Booked, or not booked, that is the question?

[Steve74]

I am fairly new to Airbnb, and I got what I think will be my first booking. However, I am not sure if he is coming or not. He sent me a message saying that he needed a room for Friday night (tomorrow) and he asked a couple of questions. I replied to answer his questions and then pre-booked him waiting for his response which never came. It still shows him pre-booked and he presumably will be here sometime tomorrow, but it also says that I have no upcoming reservations or bookings. I had hoped he would have responded whether he was coming or not so I wouldn't be left wondering and waiting. Can anyone let me know what the typical thing to do is, and whether or not I should really be expecting someone? Maybe the accounting or booking just hasn't been posted yet? Once I pre-book it, what is their obligation? Does that mean it will automatically charged to his credit card for payment whether they show up or not, or does  pre-booking actually mean anything in the way of confirmation on my end? Sorry for the slew of questions, I am sure that once I get my first booking behind me I will know more how it works. I just don't want to be sitting home all day waiting for someone who has no intention of showing up. Thanks. 🙂

[Andrea9]

@Steve74

There is no possibility on Airbnb to 'pre-book', there is only 'pre-approve' of an inquiry meaning that if the guest decides to book, they can do so by accepting without waiting for your acceptance, and they have 24h to do so.

If you do not have a confirmed reservation on your reservation list, then the guest did not book which means they certainly did not pay. 

Contact the person immediately on the message page and say something like "Since you have not gotten back to me about getting the room ready and also not taken advantage of my pre-approval to go ahead and book. I would hereby for good order and to avoid misunderstandings that I am thus not expecting you this evening."

Hope this helps. And do note that Airbnb will not help you with guest bookings (payments!) that did not go through their system.

Hope this helps.

[Steve74]

Thank you Andrea. I was just wondering if I did something wrong. I sent a respectful and welcoming reply to answer his questions, but apparently he felt no obligation to even have the courtesy to send me back a sentence or two to say if he was still coming. I guess he was just shopping around. This is the 3rd time I have had people inquiring about rooms only to not hear from them after I respond to their questions. I was beginning to think that maybe I had a settings error that wasn't allowing my responses to get back to them. Perhaps soon I will finally get my first booking, it just would have been really nice if he had said he was or wasn't coming, since this was kinda short notice. Oh well. Thanks again. 🙂

[Gerry-And-Rashid0]

It happens - and over time you will learn that people with long lists of questions are shopping around and you can spend a long time crafting emails with detailed information. Best to have a list of websites that you can cut and paste relating to local travel, sights, tourism, etc...

[Steve74]

Thanks, my friend. It wasn't questions about travel or the area, it was simple, silly questions about whether there was parking, and whether or not the bathroom is private or not.... all things that are in my profile if they read it. It just seems like common decency that when you ask questions and someone responds to your questions, you at least send them a yes or no, or "thanks, but I won't be coming." All good information, thanks for your reply. 🙂

[Amaris0]

Hi, 

I suspect you mean you pre-approval; this simply means you have invited the guest to book your accommodation; the offer is technically valid for 24 hours.  However it does not mean the guest will accept the offer. It is possible that the guest has contacted other hosts with similar enquiries at the same time and will determine the most suitable accommodation for their needs.

The booking is imminent as such if he wants it he will book it soon in order not to risk losing it, you have done what you need to do by responding, not much else you can do other than keep any eye out for messages in you your inbox if still within the 24 hour period  in case he responds.

Click on the link to read the host  guide re pre approvals - https://www.airbnb.co.uk/help/article/838/what-is-a-pre-approval

Explanation of each status - https://www.airbnb.co.uk/help/article/363/what-does-each-reservation-status-mean

perhaps also an idea to read how it works from a guest's point of view in order to get a rounded understanding - https://www.airbnb.co.uk/help/article/128/how-do-i-book-a-pre-approval-or-special-offer

I hope this helps and hey, don't worry about the questions, all very valid and if you don't ask you don't know.

Best wishes and hope you get that booking soon,

Ama

[Steve74]

Thanks so much, all great information. I still have a lot to learn, I guess. 🙂  And I will, all in part to the information that I got from you and others. Have a wonderful day. 🙂

[Sandra126]

I had a look at your listing, and it looks great. It is spotless, shows every amenity available so no surprises (should be no need for many questions, I would think). Only a matter of time until you have bookings, and once you have had some bookings, more will follow. A lot of guests look at a great many places and as a rule will not get back to you unless they DO book, and there is no mistaking it when they do as Air will send you a barrage of reminders that you have a guest coming.

[Steve74]

Thank you, Sandra. You are right, I didn't have to wait too long for my first booking. I have a guest coming next Thursday, this one is already booked. Hopefully more will follow, especially if I get a good review. I am excited. Thanks for taking the time to look at my site, I thought I did a great job of detailing everyhing anyone could possibly ask, plus a lot of pictures. Thanks for your kind response, and your words of encouragement. 🙂

Steve