New Strict (with grace) Period Concern - Do not share identifiable property info for 48 hours

[Marie677]

Hi - I was presented with the option to turn on the STRICT (with grace period) option for my listing.  I would be comfortable doing it (because I think it is right for the consumer) and taking the financial risk but I am VERY concerned about protecting my physical location and entry instructions from folks who are NOT confirmed guests.  This is one of the main reasons I choose strict...I figure unscrupulous actors will not risk a financial penalty and instead go after "lower hanging fruit".  I use lock boxes and electronic locks for the ease of check in for my guests.

My recommendation:  Allow this feature BUT change the viewability of the EXACT ADDRESS, ACCESS INSTRUCTIONS or WIFI INFO to the guest until after the 48 hours window has elapsed and they are truly a "confirmed guest".  This allows the flexibility to guests (which I support) and still protects hosts from bad actors.

Thanks!

[Mary167]

K&T Just click on the Strict option.  It’s all there.  Says nothing about it being optional.

[Mary167]

K&T - this is Airbnb’s response confirming this new rule is not optional.  We need to have a commitment from Airbnb that they won’t release personal information about us or details - including photos - to anyone who is not committed to booking.  Nothing specific about us or our property should be revealed until after the 48-hour grace period ends. Here’s what they wrote me:

“We understand where you are coming from and want to address your concerns, Mary. The new Strict Cancellation Policy is set to begin on April 5, 2018. Airbnb has updated the cancellation policy because we found that hosts who had a refundable grace period, received more bookings. At this time, you cannot opt-out of this feature. You can submit feedback to our team: www.airbnb.com/feedback. We hope this clears up the confusion. Let us know if you have any other concerns.”

[KandT0]

I just got the email, @Mary167. You are absolutely right. They are going ahead with this without addressing our concerns.

The strict policy as it stands now is https://www.airbnb.com/home/cancellation_policies#strict, but from April 05 it will be https://www.airbnb.com/home/cancellation_policies?euid=1bbdc0f9-6d17-e96f-3896-a7a612088b98#strict-w...

It is infurating and unacceptable that they have not taken measures to withhold our contact information before implementing this.

Now we will consider our options for ending this relationship with Airbnb entirely in the not-so-distant future.

[Mary167]

I will phone them in the morning to ask how they intend to proceed with this.  It would be irresponsible of Airbnb, and could be dangerous for hosts, to reveal our exact location/address to people who might have no serious intention of booking.  I don’t mind the 48 hour grace period, but we should insist no address should be revealed during that time.  In my case it would be an invitation to burgars who would have photos of the exterior and exterior of my home, the exact address & location, and even the lockbox codes.

[Andrea1063]

Why does everything good have to get complicated turn into an unhappy situation as time goes on.

Good grief --- if you really believe, and if want more listings you activate based on this criteria.  If you don't you don't.  So simple and as a business owner we really should have a say in something this dramatic.  I am not sure that pandering to guests at the expense of the hosts the way to go.  The stockholders will love it I'm sure and I guess that's what its really all about.

I can NOT stand being spoon fed and told what is best for me and/or my business.  Your opinion matters but it should always be our choice for something like this.  

Guests already abuse the review system - what makes ABB think they won't abuse this?  Of course they will --- penalty free to them to muck around and take their time and look for other places.  Or cancel because its too sunny ... or its rainging ... or their toe hurts.

ALL WHILE THEY HAVE OUR DETAILS .... this is something I'm sure the insurance companies and their rider will have something to say about this. I honestly don't know how this concept passed muster and passed the ABB 'liability' test.

[KandT0]

@Andrea1063 It's a case of Airbnb wanting more bookings (commission fees), so their concern is for themselves, not us.

You're right, hosts should be able to choose, and obviously not enough of us opted in to satisfy Airbnb's needs, so now they will choose for us.

We can tell from this thread that a lot more of us would have opted in if they had taken our concerns about handing over our contact info seriously.

If this goes ahead, I envisage a lawsuit or two against Airbnb will result. Being constantly in court did eventually make PayPal easier to deal with. Perhaps Airbnb will head down that road, too.

[Andrea1063]

@KandT0  -- the thing is I don't understand how ABB thinks they're going to make more money when guests can cancel on a whim, without sound reason or consquences. It just doesn't make sense.

Maybe not enough of the staff have actually worldly / work experience to know how people are prone to manipulate and only do what is in their best interest.  That interest does not include ABB or hosts. 

