Cancellations: is anyone else seeing this frustrating trend?

Erin443
Level 10
Salt Lake City, UT

Cancellations: is anyone else seeing this frustrating trend?

I've been so happy to see booking up again, to the point that nearly all of our summer months were filled. But then this month everything went haywire- we had more cancellations in the last three weeks than we've had for the last 15 months - including the Covid Cancellation Disaster Spree. Two of them - one that booked for seven weeks and another that booked for ten days - both canceled this week! They both booked over six weeks ago. I'm getting the sense these guests are just booking our home like a "placeholder," or something... like blocking out the time in case they really decide to show up. I've never seen this before. The frustrating thing is that potential actual, sincere guests have booked elsewhere because our calendar was filled up. Airbnb is always pushing everyone to ease up on cancellations, but I'm beginning to look at stricter cancellation guidelines. I might get fewer guests, but at least they'd show up.

 

Is anyone else seeing this? How are you handling it? Have you stayed with tougher cancellation rules? I'd appreciate some advice.

33 Replies 33
Sarah977
Level 10
Sayulita, Mexico

Geez, this is depressing. But so far I don't think anyone's even pulled the "Covid" excuse. They just carefully canceled right before the 5 day deadline. Thanks for the insight, @Sarah977!

Airbnb does not care about its hosts

Or the customers

 

Inna22
Level 10
Chicago, IL

 @Erin443  I personally do not have a risk tolerance for flexible or even moderate policy. Particularly if my property got booked for longer periods of time like yours. My average  reservation is three nights 

Inna, I'm beginning to agree with you! These long stays cripple my ability to book anyone else. Losing a three day booking isn't as painful as a seven week one.

Ute42
Level 10
Germany

.

Hi @Erin443  ,

 

I wouldn't recommand to You to accept a 7 week long reservation. If that busts, You are losing 7 weeks, if You rent 7 individual weeks to 7 guests the risk of cancellation spreads over 7 people.

 

I have a vacation rental and on airbnb I do not accept reservations that are longer than one week. You can set the maximum length of a stay in Your dashboard.

 

Also I have noticed that You accept 1 night reservations in august. I wouldn't do that either. I've just seen that I could book Your place from aug 7 to 8 for one night only. This may block another guest who would be willing to rent Your place for a week. The minimum lenght of a stay can also be adjusted in Your dashboard.

 

The flexible or moderatecancellation policy for me only makes sense for listings in metropolitan areas and in close proximity to an airport or a trainstation. Such listings are often booked by 1 or to people for 1 or 2 nights with very short notice. If a guest cancelles 5 days prior to check-in, You may very well get a new reservation from someone else. But I think You do not have that type of listing. Switch to strict cancellation policy.

 

You wrote:

 

  • I'm getting the sense these guests are just booking our home
    like a "placeholder," or something.

 

I'm not sure what to think about that. If a guest books Your place for 7 weeks for 4 people this would be a total of apprx. $3500. If the guest cancelles more than 5 days prior to check-in You get nothing, but the guest will still have to pay the airbnb service fee of 15% which is around $500. Are guests really willing to pay $500 just to have the place on hold? What do others think about that?

 

 

Debra300
Level 10
Gros Islet, Saint Lucia

@Ute42,

I agree with most of all of your recommendations and comments.  Depending upon the space, my regular minimum stay requirement is 2 or 4 days, and maximum reservation length is between 15 and 28 days.  I have a strict cancellation policy in St. Lucia, because people were doing exactly as @Erin443 stated regarding making a reservation as a placeholder. In Atlanta, I have a moderate cancellation policy, because most of the bookings are relatively short notice.  I do have Instant Book on, a 3 day lead time for bookings, and one of the guest requirements is a host recommendation.  If the potential guest doesn't meet those booking requirements, they can contact me to request a reservation, and then I can do my vetting process.  I have declined one guy who had a review that stated he smoked weed at the place, and I have a very strict no smoking of anything (including cloves and vaping).

 

If a guest books far enough in advance, they only have to pay a 50% deposit.  Based upon the numbers you mentioned, a guest would be out of pocket $250.  This is not small change, but definitely much less than $3500 for the reservation + 15% service fee + occupancy taxes.

 

Given the significant rise in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases, I suspect that many people are reconsidering their travel plans.  Some have health and employment concerns, and they may also be worried that a reversal in re-opening businesses may lead to the unavailability of desired activities.

 

@Dimitar27@Ian-And-Anne-Marie0@Inna22,

Ian-And-Anne-Marie0
Level 10
Kendal, United Kingdom

@Ute42 

If the guest cancelles more than 5 days prior to check-in You get nothing, but the guest will still have to pay the airbnb service fee of 15% which is around $500. Are guests really willing to pay $500 just to have the place on hold? What do others think about that?

 

Attested Covid cancellations currently receive 100% payout including fees. So nothing lost there until next time. Next time, if the whole amount is not used by the listing value or the voucher 'cannot be found' - there could be real fireworks!

.

@Ian-And-Anne-Marie0 

 

I know, but I didn't want to get into that bc we're in the public „hosting“ section.

 

Susan wrote to me yesterday that she got my joke in the other thread even without the smiley at the end of the sentence. She's the queen of banter 👑

 

 

 

@Ute42 

Haha, I got it too.. good job I'm not a sensitive disposition 🙂

 

What an ironic day. Airbnb want to use the CC as a pseudo Customer Services because they sacked them all, and the longest serving Community member @Susan17  with in depth knowledge, experience and very helpful is banned! 24 times Superhost today. 🎉🎉

Dimitar27
Level 10
Sofia, Bulgaria

@Erin443...just checked the data for Utah. 300% rise of the active Covid cases for the last 30 days... It's not realistic to expect miracles-probably most of your reservations will be cancelled.

Inna22
Level 10
Chicago, IL

@Erin443 I have another idea for you. You have two listings. One allowed minimum of let’s say two weeks and has a strict policy, the other one allows stays of 1-14 nights and has moderate. This way your longer stays can not leave you hanging and you still offer flexibility when it is not as impactful. I am thinking your 7 week person may have been only wanted to go for a week but held all seven just incase. Maybe planned on cancelling and rebooking immediately only the time they wanted. Who just cancels a seven week vacation five days before the trip?!

That's a really good idea! I've heard too many stories from other hosts to think all these cancellations, if any, are Covid-related. Stories about guests trying to negotiate better deals or they'd just go elsewhere and comments like, "You should just be happy you're getting booked right now!" I'm extremely sympathetic about Covid-related challenges, we've hosted doctors from the nearby hospital here and I can see how uncertain everything is. But these bookings have comments about our national parks, etc. Getting taken advantage of during a global pandemic seems especially skeevy, and the extra income is really important to us right now, like many of y'all.