Smart Pricing Issue

[Hillary54]

Yesterday I looked at the pricing for this summer and when I logged in today every day had been changed to our minimum value. Every Day. Anyone else experiencing this? 

[Ann72]

@Cathie19 Good advice!!  

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

I completely agree with @Cathie19 

If we think about it hotels that target business travelers will set weekday to be pricier than weekends while places that target weekend getaways/vacationers will have higher weekend/holiday prices compared to weekdays. Airbnb has no idea what type of guests each host is targeting, and they don't know what our costs are so they would not be able to suggest a pricing strategy that best suits each host. Each host and each listing is so different and unique, I doubt any computer or algorithm would be able to properly take all of that into consideration. 

[Mark1461]

Don't use Smart Pricing! AirBnB is basically low balling so you your place booked. I made the mistake of using it and discovered I had rented my place for about 1/3 of what I could have. To add insult to injury they took a further 30% off before sending me my money. No warning - right up to the checkin day they sent me notice showing the full amount but when it arrived in my account less 30% I inquired. They told me to check my account and sure enough - once they send the funds they put in the line for tax withholding. That's very deceptive!

[Grace339]

I just found out that if you have Smart Pricing turned on at ALL (even tho it shows on your end that the specific dates have it turned off), it will automatically adjust the prices on the booking.

For instance in July I had my price set to $205 & a booking came thro at $165/night (my base price). Also, in August I had my prices set at $195/night with the Smart Pricing turned OFF on those dates & I had a booking request come in at $180/night. Since I could've sworn I had those nights set, I called AirBnb... 

They informed me that out of 365 nights and I think I have my own prices set, if I have Smart Pricing set for 1 night out of the 365, that will affect ALL of the nights. REgardless if I think I have the other nights turned off and with my own pricing. I thot the agent was wrong, but her Service Mgr told me the same thing.

Aggravating in my book. Has anyone else experienced this?

[Robin4]

@Grace339 

Grace, that is staggering to learn!!!

So you cannot access Smart Pricing for a specific timeframe, it either affects all your future dates.......or none, regardless of how you set it!

I can only say once again, leaving the pricing of your commodity to a service organisation is a short cut to financial ruin!

Cheers......Rob

[Stephanie118]

I was just burned badly--Smart Pricing is horribly broken and illogical. I activated it to try. It overrode ALL dates INCLUDING dates I had already assigned a custom price to--very important special event dates.

Sounds similar to what @Grace339 mentioned.

I knew it would dynamically adjust "regular" dates (that's the whole point) but, no, it also wiped out CUSTOM-priced dates (dates that already had a custom price set).

Within hours, I had a booking request from a guest pouncing on an opportunity to get the house at a FRACTION of its worth on an NCAA football weekend, where "Smart" Pricing had destroyed my custom price and set the house at pennies (relatively). I had to decline and explain that Airbnb had messed it up, badly.

Smart Pricing...isn't, apparently.

[Alice595]

@Hillary54 Smart pricing is just like the price tip given by Airbnb. If you take it, that means that your minimum base set is going to be higher than that most of times or all the times.

When I used a price for my entire hosue renting, Airbnb price tip suggested to lower it by $35 per night. When I search my property listing as a guest, I saw that the price hints under the booking section mentioned that my listing is $35 lower than the average of listings similar in the area. Go figure! 🙂

[Mahboob1]

I just listed our property and had set the minimum price slightly below market.  Per the Airbnb suggestion we also selected the Smart Pricing.  

To our surprise the Airbnb automatically offered the price at ~14% below our minimum and in ADDITION discounted additional amount for long term reservation !!!  

The final rate came to less than 50% of our listed minimum.

Finally the system then ACCEPTED the reservation request!

So when in the morning I see that "I" have ACCEPTED the reservation at the totally irrationally low rate -- for the WHOLE MONTH!!

In my opinion this Smart Pricing -- totally sucks.