72 hours plus a possible 96 for GROUP PAY? RIDICULOUS!

[Andrew422]

why should we be expected to block off our availability for so long on a reservation that may not even come through? This policy must change. use common sense please. 

[Amy38]

You do not have to block availability...I never have. Lots of guests enter conversations with multiple hosts. You are under no obligation to pander to their indecision and would be foolish to do it.

[DragonflyHill-Collective0]

Amy is incorrect. This thread is in reference to when someone books a reservation but where the guest has several hours (days) to make the payment, because of a new billing mechanism where more than one person can pay for the reservation. Airbnb gives these guests several days to pull that together. If they're traveling together they should pay together when they make the booking and not expect hosts to risk losing the booking altogether when this group fails to pull the funds together and other prospective guests may have already chosen somewhere else to stay.  This is especially important in upcoming trips where there may not be time to get another reservation if this one falls through. 

[Ivana113]

Think that 24 hours would be more than reasonable, and I'd prefer to be able to turn off this feature, or at least allow others to book the place before the group payment is fully paid.

[Andrew422]

48 hours is generous. Especially considering how aggresive Airbnb in requring hosts to accept a booking when an inquiry comes in from potential guests. 72....96 hours? way too long - can Airbnb imagine waiting that long for a host or guest to accept? definelty NOT. Very hypocrital of Airbnb to ask of their hosts

[Andrew422]

ridiculous - READ HOW GROUP PAY COST ME SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS.

My guest booked and scheduled to pay by Group Pay. After 2 days it was cancelled. Then within 2 hours they booked again and scheduled group pay. Another FOUR days went by and again they didn't pay. Now after SIX DAYS my property is back on the market. And i receive nothing. GROUP PAY SUCKS. Read this AIRBNB - YOU ARE COMPLETELY HYPOCRITICAL ON THIS. You expect us as Hosts to resond within 18 hours and agreesively send us reminder messages. Guests take SIX DAYS TO PAY and then back out and thats ok? Re-think this one. 

[Amy38]

My point of view is that any adult booking a stay should already have the funds or know that their friends are good for it.

Luckily, I only sleep 2, so group pay will never be an issue.  It seems to me that this feature is only allowing generation x and the millennials to waffle more than they already do.

booking should be booking and neither the host or the company should have to worry about how the guy gets his financing. ...his problem.

Hotels dont do this, airlines dont do this, cruise ships dont do this.  Why should we?

This feature seems to be invention of some millennial guys  who sat around and thought: Group pay!  It would be a cool feature for my friends who cant coordinate a vacation!  Lets let the host wait for us!  Cool.” 

[Christina355]

@Amy38 I have a group booking tying up my calendar for 72 hours for a "group" of 2 who decided to split the bill. You still may be affected. I just came on here to search about group pay since I was shocked to see my calender was blocked off prior to payment. It's pretty frustrating because there is an event on the weekend they are blocking and there may be paying customers choosing other accomodations. I have used group pay on Airbnb before but my group paid right away... not sure why people would wait. 

[Ben205]

@Andrew422@Christina355Only just found out about this - really shocked. I've had a family (2 partners, 2 children) use Group Pay! Think the kids are working out if they have enough pocket money to pay...

Actually, they haven't used it yet, I've just had my place blocked for 3 days (yes, 72 hours) while they pay or don't. What's the point of a cancellation policy if this gets round it? By the time they pay or don't, I'll have only a couple of days to fill the space - not going to happen.

[Christina355]

@Ben205 mine is a husband and wife! So strange! I wonder if they do it on purpose knowing it reserves the dated while they keep looking. 

[Ben205]

@Christina355Though this is the first time this has happened, I'm certain people do it as a way of reserving the date but avoiding the cancellation policy. Split the bill, one pays, the dates are blocked and you get 72 hours to find somewhere else.

Meanwhile, as a host I get less than nothing, as nobody else can book.

I wonder if they can do this to multiple properties at the same time?

[Amy38]

This needs to go on host voice! 

[Amy38]

@Christina355@Ben205. This needs to go on the Host Voice board.

[Ben205]

@Amy38Probably, but Host Voice is hardly used (most host don't know it's there) and of the suggestions made less than 2% are considered. There's no stat for how many of those actually make it into development.

I think we come here to share our angst with others who may feel the same!

[Amy38]

@Christina355@Ben205   Thanks for the info.  It used to be that host voice was a large, visible boxamong the other boards.  Maybe they got too many people just complaing in order to vent or because they dont know how to navigete Abnb’s often vey clumsy site.

I would think that 2% of  suggestions would be a good figure....many are not that reasonable...the pet fee is and the group pay is.  Hosts needto use it and regularly and then   “like “  the sensible requests.