Airbnb placing competitive properties at the bottom of items in the Host guidebook

[David8828]

I was entering items of interest in my guidebook and decide to follow one as if I were a prospect and discovered Airbnb had placed competitive Airbnb properties at the bottom of my items of interest with links to those properties.  Why would anyone want to create a guidebook, and make it available online, when links to competitive properties are inserted by Airbnb?  I could have someone almost ready to book, liking the guidebook, and then clicks on a link that takes them away to another property.  Am I missing something of benefit to me here? 

Examples: https://www.airbnb.com/things-to-do/places/638433

                      https://www.airbnb.com/things-to-do/places/2828013

[Robin4]

Hi   @David8828 ,

No David you are not missing a thing, Airbnb's strategy is to pit one host against the next. Make us fight against each other to get those bookings!

For years I used to get emails like this one from Airbnb, as regular as clockwork telling me a number of guests had looked at my listing but chosen another listing in the area which was 'x' dollars cheaper, and then came up with some unsubstantiated fictional figures saying that these properties (that were booked by these mythical guests) were $33 cheaper per night than my $90 pr night listing.......really!!!!

 

You have to be prepared to realise that Airbnb's only desire is to rent properties, not look after their hosts interests.

If Airbnb can entice a guest away from your property to another that is cheaper.......they will, it's all about the dollars, not the loyalty!

David we just have to deal with it, it's simply a part of belonging to Airbnb! Just concentrate on what you do well David and don't give a 'Bulls roar' about the obstacles that the company might be put in your way to pirate your business. If you are good enough, it won't matter!

All the best mate.

Cheers.........Rob

[David8828]

Hi @Robin4 

You have confirmed what I was thinking.  I was being kind to Airbnb in my post not knowing how this Community Center thing worked.  I understand the capitalist creature quite well.  I will simply try to incorporate some the the information I was planning for the guidebook into other areas of the listing. 

To me, only a fool would use their own guidebook to assist in the booking of other properties.

Good luck with your bookings.

[Robin4]

@David8828 

Yeah we are doing ok David, we had 17 booked stays in April.....15 of them with Airbnb. Over the years I have learned how to use them, l just use them as a booking platform, send me guests, I don't expect any more of them than that! 

We are taking 3 weeks off this month in a couple of days to go and see our kids on the East Coast. I love the drive, although Australia's a big place and it can get a bit boring in spots.

For @Emilie's  benefit......The Hay Plains in NSW which we will drive through are almost dead flat, 180 miles of nothing, at one point 70 miles without a tree from one horizon to the other. This photo I took some years ago on a previous trip and is near the eastern end of the plains. The river gum trees of the Murrumbidgee River and closing in from the left. 

This rainbow stayed ahead of us for many Kms, in the end I had to stop, get out of the car and take a photo of it!.......

It gives a whole new meaning to the word....'isolation' , click the photo to get the impact of it.

Anyway it will be good to have a few weeks away from hosting David, catch up with our girls and the grandies, this past year has been pretty good to us!

Cheers........Rob

[Ruth413]

@David8828   Thank you for pointing this out.  I didn't have a clue about the guidebook showing other nearby properties.  Only yesterday I decided to print out my guidebook to leave in our place as a hard copy as I found most guests couldn't actually find the online guidebook as it is hidden behind a read more button.  I am now glad it is !  I think I will remove the online version now.