Need advice please

[David6]

A guest has stayed 3 times. Each stay, he’s messaged prior to booking to ask for a discount. As he had a set budget from his ‘company.’ Each booking been ok. I just don’t like the guy. 

Each occasion, I’ve kind of been okish with going with his offer at its £15 or so. Last week he messaged requesting a much larger discount for 3 nights .

I actually told him, I didn’t appreciate his bartering approach and refused his offer as it was £45 lower than list rate. I also declined his enquiry. 

Tonight he’s just booked anyway for exact same dates. I thought by ‘declining’ he would not be able to do this? 

i really do not want to host this guy. I don’t like his approach and I’m sure he’s going to get his ‘revenge’ with a scathing review, haha Any advice appreciated! I haven’t contacted CS yet... 

[Jennifer1421]

@Rowena29- Losing IB with a cancellation is not a glitch (in spite of what CS might say) - it's a punishment. See the update here: https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Airbnb-Updates/Is-Instant-Book-right-for-you/m-p/1115912#M13091

The article states that you might get booking requests with IB on, "if you’ve recently needed to cancel a reservation".

[Rowena29]

Hi @Jennifer1421 

Thanks for pointing that out. i DID wonder,

However I was under the impression that there was  a difference between a host cancelling (using the 3 penalty free options) and airbnb cancelling?

In my case airbnb cancelled on my behalf.  In fact CS SUGGESTED  and recommended I cancelled.  (In writing.)

I know  ( or think I know) that other hosts have had CS cancel a guest for them and have NOT lost IB.

It wouldn't surprise me however. I have encountered many many examples of conflicting information/changes not being shared etc etc.

Will be interesting to see if @David6 loses IB for 4 weeks or so. I imagine if that was the 'system" whether advertised or not, it would be applied consistently to all?   Hope not for David's sake.

[Jennifer1421]

It's true, @Rowena29 , the penalty doesn't seem to be applied consistently. No one seems to know what factors contribute, and the platform's transparency on this is non-existent.

They do advertise that there are 3 penalty free cancellations, but the penalties they seem to mean are the monetary penalty, the automated review message, and the loss of superhost. Instant Book "Jail" is a stealth penalty at this point, applied at random. The point of it is unclear to me - what is it meant to be training us to do? NEVER cancel, just in case we lose IB (thereby negating the carrot of the 3 "free" ones that is dangled to make us more comfy with IB in the first place)?

The article above is the first time it's been acknowledged (to my knowledge) that hosts may lose IB temporarily for a single cancellation.

Fingers crossed @David6  isn't hit with it!

[Rowena29]

REALLY interesting @Jennifer1421 ... and as you say what IS the point... how CAN it train hosts if its not even acknowledged... before it occurs or after it happens.

In ny case i was repeatedly assured ... in writing ...   that there would be no negative consequences whatsoever for taking CS advice and having them cancel a booking.

Im pretty confident that the CS rep, who was really wonderful, was genuinely unaware.

Either that or a fabulous liar.

I can cope with most things but a lack of transparency, accountability and communication ...especially when all 3 are often combined .. really makes me lose faith and respect 

[David6]

Thank you @Rowena29  i actually wasn’t aware of this so will check for sure.