These heavy handed tactics need to stop

[David6]

Guest booked in January. 7 nights in July. Cancelled 1st June and demanded a full refund because they decided house rules are ‘too restrictive.’ She received 50% refund.

Reminded her that she agreed to them at point of booking, and she had confirmed in message thread she was fine with all details.

I agreed IF I got a replacement booking I’d refund her the 50%. As a goodwill gesture.

Airbnb message me yesterday stating

’as you have a replacement booking, as per your message to guest, can we process the promised refund?’

No! The ‘replacement’  booking Airbnb mention is only for 3 days. This heavy pressure and manipulation has to stop.

i told the agent straight , I do not appreciate her misleading & misinformed messages. It is not a replacement booking with only 3 out of 7 nights booked.

And as I’m so tired of guests & airbnb playing these games, I am no longer prepared to offer anything more than a partial refund. So they get a refund for the 3 days I’ve so far rebooked. That’s it. Airbnb can refund the balance if they are so keen to placate this guest. I messaged guest suggesting she reads the whole listing next time. Done with her, extremely rude and entitled from the start. 

These type of guests need to start acting more responsibly. Read the listings. Airbnb need to stop facilitating this behaviour & respect a hosts cancellation polices. Maybe if enough hosts just say ‘no’ each time we feel manipulated or pressured by CS, *maybe* they will rethink these tactics? 

[Robin4]

@David6 

Sorry David you are right but mate, you are going to miss out here. 

You realise after a while that, while customer support work within the framework of the platform rules, they will invarible bend them in the guests favour!

You did not define an equivalent replacement booking, you just stated you would refund 50% if you received another booking!

As a matter of interest David what was the wording of her initial booking request or, if it was an IB what was her opening message? I have found you can guage very accurately what a reservation is going to be like by the way in which that request comes to you!

Cheers......Rob

[David6]

@Robin4 luclily I did state in the message thread to the guest, a replacement booking for period of original booking. 

She was fine in initial message. Just then started with extra guest requests - didn’t want to pay - then announcing they wished for visitors. This is against my house rules. So she cancelled. Thank goodness.

This is just one of many resent examples when CS have tried this. 

They signed off on this and backed down saying it was my final decision. I don’t ever cave on their first decision or demand. Just see how far I can resist. For me - not always -  90% times it works in my favour... 

[Robin4]

@David6 

David, that's great that you stood your ground and didn't get penalised.

I asked you that question because I have got super good at picking how guests are going to be!

When an enquiry comes to me that says…..”My name is Joy I have seen your lovely listing and can’t wait to have a couple of days away from the kids for Gary and myself”! I can’t hit the accept button fast enough David! I don’t want to do any digging around to see their past history, their verification…..I just know they will be great guests! They have come to me in a passive complimentary way, have liked what they see and just want to pay and stay….simple as that!

When an enquiry comes like this…..”WE are in your area for a wedding, we need to check-in as early as possible to get ready for the wedding which is at 4.00pm so can you please check us in at 12.30pm. Do you offer off street parking as we have just purchased a new car and don’t want it left in the street. Do you have WiFi and can I send some pictures from the wedding to the folks back in England, what cooking facilities do you offer. I will wait for your reply”! .........

That is at one end of the scale David, but also at the other end of the scale…..”I have a troublesome back, I hope the bed lives up to expectations”!........Or this one comes along every now and then...... "See you on the 28th July"! That's it, nothing else!

I don’t want to be involved in any of these scenarios David, because each of them has come to me in an aggressive fashion, the whole thing is about them, not about me,  and with each question (or comment) they ask they strengthen their ground while weakening mine…….Hagglers never make good guests.

Study every word of that enquiry or Instant Book message ….they either want to stay, or they want to jerk you aroundand get you to agree to something you don’t mention or offer.

Cheers......Rob

[David6]

@Robin4 totally agree

I’d like to ban the following guests from ever booking my place. 

1. Fellow hosts. All have been a nightmare and always leave awful reviews. 

2. Most fellow Brits who never/rarely come to london. Mostly nightmares with high demands. They all rate ‘value’ as 3 or 4 because they ‘didn’t realise london was so expensive.’ 

