As previously announced, when we informed you about the new 4-day limit to finalize your pre-approved exchanges [💥 NEW: You now have a maximum of 4 days to finalize pre-approved exchanges – faster responses to streamline your planning], we are now very happy to announce another new improvement that should also meet your requests to increase responsiveness on the platform and make your searches easier: automatic refusal after 4 days without a response.
Why an automatic refusal after 4 days without a response?
Responsiveness on the platform is essential to make your home exchange search easier. When you send a proposal to another member, it’s only natural to expect a timely response so you can move forward. And you’ve told us often: it’s not uncommon for members to respond late—sometimes even after the intended exchange date.
So, how does it work in practice?
When a request (i.e., an initial message) goes unanswered for 4 days, the system will now automatically send a refusal to the requester.
This automatic refusal will clearly indicate to the requester that it is an automated response, explain that the person contacted was likely unavailable for the exchange, and encourage them to continue their search.
Let’s be clear: this does not mean you are required to accept or reject an exchange request within 4 days; you are simply encouraged to respond in some way during that time. Even a message like “Thanks for your request, I’ll discuss it with my family” will prevent the automatic refusal from being sent.
Good to know: Before the automatic refusal is sent, you will receive several reminders via email, app notifications, and on the website to encourage you to respond. Likewise, once the automatic refusal has been sent, if you still haven’t replied after 4 days, you will be informed of the action taken.
What about the response rate in case of automatic refusal?
In a few weeks, we will update you will more information about how these automatic refusals will be taken into account when calculating your response rate.
“But what if I missed the message and still want to respond?”
Of course, it can happen that you miss an exchange request and only notice it after the automatic refusal has been sent. In that case, simply reply to the original message and pick up the conversation from there.
Why 4 days?
Just like the 4-day limit to finalize pre-approved exchanges, this automatic refusal after 4 days was decided based on feedback from the community. In fact, no less than 85% of surveyed members felt that waiting more than 4 days for a response was too long.
Again, the goal is not to force members to accept or reject an exchange within 4 days, but simply to encourage them to respond in some form—whatever the message—so that everyone can better organize their home exchanges. 
Feel free to share your thoughts about this new feature in the comments. Thank you again to everyone for your suggestions and responses to our surveys, which help us continue to improve the platform to meet your needs 