Awaiting Payment ABUSE!

[Robert973]

There's a problem that comes up frequently, where a potential Guest books a room, but does not have a valid form of payment. When this happens, AIRBNB's current policy allows the potential Guest to block the dates of the Host's calendar without offering a good faith payment that complies with the Cancelation Policy.

They can hold dates and block up the calendar, right up to the Check-in date, EVEN LATE IN THE DAY WELL AFTER CHECK-IN TIME, and then, suddenly cancel without any consequences. Normally, they should lose their first day's payment and half of the following days, but it's a loophole that can be used to avoid any loss in accordance with the Cancelation Policy.

This frequent scenario causes harm to the Host, whose calendar was blocked by the potential Guest without any responsibility or loss. I believe AIRBNB should never accept any reservation without payment, or at least, never do so within the 5-day period immediately before the Check-in time. This would comply with the Cancelation Policy and protect the Hosts from such abuse and harm. I hope they'll consider adjusting the Policy, as such.

[Nathaniel87]

This has been annoying me lately too, but this has been my solution:

1) I dont let the person check-in until I get payment. No code, no key, no nothing until payment goes through.

2) I message the person and tell them there is an issue with payment and the reservation will be cancelled unless it is fixed ASAP.

3) I call AIrBnB and tell them to cancel it with no penalty to me.  This used to be pretty fast, but now with COVID it takes forever to happen and my cal is blocked for hours at a time...

This is what I would love the option to be:

- If the person has an awaiting payment issue, the calendar is NOT blocked until they fix it, and if someone else books and pays before them, then they are out of luck

[Yiwei3]

@Nathaniel87 same with me!  I do not provide any check in info until the payment goes through.   I agree that the calendar should not be blocked until payment is collected.  I also wonder what kind of guests book and can't pay??

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Cave0 

So now, you have the 24 hour cancellation policy forced upon you as a host, you now have 24 hours for the guest to sort out payment forced upon you - at this rate perhaps we should all register as charities.

Airbnb’s terms of service state that even though the guest may not have paid, the host is still responsible for providing the contracted service.

Hosts do complain that information about guests payments are impossible to find, so your ability in knowing this is interesting? Maybe some specific circumstances exist?

The take away from this is that the terms are written allowing guests not to pay, the host liable to provide accommodation, and AirBnb absolved from responsibility by their Terms and Conditions.

Nice!

@Nathaniel87 

[Melodie-And-John0]

@Ian-And-Anne-Marie0    I just read through this thread and its not that young.  Ive had hundreds of bookings over a few years and only once or twice had a waiting payment when the dates were blocked and they were finally resolved.  Its been awhile but the Borg always asks me If I want to reserve dates on inquiries or bookings that have payment issues to which I always say no.  I will have to keep my eye out for what Ive seen here, if it happens, I will certainty ringy dingy them ASAP and have Airbnb cancel it cause Homey dont play that schnitz!  No money, no bookey.... Stay well, JR 

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Melodie-And-John0 

I've never seen that 'Borg' notice. I've always had the 50% / 50% payments in place until recently we were informed thats been taken away - so now I don't know. Additionally, our bookings tend to be made up to 3 months ahead rather than in some cases stated here next day or at short notice.

Where do you see that your guests have paid the full balance? Is it only when the Borg tells you? What happens when it doesn't and can you check?

Default is: the Terms & Conditions are written allowing guests not to pay, the host liable to provide accommodation, and AirBnb absolved from responsibility by their Terms and Conditions.

Payment Terms:

https://www.airbnb.co.uk/terms/payments_terms#sec201910_9

Each Providing Member understands that Airbnb Payments’ obligation to pay the Providing Member is subject to and conditional upon successful receipt of the associated payments from Purchasing Members. Airbnb Payments guarantees payments to Providing Members only for such amounts that have been successfully received by Airbnb Payments from Purchasing Members in accordance with these Payments Terms. In accepting appointment as the limited payment collection agent of the Providing Member, Airbnb Payments assumes no liability for any acts or omissions of the Providing Member.

[Cave0]

This was the message I got last time it happened.  However, if the decline option is clicked, the reservation goes into an awaiting payment status regardless.  Airbnb refuse to cancel the reservation despite protestations that the reservation won't be honoured, what can you do?  Seems like you have to sit there and take it and hope that the guest pays up.  It's not the most professional way to run a business, but that doesn't seem to bother Airbnb any.

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Cave0 

How long before check-in would you receive this notice?

[Yiwei3]

@Cave0 I haven't seen this through the app at all

[Martha920]

What am I doing wrong. Cause this happens atleast once a week at my airbnb stay? 

[Chris1537]

I've just encountered this issue for a same day booking. Airbnb have put a note on the booking stating.
"This reservation is almost confirmed. We've asked this guest to complete their payment within an hour, and these dates will be held until then".
This suggests that the dates would only be blocked for an hour which is acceptable, but payment was never made and the dates remained blocked for about 30 hours until I contacted Airbnb and they removed the booking. If this had been a long booking and I had not picked it up, I have no idea how long the dates would have been blocked for.

 

[Chris1537]

 

[Martha920]

They’ve never done that. I wish they automatically notified them this way an hour before check in

[Chris1537]

This loophole that guests are using to avoid cancellation fees could potentially be used by malicious hosts to block out nearby competitors dates to increase their own bookings.

I know this is unlikely to happen because we are all good people..... but the fact that it could be abused in this way should be reason enough for Airbnb to fix it!

[Nanxing0]

It's not only that. The loophole can be used by guests to get free stay actually. I have experienced this problem a couple times before. Basically a guest books for a stay and then asked me to extend it. I helped the guest by sending an alteration request and they confirmed it. After that, I receive an email from Airbnb that they failed to collect the payment (for the extended nights), and states that Airbnb is not responsible for that blablabla... The email says I can cancel the reservation, but apparently we are in the middle of the reservation so that's not an option at all. I had to contact the guests and beg them to finish the payment. Fortunately the guests I dealt with were good enough to cooperate, however I'm wondering if I was dealing with a greedy and non-responsive guest what I was supposed to do. This is definitely a MAJOR FLAW of the system and needs to be fixed right away but Airbnb is not doing their job.

[Nigel196]

So how many accounts would a malicious host have to create to make this even feasibly worth it?