New booking etiquette/bad credit cards/editing "the space"

[Steve3189]

What is the etiquette around bookings?  Whenever I get a new one, I reply and thank them for the booking with a short tip on the area.  Some folks don't reply to that at all, but others do.  What has been your experience.  I'm not reading anything into this frankly.

My property is booked 100+ days out.  What happens if someone's credit card is cancelled/changed/etc.  Does AirBNB pay me and collect from the person?  I don't expect this to happen, but it popped in my head.

I did a search on editing "the space".  Seems a common problem that nobody can figure this out, anyone know how to edit this easily?  Maybe it can't be edited once I have some bookings??

Thanks!

[Sarah977]

@Steve3189  It should be straightforward to edit any part of your listing description, including "The space". I've never heard of it being a common problem. And no, it has nothing to do with bookings. What is the issue you are having? Are you remembering to click on "Save" after editing?

Some guests are mannerly and thank you for your message and some seem to think no reply is required. If you want a reply, ask for one. Guests who fail to communicate can be a red flag, but it can also be a matter of them not having their notifications turned on, so they don't realize they have a message. You can text them to their phone number alerting them that you have sent them an Airbnb message.

A guest's credit card being cancelled after they have a confirmed booking would not be an issue, as guests pay when the booking is made. Airbnb already has their money. However, if they chose the "pay less up front" option, and have another payment to make, and their card bounces on that payment,Airbnb would cancel the booking.

And no, if Airbnb cannot collect payment from the guest, they will not pay you anyway. 

[Steve3189]

@Sarah977   Thanks!  I actually did a search on editing "the space" and others couldn't find that section either.  I went back and clicked on "Listing Basics" and there it was.  I think it opened such a large first box, that what I was looking for was off the screen.   D'oh.  My nap helped. 

[Emilia42]

@Steve3189 

- Once the booking is confirmed I always reply with a Thank you message which includes something personalized about their trip (which I gather from their initial message) and I let them know to expect future communication from me. (Ex: Hi Kathy, thanks so much for booking! Happy Anniversary! October is a wonderful time to be in Maine. The lobster is plentiful, especially as you move closer to the coast, which is about 1 hour away. A little closer to October 13th, I will send you a message with the important info like the keyless entry code, parking directions, etc. In the meantime, enjoy your summer! Thanks again)

I've stayed as a guest before and received no communication from the host until a day or two before arrival. This was not a great feeling so I don't like that approach. 

I rarely get a response back from the guest but I feel it sets a good tone that I efficiently communicate and care about the guest's experience.

- Airbnb charges a guest's credit card on booking. Either the full amount or 50% now / 50% later. If the payment cannot be processed when Airbnb goes to charge at a later date, the system will automatically cancel the reservation. There will be no indication to you that it was canceled for lack of payment. The only reason I know this is because I had a guest contact me and ask what was going on and had to rebook (the card on file was previously stolen and the guest hadn't updated their account.) 

- Click Edit "Listing Description" and from there you can edit Listing description, The space, Guest access, and Other details to note.

[Steve3189]

@Emilia42 Thanks.  Hope you didn't get too much snow.  Of course I'm having to pay someone to plow this snow which I'll never see!