Guest cancellation history should appear on their profile - LIKE if you agree!

Answered!
Susan1188
Level 10
Marbella, Spain

Guest cancellation history should appear on their profile - LIKE if you agree!

As a host, if you cancel, an indelible mark appears on your reviews and in your statistics.

As a guest, you can block a host's dates and cancel as many times as you want, it does not appear on your profile.

I have had several guests hold my calendar for months, only to cancel at the very last minute, despite knowing full well in advance they were not coming.  In the hopes of getting out of the cancellation policy that was stated when they booked.  Or trying to get out of paying the service fees. Or pressuring me for a refund.  I recently had a guest who booked months ahead and admitted, they would hold the dates until close to arrival when they would shop around and try to find a better deal and cancel if they did.

Do you think a guest's cancellation habits/history should be visible to hosts, just like his host reviews and star rating?

Like if you agree!

And make a feedback request asking for it!: 

https://www.airbnb.com/help/feedback

All the best everyone!

1 Best Answer

@Linda108 
It's not "branding".
Its simply transparency!
There are legitimate reasons for hosts to cancel too, and it's written in stone in our reviews after.
Why should it not be the same for the guest, and if the host questions it, he can explain the legitimate reason why he cancelled 5 times out of his last 6 stays...

View Best Answer in original post

45 Replies 45

No host sets up a listing, accepts reservations, gets 10 five star reviews, only to have the "pleasure" (?) of wantonly cancelling willy nilly on unsuspecting travellers.
There is absolutely no way any host could "profit" from this. Besides being kicked down to page 66 of the search results, penalized iwth a monetary penalty, and receiving multiple warnings of listing removal, why, just why? would hosts do this on a repeated basis?  

 

Ryan2352
Level 10
Thousand Oaks, CA

I would like to see this, as well as additional information about guests, as part of my decision making process.

Every property is different, but for me, having a Strict cancellation policy is the way to go.     

Yes but the guest can claim anyone in their group has covid, and despite your strict policy they can cancel day of arrival for a full refund. 
That is why I stopped offering "non refundable".  People were using it to get 10% discount then asking for refunds anyway when they couldn"t travel, even when I specifically reached out to them and told them "no refund any reason".

 

Barbara88
Level 3
Los Angeles, CA

I changed my policy to strict, and I have no fewer requests and I'm paid in full if they cancel close to check in. AND I can re-rent it if there's enough time.

If they are smart, have gone on guest forums, know to  claim someone in their group  has covid last minute they can cancel for free, airbnb will fully refund without asking you.  I had "non refundable" which is even stricter than "strict" and still guest can escalate and try to get refunded from Airbnb and sometimes it works (Airbnb does not share with you the reason just refunds your money)

BenkaandKeith0
Level 10
United States

EXCELLENT IDEA @Susan1188  But, of course, do not expect it to happen as Airbnb is on the mission to protect, not disclose, hide, ..... as much as possible. Just like we are all thrilled with all kind of surprises showing on our doorsteps 😛

Basha0
Level 10
Penngrove, CA

I’ve had more cancellations this year than any of the previous 12 years. For next week alone there were 4 bookings and cancellations for the same few days. So fed up with making arrangements for cleanings  and then canceling that I just blocked the dates to give myself a break. Guests who cancel multiple times should be flagged somehow. 

@Basha0 
Thanks for this!
Yes I'm not tallking about a one off, but multiple recidivist cancellations.

Had a guest insinuate they were holding the dates "to be sure" for themselves, and looking for a better deal, would maybe cancel later if they got a last minute promo somewhere else.  That should not be allowed.

Max144
Level 10
Bongaree, Australia

I have moderate cancellation policy, and with many covid lockdowns in Sydney and Melbourne have lost many bookings but always give full refunds as out of guests control and once open up again they will come back, other cancellations are usually always good reason and guests have came back, i know if i had to cancel when travelling and got refunded i would be more than happy to rebook.

Joann1315
Level 3
Calgary, Canada

I am quite new to Airbnb, haven’t taken many statistics on these guests, but I have found exactly same trend for some guests. They tend to book early lock down a good price without even look at the major descriptions of the listing, and then when approaching to the date still within the policy range, they cancel for different reasons, for the most part I feel they are just looking for a better deal or just start to take the booking seriously. There was a time a month all booked full, but due to different cancellations only 5 days booked several days before the month. Fortunately, it was summer, I got other bookings quickly and filled the month. 

Reasonable cancellation from the guest is perfectly fine, but I do annoyed by the potential chance given to the unserious guests for abusing of the policy. So tracking the guest cancellation is a certainly a great add on, would vote it for sure.

 

 

@Joann1315  Absolutely!  This is maybe less than 10% of my guests, but it is a profile!
And I think only normal we should see the statistics!
Most people do not do this!  But some do - and those that do, don't do it once - it is their modus operandi!

BdC has a new system where they actually intervene as a true 3rd party buffer: they let the guest cancel and the BOOST your listing so almost 99% sure you will book with another guest for those dates.  Why can't airbnb do the same?  Of course, replacement guest might not be good quality or within house rules, that's another story, but the system was a good idea.  I thought.

 

Mauricio467
Host Advisory Board Member
Cancún, Mexico

GREAT IDEA¡¡¡

Mauricio
Hal3292
Level 9
Bluefield, WV

I think you have a great idea here. If it seems too onerous, then a guest could be flagged only if they have a pattern of cancellations. When I first started in Airbnb a year ago, I let guests cancel any time. I've since instituted a five-day policy, so I feel somewhat protected.

Cheryl765
Level 2
Corvallis, OR

I agree, given your description.  But especially now with fires and COVID, in general everything is so unpredictable.  I am a guest and I have had a horrible year medically.  I have canceled 3 times in the last year, always within the host timeline, really well within the timeline, and the hosts have been good about it.  I offered to buy one host and her kids lunch, and she just came right back saying, dont worry.  It is already re-rented.  Two of the cancels involved one trip that I canceled, again well in advance, because I got a bad diagnosis, had CT scans etc.  Airbnb has now put me in a special category where I got charged a nonrefundable fee (266$ ) for canceling a trip because I am hopeful of having an ablation during that time.  The host was great.  I made the reservation a couple of weeks ago and it is for a stay five weeks away.  Her cancel is 24 hours.  (Pretty generous.)  The penalty huts me, doesn't help the host, just helps the shareholder price.  Airbnb is under pressure.  I am just saying that we guests have issues, and if we do our best by you, I don't think we should be treated badly by airbnb.  You hosts are having a hard time now, too.  Whatever happens, Airbnb should try to do its best and remain as kind and understanding as it can be to both sides.  I have  not tried to bypass the cancel privacy or in any way abuse the policy.  I even sent a list of my medical appointments and test, showing they were the same time as 2 of the cancels.  I felt like a little kid who had been bad.  I gave away privacy, and I still lost.    I wish there was a forum for us guests like this one for you.  Or a forum for al of us.