Is "pricing a room too high" against AirBnB's policy?

[Y-C--and-Jelly0]

This has to be the most Un-AirBnB thing, perhaps the most un-capitalistic decision by AirBnB ever.

Today, I have a reservation cancelled by AirBnB, AFTER the guest checked in and decided to cancel.  According to the Case Manager (CM), it's because our ROOM RATE WAS TOO HIGH. And that we did not reply to the CM within the "given" 15 minutes (even though we replied to the guests within that time, as the CM did not specify WHOM to reply to within that given short timeframe). 

Here is an abbreviated conversation between us: 

Me: May I know why you cancelled the reservation after the guests checked in, and also penalized us by blocking those dates?

CM: They claimed that the price was too high, and you did not respond to me within the 15 minutes I gave you. 

Me: So it's against AirBnB's policy to price according to the market rate around the busiest time of year? 

CM: Um... the decision is final and cannot be reversed now. We can reimburse you for one night, but you are on your own for the other three nights.  

Me: How do we find fill our place so last-minute?

CM: Just make sure you don't price it too high. 

Wow. I did not know we have no freedom over how we price our rooms, especially when the booking was previously accepted by the guests, who obviously knew what they are paying for and somehow had a change of heart after they checked in. 

It's clear AirBnB's policy favors guests over hosts, whom it has a captive hold over, but such arbitrary decision process will only harm its pursuit to provide world-class hospitality services.  

Advice to the AirBnB management and to Mr Chesky, whom I have the utmost respect for as an entrepreneur: Here is how you can improve customer service: 1. Hire better Case Managers. 2. Put in better guardrails around managing your Case Managers, who wields enormous power over hosts as judge, jury, and executioner.  A quick glance at this forum would show that such errant incident involving Case Managers is becoming more and more common. 

[Emiel1]

Duplicate posting found here

[Sheila146]

Just wondering what this duplication signifies...

[Steve141]

My husband posted it via his account, then I realized I should have posted it thru my account since it happened to my properties. 

[Emiel1]

So.. @Xander3 from Claremont , @Y-C--and-Jelly0 from Tapei and  @Steve141 from Hong Kong are all involved in the same posting. Good to know.

[Xander3]

Sorry about the confusion. Prior to our marriage, my My wife ran listings in Taiwan, while I ran listings from the US. 

[Fred13]

On theoretical grounds, Airbnb is not compelled to go along with any bookings they deem 'wrong', they are a private concern. Yes, they do lean toward the satisfaction of the guest foremost, not hosts, which they have 4 million of now.

On common sense grounds, after reading your listing and you having so many guests and 304 favorable reviews, why they would deem your place 'too expensive' is indeed a mystery. The guests, who actually are the ones who initiated the cancellation, probably used 'too expensive' as an excuse to cancel. Now there is a new twist which may serve as an easily-abused reason to be used (and abused) by other guests. Perhaps this is a case more to do with the specific case manager you happened to be assigned to, and he gave such an unusual reason.

[Ange2]

@Fred13   "used 'too expensive' as an excuse"   But how can that be used as an excuse,  it doesn't appear in Airbnb's terms and conditions for requesting a refund.

I had a guest a while back who told me my place could have been cheaper. Why?  I ask. Because, he said, he only slept there and thus did not make use of the very large room, he did not use any amenities, he did not cook, he was not there most of the day, nor did he use the towels I provided. 

If I go to a restaurant and don't use the bathroom, the condiments, the desert fork, does anyone think I should receive a refund?  It's absurd.

He did not ask for a refund. Would he have received one?  I would like to know if that is now a possibility.

If guests are refunded because of bull**bleep** like "I think it's over-priced" then it becomes an ultra  high-risk game for a host and we'd all probably fare better playing craps!

I wrote to Airbnb asking them to clarify whether this really is policy. I have gotten bizarre answers in the past and on demanding to speak to a supervisor I have been told that they were incorrect and in no way reflected Airbnb terms and policies. I am waiting for a reply.

[Fred13]

Exactly @Ange2; if that is what case manager used as the reason given, passed on from the guest, we are on new grounds. Imagine.

[Ange2]

@Fred13  I'll post Airbnb's reply if I get one.

[Y-C--and-Jelly0]

I have tried calling AirBnB several times to see if I can reach a different Case Manager, but to no avail.  There does not seem to be a proper channel of escalation, and any decision appears to be "final" as we are told.

[Ange2]

@Y-C--and-Jelly0  Use Twitter and Airbnb Support email it's a bit of a maze to find the latter but essentially you click Help on your dahboard and type in Contact Airbnb and then just keep clicking  "no, it's something else"  or "I still need help", if you don't see it scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page and you will find it. Eventually you come to a page where you can input your question. It's gets a fairly rapid response in my experience.

btw: Final is not always "final"  in my experience and I have seen the same in other posts on here.

I really want to know if this is new policy because it is a game-changer. I have written to Airbnb and will post a reply here if/when I get one.

[Y-C--and-Jelly0]

Thank you, Ange.  I have followed your advice. In addition, we called another Case Manager, hoping for a different outcome.  He also admitted that a mistake was made, but said that the case is now closed because a portion of fund has been distributed by AirBnB. 

I have read numerous posts on how inadquately AirBnB responds to its own mistakes towards hosts, but it's still disheartening to see it first hand. 

[Steve141]

We were pretty shocked and upset by what happened at the most critical time of year, and are also frustrated by how much power a case manager has over hosts. 

[Xander3]

So the Case Manager just called and apologized.  He said the final decision was to offer us just a quarter of the original booking fees. Having dealt with AirBnB on several occasions, I believe this is the best we can make light of the situation.  I can pray that we can fill our apartment for the next three days.