AIRBNB update: From now on no guest photo until request is accepted

Airbnb is moving to Booking model. Soon you will have no clue who will be coming to your house. Yet, they will know every imperfection of your property and you :slight_smile:

I understand the reason why some people don’t want to show their photo. Yet, it’s so unfair to hosts who open their homes to strangers…

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Should do then same for hosts.

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I agree. It makes you realise that Airbnb’s focus appears to be shifting towards guests, with hosts coming in a poor second.

We have two seperate apartments and also currently use booking dot com so it’s not new for us - but if I were hosting, in my own home, then this change would not sit comfortably with me.

JF

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I have turned on IB with host recommendation and verified ID. Given the way Airbnb puts all the risk on the host, I either manage my own risk or not host on Airbnb at all. I’m already exploring alternative booking channels .

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Big deal, with instant book it makes 0 difference, and soon enough it will be IB only wait and see. I have a whole house rental so I understand those that don’t may get nervous. Just set up IB and take who comes through the door will be the only choice at some point.

RR

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No surprise to me. This has been discussed here before and I think Air tested this awhile. I’ll also repeat my belief that they will go to an all IB model in the future. I can’t tell anything from a photo so I don’t care. I have also seen many many listings with no host photo

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Yes, I’ve already been seeing it in my market. In the end, I go by their previous reviews anyway. It doesn’t matter. And none of my HomeAway guests ever have photos. Ever. I’ve let go of the idea that photos somehow protect me.

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Congrats! People like the illusion of control and become indignant that Airbnb “forces” them to accept people about whom they know nothing. But then many of these same hosts won’t even confront a guest once they’ve checked in to tell them “you have unregistered guests,” or “you can’t smoke on the balcony.” They expect Airbnb CS reps to control guests over the phone.

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I can’t remember the last time I had a guest who actually looked like their photograph. I’ve hosted hundreds of guests whose profile images have been a flower, the beach, a tree, a glass of wine, a guitar, a baby, a car etc. etc. etc. and an accurate photograph means nothing to me.

No I don’t host in my own home but did in my B & B days. It was different then because there were never any photograph at all, never any reviews and no review system to prevent a guest behaving badly. Sometimes a guest would turn up on the doorstep unannounced, suitcase in hand. There were also no CS people to run to.

I honestly doubt that anyone can tell what a person will be like as a guest from a selfie.

After booking is a good idea so that in-home hosts know who they are looking out for when the guest arrives but that’s the only advantage as far as I can see.

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But you can tell the color of their skin, and thats why Air does not want us to see it to weed out the racist host.

Edited to add: Bah wah what about the Mrs. Murphy rule? F that Mrs. Murphy is a racist asshat.

RR

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Yup I agree on the avoiding racism part. But i wish Airbnb wouldn’t be so iron handed. If i can’t see their photos, I would feel much less safer accepting IB. Some people are shady characters and that has nothing to do with race, if they had a lewd photo of them posing topless I would have rejected the booking without hesitation.

Recently, I had a guest of a certain stereotype (based on her picture) which I was cautious, even though I had accepted the booking thru IB. I did a bit of background checking using her photo, name and facebook and was plesantly surprised to learn she’s a fashion enthusiast with an instagram following. That put my mind at ease and she was indeed a fabulous guest. It’ll be much harder to do due diligence from here on.

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No it will not be harder, you were able to find the guest social profiles and you still will be. It is a non issue IMO

RR

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No offense, but quite unlikely. I was only able to find out her instagram profile through her photos. There are a hundred people going by the same name.

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LOL. So would I but not because I thought they were shady characters. That would be a reflection of “too stupid to let out of the house alone.”

What this really comes down to is feelings and everyone should feel good about the guests to whom they rent. I believe the way this will shake out over time is that those of us who are comfortable with the Airbnb model will continue with them and those who can’t get comfortable will leave the platform.

Entirely selfishly, I will admit that I wish Airbnb would eliminate pictures altogether and force everyone to use IB because that would drive some of my competition from the market.

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ABB will change what they want, when they want …

I just changed my profile pic from my family to a waterfall near the house.

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I wouldn’t have had the option of refusing her because I use instant book. But I might well have mentioned it to her on arrival. Now what would I have said, I wonder???

:wink:

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They must not have rolled this out everywhere; I got a request this morning that did have a photo.

“your photos don’t do your areola justice!” :rofl:

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Lol. But I once posted an airtasker job and one of the male applicants had a public airtasker profile with a picture - nothing more than a pair of boxers and looking half drunk. Naturally he didn’t get the job.

I’ve asked potential guests to update their photos so I knew who was arriving to thwart third party bookings. It looks like I will need to check ID’s on everyone arriving.

Actually not at all. Waterfalls don’t tend to install trust in you as an individual :slight_smile: