Instant Book Hosting nightmare

[Justin131]

I’ve hosted over 2,000 times & have over 1,000 reviews. Yesterday & this morning has made me seriously rethink my relationship with Airbnb.

 Last night a guest instant booked one of my properties representing 1 guest. (7) 19-22 year olds showed up with full coolers.

I kept my cool, I explained to them that 6 was the max & we charge $60 per additional guest after the first 2 ($480 extra for a 2 night stay). 

1) you can’t change the # of guests through the app past checkin time. Why is Airbnb continuing to tighten its control over simple modifications to reservations. Guests wish to add guests all the time - get out of our way Airbnb! The guests still has to accept the change so why are you making simple changes difficult?!

After requesting the $480 through resolution center I waited a while, then reminded the guest he needs to make this right to stay. Still no response, then a “I’ll do it right away”. An hour later, still no response. So, I had enough & went to cancel the reservation due to breaking house rules. I had reached my 3-times limit so I was informed I need to call customer service.

2)If I host 10 times a year in 1 listing I can cancel instant book reservations penalty free 3 times through the app. So I can cancel 30% of my reservations no problem. If I host 1,000+ times a year in 9 different listings (like me) I can cancel instant book reservations 3 times penalty free through the app. WTH?! Use percentages not hard #s Airbnb!

So, I was informed I need to call which I did & I WAS ON HOLD FOR OVER AN HOUR then shifted around until finally someone could help me. I called at 8:30, it wasn’t until 10:40 that Airbnb took action. To all Airbnb executives, what’s 2 hours of your time worth to execute a simple task.

I challenge all hosts to turn off instant book & look at the message Airbnb displays.

“Are you sure? We have peace of mind guarantee if anyone breaks your rules or you’re uncomfortable you can cancel.”

A total & complete lie.

I called again this morning to cancel the reservation & after over 30 minutes of re-verifying who I am, asking mindless questions, & being shifted around I just hung up & handled it myself.

This experience has made me re-think my relationship with Airbnb. I no longer trust that I can have control over my home or rental properties.

I went 100% Airbnb last year & stopped using other booking sites. This would have never happened on VRBO. On so many levels I’m disappointed & feel Airbnb does not have our backs as hosts.

So, dear Airbnb, If a guest shows up with 6 friends, only pays for 1, & refuses to pay the extra charge should I, as a host, be able to efficiently & easily cancel that reservation as a guest is clearly in violation?  If your answer is “yes” then your actions don’t match your words. Remove these crazy controls like “only 3 times” for active hosts and have our back already so we can manage our own business without your terrible customer service bottleneck.

[Rebecca160]

@@Matthew your dialogue is great! But what to do, if the guest refuses to do anything and insists on staying? If it were me, I would say, so long, fate well, it is time you were going... 

@Justin131 you would have been well with your rights to refuse service, since guest violated rules so blatantly and not done anything else. Left it all up to the guest to recoup any monies from Airbnb. Of course you would have to deal with a rotten review, but you are likely to get one anyway from this guest for making their arrival ‘so difficult ‘. Better to deal with Airbnb to try to get review changed than to attempt to change the reservation, I think. 

I am really sorry that this happened to you. It is making me think strongly of canceling IB. 

[Helen56]

Don't worry, it's usually fine. 99% of guests are great.

[Deb125]

Youre missing the point, it's that  1 or 2% that are knocking hosts down.  Thats the jist here, we shouldn't be penalized by those few, airbnb doesn't get it. 

[Cormac0]

Stephanie, it’s only a matter of luck, your turn will come some day for dealing with the scam artists and shysters.

So, my advice is, pay a visit every day to these blogs and keep abreast of what’s coming down the line for example.

Bed bugs is a hot topic now, or how about  sēmen  encrusted bed sheets, let’s not forget the blood-stained variety either or candle wax all over the bathroom (you don’t see the after mat of a lot candles in a romantic bathroom scene in Hollywood movies) I did and it’s really hard to remove without causing damage, anecdotally they were a young Spanish couple very much in love they could not keep their hands of one another for a moment.

Tip: remove all candles for your property.

