Instant booking or not

[Yves561]

Hello, 

Last month we had a very stressful experience with a guest.  Since then I disconnected the "instant Booking" on my page.

I hesitate to re-activate it.  It is hard to make a decision to accept with only a first name. No way to get more information.

Since I turned it off there is no activity in our listing. 

Should I reactivate it or not? 

So fro we have 23 positive reviews.

Thank you for your help.

Yves Blondeau

Sacramento, California.

[Michelle1164]

@Yves561 Here is the liability  or hold harmless waiver she shared with us. Feel free to use this to make up your own waiver. Just invert your name and address in the appropriate spots. 

Because I understand I am fully responsible for the actions and well-being of myself and if applicable my minor children, I agree to hold harmless and indemnify (hosts), their heirs, agents, beneficiaries, employees, associates of any sort against any and all claims including, without limitation to expenses, judgements, fines, settlements and other amounts actually and reasonably incurred in connection with any liability, suit, action loss or damage arising or resulting from my participation as an AIRBNB guest in their home or on their property located at (host address).

[Huma0]

@Michelle1164 

I like your approach but find that a lot of my IB guests say they never saw the pre-booking questions. These are not just the lazy, bad communicators, but also very good guests who are completely responsive when I follow up, but insist no questions were shown to them...

I have still not figured out what is going on there.

[Michelle1164]

Yes I’ve had a few of those as well. Once I send them via message they have no problem answering my questions. 

[Cory-And-Joey0]

Hello there!  Just curious - how do you successfully turn OFF Instant booking?  We will be gone for a good portion of time, and I want to make sure we can get to know people before we approve they stay at our property.  I've tried about a half dozen times and it seems like it's working, then when I check back, it's always set to "IB On".  I'm feeling like I'm being held hostage...

[Huma0]

@Cory-And-Joey0 

I think you are right. There is something weird going on. A couple of months ago, I turned off IB for one of my listings and had no problems. The other day, I decided to turn it off for the other two. It was quite a process for the last one as it was clear the Airbnb system didn't want me to do it, but I went ahead anyway.

I just checked the listings now and, two have IB off, but on the other it has been turned back on!!

Also, when I started hosting in my house and listed the first room, I know that I turned IB off as it didn't sound appealing to me at all. The next morning, I already had instant bookings as it had miraculously turned itself on. This was even more annoying because, at the same time, smart pricing had slashed my rates in half overnight. 

I guess we are going to have to keep an eye on this and keep checking the listings. The problem is, if this happens and someone IBs, how do you prove to CS that the system turned IB on and it wasn't just your own error?

[Amani50]

I would like to suggest to have the option to allow instant booking on certain days or certain period on my calendar (maybe on low season for example), when I'm sure I would like to receive guests anytime. But also on other days sometimes I'm not sure of my availability so I prefer to keep my flexibility.

I would really appreciate it if they could add this option to instant booking 😊

Amani

[Valerie926]

After reading the forums, I decided to try instant booking three days ago.  Meanwhile, I had a surgery yesterday morning that was much longer and more extensive than I realized (7 hours), blood loss, pain, etc.  I wasn't "with it" enough to turn off instant booking and got an instant booking this afternoon for a reservation in 2 days from now.  I cancelled it immediately and also called the guest, but got a $500+ penalty imposed by Air BnB.  This was definitely NOT what I needed today to deal with.  I have 7 days to provide them with documentation from the doctor's office, and it is after 5pm on Friday now, so I can't even try to get chart notes until Monday, and don't know if I'll be able to get them within 7 days.  I also turned off Instant Booking and will NEVER use it again.  Maybe this works for some people, but the penalties imposed are up to $1000 per cancellation.  This added a HUGE amount of stress to an already stressful situation.  BTW, they were able to get all the cancer this time, hopefully.  🙂

[Susan4640]

Hello Valerie ~

   Thank you so much for your input! Think I will turn my instant booking off!  I did change some things in my requirements for booking (as suggested by other hosts who responded to my question) in that guests must include names of other persons traveling with them and reason for travel (leisure, weekend getaway, visit relatives, wedding, etc.).  I noticed that when guests make an inquiry or text me about anything (.......... husband and I are coming for a wedding) it seems to thwart the instant booking in the first place.  Since I requested names of guests accompanying person booking and reason for travel - I have not gotten any more Instant Bookings.

   Best wishes for hopefully beating that cancer once and for all!

Sincerely Susan 4640

[Huma0]

@Susan4640 

Guests who send an enquiry can still go ahead and instant book (providing they meet any criteria you have applied to IB). I turned it off earlier this year after a guest who sent an enquiry because she had lots of questions, then went and IBed without answering the questions I had for her and despite me requesting she do so before booking. She turned out not to be a great guest. 

[Huma0]

@Valerie926 

Sorry to hear that your surgery was so difficult. Did Airbnb specifically ask you for chart notes or just some kind of official proof of your surgery? I had to cancel two bookings under the extenuating circumstances policy (i.e. penalty free) due to surgery, but I just sent Airbnb the letter from the hospital confirming my surgery appointment. Then again, I did this before cancelling.

[Valerie926]

Here's what they asked for:

"Kindly share the douctuments here:
Doctor/Clinic’s note meeting the following requirement:
Must be for serious illness/injury as defined in policy
Not qualifying ex: Common colds, nausea, etc."

That's tough to get within 7 days (5 business days) from a surgeon.  I had never seen the doctor before so I don't have a patient portal set up, and they don't have an online sign-up option, so I can't do anything until Monday.  If a doctor doesn't have a patient portal, I would have to get a release of authorization to get the chart notes, which can be even tougher if you can't do it in person.

[Valerie926]

Also I sent photos of the gaping surgical site and the 45+ stitches but was still asked for something from the doctor.  She did say she would process the refund once she got those, after seeing the pictures.  But to me the policy seems extreme given the situation and trying to get proof within 7 days, especially when I caught the reservation immediately after it was booked.  This wasn't a guest who had booked 6 months in advance, was flying in, and I cancelled the day ahead of time.  He booked 2 days before he needed a place to stay and I let him know immediately.

[Susan4640]

   I'm getting a lot of good info from this thread of conversations.  Thank you!

   Before I turned off my instant book, I took someone's advice from conversation and required guests to list names of anyone accompanying them (i.e. - the other guest(s) coming with them and also state their reason for travel/their stay at our listing.  This did not, as Huma0 in London stated above, prevent instant booking.

   So - I turned "instant book" off a few days ago.  Airbnb sure likes hosts to keep it on!  After clicking on various 'continue' buttons, it wanted me to check 3 boxes confirming I understood that:

1.  My listing won't be highlighted in searches (resulting in fewer reservations).

2.  I only have 24 hrs to respond without penalty (I always respond within 24 hrs anyway).

3.  I would lose instant book controls like penalty-free cancellations or requiring positive

      reviews.

Now - this very last one (3rd box) really doesn't make sense at all.  First of all - Valerie still had instant book on when she had to cancel a booking and she is having to go to great lengths to prove 'extenuating circumstances' in order to not pay a penalty.  A second point: before I turned my instant book off - I had guests who instant booked - and they had no reviews at all. 

  Something else I wonder about: you know how when you review a guest and the very last thing Airbnb asks is if you'd welcome that guest back again?  What happens if a guest that you clicked the "NO" button to - tries to book with you again (or horrors - instant booked!)? 

Again - thank you all for your input on this topic!

Susan