UPDATE: Beta Test for Non-refundable for 10% Discount

UPDATE: Beta Test for Non-refundable for 10% Discount

Since agreeing to be in this test, we've had: 

  1. ZERO bookings.  Yes you see that right - ZERO BOOKINGS SINCE BEING ON THE BETA TEST!!  30 days and nothing has come in except one inquiry. 
  2. Fallen in the search results ranks by 6 households.  We are now way down below the fold on the desktop. 
  3. Have seen our "views to booking" ratio plummet to 0.2%
  4. Had to spend several hours working with the product guys and help desk to get our listing to properly show both options - it still defaults to non-refundable instead of being used as a selling technique 
  5. Noted that in 2018 alone we had over 40 cancellations so you'd think this would have helped us  Guess if you have no reservations you don't have to worry about cancellations  

We are turning it off now and hope that we can recover.

 

Hope someone is paying attention to the damage this has done to us.

 

@Lizzie            @    @

8 Replies 8
Emiel1
Level 10
Leeuwarden, The Netherlands

@Alice-and-Jeff0,

Sorry to hear about this. And thank you for warning. I also have this option offered now on my dashboard. Better not activate it !

Best regards,

Emiel

Barry-and-Lera0
Level 10
Sarasota, FL

@Alice-and-Jeff0: Sorry to hear. We got the same option offer a few months back but we are not fans of beta testing anything because of the bugs that can be present, like your page defaulting to Non-negotiable. I understand the cancellation aspect you were trying to resolve but I wouldn't use my business to test a product that can have a direct and undesired effect with no clear resolution.

 

You have a great spot so I'm sure you will rise back up the rankings quickly. 

 

"If it ain't broke don't fix it."

Robin4
Level 10
Mount Barker, Australia

@Alice-and-Jeff0

Hi Alice, sorry to hear about this and thank you so much for posting your experience.

As soon as that test appeared about a month ago I declined it immediately, never thought about it for a second!.

I have learned through cold hard experience, company tests are designed to help the company, not the hosting community. This was never about helping hosts on the road to prosperity, it was just a way to entice us to drop our pants a bit further so the company could pick up a few more bookings!

 

It seems every few months they will come up with some new initiative to entice us to forget all about actually making any money......'look at all those clever hosts around you who are cheaper than you are, why not get on the bandwagon and join them'!!.....Why, I am fully booked, I have even had emails telling me it's time to take a holiday in my own listing!

'Plus' appears to be suffered, from what we are reading it seems like they got less than 20% of their target in the first 12 months and to join that program is now free, with many who did join now leaving.

 

Look at the nonsense that surounded 'Superhost' week! Do you feel that you got the slightest bit of help out of that Alice? All it did was make us feel inferior to hosts they tried to ban 3 years ago for ...'Not providing and authentic Airbnb experience'!

This company are not short on marketing tools, we just need to learn to ignore them!

 

From what we are reading though Alice, there seems to be a universal slump in bookings, and it may just be a coincidence, a lot of hosts here are saying their bookings have dried up around the end of last year. Hopefully you will recover soon.

Happy new year to you over there in North Carolina.

Cheers......Rob 

Jeff158
Level 10
Caernarfon, United Kingdom

Flippin eck @Alice-and-Jeff0. I've not got the option yet but won't be using it.

Hope you recover quickly

Robert571
Level 2
Toronto, Canada

Same happened to me.  After turning it on, occupancy on my Hanoi apartments went from over 80% to under 10%.  Something is wrong with this - and its not just the math and economics of it! Now that I read the stream here, the whole thing looks broken.  

Amber1
Level 7
Key West, FL

Hi all- Does anyone know if the extenuating circumstances still counts in this non refundable beta testing?  @Lizzie any insight? Was eyeing it but if they can still override any guest cancellation with "extenuating circumstances" forget it...

 

Wish they would just had a different cancellation policy option that's somwhere between strict and moderate and call it a day. 

Thea55
Level 1
Eugene, OR

I'm so glad I read your post. I think the same thing has been happening to me! I just turned it off. Thanks so much for posting.

Rebecca181
Level 10
Florence, OR

Whew~ Glad I researched before trying this out. Another rusty, poisoned bullet dodged. Thanks for the heads up, @Alice-and-Jeff0 - I hope that this is all sorted out now and you are getting bookings again!