I see this rife for abuse and both we as hosts and ABB will be the only one's paying for it. 

IF guests want to be able to cancel, there should be trip cancellation insurance that they can purchase upfront - and there you have a solution like other sites offer. 

ABB is trying be all things to all people and that never ever works out well.   You can't be a big business and pretend that you're not and that you're the same people / company you were when you started.

IF you want guests to have the option to cancel then offer them an insurance solution.

DO NOT give out host information until that waiting period is over. 

Look at what's happening over at FB and how 50 million people's (US and N.America) only were harvested.  FB will pay a big price and they're thinking an apology will do -- I think not. 

God forbit anyone is robbed or harmed --- all hell will break loose. 

This is the same situation -- putting out Hosts private information without a confirmed booking is simply WRONG and IRRESPONSIBLE.  

[KandT0]

Well, @Andrea1063, according to the email we got from Airbnb only today, they tested this grace period, and "the results were overwhelmingly positive for both hosts and guests—hosts were booked more often because guests felt confident making plans that could be changed."

The irony is that it appears most hosts who maintain the strict cancellation policy did like the idea of the grace period, and their primary objection was that their sensitive information would be revealed to guests before the 48 hours expired.

That's how we feel about it, and it is the only reason we did not already opt in. Hosts made those concerns known to Airbnb, and they have been ignored.

As far as the strict policy goes, we already waive it in cases when guests quickly change their minds or when we believe there is a genuine case. If we're blocked for a couple of weeks and we smell BS from a guest, the strict policy provides some protection.

So the 48 hours does not seem unreasonable to us. What is unreasonable is that Airbnb went ahead and implemented this as a mandatory component of the strict policy without addressing the valid concerns that were made known to them. That is just plain arrogance.

[Lila-And-Chris0]

I'm joining the chorus of hosts concerns about a grace period.

Regarding security...the house manual and address are automatically shared with booked guests--I have shared feedback with Airbnb. 

My additional concerns have to do with the 14 day window. For me, that is not enough lead time. A booking 15 days out that is then cancelled is still not enough time for me to absorb the disruption. I have to hustle to make childcare arrangements and synchronize with my husband's schedule as soon as we get a booking that is so near-term. 4 week window would be even better, and how about a 24 hour grace period instead of 48? That's how long a special offer or pre-approved booking last. 

There's also the issue with someone booking, tie-ing up my listing, then cancelling. Meanwhile, other prospective guests move on to book something else and I've missed any booking whatsoever. This kind of scenario would not be at all uncommon and could easily play out frequently if Airbnb is essentially encouraging guests to be non-committal. We have an example of the very conditions for this kind of thing to happen right now with our listing and calendar: we have an upcoming open weekend within in April that is just outside the 14 day period; looks in my area are up 564 %. This is when guests are making final decisions for accommodations, and hosts are making last adjustments to pricing with regards to demand.

I chose the strict cancellation policy because it is what works best for my family and our hosting model. I am deeply concerned about this new policy.  I hope other hosts are voicing opinions about this directly to Airbnb. It feels we are having some important listing controls removed and are being opened up to new risks and disruptions as hosts; this policy also stands to create the burden of extra communications and more work for hosts.

[Andrea1063]

Personally, I don't care if they tested the 'new model'.  Its not like we get the report to know how many people were polled and what margin the 48 hour cancellation preference won by.  WE can see whatever we want to see and justify it too. 

It is highly desruptive.  Its not like we start to prepare in the last 48 hours of a guests visit, at least I don't have that option.  There is much that leads up to their stay as we all know.  Housekeeping depending on personal shedule, laudry, vacuuming,  changing our own plans and schedules etc etc. 

What's more, guests can (and WILL) abuse this non-committal situation and no, 48 hrs is not enough to get another potential booking.  I see this as a lose-lose for ABB and hosts.  People are going to abuse a lacksadasical ... I don't need to really commit to anything sitaution which means less money for ABB and for hosts.

I can't imagine that the platform is doing so badly that they had to do this to get more guest bookings ... which aren't even guaranteed.  May look great on paper but until the money comes through ... it means nothing. 

There is also the issue of releasing property information of course ... which is also a recipe for disaster and I said I don't undertand how this passed their legal team.  

They are basically handing out private and detailed information to people who potentially have no intention of following through.