BOOKING SETTINGS - Require a Good track Record

[Chris23652]

Dear AirBNB - what does this feature really mean. Its seems quite vague

"Good track record: completed a reservation without incident or bad reviews"

Issues with this setting

1.  A guest with 1 or more past reservations but zero reviews technically has "no negative reviews". This seems silly. Rather this should be set to at least 1 Review

2. What is considered a bad review? What is the ranking? Put a number on it please. Hosts get scored... so should guests to weed out micreants

3. How does the Guest score relate over time? 1 Bad Review may not tell the story over time. I'd hate to think 1 bad review would stick forever if every other review is good. Also if a recent review is bad but all others a good and their average is good then they are not penalized at all. Rather may something like if you get 1 Bad Review you get put in the sin bin, then you need 10 Good Reviews to get out of the sin bin. Something like that

Food for thought - But Can Airbnb Support look at this... Its a bit hokey presently

Chris

[Joan2709]

@Chris23652 

I think Airbnb's "Good Track Record" is a bit "hokey" intentionally. Airbnb would prefer ALL Hosts use IB, regardless of the added risk, as it means less barriers to bookings (and more service fees for them). This is especially one-sided recently, considering they are not removing retaliatory reviews and have turned this process over to AI. Hosts that allow IB with the present loopholes are risking even more in not being able to remove retaliatory reviews from riskier guests.

Good Track Record Loopholes & Issues 

-I believe Airbnb says a Guest with a 4.0 or higher is not considered as having a "bad track record" and CAN IB

-If a guest has had trips, but no reviews, they can still instant book

-Optional settings have been known to not function properly over the years

-Hosts have reported IB has mysteriously been turned ON without them doing it

-Some possible issues with listings disappearing from search if the optional settings on and guests uses the IB search filter

I don't recommend Hosts use IB due to the above loopholes; especially not currently - too much risk for Hosts these days.

If Airbnb were to change the Optional settings to requiring 4.8 or higher and not allow IB for guests with no reviews, I would probably suggest Hosts with smaller properties allow IB.

[Alex]

Hi @Chris23652!

This is truly the best place to ask and share your questions. I noticed that Joan responded to your thread with a really helpful answer. Were you able to check it out? 

If you have any other questions let us know and we will be able to help you! 

Best, 

Alex

[Chris23652]

@Alex 

Joans answer was okay I guess.

However I would still say Airbnb's  guideline on this is about as clear as mud and seems to favour the Guest over the Hosts, I can only assume to ensure Airbnb can still get bookings and commissions. Just seems a bit mercenary  to me.

[Holger155]

That reply does not really address the problems with AirBnB’s definition, and the resulting risk for hosts. What I would like to know is what AirBnb is planning to do about this problem. 

[Holger155]

Joan’s reply is helpful indeed. But we all can read. I would like to know how Airbnb is planning to address these problems and the attendant risks for hosts.  

[Joan2709]

I would like to know that too @Holger155. 

You can contact Airbnb CS and ask them how they plan to address the issues with Instant Book?

Most clients I work with now I advise to turn off Instant Book to avoid the issues I've mentioned. 

[Holger155]

That (turning off IB) is a logical response to an operational definition of “good track record” that is so empty (and so biased in favor of guests, including ones that aren’t just potentially risky but where there are concrete empirical indications that they have in fact proven so for other hosts) as to be meaningless.  

[Tara0]

@Chris23652 The clause is totally misleading. I have IB and have selected the requirement of 'good track record'. You're meant to think it means no-one can IB if they have bad reviews, so that you turn on IB. But that's not what it means.

As I understand it

"Good track record: completed a reservation without incident or bad reviews",

means that a guest can Instant Book so long as they have at least one good review. In other words, they can have 20 reviews where the host gave low stars or clicked 'would not recommend to other hosts', but they can IB a listing with this requirement of 'good track record' selected, because they have a good review.

I also think a guest can't IB if they have never completed a reservation/trip. (I had a request recently from such a guest).

It would follow, as @Joan2709 says, that a guest who had completed a reservation/trip, and had no review at all (a bad sign, of course), could also IB. 

[Tara0]

@Chris23652 P.S. and no, support won't look into this.