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Post by Maria Lurdes (Milu) on Sept 18, 2016 19:38:18 GMT
I finally have something to post in Hosting911! A few weeks ago (August 8th) I took a booking for a new listing. The listing is this one. The booking request was for a young woman and her friends travelling from Chile to visit NYC. No problem for me, we had a nice back and forth. I noticed that she referred to six guests, but the booking request was for one guest, so she didn't change the default. I let her know that she had left the guest count in the default "one guest" position and that we would either have to a) decline the booking and she submit a new booking request for six guest or b) I would accept the booking (before the clock ran out) and we would then alter the booking to show the correct guest count. I confirmed with her that she saw that the price would change, as per the noted rates for extra guests. So she preferred doing an alteration after the fact, so I accepted. The next day, I went to the alter/change screen and I updated the guest count. Normally I'm very on top of this and double check that the calculations go through correctly. For whatever reason I did not catch that changing the guest count from 1 to 6 did not automatically calculate the new total. She of course, gets the request, probably thinks "oh, bonus, no extra fee" and quickly accepts the alteration. Today, a week before her arrival, I'm going through the calendar and I see the booking for the group ahead of this particular reservation, and it's for an amount approx. $224 per night. Then I take a look at this funky booking and I realize whoa, it's the wrong amount, why is it so low for six guests? I go back through the thread, and see immediately what the problem was. The alteration request only changed the guest count, not the $$ amount. I immediately contact the guest, apologize for the mixup and tell her that I am submitting a corrected alteration, that clearly the last alteration was not correct. She replies back just now to tell me that yes, she got the new alteration but that the updated amount is out of their budget and wish to keep the booking as is. I went back to again apologize for making the initial inquiry, but I couldn't accept this large discount. As a gesture of good faith I'd waive the cleaning fee, but that I was not going to give them a 30% discount. I also reminded her that I had told her as early as the day of the booking, that the guest count would impact the booking amount, as there was extra guest fees. So what do I do? I've been on hold with Airbnb for 20 minutes, having been cut off twice. Would you let it go, or would you fight for the correct amount? |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 18, 2016 20:00:46 GMT
Aloha Milu,
God, do I hate to share this, and hopefully you will not receive the same answer and result I did through airbnb.
I've told the story before, last minute reservation, late arrival, as soon as the guest arrived, he asked if he could stay over another night, immediately went to airbnb without me, I get the booking request. It's midnight, I wasn't paying attention, and hit the accept button.
Late the next day, I see payout is for the cheaper room that guests had checked out of.
I would not have accepted him to change rooms and the work it takes to switch over the two rooms. He stayed home half the day poolside, never said a word.
When he arrived home, found the alteration to put him in the more expensive room he had every intention of staying in, wrote me back "this shall not be discussed any further for both of our mental health sake".
Say wat?
I stayed up half the night with airbnb on the phone, all kinds of message threads where the guest was stating he was in the more expensive, and separate listing, and the final answer from airbnb was I had to eat it, as I hit that ol accept button. Too bad for me.
They knew and could see what happened, but since I hit the accept button, it was a done deal. Airbnb wouldn't budge.
I don't know if you are a Superhost or not, which hasn't seemed to have any affect on my life, but I'd cancel them, Stoopid Host or not.
I don't even want to imagine the scenario of the end result of the 6 guests behavior during their stay when it already began with "Oh happy days! Host screwed up, lets go for the gusto!"
They're mention of the word budget just got my BP going. Do you really want 6 people cooking, eating, and now you're trying to wrangle a way to make it possible for them and waive the cleaning fee?
Ouch!
Good luck my dear, luckily my lesson about hitting that ACCEPT button only cost me $15, and alot of time spent attempting to correct it.
Lordy, did Karma come back to bite that shitty little guest in the ass big time.
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Post by Maria Lurdes (Milu) on Sept 18, 2016 20:45:53 GMT
Yes, Rhonda, that was what I feared the outcome would be. Airbnb would tell me that despite the system being buggy, I did send the alteration request without taking the time to confirm it was correct.
