New Strict cancellation policy - hosts need to know the status!

[Nita7]

There is another thread about AirBnb changing their options so there isn't a Strict Cancellations policy starting May 1st. - AirBnb will be forcing hosts to not be able to choose strict cancellation (right now it's a choice) it is very concerning to the hundreds of hosts who have posted in that thread.   Lizzie from AirBnb has not posted anything for a couple weeks about whether AirBnb is reconsidering this.   Does anyone out there have any updates on this?  Our personal information is going to be out there without our permission!

If other hosts don't know and are wondering what I'm talking about, please search in AirBnb Updates for New strict cancellation policy update   (new strict cancellation policy update)  There are many hosts freaked out about this (myself included) and no communication from AirBnb whether they are moving forward on this, only that they are postponing until May 1st due to the concern.   Not much time left!

I have been a loyal superhost and had not looked into any other platform of listing before this and I am currently changing to VRBO or some other platform that still gives the host the choice.    I can't chance my personal information for my home being used by predators that are looking for a way to break into our homes and I chose the strict cancellation policy for a reason!   I don't want to leave AirBnb, but they are not giving me that choice either!

Please AirBnb, have Lizzie or someone from your company get back to all the hosts that have been following that thread and posting...hoping for some communication!

Thank you!

[Matthew285]

@Nita7 I think you may be misinterpreting what that announcement said.

You seem to think"starting May 1st. - AirBnb will be forcing hosts to not be able to choose strict cancellation (right now it's a choice)"

The announcement says starting May 1st the Strict Cancellation policy will change, adding: "Limited-time refund within 48 hours after booking when the check-in date is at least 14 days away"

Note that this change only applies to the Strict Cancellation policy. Therefore, since Airbnb is changing the terms of the Strict Cancellation policy on May 1st, it is very clear that hosts will be able to continue to choose Strict Cancellation as their policy.

[Ute42]

@Nita7  @Matthew285

I'm from Germany and 2 months ago ABB offered the 48 hrs grace period for host who have strict cancallation policies as a test. That means, You could opt in and I did. Let me tell You how that works.

First of all, I do not do instant booking, I do have the strict cancellation policy though.

A guest sends in a request and I accept it. Now the guest has 48 hrs time to confirm the booking. If he or she does not confirm and the 48 hrs run out or if he or she rejects within the 48 hrs, there will be no charge for the guest. I use the 48 hrs time period (actually the first 3 hrs of the 48) to send out a detailed message on what the houseroules are and what my terms of service are. If it's ok with the gest he or she may book, if not – lets forget about it.

Pls note: Within this 48 hrs time period, my caleder remains open for the requested dates. That means, a second or a third or a fourth guest can request the same or overlapping dates. The guest that confirms first gets the deal, all the others are out.

This is how it is run right now in Germany.

Also: In the ABB booking process guests don't get any sensitive information on my property. No adress, not wifi code, no code for the self-checkin keys – nothing but my phonenumber. They will receive all information needed one week prior to arrival.

[Nita7]

@Matthew285@Ute42

No misinterpretation - they are replacing the strict cancellation with the "Strict with Grace period" they introduced and are going to call it Strict - someone can literally hold your calendar hostage for 2 days while they make up their mind and shop around to see if there are other better priced offers available - while the host misses the chance to book with someone that is serious about renting your home.   You don't know that they're going to cancel during that time, but you have to wait 48 hours before you set up your cleaning person, have to rearrange your schedule to be there with a key, etc.   

On top of that, when they book, they receive host's welcome message and any information that was blocked before they booked.   Read all the posts under the thread!    Not only is it a privacy issue but it creates loopholes for the non-serious guests.  Your home is booked for 2 days and can be cancelled at any time!  AND they get to do this 3 times a year without penalty!!   How does that help hosts with more bookings?   And why can't they just add this as another option instead of changing it to this other version?  I and hundreds other hosts like the strict policy they have!   Why would they do this to us?

Here is what Lizzie posted 2 weeks ago (not a peep since):

The Airbnb team heard feedback from you and the host community about the upcoming change to our Strict cancellation policy. In order to address your concerns, we’re delaying the change until May 1, 2018.

Before the change goes into effect, we’ll share more about what we’re doing to address your concerns, particularly around protecting your listing details from being shared with guests who cancel. But for now, we’d like to clear up some confusion and help you better understand the new policy and how it will benefit the whole community:

Here’s how the new grace period policy will work—and some of the protections we have in place for hosts:

Limited-time refund within 48 hours after booking when the check-in date is at least 14 days away

Guests must cancel within 48 hours after booking and can only cancel if their check-in date is 14+ days away. This means that no matter how far out your guests book, they only have 48 hours from the time they book to cancel for free. We want to make sure that if guests change their mind, you have enough time to get another booking.

