Has ayone who wasn't given the option to turn off Instant Book on their listing had this issue resolved? I wrote to Customer Service, and they confirmed that indeed it can't be turned off on my listing, while skillfully neglecting to mention that most users CAN turn it off. They simply wrote,
"When you sign up for Airbnb and activate your listing, guests will be able to book your space without needing to request approval. This feature can't be turned off..."
I replied asking for clarification and received a completely unhelpful response stating that,
"The Instant Book feature was enabled on the listing when it was created. At the time the listing was created, this information was outlined."
This is a ridiculous response since literally every other option, from "smart pricing" to the booking window, can be changed by the host at any time. I responded that my listings will generate the exact same fees for Airbnb as other hosts, and so I should be given access to the same features.
Please let me know if you are a host who has gotten anywhere with Airbnb on this. I am only getting canned replies from the corporate playbook.
Thank you!