Why does Airbnb count declining a reservation the same thing as a cancellation?

[Esteban24]

I declined 6 listings in a row, so while I had a special offer out, an automated system "paused" my listings for five days. 

I contacted Airbnb support about it, and now the support agent is stating that declining a reservation is the same as a cancellation. 

Am I wrong? Declining a request=/= cancellation a reservation.  A request is not a reservation. 

"

Airbnb Support6:27 PM

We understand that, of course we value the security of our host and it's important however if it's a consecutive declines that you will do, then our compliance will think that you're not ready host your property since all the request you receive is that you're declining it. It's really unacceptable on the guest side since they should be able to use the platform conveniently for them to have a place to stay. We take both sides (host and guest) sake. 

Please see link below for your referrence.

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1341/are-there-exceptions-to-the-host-cancellation-penalties

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/990/im-a-host-what-penalties-apply-if-i-need-to-cancel-a-reserva...

[Kat84]

Please make a search for SEO tips for Airbnb hosts, you will find a lot of interesting things.

Just think about this way - anything that turning away your guest from booking is negative and will have consequences. Even a stupid message should be answered with something like "noted". What more about declining... Every Airbnb button has consequences for hosts. Think first before pressing it

[Sarah977]

@Esteban24  "Let's put it into context, how will you feel if you have already planned for a trip and you really want a property, you request to book that and suddenly it will be declined? How would you feel about that?"

Let's put it context, how will you feel if a guest who gives you reason to feel wary about accepting them as a guest, ends up being just as bad and disrespectful a guest as your senses and logic told you they would be and they trash your house, lose your keys, break your stuff, lie to get a refund and then leave you a terrible review? How would you feel about that? 

[Esteban24]

@Sarah977  That's what the airbnb support guy said, not me. 

Basically I share the same sentiments and I target long term guests. 

[Sarah977]

@Esteban24  Yes, I totally understood that was what the CS rep told you. I was being sarcastic about his absurd message to you, which assumed that hosts should put aside their own reasons for not accepting a guest just so a guest won't be disappointed.

Cancellations are not like declines, by the way. There are serious penalties to hosts for any cancellation. You can decline occasionally without ill effects, but if you do so on a regular basis, they will send you threatening warnings or even suspend your listing.

Can you not set up your calendar settings so that people can only book longer term if that's what you want? It's not a good idea to keep declining guests because you're waiting for a long-term booking to come in.

[Esteban24]

@Sarah977 

The funny part is, I did - I set my calendar to a minimum of 7 days and had special offers out and about and now that my listing is disabled -- well that's nice. Just have to wait off the counter. 

I'm just aggravated because the support guy, is commingling the words to mean the same thing while they *are* not. 

Support really is bad, and useless. Thanks, Airbnb. 

[Sarah977]

@Esteban24   If you had minimum 7 day booking as a requirement and guests are sending Requests for shorter periods of time, you don't have to right away decline the request. You can message them back, saying that your listing clearly states a 7 day minimum and that you'd be happy to accept them if they wanted to stay for a week. Then ask them to please withdraw the Request and hopefully they will so you don't have to decline.

And you are aware that if it's just an Inquiry message, you don't have to either pre-approve or decline? Just messaging back within 24 hours is all that's required. You can ignore the pesky messages from Airbnb to pre-approve, it doesn't count against you.

If they suspended your listing for declining guests entering less than 7 day bookings, when your listing states that as a booking requirement, then that was so wrong of them and the rep was incompetent. I'd keep at them about it, but not engage further with this rep you had- start a new message stream so you get a different rep or contact through Twitter.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Esteban24 

In addition to what @Sarah977  said - if your min stay is 7 nights then the prospective guest has to select at least 7 nights period to be able to send you a request for a shorter stay.

In that case, you do what Sarah told you - tell him to withdraw his request within 24 h or you will accept his request and he will be charged for 7 nights.

Or, if someone sends you a request but demands something you don't offer (shorter stay, to bring a pet, early check-in or whatever..)  tell him to withdraw his request or you will accept it but the pet/early check-in, etc...) are not allowed.

The point is - try to decline requests as rare as possible.

Don't worry about inquiries - you can answer by text and don't need to click on preapprove/decline button

[Sarah977]

@Branka-and-Silvia0  I didn't even think it was possible for a guest to send a Request with dates that don't match a host's Booking settings. I always thought it would get rejected automatically, or they'd get some pop-up that says "This listing has a 1 week minimum " or something to that effect.

Of course they can ask for the sun and the moon in an Inquiry,  but I always figured a Request had to conform to your settings as far as availability, minimum and max stays, etc. Guess not.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Sarah977 

yes, you are right and that's what I wrote 🙂

if your min stay is 7 nights then the prospective guest has to select at least 7 nights period to be able to send you a request for a shorter stay.

[Sarah977]

@Branka-and-Silvia0  Ah, see I'm the one who now needs to work on my English 🙂 I totally missed what you were saying- it didn't occur to me that a guest would send a Request for 7 nights but ask in the request for a shorter stay. That seems kind of dumb- if the host went ahead and accepted, the guest would end up being charged for the 7 days they entered. I always figured if a guest wanted to ask for something outside your parameters, they'd send an Inquiry.

Silly me, expecting all guests to actually use common sense.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Sarah977 

ah... my perfect English again :)))  I participate in this forum because I like hanging out with you guys, but also to improve my English. Unfortunatelly, it doesn't go as fast as I would like 😛 

yes, it happens a lot, it's Airbnb fault, a big red button for sending requests, right bellow the reservation form and a blue, small, hardly noticeable text link to contact the host. No, wander so many guests send requests when they just want to ask a question.

I was happy when ABB introduced "Family collection" because I used to get a lot of requests from families with kids even though we don't host children. I had to decline them and it impacted my acceptance rate. Now I don't get such requests anymore.

[Flavia195]

@Branka-and-Silvia0  we are in the same boat. I am a mix from Switzerland and Brazil...my english is so funny...barely the people understands me. But I can understand you so good. 

The most important is do not be ashamed to talk & write. 🙂

[Emilia42]

@Sarah977, I've always thought that was dumb! Why would a guest enter their credit card information TO BE CHARGED (possibly if accepted) for something they didn't want?? It's never happened to me but I read about guests doing that (and hosts dealing with it) and I just don't get it at all.

[Anonymous]

@Esteban24  The agent you corresponded with was absolutely awful. But it does seem very odd that you'd have to decline 7 consecutive Reservation Requests.  Are you sure some of these weren't actually Inquiries?