Block on days in calendar mysteriously removed

[KandT0]

Anyone else had blocked days in their calendar reopened by a bug or glitch?

I did find one reference here to precisely that problem (https://community.airbnb.com/t5/New-Hosts/Problems-bugs-glitches-and-issues-with-AirBNB-that-need-to...), but I'd like to hear from other hosts to get some idea exactly how common the problem is.

We reported one instance of this to Airbnb support, but they're trying to tell us we never even had the days blocked. We know we did, and we believe the block was lost when we were making other, unrelated changes to various settings in the listing.

It's not the only bug/glitch we've experienced, but it's the first to cost us our 100% commitment rating.

Getting a response from support that barely contains any accurate statement has led me to decide a little more follow-up is needed on this one.

[Susan103]

Yes, it happened twice that I had blocked in a weekend for our own use, not an Airbnb weekend, and someone was able to make a reservation anyway. I don't think Airbnb should let that happen. Our use of the house is important to us. I'm quite sure I had blocked in the times. Although possibly I had done something correctly?

[KandT0]

It appears this is a bug/glitch.

Support even asked me if I could provide a screenshot to prove the days were blocked. My answer was 'Of course not. Why would I take a screenshot? And now it's too late.'

I was also told I should have remembered the dates were blocked, and then not have approved a reservation I later had to cancel. I pointed out that I would not need a computer and software if I could commit every date I block to my own memory. We know the dates were blocked because they correspond to another commitment, and I CAN remember blocking them and seeing them blocked.

[Michelle354]

This just happen to me for April 24th, 25th, and 26th. I'm always booked. I have a two night minimum and change it to a one night minimum when I get 2 or three weeks close to the date or when there is one single night available in between bookings. I change my settings ALL the time to suit what's going on. My son and I looked up the dates as a guest would and saw it was blocked but it wasn't blocked on my calendar as a host. I called airbnb and sent them a screen shot. The case manager it was forwarded to said it was set for thursday check ins only. As many times that I have been in there trying to figure things out, I didn't see it and the phone rep didn't see that either. The case manager said that he can see I have made changes on the 20th and the 24th (as if I hadn't constantly for the past 7 years) and so I had to do it.  Then contradicted that it is my responsibility to check and manage my calendar settings. Yet while I was taking responsibility of my calendar, I'm not getting refunded because he can see I have made changes (???). When I asked if that was the simple reason why it was blocked, why didn't the phone rep see that, how would any of the other dates in April have gotten booked but those 3 days wouldn't even get inquiries and I also mentioned that I wouldn't do that considering my object is to book all of my dates, he got defensive stating that no one else changed it other than me. I tried to take it off and it went right back to the thursday only setting. The second time it worked but I haven't checked again for a few days. I will have to keep checking apparently!

[James1]

There is one way this has happened to me.

Block a bunch of days way out in the future. 

At some time later, unrelated, go in you listing and edit the calendar.

Click on "Availability Settings" and change the setting for "How far in advance can guests book?"

If you select 3, 6 or 12 months, then this interval sweeps forward from each new days date, and will clear any blocked dates you may have already placed at some future date outside the interval (3, 6, or 12 mos). 

[KandT0]

James, you just might be onto something here.

When making a whole bunch of changes to the listing in question recently, I believe I did briefly change 6 to 3 months and back again. I also switched off instant booking and deactivated the listing briefly.

May I quote your findings in the message exchange I am currently having with support?

[Kittie-and-Chris0]

This has happened to me numerous times and my answer from Airbnb was that it was a problem in any browser except chrome and should be done on a computer and not a device. 

[KandT0]

I access the Airbnb site only from a W10 laptop. I am aware of no published issue regarding Firefox, but I'll look into that. Tx!

[Dede0]

@KandT0 Whether it has any bearing on your issue or not, AirBnB has made it clear that the ONLY browser they support 100% is Chrome. I've noticed various odd behaviors with both Safari and Firefox. My main browser most of the time is Safari, but I use ONLY Chrome when working in AirBnB.

I also avoid using the phone app for anything except looking at my calendar (NOT manipulating it) or reading/sending messages. The app has improved in the past few months but there are still inconsistencies between it and the web site, and some undependable behaviors.

[KandT0]

Noted, Dede, and based on your experience level I will take that advice and switch to using Chrome exclusively for Airbnb access.

Also noteworthy, though, that this was not mentioned to me by support.

So thanks for taking the time to point it out here. That's well useful.

[Nancy67]

It has happened to me as well, however I realized after a few attempts I hadn't hit the "Save" button when blocking off my own calendar. Not nearly as dramatic as glitches in the system-- self inflicted user error.

[KandT0]

Not the case in our case, Nancy, because I saw those days blocked on the day of blocking them and at later times.

I now strongly suspect the answer in our case was provided by James a little earlier in this thread.

Apparently it happens when you reduce the period in which you will accept advance bookings. E.g. if you cut it from six months to three, then any blocks on dates you had entered outside the three-month period will be lost. Then, when you progress forward in time so that those dates fall within your three-month advance-booking period, they will be available for instant reservation if you have the instant-reservation feature activated. Or if you switch back to six months, they'll be available immediately.

That's clearly a bug or glitch, or whatever, that needed to be fixed a long time ago.

[KandT0]

Intrigued by the info James imparted here earlier in this thread, I decided to run my own test. I did this by temporarily relisting an old deactivated listing in Firefox browser.

I then tried switching the advance-booking period between three and six months into the future.

I did not at any time manually alter the blocked periods on the calendar.

I took screenshots with two sets of images of the calendar for the months September through December. One set was with the advance-booking setting fixed at six months; the other at three months.

For the month of November, some days that are blocked in one image are unblocked in the other image.

This now confirms beyond any reasonable doubt that some of our blocked days in November were unblocked by a bug in the system.

Unless someone has another explanation?

[Elenor0]

Dates becoming unblocked happened to me when I switched to Smart Pricing, then switched back to Manual Pricing.

I received an Instant Book at a time when we were renovating the apartment.  We honoured the booking but got 3 stars because the apartment was not finished.

Anyway, because I am now scared of the "unblocking" glitch, what I do is add an extra $1000 onto the price of blocked days, so that if they do accidentally become unblocked, no guest will book them at that price.

[KandT0]

More interesting info, Elenor.

I will see if I can replicate that too.

We have some land on West Coast, btw. You ever get around there?