Why does Airbnb allow bookings outside the three month limit in my settings?

[Damian1]

My settings require guests to arrive within three months.

I've had a few instances of people booking beyond three months, and before I've updated my prices for holiday periods.

This disappoints prospective guests and causes needless problems.

How can I ensure that three months means three calendar months, and not three months plus an unknown number of extra days?

Thanks for any assistance.

[Clare0]

Hi @Damian1 I just looked at your calendar and it is indeed blocked for bookings greater than 3 months out.  People should not be able to make specific reservation requests as these dates are blocked.  That said, I believe people can send inquiries for blocked dates.  All you need to do is respond that you don't accept reservations greater than 3 months out and that you hope they check back with you later.  You probably have been getting lots of these inquiries as this is the high season in your part of the world.  It's really slow here in North American! Hope this helps!

[Damian1]

Thanks Clare.

The problem is that I set my diary to update rates for high season periods but prospective guests can see my standard rate for months ahead and, not unreasonably, want to book a bargain rate.

I don’t like telling them they’re going to have to pay a higher rate when they have seen, quite reasonably, that there is a higher rate because Airbnb allows that to be shown despite me limiting my bookings to three months.

It’s a poor practice for Airbnb to allow prospective guests to book or make a tentative reservation ahead of the time I’ve set.

There is also the problem that I could be prosecuted under consumer protection laws for advertising a rate that is well below the rate I’d set if Airbnb stuck to the three month limit it suggests my settings would apply. Alternatively, the prospective guest could use consumer protection laws to make me give them the property at the rate they’ve got ahead of my three month limit. Either way, I don’t need this sort of problem if I encounter someone who wants to be legalistic.

If it was me, I’d be seriously upset if someone had a property advertised at $x that I thought I’d reserved through Airbnb and then found that that the host wanted $X+.

It seems to have changed, but not so long ago I couldn’t even set my rates beyond three months, which is why I have the time to change them diarised in time to avoid the problem which I've just failed to avoid with the latest reservation.

Airbnb needs to look at this as I don’t fancy being done over in consumer protection claims for something that is entirely within Airbnb’s control, and I don’t like having to fob off prospective guests who quite fairly thought they could get my property at a lower price than I’d set for high periods.

Regards,

Damian

[Clare0]

Yes @Damian1 it is confusing.  I put a sentence in my listing description telling prospective guests to check the prices for specific dates as these  might be different for the holidays.  

[Maria-Lurdes0]

THis is where another platform that shall not be named  performs better - where you are allowed to add rates in for specific periods - so you can take bookings for as far into the future as you want, as you can already have your 2016 rates set for specific periods of the year and the same for 2017.  On the other site I've already had inquiries for next year Christmas, and my holiday rates reflected correctly.

What you can do Damian, and it's a royal pain in the ass, is to leave your standard rate as is in the Basic pricing, but go to your peak periods  in the calendar, and enter the holiday specific rates in the calendar.  That way if someone looks for December 2016, although you won't accept the booking as it's not three months away, they will at least see the correct rates.  Perhaps using the pricing within the calendar will allow you to actually take bookings for further away dates.   This is more time consuming as you have to adjust rates by blocks of dates, but it works.

I have my basic rate set at $200 and I think of it as my 'rack rate' but I'll go down to $90 or up to $300 depending on the holiday/demand.

[Gerry-And-Rashid0]

1. There is also the problem that I could be prosecuted under consumer protection laws for advertising a rate that is well below the rate I’d set

You don't need to worry about this - you only enter a contract when you accept a booking. If you are in a shop and an  item is advertised as £1 and you take it to the till, the shopkeeper can refuse to sell it to you at that price, or refuse to sell it at all. You only enter into dangerous territory if you advertise a rate, then enter a contract and then incarease the rate, or apply hidden charges, or don't offer what you said you would.