Important! Your listing is suspended!

[Toby-and-Nate0]

So I woke up this morning to the message "Important! Your listing is suspended!" - it appears we have declined the most recent 15 requests!!!

1. this is total bollocks 

2. the most recent request was dismissed by AirBnB for non-registration of a payment card

3. since when are we being treated as irresponsible adults?! 

4. one recent booking was a same-day request - that's not enough notice

This is my home we are talking about, not some fly-by-night agency where we will accept just anyone who requests to stay. 

AirBnB seems to think that the lack of competition in the peer-to-peer hospitality industry means that it can dictate who we accept and how often we accept bookings. This is on top of their recent f***-up with the shared room option (where in a recent update the tickbox automatically got ticked in our - and others listings - showing that beds and bathrooms were to be shared with total strangers) 

FURTHERMORE (clearly having a rant here) when AirBnB sent me a link to confirm the account, it took me straight to the bookings page of another listing and not a confirmation page at all. 

Our policy is to agree mutually beneficial times for guests to check-in - this is not always the case as many guests have requested  a mid-day check-in during the week when we are at work. This should not reflect badly on us as the host, as this is agreed with the potential booker. 

Get yourselves sorted out AirBnB. You're losing a superhost here and an ambassador for how good AirBnB can be. 

Seriously!

[Jeff158]

It feels sooo good to have a rant @Toby-and-Nate0 

You can stop same day bookings by setting reservation preferences to 1 days notice

and we have to be generally treated as irresponsible adults because a few hosts are.

I hope you get back up and running soon Toby & Nate

[Alon1 · Accepted solution]

@Toby-and-Nate0 @Jeff158 

Toby & Nate,

A stat based suspension as this one is computer generated.

However, I know from experience there can be a discrepancy in the computer generated stat.

   Last year I had a listing paused for 5 days with automated reason that Star rating average had dropped to 4.2. Yet Progress/Performance showed it at 4.4. -- I made quite a fuss about it over the course of a month, including visiting Airbnb London HQ,  and one employee spent 45 minutes with me before forwarding the case to those who could be relied to deal with it. Eventually, one Case Manager addressed the issue, but only the underlying reason for the pause, namely two undisclosed 3rd Party Bookings that each led to 1 Star Reviews by the Booker. The Case Manager delted these 2 Reviews & Ratings for violation of 3rd PB rule. However, neither he nor anyone else could explain the original discrepancy between 4.2 and 4.4, and of course the 5 Day pause had been and gone.

In your case, you state the 15 Declines is 'total bollocks'. However, you don't quote your actual record from your Inbox.

Thus based purely on what you've written we can readily adduce twofold:

- The most recent request dismissed by Airbnb should not figure in your Decline stats.

- Jeff informed you how to stop same day bookings, so you would never be confronted by such request.

Since you were not aware how to apply one of the basic settings - even after 5 years of Hosting - opens to question how familar and adept you are in dealing with the booking process?

It seems that you do not do Instant Book, as you won't just accept, and with IB you don't have the luxuary of  Declining so many bookings in a row, 3 maximum in a year.

If this is correct, so you deal with Enquiries and Reservation Requests, you can still avoid frequent Declines:

- With Enquiries, you just need to respond within 24 hours. Message suffices to inform Enquirer that it's not a suitable fit for whatever reason.

- With Reservation Requests that are not suitable, it's best to engage with the Guest and kindly ask them to CANCEL their RR.

i've applied this method for over 6 years. I don't do Instant Book as like you I'm a live-in host and feel just as strongly at not  wanting to accept anyone. This is reflected in my stats. My conversion rate has remained remarkably consistent at about 35%. The other two-thirds are more or less divided between those that I do not wish to Host and those who chose elsewhere.

  In terms of numbers, I don't accept about 40 - 60 Enquiries / Reservation Requests a year. If I formerly 'Declined' them all I would have faced many pauses and suspensions, and probably been delisted by now.

  The most difficult issue as mentioned is dealing with a Reservation Request that one wishes to Decline without hurting one's ratings. The majority of those I ask to CANCEL their RR kindly oblige. A few don't and disappear without further message leaving me to Decline close to deadline 24 hours later. In any case, these few forced Declines don't have a significant effect on my rating, because they end up being few and far between.

