Not sure how to deal with a request

Something we agree on.

I have no problem with Airbnb deciding that photographs may not be shown until after booking. Bear in mind though that some guests don’t want their photograph to be seen anyway.

I have had a few guests over the years who have had facial disfigurements of some kind and invariably their profile pics were flowers or a peacock or something.

I had one guest who had a scar on her face more or less from ear to ear. Coincidentally, I had just acquired a (much smaller) facial disfigurement that I was embarrassed about. Seeing her made me put my own problem into perspective.

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Okay, I get it. I don’t care about seeing a profile photo of a guest before they have a confirmed booking at all. I’d just like them to be trusting and open enough to realize that a home share situation isn’t something anonymous and as they can see my photo, I’d like to see theirs.

For me, that, along with our communications, gives me a feeling that I know the guest a bit before they arrive. Maybe it’s because my guests generally stay a week-10 days, they aren’t just one or two nighters passing through, that I care.

And if they had a really inappropriate photo, I would contact Airbnb to express my concern and perhaps cancel. But that’s never happened yet and likely won’t. Only had one right-winger and he was actually a really nice, fun guy, very personable. He just wasn’t all that smart :wink:

We require a profile picture and a little more info than a phone number!
I had one guest request to book and when I mentioned thee parameters (knowing full well that the pic would not come up until I approved) he was rude! Stating that they do not put photos of them or their family on social media, as we could use it for other purposes! And how would I know if the photo he provided was actually him!
I responded that my exterior cameras would capture him as he checked in, and how did I not know that he was an undesirable with a burner phone?
I have no problem demanding more information before I accept a booking! Airbnb should require a little more info as well!
A picture of a cat and a phone number does not seem like they are doing their due diligence either, so it is 100% up to us!

Who cares? You’re a stranger on the internet. I’m not trying to be agreeable. I state my opinion, others state theirs, readers draw their own conclusions and use that information as they choose.

Yes agreed you are capable of judging others and quickly jump to ill conceived conclusions. I understand your need to address both conscious and unconscious bias.

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LOLOLOL.

You’ve been posting here for months. I didn’t reach my conclusion until this thread.

Hopefully tomorrow you have a better day :slight_smile:

Now that is a really condescending comment. The smiley face doesn’t make it friendly or funny. It’s a snarky way of dismissing what someone has to say.

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It’s like insinuating that @jaquo has learned English as a second language.

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Now discriminating based on a name, rather than a photo…

Interesting—I had a similar conversation with a guest who did not want to provide ID & photo. We talked about Airbnb & VRBO usage by hosts & guests as a leap of faith.

It’s not like booking from a local property management firm who works hard to protect their reputation.

We an individual hosts and guests work hard for our stars but there are so many if few are bad eggs get in, the corporation doesn’t really feel it. Maybe it is easier for thieves & cheaters to have a presence.

Anyway I told him I would welcome the rental however if he wasn’t willing to provide ID & pic like I did which was for guest confidence that I was legitimate, I understood but could not host his stay.

I gave him the names & numbers for a couple good local STR management companies.

A few days later he booked with me

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I wonder how many of these people who don’t want to have a real profile photo on Airbnb have Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram accounts with photos of themselves all over. Not to mention dating sites.

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Although I’ve argued against needing photos, I’ve also argued “a lid for every pot.” In other words, people who don’t want to provide photos can stay at hotels or use the other platforms like VRBO that don’t fool with photos and reviews for guests.

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I have very mixed feelings about the pictures. I like to recognize who is coming since I have other LTR tenants who get guests and a business next door. Thus there are a lot of people coming and going. However, I also occasionally need to give some pushback on a reservation request and like that my guests knows I am reacting totally to the information provided not to any reaction to a photo. I do agree that we all have unconscious biases.

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You know, by filtering I have learnt a couple of things. 1ST MUST have government ID checked by Airbnb, or no can do. 2ND MUST have a review from prior stay. Occasionally I have been sucked in by a request, and then bang a 1* review. Or property trashed. My 1* reviews had 5* reviews on either side for as far as the eye could see. You never recover from a 1*. I never have. Just this week someone gave us a 3* because the TV was broken. Didnt ring us to have it fixed. And I can understand this is something a cleaner may overlook. If you get a 1,2,3,4 now? You will never recover.

Why? You realize it’s not actually checked, at best it gets run through an algorithm and Air will never actually share the ID with you.

Its fakery. The only thing it does is give the host the illusion that it is “verified”

RR

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Nope, not the only thing it does. It also gives the guest the “illusion” that it is verified.

I have had many many enquiries disappear after I ask for them to put up their ID first. I figure if they have a problem with that (they know mine right) then it is a problem. I am happy to lose them. Plus. In an event of criminal behaviour, the police can access the ID details.

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With a court order. Air does not make it easy.

We all do what we are comfortable with. I do not try and find reasons not to host. Works for me.

RR

I agree with you. I don’t need any ID or reviews. A lot of my guests are first-timers anyway.

When a Airbnb member uploads ID, that’s it. If every ID was checked to be genuine by Airbnb they’d increase their fees enormously and that would have hosts complaining a lot. And if anyone was intent on bad behaviour, they’d use a fake ID. So ID is a guarantee of nothing.

I do wonder why some hosts get one star reviews or get their rentals trashed. This is not a normal situation - most hosts get the odd weirdo but that’s all.

If a listed amenity isn’t available, then then a host can expect a lower star rating, especially if the lack of that amenity impaired their overall experience. And I’m afraid that the onus is on the host to make sure that all amenities are available - it’s not the guest’s responsibility to call the host.

A simple way to do this is when the host or co-host does the final walkthrough before check-in. Turn on the TV and set it to a music channel at a reasonably low volume. This way you’ve ensured that it’s working and it’s pleasant for the guest to walk into a place with music playing.

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