Awaiting verification blocking dates on calendar? What's that all about...

Amy-and-Brian0
Level 10
Orlando, FL

Awaiting verification blocking dates on calendar? What's that all about...

Never seen this one before but someone has blocked dates on our calendar without actually booking.

Double checked if the listing itself was blocking those dates and yep...no one else can get them, they are blocked from others.

 

That's a new one...wonder how long they keep the dates blocked from others?

It also propagates to our other, linked sites as "booked"...so no one can get them - including other websites we advertise on.

Neat stuff...

Oh and bonus: there's no possible way for us to do anything about it. We can't deny the booking or message the party or anything. It's just blocked.

 

Edit to say: here's the response from support:
"We are awaiting Donald to verify his identity."
My question to that was:
"How was he able to block dates off my calendar at all without first verifying his identity?"

Answer:
"..."

 

awaiting.png

73 Replies 73
Anna9170
Level 10
Lloret de Mar, Spain

@Divya20  
no, I don't have guest requirements, but there are default airbnb requirements, and I can't cancel them. it is for this reason that this "checkpoint" occurs and dates are blocked for a short time.

"Short time"?

 

If you are a same day, last minute listing, 12 hours is your entire lost booking. They shouldn't be allowed to take over our home while they are unverified. Period.

Sherry346
Level 5
Dania Beach, FL

This thread needs to be bumped up because this has only gotten worse since COVID.

UNIQUE new information.  If you are a listing with emphasis on last minute bookings, near airports, transportation hubs, cruise ports - we are almost always booked - but bookings are all last minute, short overnights, and we have embraced the marketing and lightning fast communication this requires - if you survive on those customers, you are so hurt by this, you might not even realize it's happening to you. You are told next to NOTHING, no matter how hard you try.

 

HOWEVER - this AWAITING VERIFICATION nightmare has led us to start listing on other sites to protect ourselves from this hellishly unfair, quite outrageous taking money literally out of our pocket daily. Sure, everyone is talking about inconvenience, and I believe the 24 hours block has been changed now to 12 hours since 2019. So ABB KNOWS something is up. Well us "same day booking" listings laugh at this nonsense because we are just as harmed either way. How would you feel if...

It's check in time or later on the SAME DAY you are available, you get an inquiry for a great booking from a 5 star guest with 50 reviews, just asking if you advise cab or UBER (We are only $5, 1.8 miles, and the only listing for these folks with missed flights, as well as airline personnel) We can get booked and they are in bed within 30 minutes. We have been a major resource for stranded, and even frightened solo travelers. We can be in the car and at their gate in 5 minutes.

Then some ROOKIE with one fake first name like "I'm Magic", new account, no profile info, no pic, no reviews, NO CITY OF ORIGIN, get's you blocked up "Awaiting Verification" at 3pm? Well, 12 hours my friends means NO BOOKING FOR YOU that night. 9 out of 10 of those are absolutely fraud since COVID.

-- They WILL NOT answer messages
-- You get no phone number yet, no email, NADA

--City and country can be faked at step 1 for them, they just walk away if they can't provide ID
-- ABB does not care that they ignore you for the entirety of that 12 hours, not even if you are sure it's fraud, and have a piece of evidence.

--If your CITY has a "too close for vacation rental to your home" law (like Miami Beach), you should have a right to refuse, so if your city is 8 miles wide, and this mystery person is likely on your block coming to smoke out, have a one - night stand, or evade a previously suspended account - you're done and blocked for the night.

--Did you know all they need is a fake first name and fake phone number to get stuck in "awaiting verification"? Well, we had some friends test it, and were stunned it worked. They said they were from Istanbul, which hasn't existed since about 50 years ago. Sure, after 12 hours it all disappeared.

 

The public has FIGURED THIS OUT. We went from once a month, and a courtesy removal - done twice for us as Superhosts - before COVID, to once week, then 3 times a week, to every day, to yesterday THREE TIMES IN ONE DAY. (counting team members listings locally)

 

Myself and co-host and neighborhood friends are pretty creative solving workaround problems. The only solution is have another bnb site to open up, sync, or not sync at your own risk, because inevitably - that verification WILL NOT ever verify. It will time out in 12 hours, likely your next calendar day. Yes, if it happens at 10pm, you can lose two entire booking days by this unbelievable policy, because you aren't available until 8am the NEXT day.

 

The worst that can happen is that you book with the other site, then the rare verification actually occurs so you have to cancel one of them. It hasn't happened yet.

