Instant booking

Answered!
Lulu6
Level 2
London, United Kingdom

Instant booking

I am a relatively new host and was not aware of the Instant booking rules and that it was active on my listing. I have had someone book dates which are not available for arrival and have to date always received a request to accept or decline. On this particular enquiry booking was automatic and now we have a situation that it cannot be fulfilled. I have explained all to the potential guest and he is happy with my reason, however the money has already been deducted from his account. How do we reverse this booking without either himself of myself being penalised

1 Best Answer
Lilian20
Level 10
Argelès-sur-Mer, France

The only way to sort it out is to contact airbnb support team by phone. They will refund the monies to the guest and may fine you with a symbolic penalty. 

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112 Replies 112
Bonnie-And-Nilda0
Level 2
San Juan, Puerto Rico

To everyone who uses Instant Book without questioning guests: If you live in a condo or coop you have a moral obligation to find out as much about your guests as possible, before taking their money.?You might not care but your neighbors do. Whenever there is common area , halls, elevator, pool, gym , it is your obligation to find out about guests prior to placing them and  you are responsible personally for any damage to common property or persons caused by your guest. This is Condo Law in a Puerto Rico and I am sure it applies in other jurisdictions. Too many inconsiderate hosts place anyone in an apt, knowing nothing about the persons, the neighbors are left to deal with the problem and the host as an investor lives at another location. This gives Airbnb a bad name and it should not be that way. There should be no1 or 2 night rentals permitted in an apt. There should never be more than 3 in a studio or 4 in a one bedroom. Spring breakers or teenagers, groups of college kids should not be allowed in your condo apt. You own your unit — but not the building.

Justyna23
Level 1
Walcz, Poland

I made instant booking reservation one year before my trip. Can a host cancel my reservation because he wants to change the price? The price was very attractive at the beginning, now it's too much for me.

Yvonne143
Level 2
Mississauga, Canada

I used instant booking twice. The second one came in from China, I found it very weird the guy has not left me house in 5 days. Then I see food being delivered twice with a guy in gloves and a mask. 

So I ask the person are you okay, why is this person just putting food in the back hall and leaving.

We are healthy and fine.

Well I find out he has a guardian, and he is 17 years of age, omg did anyone verify the ID at any point. That is totally illegal,

Also the guardian phoned to say he was on a plane from China for 10 hours with other international students so the Homestay family who is the ones in the mask dropping off food does not want to risk having him stay with them so he is in my house.. they are worried about coronavirus, for them but not for me. WTF 

Who is going to pay to have my basement disinfected from top to bottom. I have no spleen they are putting my health at risk. How dare they do this.

He should Never of got past air b and b and I will Never do instant booking again and No one will be staying in my home from China until this crisis is over.

On hold for 30 minutes nothing resolved no phone call back from them.

 

Gerald578
Level 1
Paris, France

In my case I specifically disabled instant book months ago, and yet today someone instant booked for 2 nights. I then checked my settings and found it was enabled!  I would never have re-enabled it. It doesn’t work for me as a concept. I need to approve anyone staying in my home. And when I disabled it again this time I was served reasons why I should not do so - clearly Airbnb are pushing for instant booking as a way to drive up sales by making it easier for guests to book. That does not work for me and I found it concerning that instant booking appears to have been Reenabled behind the scenes without my knowledge 

@Gerald578 Bugs and glitches are so very common on this platform. I've had my check in time revert from what I set it to, to flexible. Because of these glitches, I have gotten into the habit of checking all my settings regularly. And it doesn't escape notice that these 'spontaneous' setting changes are never in the hosts favor.

Dear Colleen :  Yes !! you are right !  For the first time in 6 years I think I encountered a glitch or bug .. Instant booking went ahead and booked over my blocked private dates  3 times in a day . I forgot to switch off instant booking and today it did it again !! Now I hope it will not happen because of the penalties for host cancelling. ( The first 3 don't have penalties ) ..

@Suresh56  We are also the ones who got the brunt of this instant booking nightmare. Got it turned off with the help of AIR BNB and now after some time when we check this parameter again it is turned on !!!!

Is that a kind of ploy??

Valerie926
Level 2
Fishhook, AK

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, 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. 

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