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Hello, I just started hosting but I have been diving here for months. Thank you all so much for sharing your precious experience!
Today, a guest wanted me to contact him from WhatsApp! I don’t feel safe so I told him I don’t have a WhatsApp account. He sounded very persistent asking if I use Line or other apps. Should I accept his request? What does he possibly want?
Since I’m a new host I don’t want to irritate him but I don’t want to talk to him from other platforms. What should I do?
They want to book direct and don’t want to pay the Airbnb fees.
You are new, keep it on the platform. Guests who do this are often demanding and difficult.
Yep, he’s trying to get you to book off-platform. Tell him you only communicate through Airbnb messaging and click on that flag symbol next to the message stream to report him. Then stop communicating with him. All you need to do on Inquiries is message back, no need to decline. I always report those annoying scammers.
No need to concern yourself with not irritating annoying scammers.
Thank you all! He has 5 star review and already confirmed his booking because I have instance booking on and he satisfied the requests. I’m worried if he would give me difficulties or bad review if I refuse his request… anyway, I’ll tell him I won’t communicate with him other than Airbnb platform. Hopefully he can understand.
I have only allowed this once. I had a college student staying here. She originally came with her mom who left after a couple weeks. The mom spoke little English so we used WhatsApp with the translation feature. This was much different from communicating with a total stranger. Just tell him you are following Airbnb policy of only communicating through the message thread.
Communicating on the Airbnb platform is for both his & your protection. If there is a question or concern about the reservation, Airbnb can access the communication thread for history on a situation and more easily assist.
About communication-maybe he doesn’t know he can get text notifications whenever there is a new message in Airbnb.
Perhaps send him the following messages
———-To make it easier to know when a host or Airbnb has sent you a message, did you know you can set up text message notifications?
If you aren’t using that function would you like me to send you instructions on how to set it up? It’s easy ——-
I agree with all above. Until you really understand STR, stay on the platform and document all conversations. Besides trying to pay direct, there are scams.
A bit of advice. Learn the difference between an inquiry (only require a respond within I think 24 hours) . Do not pre-approve or decline. Ask any questions you want of the guest. It looks a lot like a booking inquiry.
For a booking inquiry, you also have to respond within a limited time and you won’t know a lot about the person booking. You can ask questions too but they may not respond by the time you have to accept or decline.
I agree with others, only communicate with him through the Airbnb platform. I usually tell a little lie, I tell them that as a host it 's mandatory that we use the platform for communication and that I don’t wish to get kicked off the platform if I don’t comply with Airbnb’s policies. That usually works.
ONLY communicate with guests via the ABB Messaging system. Follow up any verbal conversations with a quick message to the guest so everything is in writing.
Never communicate outside ABB as a new host. Only with trusted return guests or direct bookings from your website.
and then there’s this.
Safety for you to keep it on the platform. New hosts are targeted by the scammers. Report the guest to ABB.
Is the guest from outside the US? Whatsapp is super convenient for international travel, may just be a preference to ensure communication goes through.
That said, I would absolutely keep all communication on the airbnb platform and only use whatsapp in case of emergency. Just pointing out it’s probably not a nefarious request.
Whatsapp is really easy to use once you’ve got it set up. I’m in the US and use it almost exclusively for family and friends. I’ve got mine set up with my normal cell number, and it’s really great when I’m traveling outside the US and don’t have my normal cell service turned on (sometimes do, sometimes don’t, depending on where I’m traveling and for how long).
But I would NOT use it as the main communication method with a guest, too much risk if something goes wrong.
ETA: I’d respond and tell him that Air requires all communication to be through their platform. Put it on them and their rules, not your preference.
In addition to the excellent points made by others you want to keep communications on the platform because otherwise Airbnb does not truly ‘know’ what was communicated by the guest and the owner. It can become a ‘he said/she said’ thing.
You’ll see in other posts here that sometimes guests really want to throw a party or do something against Airbnb rules or your own House rules and then, if you do not agree, retaliate in some way – claim that place was dirty ,etc. If all the communications are on the platform Airbnb will see that.
There really is no reason I am aware of not to communicate on the platform.
One thing I especially like about Airbnb messages is that I hear a distinctive sound whenever I send or receive an Airbnb message. You can’t miss it!
I have written guests – and I didn’t think it was a white lie – that Airbnb asks us to keep our communications on the platform and so I abide by that.
The main time I have deviated from that is when I have sent a link to our Airbnb guidebook to a VRBO guest because VRBO deletes the word ‘Airbnb’ and so the link does not work if sent on the VRBO platform.
Yes, the guests are from Singapore. Maybe Whatsapp is more convenient to him. But anyway, I told him I prefer we stay on Airbnb.
Thank you for the insights!
If the guest is from Singapore they want to use WhatsApp because it’s encrypted and can’t be monitored by their government (or the Chinese govt) like AirBnB messaging, SMS, or email.
Mexicans mostly all use Whatsapp, too. The thing is, you don’t have to pay for cell phone time. You just need to be getting a Wifi signal- so they can call and text for free.
A couple of thoughts – I tell all guests that are new to us to use Airbnb’s messaging because me and my husband (co-host) will receive messages at the same time and our goal is to ensure we respond to any questions or needs ASAP. So it’s about their comfort and speed. I don’t know if you have a co-host but if you are not on site, you probably should.
Secondly, WhatsApp is soooooo common outside of the U.S. We used it exclusively this last month when traveling in Africa. So their desire could be genuine because it’s what they know best, or as others have said, it could be something less positive, but don’t discount it outright. If you believe a guest really needs to use it, then document the conversation in the Airbnb app after you’ve had it…“Just to confirm our conversation, I will…you will…etc.”
But for now, as a new host, I would echo others suggestions to keep it all within the Airbnb app until you really get your hosting intuition, experience down pat.
