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?  

[Ange2]

@Branka-and-Silvia0   I still do see price tips that would have me paying for some of the guests stay so I just keep my minimum price as is.

[Matthew285]

@Mike471, I am so sorry this happened to you. I sincerely hope AirBnB gives you a pass.

The wonderfully experienced hosts on this discussion board can really help you avoid making more mistakes going forward.

Listen to their wisdom and learn from their hard-earned experience.

I was fortunate to be able to spend a bit of time reading this board before we ever published our first listing (which was not that long ago); it really helped us avoid many of the common mistakes new hosts make.

Please update us, and let us know if you have any good luck with AirBnB.

[Terri38]

OUCH!

You may have lost the AIr BnB income for Hognmanay but this should not stop you from listing on another site.  Just remember to keep your calendars synched to avoid any double-booking mess.  Double check your calendars on both sites every day - more often if you think you need to - as synch is not foolproof (fractions of a second are like lifetimes to a computer).

Good luck!

[Steve143]

Hello @Terri38,

If he advertises on another site and synchronises the calendars to, as you say, "avoid any double booking mess" then the dates will also be blocked, and hence unavailable, on the other site too.

Isn't that how double booking is avoided? The dates blocked on one calendar are also automatically blocked on the other calendar.

Steve.

[David126]

@Steve143

As far as I can tell sync happens daily, will not prevent double bookings.

[Steve143]

Hello @David126,

Thanks for reminding me of the synchronisation delay, I'd forgotton about it when writing. Changes on my Airbnb calendar take until the next day to show on my synchronised Google calendar.

So yes, synchronising calendars between sites isn't a guarantee against double booking. I was attempting to say to Terri that listing on another site where the calendar is synchrionised with the Aribnb calendar, as she suggested doing, won't guarantee  being able to sell dates which are blocked on the Airbnb calendar.

Steve.

[David126]

Frightening how many people list without having an understanding of what they are doing.

Smart pricing may be smart form ABB perspective it is not from a Hosts, I would start with the new/ignorant perspective but also throw in that Smart Pricing did not work. Pretty easy to show what the going rate should have been.

[Nina75]

Call AirBnb up again 10 times if you need to they will eventually unblock them. Call them up and ask to speak to a supervisor. Tell them that you are new.

[Rose168]

Hi 

I recently had a similar situation. Some guests damaged my double sofa bed ( brand new leather ) situated in the lounge/living room. 

As the sofa/lounge had to be taken off site to be repaired, I emailed all my guests to let them know I was down 1 bed. Most were fine with this as it was something out of my control.

One guest however insisted I cancel their booking, as I had advertised a certain number of beds which was now not going to be available to them. I explained that I was still able to host them, as the house has plenty of room ( I could of supplied a floor mattress or something similar) and there was ample seating. However, they contacted airbnb and airbnb (without speaking to me first) cancelled the booking on my behalf.

Once cancelled I was given opportunity to send photos and give explaination ( all which had already been processed through the resolution centre and payment had been claimed and made) 

I was told I would not have to pay any penalites, given this was my first cancellation and I am only a few months into the airbnb hosting experience.

However I am now unable to have anyone else book the dates that were cancelled as airbnb have blocked these dates.

So it looks like even if you have extenuating circumstances, the host will still be penalised. 

Guess it's all a learning experience!

[Christine615]

Keep and eye on your calendar. If there are popular periods you can click on those dates and "override" smart pricing and set the amount that you want for the space. I find Smart pricing to be "not so smart" as it doesn't often take into account that our space is much larger than many others. In fact three times larger (or more) than a colleague but Airbnb will suggest something ridiculously low.

So we also set a "minimum" price for Smart Pricing. That tells it that the algorithm can't go any lower than the minimum.

Airbnb once asked if we wanted to do a special offer - we did - got a booking right away for a single night - and it wasn't worth it.  They weren't great guests. Don't allow Airbnb to push you to go lower than you want - you want considerate guests, not people looking for a low cost option to a cheap hotel.

Good luck. Personally I think you should get a grace period for being new and since the guests  agreed to the cancellation.  But again - do keep an eye on the calendar and manually adjust the price if you want.  Also if you do less than 7-day, you can set minimum stays for things like weekends, etc.

[Joanna85]

One booking at a time...that's how I learned.  Once I hit hosting over 50 guests...all the crazy and hiccups and excpetions and things I started learning....lol.  Even while now I consider myself an expert host, I learn new things.

Start slow.  Read this Community Center a little bit every day...you will see overwhelmingly similar themes and it will help you.  When I first started I had priced my place way too cheap, thinking I wouldn't get any bookings because of this, that, and the other was wrong with my space and it turned out none of that bothered anyone...so I was stuck with cheap nights three months ahead.  I wouldn't let folks book too far ahead until you get used to things here, that way you can alter your price, rules, etc etc.  Otherwise you have to honor whatever the listing said when the guest booked, which stinks if someone found a loophole and you need to switch up your rules or price.

One thing I recommend for everyone....no matter, strict cancellation policy and NEVER, NEVER, NEVER cancel or give a refund to a guest.  Let Airbnb sort it out--and if you have a strict cancellation policy, chances are you won't have to refund much.  In over 142 bookings since February I have never cancelled or refunded a guest. I've had several cancel on me or demand a refund, but I just uphold my policies.   I might be lucky, but just make sure you stick to your policies and honor your end of your listing and you'll be fine. Airbnb has been fair in my cases..I understand that is not always the case, but give yourself a running chance by a strict cancellation policy.

[Solomon5]

This happened to me. Airbnb will not help you as they could care less about hosts.

Simple answer: Just close your blocked listing and create a new listing (exactly the same as the first).

They only downside is you would lose any positive reviews.

[Robin249]

I had a similar experience. (I must have missed some important memo?!) but our pricing, on the site, for next years high summer season dropped down to our low off season rates and I didn't discover it until I had booked 3 different week long groups!! I couldn't figure out how to find a person to talk to at Airbnb. Very frustrating

[David126]

@Robin249

What do you want to talk to them about?

[Robin249]

I'd like to ask them how it happened that our rates were altered from last year's rates. Among other things. I really dislike their site as a host. Love it as a renter