'Require a Good Track Record' no longer works with AirBnB

[Charles224]

Hi, we allow 'Instant Book', we don't discriminate, but there are a-holes in the world, and accommodation providers are a soft target.

We had a disaster at a different place a few years ago (AirBnb were helpful with renumerating for the damage, but we were closed for 2 weeks) and discovered the "Booking Settings"  section, specifically "Require a good track record". Once enabled, only people with 'REVIEWS' could instant book, not just 'Verified' (which is a potential crock and AirBnb 'do not accept responsibility for accuracy' in their notes) We stopped using the other operations and became 100% AirBnb.

BUT this isn't working anymore. And we are worried, very worried. We have now had 2x bookings where the customers have No Reviews. One has just booked for 20 days (that's great, but its usually* parents visiting their golden child at uni) and this guy has no reviews. I know that these chat rooms are closed after a week or so (the old links were years long and were insightful) and I don't require engagement from those living in a world of bears-and-squirrels. * Is there a way to fix my problem? * Should I stop using this platform? * Do other platforms have a better screening process?

Thanks in advance, and Hi to the old operators if you are still around 🙂

*[Information removed in line with the Community Center Guidelines]

[Shelley159]

Hi @Charles224 

As far as I know it shouldn't be possible for a guest with zero reviews to book, they need at least one that Airbnb considers not "bad" (we don't know what bad means). Here's the text presently linked to the good track record slider on the app:

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

I haven't had any instant bookings from guests with no reviews - those come through as requests with the option to accept or decline.

If you feel this didn't happen for all your bookings, it's worth asking Airbnb to look into it.

Hosts who prefer instant book often don't accept very long bookings, and the other way around. Of course, what qualifies as a long booking is also a judgement call.

[Charles224]

@Shelley159 I totally agree, except it has failed twice recently.

And I assume that real people from AirBnb read all these messages, and one of them may have the initiative to look into it and contact me. 

I have your lovely wine region in my sites. I operate tailored (couples or small groups of four), wine tours in the Clare Valley & The Barossa Valley. "Valley Wine Tours". These are old regions for Australia, but don't have your heritage!

Cheers, Charles

[Shelley159]

Fantastic to hear @Charles224 (talking about the wine, not the Instant Book)! 🥂

A large number of hosts who post here don't use Instant Book, as they feel the good track record hurdle is too low. Personally I don't see why the bar has to be so low - setting a higher requirement doesn't block any new or unfairly judged guests from booking, they would simply be on the request-to-book system until they do have a good track record (and Airbnb would have more listings on Instant Book, which is what it wants).

That's beside the point now though - if your track record setting is glitching, that needs to be investigated by Airbnb.

[Joan2709]

@Shelley159 @Charles224 

Actually...a guest can have trips, but no reviews and STILL Instant Book.

This is because the system sees they have "no negative reviews" as they don't have any negative reviews or incidents (they don't have any reviews), but do still meet the criteria for Instant book as they have completed a reservation(s).

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Charles224 we have squirrels in the garden but not bears so I hope my input is allowed.

The criteria from @Shelley159  is 'Good track record: completed a reservation without incident or bad reviews'  

So no reviews will count as long as the stay didn't generate a damages claim or other incident.

Other platforms have no more screening than Airbnb (realistically how can they?) so its either switch off instant book or take the risk I am afraid.

[Shelley159]

@Mike-And-Jane0 we also don't have any bears, and I may have a slight advantage over you as our squirrels are originally from Europe and not considered indigenous 😁

@Charles224 I think @Mike-And-Jane0 has pointed out something we haven't focused on. Can you check whether these guests had zero trips or just zero reviews? In our posts above, we both used the word "reviews" which is not the correct term here. According to the requirement, it's about "reservations", so someone who has booked and received no feedback at all from the host, will qualify. Is that what happened here?

[Charles224]

@Shelley159 and @Mike-And-Jane0 , the 'reviews' was my focus, and yes, they have had 'trips'. I feel quite relieved now. 

There is the 'blocking' mechanism, where if you want to warn future guests you tick 'no, I would not host them in the future' and, apparently, this means they cannot instant-book, so you look for the red flags in reviews. 

The only bears we have are Koalas, and squirrels would starve over here. My weather report "Surrounding the Clare and Barossa Valleys, Canola crops are painting the fields bright yellow, the dark green paddocks of wheat and barley are looking fantastic too. We are seeing the buds begin in the vineyards, the countryside looks like New Zealand or Ireland, the Wisterias are all about to bloom, and doe kangaroos are proudly showing off their curious joeys. New vintage wines are quietly entering the cellar doors. Warm fires are still needed occasionally, and life in the Mid North countryside of South Australia is bliss." 

Cheers to all 🙂

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Charles224 Sorry but have you ever been to Ireland? It rains pretty much every day  of the year and, just like England, is cold most of the time. The Guinness is good though.....

[Joan2709]

@Charles224 

Apparently, ticking the box would not Host again doesn't do anything (as far as I know). You need to mention in the text of the review that you would not Host again, and give them a low star rating as appropriate in order for them to fall below a 3.5 overall rating (apparently guests can still instant book with a 3.5 rating as Airbnb doesn't consider that a "negative" review score).

You can prevent/block a guest from booking your property again by flagging a message in the thread and reporting it. You'll have to choose one of the reasons that Airbnb provides though.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Shelley159 sadly we have few indigenous red squirrels in the UK and most of us have to put up with the invasive grey squirrels from North America which are little more than rats with tails. I've had a look at South African squirrels and your indigenous ones are beautiful - I hope your invading Greys (presumably from America via Europe) have not destroyed these as they have done in most of the UK.

Our remaining Reds are generally limited to remote areas and islands where people trap and destroy Greys to help the Reds survive. I believe though that the Reds are fighting back a bit though.

[Shelley159]

Apparently it was the British @Mike-And-Jane0! 😀

In the early 1900s, Cecil Rhodes, a British businessman, released a number of grey squirrels on his Groote Schuur estate in Cape Town. The squirrels were native to North America but had been living in England.

I like that they're happy here though (grey squirrels & the British).