First booking experience a financial disaster

[Mike471]

We are new hosts to Airbnb and just completed listing our flat in Edingburgh last night.   Not familiar yet with how the minimumpricing/lengh of stay options worked,we got an instant booking (we didnt even know what that was) at a rock bottom price - even though we had smart pricing set - for 2 nights 30-Dev to 1 Jan - the Edinbrgh hogmanya period which is the busiest time of year here.  We explained to our gueste that we were lookig for 7 day booking.  He asked us to cancel the resrvation from our end, which we did. 

Our calender is now "blocked" on 30/31st  December, which means we wont get any bookings for this high value week. 

As our reason for cancelling does not fit in the extenuating circumstances list, there does not seem to be anyway to communciate with Airbnb to discuss this.

Anyone got any suggestions?  

[Marzena4]

I'm afraid you won't be able to unblock those dates on Airbnb, @Mike471. It is the host who should make sure the settings are correct.

[Linda108]

@Mike471  Did you add the 7 day minimum stay after the booking?  If not, then the automated system error can be reversed by contacting Air BNB.  If you did it afterwards, then you probably cannot reverse it unless Air BNB rep gives you a pass as a new host,  Either way, here is a guide for contacting Air BNB.

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Help/Contact-Airbnb-A-Community-Help-Guide/m-p/16165#M728

If there is no way to unblock the days, you had better take the 7 day minimum off or your place will not be seen during this time since there are not 7 days available.  Good luck!

[Mike471]

Thanks for the info Linda.   We had not set a minimum stay for the week befire listing - lesson learned -  but had set Smart Pricing on assuming Airbnb woudl reflect similar prices in our area, as well as Instant Booking (as recommended by Airbnb).  However, the system set price was the most amazing deal you'll ever see in Edinburgh on Hogmanay!  We'll try and contact an AirBNB rep and see what they can do.  We'll unblock the week but dont expect we'll see much interest as the 30/31st are the dates everyone wants.

[Kelly149]

@Mike471 One other lesson hidden here in addition to “don’t ever cancel” is that many hosts disagree that Smart Pricing is ever smart. Viewing the Smart Pricing to look for alterations YOU want to make could be helpful but you are almost always the best decider for your own pricing. Good luck. 

[Fred13]

Mike, there are a few things to learn, and the best way to do so is by reading about the many threads covering every subject, such as the one you already encountered, here. It gets easier, the first one is oftentimes confusing.

[Christian65]

"Not familiar yet with how the minimumpricing/lengh of stay options worked,we got an instant booking (we didnt even know what that was)..."

Well this is a lesson learned. You might want to be aware of what the terms are before publishing your listing.

[Ange2]

@Mike471   Call Airbnb and talk to them, they may give you a pass because you are new. For future, if you cancel a guest even at their request or N.B. at Airbnb's request, (sometimes Airbnb will send you a message saying do you want to cancel this guest - always say No, let the guest or Airbnb cancel it)  it will result in myriad of penalties, fines, dates blocked, drop in search, host cancelled will appear on your reviews. Good luck.

p.s. There are a number of pitfalls for inexperienced Airbnb hosts this forum has a ton of advice, worth reading up on Instant Book, Cancellations, Smart Pricing, Cancelation Policies, Host Guarantee etc. to avert disaster. Here is a Tip Sheet from a Host which may be useful

[Mike471]

Thanks Ange.  Useful info.

I guess we are learning about how the system works the hard way but we'll see if we can talk to Airbnb and grovel for a "pass" as newbies on this one...

[Susie5]

@Mike471, one other point to make when you grovel with Airbnb is that you didn't notice that Instant Book was automatically on - you hadn't chosen that option -  and that you didn't realize it meant a reservation would be automatically accepted, depriving you of the option to clarify with your potential guest.  Air is pressuring everyone to adopt the Instant Book option but many of the experienced  hosts on this forum will tell you that it can only lead to heartache!  We much prefer to have a brief chat with the potential guests, make sure they understand the unit, and any specific needs they may have.  If you speak with Air tell them that you are not sure IB is the right policy for you and they will probably try to  convince you to keep it on!  

Hope you succeed in finding a tall dark stranger to visit for Hogmanay!

[Paul154]

If you truly are new and ignorant, Airbnb may show you mercy.

Explain how sorry you are, you are new to this, you relied on smart pricing....

Grovel a little.

They may give you a one time break and unblock those days.

It works best to twitter them

Good luck

[Mike471]

Paul.... I am looking out  my best sackcloth & ashes suit as we speak....

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Mike471 

FORGET SMART PRICING !

Airbnb suggest us to set 11 € for 3 bedrooms apartment in the city center of Zagreb during Advent time period (after Christmas) .. the one I can get 100€  😛 😛 Zagreb is No1 destination for this time of the year and all accomodations in city center are fully booked . 

ABB just take the lowest price you ever set as a parametar and push you to use that price (or even lower) for ever.

[Ange2]

@Branka-and-Silvia0   I do smart pricing BUT I set my minimum price at my normal price and my maximum price a few dollars more. It's an experiment to see if it changes rank and exposure as some have suggested – no difference to date.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Ange2 I don't use it but I see price tips and they are ridiculous 😛

I noticed that my ranking and exposure doesn't depend much of what I do... it seems my listings  just circle form front pages to bacground and back... so one day I get few bookings and then silence for days...