smart pricing

[Helen859]

I've just spent an incredibly frustrating hour on the phone with support only to have them disconnect the call.  I have three properties - comparable, all in the same area.  I've listed with Airbnb for several years, haven't recently changed the listing parameters.  I received a very low cost booking today for a reservation more than 6 months out - high season in my area and smart pricing should have priced to the mid to high end of my pricing range.  Turns out that smart pricing currently has every single day of my listing set to the minimum price without any variability at all - including peak holidays.  My other two properties still have the variability in the pricing range that I would expect.  

So I call support and have someone spend the first 30 minutes explaining smart pricing and telling me that there is no problem.  I ask to talk to a manager several times and he repeatedly tells me that no one is available.  I try again with him and he finally realizes that smart pricing does have a glitch for the property.  When I ask about the reservation that was made today, he tells me I should contact the guest directly, but I am concerned that my cancelling the reservation will negatively impact my superhost status.  Apparently, I need to talk to another department regarding this, but of course, I've been on the phone for nearly an hour and need to go now.   So then he states that he is going to provide information for the other department and "file" regarding the smart pricing variability.   The line of course then disconnects and I have not heard anything back since.

So now I've been on the phone for an hour, can't spend more time doing it, have a ridiculously low booking 6 months out, and still have a calendar that is set on my smart pricing minimum forever.  Help?

[Emilia42]

@Helen859, it is incredibly frustrating but it happens. I don't think smart pricing has any sense of what is a holiday or a weekend or a special event. It all has to do with how many people are searching in your area on a given day. This is why I set my minimum price high so if some does book at my minimum, I'm okay with it. I then turn smart pricing off on certain days and increase or decrease the price depending on what's happening, because only I truly know the area and what my price should be, not some stupid computer.

[Emiel1]

@Helen859 

You are responsible for the pricing of your listings. Allthough Smart Pricing can do some automatic pricing between the bounderies set by you, it is still your responsibility what is offered to guests. Maybe increase  your minimum price in Smart Pricing.  Smart Pricing you can also be turned off for certain periods or dates and you can set custom prices. If you cancel a reservation, you will be penalized and loose Superhost Status for 1 year.

It is indeed odd that on one  of your listing pricing is not as "Smart" as compared to other listings.

it is always a good habit to regurarly check the pricing of the listing(s).

Calling Airbnb CS about this is IMO a waste of time, as you experienced allready. If you feel there is a bug in the system, you can use Feedback: Airbnb Feedback  to report it.

Best regards,

Emiel

[Helen859]

Right, but I've always had smart pricing provide a variable price within a rage of pricing that I set.  My range hasn't changed and my other two listings currently have the expected variation, but on the property in question smart pricing is set at my minimum pricing for every single day for the next several years.  Again, the properties and price ranges are all comparable and in the same area - I should expect some variability in pricing (within my set range) over the course of a year with smart pricing correct? 

[Helen859]

@Emiel1 @Emilia42 

So the resolution to this is that there is in fact a glitch in the Airbnb smart pricing that apparently they have had multiple reports of today.   It only took me multiple hours on the phone and on line to correct it. 

It is disappointing to repeatedly receive the lecture that "smart pricing is your own responsibility" while customer support and other members do not listen to long term members seeking help for a software glitch.

[Emilia42]

@Helen859 , it may be a glitch as they say but I have noticed this happening on my calendar for years.  My prices quite frequently drop to my minimum about 3 months out.

[Helen859]

Yes,  that is the way it is supposed to work.  

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Helen859 

the only smart thing to do is to turn off the smart pricing.

Forever.

[JJ48]

I don't use Smart Pricing but I do take note and keep track of (not necessarily use) the Price Tips and there is something going on there too, some kind of glitch.  I have 3 listings and two are identical in size and amenities but the one that is older with 10 times as many reviews is getting ridiculously low Price Tips - lower than the other 2 BR and even lower than the Studio without a kitchen.  Of course it's not as detrimental since I would only pick and choose to use the Price Tip on occasion but it's annoying because do like them to be consistent to be worthwhile information.  Anyways, it sounds like the same glitch, all the numbers are way off but just for one listing.