I don't want it to be awkward for the guest, and I certainly don't want them to pull a "we shall never speak of this again" tactic that your guest used but honestly I so rarely have guests pulling rank like this that I'm so surprised. I will have to work very hard to keep any resentment from showing to them, but I do very much resent that they are taking advantage of me by knowingly ignoring the correct rate and abusing a clerical error. I will review them honestly, but they will get a thumbs down and a "do not recommend" with a notation of why I do not recommend them to other hosts.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 18, 2016 20:59:24 GMT
Milu, I have found that going to the airbnb FaceBook page and writing "I am a host and need to speak to a customer service rep ASAP"; I have always received an email back within 10 minutes at the most. I forget what they call the people who are higher up than the customer service reps, but I would ask to have the issue bumped up immediately as their reservation is a week away. Hopefully, it will not go down the same road mine went. There is still time, they can 're-house' them if they can't see that the guest understood the price would be different. Resentment?  ?? I'd be hateful thinking of all the fun they having, money spending, and I'm getting the shaft. I don't even bother calling airbnb anymore. Superhost # is only for weekdays and regular office hours at whatever time zone they are in. I've found most reps on the phone haven't even used airbnb as travelers. Airbnb FB works fantastic! I think there's a little box on the left hand side where you write your comment that they respond to ever so quickly. Their typical quote is "we'll reach out to the guest", works for me, as obviously I was unable to get anywhere without 'reaching out' to airbnb. Good luck, there's plenty of time for a positive outcome! |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 18, 2016 22:17:41 GMT
Milu,
They are referred to as Case Managers.
I would insist that it be bumped up immediately and have the confirmation # ready.
They are an excellent source, and have the power to make decisions the regular phone answering customer service reps cannot.
In my particular case I was not aware that I did not have to accept what the customer service rep's decision was, and knew nothing about Case Managers.
As always, Good luck, and sent with much aloha.
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Post by High Priestess on Sept 18, 2016 22:24:21 GMT
Milu, I would try calling Airbnb about this, just to see if you can get support to charge the guest more.
It's a difficult position to be in, but I think that the way Airbnb may view it is as Rhonda describes -- if you accept an alteration or initiate one with the wrong price, then you can't ask for a higher price after the guest accepts. Clerical error or not. Now I'm sure that if the error were in the host's favor and guest was paying too much but had accepted, Airbnb would likely adjust the cost to correct it for the guest. But I dont' think they are as likely to do that for the host. So this is just what I'd expect -- don't call with your hopes up. Call only just in case it helps.
I had something like that happen recently. It was not a large mistake, only came to about $50 overall, but it was another type of situation like you describe where I assumed that the new $ amount showing when I altered the guest's reservation, would be calculated correctly. It wasn't...and Airbnb wouldn't compensate me for what I believe was their error. So now I've learned that whenever I do a reservation alteration I have to double check the $ amount and make sure it's correct. Can't assume that just because it's a higher amount that it was calculated correctly.
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Post by maria on Sept 19, 2016 17:47:26 GMT
Yes, Rhonda, that was what I feared the outcome would be. Airbnb would tell me that despite the system being buggy, I did send the alteration request without taking the time to confirm it was correct. I don't want it to be awkward for the guest, and I certainly don't want them to pull a "we shall never speak of this again" tactic that your guest used but honestly I so rarely have guests pulling rank like this that I'm so surprised. I will have to work very hard to keep any resentment from showing to them, but I do very much resent that they are taking advantage of me by knowingly ignoring the correct rate and abusing a clerical error. I will review them honestly, but they will get a thumbs down and a "do not recommend" with a notation of why I do not recommend them to other hosts. Mily, us Hosts never see the thumbs down given to guests. You should mention it in your Review. What they did was pulling a fast one. I wish you could reconsider cancelling them, but if not, please put it in writing in your Review (short and sweet, maybe Deborah can help with the wording). Your guests' behavior shouldn't be rewarded. Gosh, they have no shame! |
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Post by cc on Sept 19, 2016 19:15:41 GMT
At least with thumbs down they can no longer IB.
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Post by maria on Sept 20, 2016 21:40:42 GMT
Milu, did you talk to AirBnB. Any answer (hopefully positive).
