NO to mandatory Instant Book

NO to mandatory Instant Book

I just read an informative profile of the Airbnb honchos, saying edsentially that they plan to force us all to accept Instant Book. They have so lost touch with who we are, what we do, and that they owe their billions to us "little people" toiling away. This is MY HOME. Over the 4 years I have hosted, I have seen and learned a lot. I have had some seriously unpleasant weirdos turn up as guests. I have learned how to filter out people who are inappropriate for my household. I cannot and will not be forced to accept just anyone with no discretion. I would never discriminate based on race, sexual orientation, etc. but GET A GRIP, Airbnb 1% ers! WE are your lifeblood! Don't f*** this up for everybody, including yourselves!
33 Comments
Kayla3
Level 2

I agree, Cathy. I've noticed that my "instant book" does not have the option of only allowing instant books to take place with a notice of 7, 5, 3 days anymore. It now only allows you to have instant book on all the time with no preparation time or completely off. I really miss the old feature. Life is not that flexible sometimes and to make it instant book all the time would be a complete disaster for people trying to host and organize their life around hosting if an instant book comes up.

Denise90
Level 3

I also agree with these comments. If instant book was mandatory I would have to seriously consider whether to continue with this - which would be a shame as I enjoy it so much.

Johnny22
Level 2

Completely agree with Cathy. Having been over 30 years in hospitality in my home, I've learned to watch for the signs of someone you do not want in it. Of the very few bookings I've had through AirBnB one was just such a one. I will never agree to Instant Book and will leave the platform rather than sign up for it.

Margie11
Level 1

I agree wholeheartedly that instant book should remail OPTIONAL

 

Tom-and-Lisa0
Level 10

I agree wholeheartedly that instant book should remail OPTIONAL.

I will leave if forced to accept instant bookings.  AIRBNB YOU ARE GETTING FURTHER AND FURTHER  OUT OF TOUCH WITH YOUR HOSTS! 

Helen56
Level 10

I'll leave Airbnb if instant book is mandatory.  It should be optional.

Mary-Ann0
Level 10

I will leave Airbnb "INSTANT" .... ly!!!!  Airbnb read my lips!!!!

 

I am a senior lady who lives alone and I have been doing this type of thing for many years to make ends meet, and I have learned that I need to be very careful when considering who will stay at my place or not.

 

Over 13 years I have gotten too many people who I am uncomfortable with, or are just arrogant jerks, filthy dirty or just scary to have them stay on my property and share my yard and garage with - let alone stay inside my house!  Hello?

 

So are you KIDDING me Airbnb? I KNOW that your InstaBook option will most certainly NOT work for me and also not work for many, many, MANY other hosts too.

 

Don’t do it!!!

We have our unit listed on another platform as well and they are also streering people towards keeping their calendars up to date and allowing guests to confirm their reservations instantly.  I do understand their goal of creating a more seamless and instantanous booking expereince for the guests.  Appearently there is data supporting that if a perspective guest is declined they often abandon that platform all together rather than moving to a different listing.  However, these are our properties to manage as we wish and make the best decisions we see fit.  

 

And while there may be incrimental gains to be made this way, I suspect it will have a more detrimental effect on the host experience...thereby trickling down to the guest experience.  

Cheryl35
Level 2

OK!!!....This is going to be a third response from me today in 3 different areas of Airbnb comments concerning instant booking and how canceling can affect becoming a super host.  I have been a host since June, 2016 and am learning the ropes of becoming a host. I am not on facebook and have never blogged before. But I spent much of the day looking at and responding to comments by Airbnb hosts to learn more about community concerns and solutions. The first comment from me was to report how I recently got "stung" by canceling an instant booking 7 months in the future. The reason was, I have had a private booking for 3 years with a particular family who have attended a community special event in my area. They book my place for 3 nights at a competitive rate with the surrounding accomodations and with a 2-3 night minimal stay during the event. I did not think to block that weekend because it was so far in advance. I recently received an instant booking for one night during that event in 2017 at my normal nightly rate. I had to cancel the instant booking with an apology of why it was canceled. I am working hard to become a super host and the cancellation has interferred with my goal for a year. At first I thought I inadvertently turned on instant booking after making adjustments to my listing. But after reading the comments on this page, I am lead to believe instant booking is not a choice as a new host. It is not fair in many aspects including that Airbnb automatically blocked the weekend in question. What if for some reason, the guests I have had for 3 years decide not to book next year? I do not want it to take the chance of it happening again. I read both the positive and negative aspects of instant booking along with possible solutions with some of them I don't understand. 

  I did read two partial resolutions to the fairness of instant booking. One was to allow repeat visitors to be able to book instantly while being more conservative with others. Another solution was to allow the host a one hour (or possibly 2 hour) delayed response for instant booking. From my experience, I have learned to stay ahead on the calendar whenever possible. 

Cheryl

Amy93
Level 2

I had a guest leave containers of pee in my room when he vacated.  He had not bothered to visit the bathroom and instead peed in my glassware and left them in the room.  For me to clean up.

Another guest got some kind of wax all over my BRAND NEW floor. I mean, seriously I had not finished installing the floor when he arrived.  He put this substance on his skateboard wheels and rode it back and forth across the floor, leaving little spots all over my brand new floor that I cannot restore.

One, despite my no smoking rules and the LAW, not only smoked marijuana in my home but also sold drugs from my home.  I had to call the cops.

You better believe that I am very sensitive to my "sixth sense" about people now.  I will not be bullied by Airbnb to accept any old fool into my home. 

I've been doing this 4 years now.  My income from this is $35,000 a year.  I feel pretty sure that I don't NEED Airbnb to do this, as I've had enough guests that most of my bookings are coming word-of-mouth now.  Which means at least 20 people have become members of Airbnb *because* they were referred to it by me.  Four have become hosts-- who already have 100 reviews or more among them.

Airbnb was a good idea when it started, but it has grown faster than it can manage.