Fake news:

By the way ever host on here that has over one thousand post gets a $100 a month fee from Airbnb I wish.

[Dave-and-Deb0]

If Stephanie was not scared before, she is now @Cormac0!

[Ute42]

.

Hi @Justin131 ,

I think what we need in such a situation is cash at the door, but cash payments outside of airbnb are not allowed. Here's what I suggest if that happens again:

One books for 1 but 7 show up.

Tell Your guest they have to change their reservation by contacting airbnb. They have to do it, not You. Why? Because they screwed it up, You didn't. Tell them if they all want to get in they have to leave You $480 in cash as a guaratee, then they can get in.

Then get onto Your computer and write them a message through the airbnb system:

"Dear guest, (well, maybe You wanna skip the dear)

You have booked for 1 but showed up with 7. Pls change Your reservation to 7 People by contacting airbnb. I have just reveiced a guarantee payment of 480 USD in cash from You. You will get these $480 back into Your bankaccount as soon as this is all sorted out.

Pls note cash payments for reservations are not allowed by airbnb. If You do not change Your reservation accordingly, You are in violation of their TOS and You may get banned from booking again."

I totally agree with @Matthew285 , all this is not Your problem, it's theirs.

They should be on hold for an hour, not You.

[Jarg0]

@Ute42

Please copy that into the german community group too.

I think it is a good way to handle Overnight Fraud with respect to the abb Terms and rules.

[Batul0]

Hi @Ute0

That's a really smart way to respond.  It's fair, calm and reasonably shifts the onus on the guests instead of the host.  We try to be as helpful as we can as hosts but to be taken for a ride is unacceptable!  I am a remote host and am actually thinking of installing a security camera outdoors so I can monitor check-ins and alert my local contact if something's amiss.  Airbnb is facing exponential growth and like most startups in the bay area, they need to grow up and get mature, experienced leaders that are actually capable of scaling this company appropriately for growth without compromising it's foundation- the hosts.  It's alarming to me, especially as a new host, to see threads in the community bemoaning the lack of support/structure/clarity/transparency/fairness etc. from Airbnb.  It truly makes me sad.  I'm hoping Airbnb reads these and "hears" us out and does something about it.

[Chris150]

been hosting for 4 years  (about 4000+ guests ) and i ahve to say, Airbnb does not treat their host like they used to and in an nutshell i am lookng for an alternative platform.Customer service is zero and i have the feeling that although i own my house, its more theirs than mine and i have less and less say over my own property 🙂

even on simple issues like guests breaks your house rules and bring 2 extra guests, they still argue but this is a crytal clear case. else whats the point of designing and having 100pc clear house rules if they start negotiating every time.....Its really disappointing and unfair

[Cheryl271]

I have an easy check in with the key pad, so often times I am not there to meet the guest.  I am installing the ring doorbell this weekend so that I can monitor how many  check in. My place is listed at a set rate with a limit to accomodate 5. But i have posted on my page to book for the correct amount of guest, if more show up they will be asked to leave. 

[Pete28]

All good, but they will most likely claim the extras are friends visiting et etc. push them and you get the 1* review. No east answers. I wonder who often hotels deal with this type of thing, and if they care ?

[Dave-and-Deb0]

Also, make sure you include the notice of the camera in the house rules as per the Airbnb guidelines.

[Nicholas198]

Ring doorbells go by the door on the outside facing away from the door, like a doorbell. A camera on the inside of the property I can understand one needs to state but a camera on the outside?

[Graham98]

I had a booking for two people.Three turned up. I said they should pay for the extra person. They planned for one to sleep on the lounge. We pointed out they would use more water and eat more breakfast and more linen washing.

[Matthew285]

Graham (can't tag you for some reason),

You don't have to justify your per-guest pricing to anyone.

Don't get caught up in arguments about how it doesn't cost you more.

Your pricing is your pricing.

If they don't want to pay what you charge, they can stay somewhere else.

Your costs are not relevant.

If 2 guests stay, your price is $X.

If 3 guests stay, your price is $Y.

That's the reason they need to pay more, and all the justification you need.