3. The ones you just know are going to smoke loads of drugs and have a party. I  99% cancel these guests. 

4. The hagglers - I NEVER offer them a discount. 

5. The ones who stay in the room all day. 

6. The entitled and demanding, usually a list of questions.  They could easily answer these by reading my listing

7. Guests you go the extra mile for - accommodate their requests, etc. Nearly always backfires! 

well that’s a start? Who have I missed? 

[Alon1]

@David6 

Simple remedy for all your woes. Don't use Instant Book!

[David6]

No woes with instant book @Alon1 

i travel a lot. Without IB as a guest I’d use booking.com if IB was not available. 40+ bookings last couple of years.

I went to Madrid for NY. Hardly any listings IB. 12 or so I requested, and they either ignored or declined! It’s so frustrating and most guests  haven’t got time for that. Airbnb know this, and in time I believe non IB hosts will be penalised more and more and phased out. I my honest opinion It’s so antiquated. We are in an instant gratification society.  Guests can and do book immediately on many other platforms.

And 5 years I have had 3 disaster IB bookings. Airbnb paid out in each case. That’s accepting everyone. No restrictions. Newbies, no reviews, everyone. 

Actually some  of the most problematic have been guest who requested to book first. 

[Alon1]

@David6 

Your personal preference is one thing, your list of culprits to be banned as your Guests is another.

I don't have such an antagonistic relationships with my Guests predominantly because I screen them to my satisfaction and decline quite a lot, which I'm permitted to do as non-IB.

But it's far more necessary as a live-in host.

[David6]

@Alon1 

To be honest the list was very tongue-in-cheek. 

And i home share too and live with guests ; also for just 90 days per year  I  list whole apartment, so I hear you. I’m male and have a lock on my door. It’s easier for me. I understand that. 

I just personally would not use Airbnb as a guest, unless I could IB. Just my opinion based on my persona (travel)  experiences. 

[Sarah977]

@David6  Yes, it is becoming an instant gratification society and I hate that and don't support it. I host a private room in my home and have never used IB and the day Airbnb mandates it is the day I quit. 

If I can't have a conversation with someone who wants to stay in my home, before accepting a reservation, forget it.

Have been hosting for almost 3 years and have answered every Inquiry and Booking Request within a few hours, and have never had to decline or cancel a reservation. And I haven't had even one objectionable guest, never a guest who asked for refund, never a guest who cancelled last minute, zero damages. So not using IB works quite well for me.

Whereas you use IB and seem to have had several serious issues with guests, yet claim it works well for you? As a guest, yes, but it seems to me it is resulting in problems as far as being a host.

[Jim-and-Marcia0]

I agree. We've had IB since day one and we've been with Airbnb nearly three years. Only twice have we had guests whom we wouldn't wouldn't welcome back... thumbs down. Those two weren't horrible, but they were rule breakers and a bit disrespectful.. We get many "first timers" and families with children whom we gladly welcome!

I don't mind guests who ask logical questions prior to booking, it opens a good dialogue. The guests who often turn out to be less amiable are the ones who don't communicate well via the Airbnb message system. I don't like it when I have to dig for information when a guest isn't forthcoming about who's in their group, why they are coming, and their estimated time of arrival and departure.

[Mary703]

Hi David,

Since you use IB so much, I'd love to run by my scenario. I do use it as a Host, and I had one instance where the guest IB'd on his way out of the airport, and then headed the 2 1/2 miles to my house. Needless to say, I was not home, and came screeching into my driveway 10 minutes later as he was getting out of his Uber. Any suggestions on how to make sure the Guest understands I need notice? I do allow same day booking...

[Moira21]

@David6 Hah, you've missed guests that are male or female!! 

Happy hosting

[David6]

@Moira21 

Haha. How could I forget that category?! I needs these laughs today, thank you 

[Helen3]

Sounds like you need to take a break @David6  🙂 Sometimes hosting can get on top of us.

Haven't had a negative review from a fellow host or fellow Brits.

Maybe spend a little more time vetting your guests to ensure there is a good fit. You can tell a lot by how people communicate (or don't) alongside/checking out your guest's previous reviews of their hosts.

(I know you use IB, so do I but I have four core questions guests need to answer as part of the IB process).