In summary, if your case is a Stat based error, I would encourage you to pursue it with Customer Services.  If not, then it's worth learning the ropes how to avoid 15 Declines in a row.

[Toby-and-Nate0]

Dear @Alon1 

Thank you for your detailed response and I am sorry to hear of your past suspension!

In my efforts to not be too verbose in my rant I perhaps came across as unknowledgable of how the AirBnB platform works - I therefore feel the need to clarify/respond to your post as follows:

1. We are aware of the setting for reservation preferences (to be able to set this to 1 days notice - thank you also  @Jeff158 ). We have purposely left this setting off as we can afford to be a bit more flexible on the weekends but in light of the recent events we are clearly going to have to review this, and our weekday bookings policy. 

2. We more likely than not will ask a guest to cancel their reservations request if it does not suit - and it is partly due to this that I am so galled by our current suspension - as these make up a small portion of our recent 'declines' (by mutual agreement) - and yes, sometimes these expire (but not all). My fault for not realising that the impact of these would lead to a suspension. My stance remains, the total number of declines have not all been at our behest.

3. We spend quite a bit of time refining and tweaking our AirBnB listing and making sure it, and the calendar, are up to date - so it must be said that we are aware of how the AirBnB platform works. And while we are aware that this is a computer generated suspension we are having trouble getting our point through to AirBnB on this matter.

4. You have also raised an interesting point - that of the Third Party booking - another reason we have declined requests recently.  

I cannot help but feel as though this is an error on the part of AirBnB taking into account the above. We have been on the phone with them now for a period of time but seem unable to (currently) make any headway on this. The reasons for the declines are, from our point of view, all valid. 

[Alon1]

@Toby-and-Nate0 

re. 2)

You've learned the hard way not to let Reservation Request 'EXPIRE'.

If I'm not mistaken It's worse than Decline because it also blocks calendar.

   (I could be wrong but I think I read it somewhere. I've just  looked it up in HELP,

but cannot find the directive if it blocks calendar)

re. 4) 3rd Party Bookings.for 'Personal Travel'.

   It's proven to be a gray area. Many Guests assume it, and plenty of Hosts permit it.

The issue is compounded by Airbnb Customer Service and the automated computer log.

- Last year I had a CS phone me to actually take a 3rd P.B. due to same day cancellation by another Host

(for unspecified reason). The Booker was a Fellow Host trying to book for his daughter & 2 friends.

I informed the CS that it's not permitted, and encouraged the Booker to get his daughter (over 18 to set up her own account). He said he would do it, but I didn't hear back, and a few days later noted from his latest Review that he'd simply booked another place: the host explicitly noted it was a 3rd P.B. in his Review and didn't seem remotely bothered.

- Previously, a CS told me to simply 'Decline'. Reservation Request and state reason. (I don't do Instant Book).

  I replied that I prefer Booker Cancels their R.R. because a Decline will affect my Ratings (Accepted Reservations). 

  CS said no, it would not affect my Stats if I give explanation in the automated Reason for Decline.

  However, I duly noted that this one and another similar decline for 3rd P.B. did in fact lower my Ratings.

- Late last night (after midnight) I received the latest R.R. by a daughter of the booker. She didn't even state her name, but I could readily glean it from preceding reviews. There are 16 Reviews over 3 years, at least half were done by the daughter judjing by Reviews. 

  I wrote a lengthy explanation why I can't accept, and kindly asked her to 'Withdraw Request', and encouraged her to set up her own account if she's 18 yrs old.

  Since I couldn't be sure if she'd respond immediately, I phoned CS. 

  The lady I spoke to was very good. She immediately Cancelled the R.R. and contacted both father & daughter to inform of the Rule, Guidelines and T&Cs. (The CS induced cancellation shows as 'REQUEST WITHDRAWN'. So I know it won't affect my Stats.)'. 

   10 - 15 minutes later the Daughter contacted me with a new R.R. on her own accountevidently just set up with full verification. (She's arriving this afternoon with a couple of friends).

--------

I note that your listing is still not showing. 

I hope you manage to sort out your situation.

Best Wishes.