Three refunds per year per guest

To prevent abuse, guests are limited to three fully refunded cancellations a year.

No full refunds for overlapping bookings

To make sure guests are not making multiple bookings and then cancelling, any booking made by a guest when they already have an active booking for those dates will not be covered under our grace period policy.

Your hosting success is top of mind for us, and tests of this policy—including among hosts with strict cancellation policies in place—strongly suggest the change will result in increased bookings and successful stays. With this grace period, not only do guests book with more confidence, but they also have the ability to resolve booking mistakes without requiring your valuable time and intervention.

We value your feedback, and will follow up shortly with more insight into how your ideas are shaping this policy.

[Matthew285]

@Nita7 from @Ute42's description, it sounds like the guest does not receive any private information, nor do they get to hold the calendar dates until they confirm.

Ute said: "Pls note: Within this 48 hrs time period, my caleder remains open for the requested dates. That means, a second or a third or a fourth guest can request the same or overlapping dates. The guest that confirms first gets the deal, all the others are out.

This is how it is run right now in Germany.

Also: In the ABB booking process guests don't get any sensitive information on my property. No adress, not wifi code, no code for the self-checkin keys – nothing but my phonenumber. They will receive all information needed one week prior to arrival."

That sounds like it takes care of the complaint that the 48 hours holds up the calendar "hostage", and also the concerns about the release of private information prior to commitment.

It almost seems like the booking is treated more like an Inquiry until the guest makes the second commitment, at which time it becomes the same as a regular Strict Cancellation booking.

[Ute42]

@Nita7, we are turning in circles as You dont't understand what I am writing. You state: „Your home is booked for 2 days and can be cancelled at any time!“  Your home is not booked, it may be boked. The procedure is:

1. booking request from the guest

2. my acceptance of said request

3. final booking confirmation from the guest

As Your calender ist not blocked within this 48 hrs grace period, You can have 5 different guest requesting the exact same time period. The guest that corfirms my acceptance first will get the deal. It's first come – first serve.

Within this 48 hrs time period, You don't know if You have a booking and the guest doesn't know if he has a rental secured. If the guest doesn't hurry, he ca be out in a minute.

If the calender was blocked, then we would have a problem, but it isn't blocked. Do You understand that? Your statement „someone can literally hold your calendar hostage for 2 days“ is dead wrong.

@Matthew285

[Nita7]

@Ute42@Matthew285How is what Ute's saying any different than a host giving pre-approval to a guest when they asked to book your home?    Currently a guest has 24 hours once you pre-approve their request to accept or decline.   In that case it does it not block the calendar.  If they accept your pre-approval, they are booked and the calendar is blocked out and they receive your private information and House Rules.

I think you are confused on what Strict cancellations policy is currently.   Right now with Strict cancellation, if a host pre-approves a guest to book their home,  the guest has 24 hours to accept or decline and if they accept the calendar is blocked - they can still cancel anytime but if they do, they lose 50% of their money immediately after they make the reservation up to 7 days before, then 100% not refunded if they cancel in less than 7 days.   If they don't want to book with with those restrictions, that's ok, I don't want them to book with me.   No one has to choose my home if they don't like Strict cancellation.  I have not had anyone cancel on me and no complaints about how I do my reservations.   

What Ute is talking about is not what they are proposing.   It's not what Lizzie explained.    I don't want to change to what they're proposing - giving guests choosing homes with Strict cancellation the option to cancel without penalty up to 48 hours.   They will receive my private information and block my calendar and I will miss out on guests that might have booked with me.  I don't know how to explain it to you any differently.   

Respectfully, I'm done debating with you, I was just trying to get an answer from AirBnb and let hosts that weren't part of the other thread know what they are trying to do.   Thanks for your input.

[Matthew285]

@Nita7 okay. We don't have to debate about it any more, and we can wait until May 1.

But you did catch the fact that @Ute42 is already on the Strict Cancellation with 48 hour grace period policy?

That's why I feel she knows what she is talking about.

She is (to my understanding) already using the policy they are discussing making mandatory for Strict cancellation hosts.

We can pick up the debate again in May.

[Nita7]

@Matthew285

It sounds like Ute is talking about the timeframe before they book - this change affects after they book and being able to cancel after they book.  I really truly hope you're both right, but I am not sticking around to find out.  I have been a loyal AirBnb host but this change is going too far.   I and many others are going to other platforms like VRBO and Home Away.   

Good luck!