Any clarification on withdrawing an Inquiry?

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Any clarification on withdrawing an Inquiry?

Is the process the same for withdrawing an Inquiry vs. a Reservation Request?  I can't seem to see find the steps specific for inquiry withdraw.  Here's the steps for reservation requests: https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/90/how-do-i-cancel-a-reservation-request

1 Best Answer
Jim-and-Marcia0
Level 10
Vancouver, WA

As you know, an inquiry differs from a reservation request in some important ways. This is how I understand it...

 

Inquiry: If a guest inquires, answer quickly to maintain a good responsse rate, but you do not need to pre-approve or decline at this point. If you pre-approve and then have second thoughts, you can withdraw the pre-approval without penalty. However, if you pre-approve and the guest accepts by confirming a reservation with you, cancellation policies will apply if you cancel.

 

Reservation Request: If a guest submits a reservation request, answer quickly to maintain a good response rate, and either approve or decline their request within 24 hours. If you accept a reservation and later decide to cancel, cancellation policies will apply.

 

To withdraw a pre-approval, just click on the appropriate box that appears at the top of the message thread. This can only be done if the guest has not yet accepted your offer.

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13 Replies 13
Jim-and-Marcia0
Level 10
Vancouver, WA

As you know, an inquiry differs from a reservation request in some important ways. This is how I understand it...

 

Inquiry: If a guest inquires, answer quickly to maintain a good responsse rate, but you do not need to pre-approve or decline at this point. If you pre-approve and then have second thoughts, you can withdraw the pre-approval without penalty. However, if you pre-approve and the guest accepts by confirming a reservation with you, cancellation policies will apply if you cancel.

 

Reservation Request: If a guest submits a reservation request, answer quickly to maintain a good response rate, and either approve or decline their request within 24 hours. If you accept a reservation and later decide to cancel, cancellation policies will apply.

 

To withdraw a pre-approval, just click on the appropriate box that appears at the top of the message thread. This can only be done if the guest has not yet accepted your offer.

@Alice-and-Jeff0   An  inquiry is essentially just a message to the host with check in / out dates.  You could follow up on an inquiry and send a message  to say you are no longer interested so as not to keep them hanging. 

The requesting guest has decided she's not going to travel and I only have 24 hours to accept/decline/or send a special offer.  I've asked her to withdraw her inquiry since she no longer needs the reservation. Otherwise I will be forced to decline and take the hit to my listing, or worse, send a "pre-approval" or "special offer" and wait 24 hours for it to expire.  

Frankly I'm seeing less and less difference between an inquiry and request.  The guest sent the Inquiry TERRI’S INQUIRY TODAY AT 1:47 AM and I'm only being given these options: inquiry options

@Alice-and-Jeff0

Exactly, you would have to decline or pre-approve within the 24 hour deadline.  I pre-approve, then withdraw the preapproval as soon as possible and the clock stops ticking.  Declining is of course another option and in my experience declining now and then for the right reasons will not result in a hit.

Lately I have coming to realize that an inquirry often come from those who do not meet your requirements regarding verification, so you would need to be extra vigilant with those.

@Alice-and-Jeff0  

My understanding is that you have 24 hours to respond to a booking inquiry, and that response can be a message alone.

I do not click any of the buttons if they do not respond or they decide they no longer need the accommodation and I have seen no negative effect.

Airbnb seem to have confused and muddled 'booking inquiry' and 'reservation request'. Because their article doesn't make sense as you are penalized if you do not respond within 24 hours with a button click to a "reservation request".

See below copied from Airbnb article:

Doing ONE of the following within 24 hours improves your response rate and response time:

  • Accepting or declining a reservation request
  • ****Sending a MESSAGE back to a guest who has sent a reservation request or a booking inquiry ***
  • Pre-approving or declining a trip described in a booking inquiry"

 

@Alice-and-Jeff0Even though Airbnb still has that information up, I found out recently it is no longer the case: According to customer support, hosts must accept or decline a reservation request rather than let it expire. Responding with a message counts towards your RESPONSE TIME; accepting or declining counts towards your ACCEPTANCE RATE. Declining now and then isn't a big deal and won't have a negative affect on your stats.

Hosting since Thanksgiving Day 2012 and over 1,000 stays. May you ever be the benevolent ruler of your own domain--YOUR life. Allow no other to rule over it.

 - Since this thread is older, the information may no longer be 100% accurate.  Here is the newest, approved information:

You have to understand the difference between a booking INQUIRY  and a booking REQUEST.  These are not the same thing.  

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/363/what-does-each-reservation-status-mean

 

You must respond - message, etc. - to either within 24 hours to affect your RESPONSE RATE

You must accept or decline a reservation REQUEST within 24 hours to affect your ACCEPTANCE RATE 

You do not need to accept or decline an INQUIRY at any time as it may be informational only. As a matter of fact, you can simply archieve the conversation once you have responded within 24 hours.  

Right, so I'm trying to find out if the guest can actually remove an Inquiry and if it's the same as a reservation request withdrawl?  

 

Kinda sucks that we can no longer "dismiss" and have to do something.  

And I just Pre-approved and then withdrew the pre-approval and the 3 options came back again like I'm supposed to do something.  GAH.  

@Alice-and-Jeff0

Yes, it will seem like you have to do something, but hopefully the little clock that hits the response rate disappeared.  Now you can just ignore and let it expire.  I am not sure if declining an inquiry will backfire like declining requests.

My last inquiry came from someone who did not meet my verification requirements.  A pre-approval allows the guest to book instantly and I wonder if this also applies to those non-verified as a sneaky way to make us accept all sorts.

Lawson9
Level 1
Vancouver, Canada

Can anyone tell me, as a person who wants to rent a house, how I can withdraw my inquiry. Thank you 

Mike-And-Jane0
Level 10
England, United Kingdom

@Lawson9 if it is an inquiry rather than a request it really doesn't need to be withdrawn.

I hope thats true, because I have often had people just ask a question. Like a lady in a party of four who did not make the reservation herself, but wanted to know about an early check in. Seems wrong to have to decline something like that to keep up some rate or other.