appear in there that they don't offer- it's incorrect, or in one host's case, it's supposed to be a great thing that she has a fireplace. Meantime, it's 100 degrees where she lives right now. No guest looking for a place right now is going to care that she has a fireplace.

Here's something else they do that's bad for both hosts and guests-  A guest makes a booking for 2 days from now. So the calendar gets blocked for those dates. Guest has 24 hours to pay. If their payment doesn't go through, the booking is cancelled, but meanwhile you, as a guest, see that date as unavailable. By the time airbnb cancels the booking for non-payment, you've had to find another place.

[Mike781]

Seems to me if this were truly the "community" it's claimed to be management would pay attention to such thoughtful comments as yours as valuable feedback.

BTW, I also hate what they've done to the listing format--takes much longer to get the critical info. Here's another one: Even though I submitted picture ID before, someone (or some computer) decided that the time to ask me for an update was when I was trying to finalize my booking. I struggled with confusing instructions, a code kept getting sent to my phone (which I don't use for AirBnB) and I struggled while the room I was trying to book was made "unavailable." Common sense would have them asking for things like ID photos at login time, not when one is finalizing a reservation request. 

Managers: Are you reading this forum?  Gotta go!

[Joanna85]

I see this a lot where I live.  An investor has multiple listings..the reviews are all jumbled up.  You've already booked so it's a done deal unless you Tweet at Airbnb and see if there is any way you can change it because you don't see pictures of it or can't see the listing any longer.  

[Jonathan6 · Accepted solution]

Be very careful, there are hosts that bait and switch.  You have a confirmed reservation so you should contact AirBnB Customer Service and advise them of the situation.  I suggest you do it by phone at 415-800-5959 in the US.

[Clayton-And-Ana0]

Thanks, I will do that. Now I just don't want to stay there anymore because this lady can very well cancel on us last minute. Trust is something that you can only lose once, right? 

[Jonathan6]

Explain that to the Rep, my experiance has been that they will help you find another suitable situation.

[Jeremy177]

Why doesn't Airbnb do anything about these hosts?  If they really wanted to they could clean this up in an instant by penalizing them appropriately.  They clearly don't care.  The customer service rep told me she could help me find a new listing, but there's nothing comparable now - the host waited until that was the case on a peak-season rental to pull the switch.  I'm in $2700 on airfare for a vacation my family doesn't want now.  I will never again use Airbnb, since they won't stand behind the integrity of their service and listings.  They still make money because you have to find another listing using their site, regardless of whether you would want to now.

[Matthew285]

@Jeremy177 it is probably because the bad people who do this kind of thing are very good liars.

It is very hard for a customer service representative to determine what is true and what is untrue. All the CS rep has to go on is a few texts on the AirBnB messaging system and what the person on the phone is telling them.

I hope you reported the listing and the host to AirBnB. I imagine when enough people report a listing as being trouble, then they can do something.

[Alice-and-Jeff0]

@Clayton-And-Ana0 -- you do not have to accept a change to your reservation.  

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/250/what-if-a-host-informs-me-that-the-listing-i-already-paid-fo...

And I would flag the host and the property for Airbnb to help them understand that she's not keeping her calendar up to date.  

[Alastair0]

It isnt nessasarily a host being a liar or falsly advertising. We have just returned home and a booking via our channel manager came in at 5.30pm. Before we can login to airbnb to close the calander dates a "Book Now" arrived at 5.57pm for the same dates. We immediatley contacted the guest and explained what has happened and we offered an alternative with a substancial discount and are trying to find a work around that will help. I understood that if we used Book Now we could cancel the booking within 24 hours if we were unhappy, is this not the case?

As hosts we now have to accept a 48 hour guest cancellation.

Accidents and  issues happen its not malicious.....