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Post by High Priestess on Apr 30, 2016 15:07:39 GMT
See the article here: www.theguardian.com/money/2016/apr/30/airbnb-cancelled-booking-hour-before-arrivedIn February some friends and I booked an Airbnb listing for four in Amsterdam for three nights in early April at a total cost of £544. All seemed fine and we communicated with our hosts who said they would give us the keys on arrival day. But about an hour before we arrived Airbnb called to cancel. “Personal reasons” were cited, while our hosts emailed to claim the owner had rented it to a friend. We were told that Airbnb could suggest other listings in Amsterdam but could not arrange anything for us themselves. So we were forced to spend the first few hours in Amsterdam trying to find somewhere with Wi-Fi where we could check our emails, and try to contact the new listings. Out of seven, six were already fully booked and one could only take us for the final two nights – so that would have meant finding accommodation for the first night and then spending most of our second day moving. Also, if Airbnb inexplicably cancelled a booking we made more than a month back, what was to prevent them from cancelling one we made 24 hours ago? We spent the next two hours wandering around Amsterdam trying to find a hotel for three nights. Most were either fully booked or very expensive. Finally, we settled on one which cost £1,665 for three nights for four people. |
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Post by helgaparis on Apr 30, 2016 16:27:31 GMT
You should copy that to everyone who posts "How do I get the cancellation remark removed and the calendar unblocked?"
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Post by trafalgar on Apr 30, 2016 17:32:43 GMT
I think Airbnb should do more to help if a host cancels less than 24 hours ahead of check-in. Sounds like they suggested a few listings, but listings which were already booked, or maybe where the host couldn't accept such a last minute booking. Airbnb have hosts' phone numbers so could check availability much more quickly and easily than the guests in this situation.
They could also offer a more expensive listing than the original one booked, as a form of compensation.
I was offered this once in a different situation but two days in advance of check-in. Anyway, Airbnb cancelled my booking and said I could book another place costing up to 25% more for the same price as the original booking.
It's good that they refunded the guest the difference between the hotel and the booking, but it would've been a good idea also to offer a generous voucher for a subsequent booking, to encourage the guest to book again, have a good experience the next time, and not badmouth Airbnb.
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Post by High Priestess on May 1, 2016 1:40:28 GMT
You should copy that to everyone who posts "How do I get the cancellation remark removed and the calendar unblocked?"
Definitely, Helga!! People aren't understanding fully what they are doing when they cancel -- and here is a story from the guest's side that shows the effect.
It makes sense for AIrbnb to offer to pay the full cost of the replacement accomodations. ANd to dock these clowns who do this sort of thing.
One wonders though if these guests made the right decision in booking the listing. I can't imagine that a seasoned host with many good reviews, for instance, or a superhost, would do this kind of thing. Guests are responsible to choose the right listing just like hosts have to decide which guests to accept. It's risky to pick a listing with a host who doesn't have many reviews. |
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Post by helgaparis on May 1, 2016 15:41:00 GMT
At the beginning, airbnb had a list that you got when you checked that notification. Whenever someone was in urgent need of a lodging, like after a cancellation, his contact link appeared in the list. As a host I checked the list when I had no upcoming bookings and contacted guests. Got a few bookings that way. It's nice for the guest too, to know that people are there to reach out to him (really, not in the airbnb blabla phrase), those that contacted him had a real interest to lodge him and knew that they needed to be a little bit friendlier, to make up for the colleagues blunder.
Airbnb dropped that in 2012 or 13, when they got a lot more bookings, but it would be a good idea to reintroduce it. Maybe limit it to hosts that have 10 reviews and no cancellations.
It makes sense too, as if you see a stranded guest, you might accept a thing that you would not otherwise, like a kid, a dog, one more person or a checkin the same day instead a lazy weekend.
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Post by helgaparis on May 1, 2016 15:42:54 GMT
At the beginning, airbnb had a list that you got when you checked that notification. Whenever someone was in urgent need of a lodging, like after a cancellation, his contact link appeared in the list. As a host I checked the list when I had no upcoming bookings and contacted guests. Got a few bookings that way. It's nice for the guest too, to know that people are there to reach out to him (really, not in the airbnb blabla phrase), those that contacted him had a real interest to lodge him and knew that they needed to be a little bit friendlier, to make up for the colleague's blunder. Airbnb dropped that in 2012 or 13, when they got a lot more bookings, but it would be a good idea to reintroduce it, with all the new hosts that are navigating on sight in a fog. Maybe limit it to hosts that have 10 reviews and no cancellations. It makes sense too, as if you see a stranded guest, you might accept a thing that you would not otherwise, like a kid, a dog, one more person or a checkin the same day instead a lazy weekend. |
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Post by Maria Lurdes (Milu) on May 1, 2016 19:38:45 GMT
Goodness, I'd forgotten all about that list of "needs housing urgently" or whatever it was called. I used to take strays in all the time or at least contact them with offers of housing. I actually really liked that system and I wonder if would still scale...
Also I used to get calls from Customer Support looking to place guests that had been canceled on. They'd call to confirm that my calendar was indeed correct and that I could take guests that day. Another nice service that might not be practical today.
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