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Post by Maria Lurdes (Milu) on Sept 21, 2016 4:29:57 GMT
THe saga is over.
After a number of exchanges with the guest where I finally ended up proposing charging only 50% of the extra guest fee and waiving the cleaning fee, the guest replied "no, we prefer to pay the original amount" (by the way, wasn't that a famous line from something, the "I prefer not to"). I had also suggested, in the least passive aggressive way that I could muster, that she should first consider any other options she had. That someone who plays poker might caution her to play with the hand she's dealt, as she could be in a position where everything fell through and she and her 5 friends could end up in a (pardon my language) shitbox near Rikers Island.
So then an hour later I get the newly minted "the guest is asking you to cancel", and a link to a page where it says something like "the guest would like to ask the host to cancel" and then a box underneath "cancel or reinstate" . was so angry that I'm not sure exactly what the box said. So now I'm fuming, and I call support for the third or fourth time, to go on record that this kind of devious move is shameful. I explained that I'm a seasoned host and might not fall for it but to knowingly put new hosts in a position where they are innocently canceling a booking and being punished for doing so, all the while thinking it was a more innocent thing....
Another 30 minutes on the phone with support to tell yet another underpaid and outsourced support agent the story, have them read the now crowded message thread, and the agent finally says "yeah, I don't think that you should cancel". Do ya think? He asks if I'd waive my strict cancellation policy if the guest herself would cancel. Yes please, let's end this! So he calls the guests, tells her that she can cancel without losing her payment, and she does. FINALLY> Like we need another moral to the story, but damn, check those alterations. The support person argued that it never calculated a new amount and I argue that it does calculate a new amount, in equal measure. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't work. It doesn't matter, it's all solved. Cheap guest can go find another place, and I won't have to deal with the potential fall out for the pre-booking drama. Now I just have to cross my fingers for a replacement booking.
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Post by High Priestess on Sept 21, 2016 4:55:59 GMT
Glad to hear that story is over! What a heck of a nuisance over what amounts to a system error!
For some reason I was thinking the guest might have already arrived at your house or be very close to arrival date, as this whole fiasco sounded like it was happening on your doorstep. But maybe that's because the energy of it was so invasive that it encroached upon you as if it were right outside your front door!
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Post by Deleted on Sept 21, 2016 8:39:54 GMT
Good job Milu!!!
What a relief!
This sounded like a train wreck begging to happen.
I'd rather have no guests than 6 who would 'prefer to pay the original, inaccurate amount'.
It would be funny as all get out to see where they finally wind up staying after such behavior with this booking.
Of course, as I've heard my guests stories of troubles with other bookings; Airbnb probably put them up in some multiple rooms in a fancy pants hotel.
Pfft....that video Lizzy posted: "Fighting for the hosts". Even I didn't fall for that line, but lordy, did you see that gross amount of food provided for the attendees?
Excellent move, most of us were taught not to talk with food in our mouths.
Thanks for the update.
I'm glad it worked out that you and your accommodations won't have to deal with the likes of these 6 people.
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Post by Maria Lurdes (Milu) on Sept 21, 2016 9:59:02 GMT
The guests were booked for the 27th and I really wanted everything resolved with a weeks buffer. I was really worried that if it came down to having to cancel the booking that it was better to cancel a week out than only a few days out. I just re-read my last post and realize it was slightly incoherent. I can type faster than I can think  |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 21, 2016 10:06:05 GMT
Once again Milu,
I agree, that does look horrible when you see the automatic posting of a host cancelling 1 day prior to arrival.
A week wouldn't look so bad, unforeseen things happen in everyone's life.
Plus, Congrats on the guest cancelling!
At least customer service could convince them to do that for you; well, add that the fact they got off with no cancellation fee.
That's a God send to you.
Man, I could smell the potential rot all the way over here.
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Post by maria on Sept 21, 2016 14:54:52 GMT
Glad those guests cancelled! Wonder what they will be able to reserve for 6 people! HA. They probably thought it was easy to replace this booking.
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?? I'd be hateful thinking of all the fun they having, money spending, and I'm getting the shaft.
