Dear Airbnb, here's another system screwup...

Dallas1
Level 10
Durban, South Africa

Dear Airbnb, here's another system screwup...

Yesterday your client sent me a reservation request for 5 nights, which I approved.

 

You blocked my calendar for that time meaning that the dates were unavailable to anyone else who might have been looking for a stay during that time. Your client (my guest) never paid while they were "shopping around" for a better deal but were allowed to freeze 5 days in my calendar for 24 hours while you waited for them to make payment, which never materialised. 

 

This client has no previous reviews or Airbnb experience, yet your company allowed this to happen. This is wrong! no person without a valid payment method should be allowed to hold a booking under any circumstances.

 

Sorry, but you guys need to remember who supplies your beds. You don't own anything. Stop annoying your suppliers with ridiculous system operations! 

10 Replies 10

it happened a lot...I have communicated to airbnb about this few times but no changes. For airbnb, they make money no matter where the guest book, so the 24 hours block doesn't affect them at ll. 

I'm on my last gimme with these guys. This hosting lark isn't what it used to be. The quality of guests has declined as their brand has increased its visibility. Not worth it anymore in my opinion. 

There is a slide button on the pre approval where you message the guest that says, leave this open for other guests to book. 

The thing is, this wasn't a pre-approval. I just approved the stay and only after approving it I got a message from Airbnb saying that the payment was pending. This shouldn't happen. If a guest has not provided payment method they shouldn't be allowed to hold any space anywhere until they do. 

Alice595
Level 10
Concord, CA

@Dallas1  You may contact the guest as soon as you saw waiting for payment. It could be just an issue with Airbnb to collect the payment. And the guest is not aware.

 

I had this happen a few times. But eventually after I contacted guests and they called Airbnb and sorted that out.

How much personal time should the host give ./......When it can all be Avoided if Airbnb did their JOB  

Anyone contacting a host should have a Verified payment method .......BEFORE they don't have to use it.......though if they want to they can!

It is SIMPLE ...no VERIFIED PAYMENT

NO BOTHERING OR INCONVENIENCE to the Hosts

 

Dallas1
Level 10
Durban, South Africa

Just yesterday I had another "guest" with 1 verification (probably email) contact me and ask if I could please lower my price as they didn't have enough money for our place but really liked it. Seriously? 

 

Then just a few hours later another unverified "guest" contacts me and asks me to please propose an alternative payment method (EFT) because they don't have a credit card, only a debit card. Holy cr@p! You have got to be kidding me? 

 

If this is the level of garbage that Airbnb expects me to sift through then I am afraid we are not going to have a business relationship for very much longer. When will these people learn that we are NOT a hotel. We have agreed to "rent" space in our homes to people who we are trusting Airbnb to VERIFY before they are even able to contact us. 

@Dallas1     Hosts used to be able to cancel and in fact on Airbnb help it still says this:

Awaiting payment:  " Hosts replying on web will have the option to give guests a 24-hour window or not.  If the host would prefer not to allow a 24-hour window, the request will be canceled penalty-free for both host and guest."

 

I just had one of these and Airbnb refused to cancel it and never explained why or answered my question: "why doesn't Airbnb uphold its own policies?"   In my case finally the payment went through only for the guest to send me a message (after not responding to any of my messages) saying they double-booked.  True?  False?  Window shopping?  Scammer?  Who knows.  All I do know is that Airbnb allowed them to  block dates and prevented anyone else from booking in what is a peak season.

Steve695
Level 3
Valparaiso, IN

I have been having the same issues Airbnb is only worried about there MONEY.....Yes they should do something for all the money they get and Minimum they should verify Guest has a verified payment method before contacting a host.......then we have as a guest Co hosts ......this is unsafe as I have encountered 3  co hosts who were not verified and 2 I know they told me were Illegally in the Country........One more issue that Airbnb could help on is that NO you can not book for someone Else!!!!!   I have had a couple scary situations were the person at my house was not the person who made reservation!!!   One was a guy on Medication and downers passed out on my Couch .....if Airbnb had consequences this would not happen ......if should be a minimum 100 dollar find and Loss of use of future Airbnb services.....lBut  Airbnb don't care .......as we all know if you've ever tried to get anything resolved with thier Cust serv/.  many of which can hardly speak English  .......really Airbnb you are Making Billions PAY Americans so Americans can speak to someone who understand and YOU can understand ./........After you wait on hold for 30 min.

I AM ABOUT DONE TOO......PLEASE SOMEONE START ANOTHER PLATFORM WITH GOOD CUST SERV. FOR BOTH HOSTS AND GUESTS 

Kira32
Level 10
Canary Islands, Spain

Hi,

 

I had a guest that did a credit card trick on me but I called airbnb. It was pending for 3 weeks after the guest checked out. 

 

I don't really care where the money eventually comes from as long as I get it. 

 

Not my responsibility.....(got paid eventually by the way)

 

@Dallas1  I like your words of choice lol

 

Kira