Where do they come up with this info???

[Letti0]

The little green lightbulbs are so wrong lol. Where is the computer pulling this info from is what I want to know. The average price of my place on weekdays bookings  $39 for an entire house with 3 bedrooms (Nursery/childrens room we don't include as a seperate bedroom it's attached to the Master bedroom) and 2 baths. Seriously they expect me to believe this crap. It's a computer gone rogue I tell you...

[Kelly149]

@Letti0 $39!!!! Please stop! That’s not enough for a whole house. That’s not enough for a hovel. Guests on abb think even beautiful places should be no money bc of this kind of pricing. 

Oh & abb ideas of suggested pricing are terrible! Please pay them no mind. 

Oh wait, abb says you’ve accepted 39 when really you haven’t? Nonsense. Maybe they’ve averaged 0 with 249 & gotten crazy numbers. Silly abb computers, definitely not to be trusted. Too many examples of hosts seeing impossible things in their tips. 

[Christine615]

I don't pay any attention to it. I've got 1500 sq feet and three bedrooms. It takes 4 hours to clean between guests whether there is one guest or four. The lightbulb often says "People looked at your space and booked something cheaper. Try lowering your rate to $69/night."

No. Just no. And some of those "people" are using low ball rates to build ratings. Or you go to the site and the rate is for a single unbooked night but the regular rate is higher than mine.

The algorithm is wrong. Ignore those little lightbulbs. We all do.

[Robin4]

@Christine615 @Letti0 @Fiona248

There is no malice in the software, the programmers just see it as another marketing tool and bares absolutely no relationship to any given hosts situation. 

If you host in Spokane it will tell you 3 guests found cheaper 'digs' in Spokane, if you host in Ulaanbaatar it will tell you three guests in Outer Mongolia found a cheaper property.

What does amuse me though, I am fully booked each month these days but the pricing tips tell me 3 people looked at my property but decided to stay somewhere else in the area that was $xx cheaper! Where exactly was I supposed to put these additional three guests if they had not decided to go somewhere else cheaper? 😞

I am even getting notifications to un-block dates booked by other hosting avenues so that Airbnb guests can book them.....What-th! Airbnb would love that if it happened to them, wouldn't they just!

It is unfortunate but these hair-brained promotions work. Some hosts are that desperate for bookings to pay their mortgage they will actually take notice of some of these advisory prompts and find out too late that a guest has booked their property at a rate that has put them into negative territory....putting that mortgage payment even further away.

We price our listings according to the reward we need to get from them, not be screwed down by Airbnb simply in pursuit of their service fee!

Take control of your destiny and price your listing appropriately and sink or swim by that decision. 

Cheers.....Rob

[Fiona248]

I am new to AirBNB. This tool would be awesome if it actually worked. It's unfortunate that their algorithm isnt even close to giving correct information.

[Sarah977]

They should replace the lightbulb with a dunce hat.

[Fred13]

Or with hands insinuating a prayer.

[Sarah977]

Boy, would the airbnb wesite sure look different if we were all in charge.

[Helen427]

Scary thing is some IT person has inputted this info into the computer systems they use, possibly someone who is only getting paid $39 monthly..

Interesting what info one can find online.

Take a squizz how much Call centre/ Customer services people get paid in places like Manila & do currency conversion to that of one's own country - it's an eye opener sad to say but true. The people who are working in some of those jobs on extremely low pay probably don't realise our costs of living are way higher than there's and until they are educated better it's unlikely to change. We all have basics to pay for regardless of where we live.

[Sarah977]

@Helen427    Of course the other thing about people who receive paltry salaries is that they usually aren't motivated to go all-out, they tend to do the minimum required.  When someone is being paid a good wage, they are more likely to be consciencious in their job. It's the old "you get what you pay for". 

[Pete28]

I believe it finds the lowest price for whatever it thinks comparable in your area and then undercuts it by a few $.

With almost no availability on Memorial Day in Seattle it is has become clear why it thinks $65 is a good price - because that is the lowest available on the 5 properties left under $200.

Not very smart or useful once it follows outliers (new host etc), and comparison match seems to be minimal on beds etc.