Guest Trying to Book House but Airbnb Isn’t Allowing Due to Covid-19 Help

Answered!
Colby16
Level 4
Pleasant Ridge, MI

Guest Trying to Book House but Airbnb Isn’t Allowing Due to Covid-19 Help

All, 

 

I have a neighbor who is trying to book my house for her family that live an hour away for the weekend of March 28th. AirBnb is declining their attempt to book my house or any other in the area. It is saying, “choose another place to stay. As part of our commitment to your safety, certain last-minute bookings of entire homes are restricted right now. You can still book a HOTEL or a private room for your stay”

 

I am quite confused on why a private room differs from an entire house rental. You still have most of the house during the private room. I had them try to book other houses and gave the same message. We are in Michigan and thought maybe it would be a travel restriction, but nothing.

 

Has anyone has this issue yet or spoken to customer service about it?

 

 

Top Answer

@Susan17 Thanks for the link to the other conversations. The overall situation is very unfortunate.

 

One workaround that I've found to still allow guests to book is to have them book a few weeks after the dates they want and then change the reservation dates to the dates they actually prefer. It is a few more steps, but it worked every time I've done it.  

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45 Replies 45
Helen350
Level 10
Whitehaven, United Kingdom

@Colby16 Bizarre, odd.... I would have thought it SAFER to book an entire home; there your group will not come into contact with other people, unlike in a hotel or private room.....?

@Helen350 Exactly what I was thinking! Doesn’t seem to make sense to me. I try to call AirBnb, but it was hours to wait. Have yet to see anyone else experience this on the community so looking for any input. 

This solution worked well for me https://airbnbase.com/choose-another-place-to-stay/

Susan17
Level 10
Dublin, Ireland

@Colby16 @Helen350 

 

I've had at least a dozen hosts send me screenshots of exactly this over the past few days. In some markets, hosts' listings are being shown in searches, as normal, but when a guest tries to book the listing, Airbnb is blocking the potential reservation , and funnelling the guests towards booking hotels instead. 

 

In none of those instances has Airbnb had the respect or regard for the nobbled hosts to inform them that guest access to their listings had been cut off, nor offered them the courtesy of an explanation as to why Airbnb would possibly be deliberately and purposely routing business àway from small local hosts, and into the hands of hotels. 

 

In addition, the company has been very generously providing handy little coaching templates to assist guests in procuring full refunds from hosts, even where none are due. Hosts worldwide have been receiving cancellation notifications/full refund requests that all start with the following lparagraph, with exactly the same wording each time..q Unfortunately 11

 

"Unfortunately, we won't be able to stay at your place sfter all because of the incident  affecting  [host city]"

 

Coincidentally (or not), Airbnb acquired Hotel Tonight for a reported $400+ million in March of last year, as part of its expansion into the hotel industry, a strategy which by all accounts, has been beset by a number of "teething problems". The company also sunk $150-$200 million into OYO Hotels and Townhouses, who have run into some very serious issues in recent months, with allegations including fraud, bribery, witholding of payments from hosts/small hotel owners, corruption, breach of contract etc, being levelled against them.

 

Airbnb have clearly decided that their wealth Hotel Partners need any available bookings more than we do, and have apparently put several mechanisms in place to enable and facilitate to ensure they get them. 

 

A masterclass in poacher-turned-gamekeeper hypocrisy and duplicity. 

Airbnb Buys Hotel Tonight In Deeper Explansion Into Hotel Business

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-airbnb-m-a-hoteltonight-idUSKCN1QO2B4

 

At Softbank zJewel In India: Toxic Culture And Troubling Incidents

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/02/technology/oyo-softbank-india.html

Helen350
Level 10
Whitehaven, United Kingdom

Gosh!

 -@Susan17 , do you think these dastardly goings on, are only happening in the US, do I in very small town England need to be worried for myself?  Surely Airbnb could not take over Lake District hotels? 

- Conspiracies everywhere .....

Not conspiracies though, @Helen350 - just presentation of facts :)) 

 

And yes, HotelTonight are operational in the Lake District and surrounding areas. Quite a few hotels in Windermere, Kendal, Pooley Bridge, Keswick etc are signed up with them 

Yes airbnb sends this message out for the guest when the guest initiates a cancellation due to covid19. The guest is unable to edit the message in any way. 

Helen350
Level 10
Whitehaven, United Kingdom

@Donald28 ????????????????

- If you're  answering me, you misunderstand the question..... @Susan17 's point was that Airbnb are cancelling in order to divert guests to THEIR OWN HOTELS! So this will, presumably only happen where there are hotels, not on Airbnb, but under Hotel Tonight...... Susan's point is that Airbnb are cancelling NOT BECAUSE OF THE VIRUS, but to channel bookings towards their more lucrative hotels, on Hotel Tonight..... Have another read of Susan's post, Donald!

WOW, now I see what you mean.  Airbnb is using the guise of "customer safety" to pretty much take your bookings in markets that have Airbnb hotels.  If thats what indeed is happening, thats horrible.

Helen350
Level 10
Whitehaven, United Kingdom

Helen350
Level 10
Whitehaven, United Kingdom

@Katy189 - Susan17's observations above & below may be of interest to you, re your new post!

Katy189
Level 3
Cupar, United Kingdom

wow that's looks really bad - talk about throwing us under the bus! Thanks for letting me know

Mary1444
Level 2
Great Malvern, United Kingdom

OH MY GOD