 

Final note: If someone needs to book you and is TRULY STUCK  in AWAITING VERIFICATION and trying to solve the problem - THEY WILL ANSWER YOUR MESSAGE and tell you so. Then, the honest souls respond if you ask "would you mind withdrawing your request if you end up unable to provide what they need for verification?". Guess what. Real people care and withdraw the request, or they hurry up and solve it. If they are IGNORING YOUR MESSAGE, they are IGNORING ABB as well.

 

I am hungry to know why more hosts aren't incensed by this literal "block your listing because we think the request is fraudulent" rule.  Or have any of you had any different experience?

 

and why does it look like an entire year no one has commented on this?

@Sherry346  It's happening to me ALL THE TIME down here in Miami, that's ehy I had to figure out ways! Also the other one happening A LOT is the "Awaiting Payment" MAN! WHAT A PAIN!!

Lisa P.

Airbnb should have a policy that guests have to upload all their info a couple days before they are allowed to book anything, so it has time to be verified. Of course the company won't do this, as it cuts down on the speed at which guests book.

 

I have noticed that when guests have a history with Airbnb, their booking gets confirmed right away, because all their info is already on file and approved. It's the ones who just signed up and instantly go to book something that this happens with. So all I can suggest is that you look at a guest's profile when they request a booking and if they are new with no reviews, that you decline it, opening the dates so a guest you won't have this "awaiting verification" or "awaiting payment" issue with can book.

@Sherry346

Jenni-and-Robert0
Level 5
Kinlochleven, United Kingdom

Folk comment all the time on it. Airbnb really needs get rid of this feature and also supply far better customer service...... it block a calendar and affect hosts livelihood is getting old fast. I have been putting up with it for 3.5 years..... and have had enough....

 

Other platforms. They don't have all the easiest "back end" platforms however, if you are feeling hounded and the stress is getting to you - you do not have to leave airbnb like a divorce.

 

cover your ass and start setting up listings and designating perhaps 3 days each month for the one new platform and phase one in one out. I am on 7 platforms now. Airbnb is the best in terms of app functionality, constructions - and they used to always have such better agent support it was no question.

 

Let's just say, the playing field is changing very dramatically.

 

Is it bad advice to tell everyone to simply prepare by "not having all your eggs in one basket?"

@Sherry346  It's not bad advice at all. But it isn't applicable for "everyone". Home-share hosts don't really have any other viable options.

Lisa1272
Level 3
Miami, FL

"Awaiting Verification" "Verification needed" and "Awaiting payment" are all great as long as AirBNB doesn't BLOCK the calendar. Allow other people to be able to Book my listing while the other guy decides wether he will upload his documents or actually pay. AIRBNB DO NOT BLOCK MY CALENDAR. Period.

Lisa P.
Erik6
Level 3
Athens, Greece

Just happened to me today....I didn't receive any notification, just happened to see guest's request in my inbox that it was "awaiting ID" meanwhile my calendar for today got booked.  I have no way to deny it and basically have to wait for him to send the documentation only to deny it later......it's amazing that Air bnb doesn't have a mechanism in place to "pre-deny" .....it would also save the guest time so they can find another place for today 

Joy-Elisse0
Level 2
Grass Valley, CA

Same problem today, we require identity verification and positive reviews for instant book and we don’t allow children and sure enough someone who has no reviews, just joined Airbnb this month, booked our listing with 3 kids for a week and apparently needs to upload ID and still

hasnt (it’s been three hours) but now our dates are booked until morning. We would’ve just declined his request anyway, so this is a little frustrating. I’m just grateful they’re so far out that we will likely still be able to book them. But this is definitely odd and I’m not a fan of their policy when ID is a requirement to book in the first place with me 

@Joy-Elisse0  Call Airbnb and tell them to unblock the dates and cancel this guest's booking with no penalties to you, as the guests have 3 kids and your listing's rules are that it is unsuitable for children.

Yutao0
Level 1
Aldie, VA

Looks like this issue is resolved now. Hosts can require guests to go through verification before booking.184E7EAD-C5DC-478D-B268-DE73FD4DEF23.jpeg

4E470F99-1D03-47C1-965C-89F06AD85A14.jpeg

This is happening too often to me too. The last incident was that the guest failed to make a payment, and Airbnb removed him from the platform for some reason. When I called Airbnb Support they told me I needed to contact the guest and ask him to cancel the reservation. DUH! We can't see the guest phone number till the booking is confirmed, the booking isn't confirmed due to the payment issue, and we can't use the Airbnb app messaging because the guest is removed from the platform.  It's been almost 20 hours and our calendar is still blocked and we are losing other potential bookings. I hope Airbnb removes this dumb feature, or at least allows us to forcefully remove the block. Airbnb, ARE YOU LISTENING???