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Apologies in advance for stupid questions. I use instant book, so this is the first time I’ve dealt with a “Reservation Request.” Got the request from a guest who wants to book this weekend. I’m assuming they didn’t use instant book because they didn’t meet one of the requirements, but Air won’t tell me which requirement it was. (“Sorry, we can’t give you information on another person’s account.” Uhhh… what?) I did send a message to the guest asking if it was because they didn’t have an ID on their profile and asked them to send it to me directly if that’s the case.
When I look at her itinerary, it says she joined this year and has “2 verifications.” What does that mean? Like name and phone number? Or confirmed phone number and email??
Anyway, when I went into the Accept Request screen, it asks me to check a box agreeing to Terms and Conditions, cancellation policies, etc. Why am I having to agree to all of that to accept a request when I already have an account set up as a host, and I’m assuming the terms and conditions are the same as all other bookings??
Any other issues that I should be aware of with accepting a reservation request that for whatever reason didn’t qualify for instant book?
You mean when you look at her profile? If she hasn’t reserved yet she doesn’t have an itinerary.
I have IB and sometimes get requests instead of IBs. I never assume it’s because they didn’t meet requirements. Honestly I assume it’s because they don’t understand Airbnb. As you can see it’s not all self explanatory. Did she message you at all. My requests all have a message of some sort like “hoping to stay with you, is your room available?” Or something else that makes no sense. But I just accept. Never had a problem with requests vs IB. I just prefer IB.
Those verifications can be different for different people. Again, I’ve never worried about that. But I don’t have a whole house that I don’t reside onsite.
As for accepting Terms, I don’t recall seeing that so not sure why it’s asking again. I just click yes when I see those because I don’t really have options. It’s the same terms as IB.
Sorry, the “reservation details.” It’s what shows on the screen when I pull up the message in my inbox (and it usually says itinerary in that box, which is why I typed that.)
Just seems weird that you would have to agree to them again if it’s all the same terms that you’ve already agree to by signing up as a host.
Maybe they changed since you signed up. How long ago was that? Airbnb has a bad habit of changing something in them, making you agree but not telling you what you agreed to.
I got a response from the guest, and she said she’s new to AirBnB, so she is going to send me her ID directly. I think that’s what the issue was, no ID on her profile. So stupid that Air customer service can’t just tell me that was the reason that she couldn’t instant book.
I messaged this girl my phone number earlier so that she could text me a picture of her ID and didn’t hear back. So I go back to my inbox getting ready to send her a message that I can’t finalize the booking because I don’t have her ID yet, and I notice that my message to her says:
“Sure! My phone number is (phone number hidden by AirBnB).”
omg. Seriously?!
I went ahead and approved her reservation so that it would unblock my number and told her to text me the ID as soon as she can. Hopefully that won’t backfire on me, but it was the only way to give her my phone number to get a copy of her ID.
I use IB but do get reservation requests if the guest asks for check-in time that’s outside the listing parameters or for extra guests requests.
Don’t thumbs down guest have to use reservation requests ?
i use iB and always get reservation requests, just view their profile adn you can see what requirment they dont meet, i just message back and say “please become ID verified and upload a profile photo( if they dont have one) and i wll accept your booking”
I won’t IB if it’s offered. I don’t want to even tacitly approve of it. Don’t “assume” anything.
What you’re experiencing is the way Airbnb works. No they won’t give you information about someone else’s account. Do you want them giving other people information about you? Yes you have to click the box that says you agree. That’s been a feature for at least two years. Yes phone numbers are hidden and always have been. If you don’t know what verifications are, go back and read your Terms of Service.
Why can’t she upload ID onto Airbnb account? Why send it to you directly? Sounds fishy to me. Perhaps the information on her driver’s license or passport (if that’s what she used as ID) does not match the information given to Airbnb.
Personally I wouldn’t send my ID directly to an Airbnb hosts. It’s also possible that Airbnb would block any images being sent until the booking is confirmed. (same for numbers & emails)
However, I also insist that ID is to be completed within the Airbnb system, i set this option in the IB. If they haven’t done this I then email them with something like “Please complete verification in the Airbnb system including uploading a form of Government ID, once completed please do let us know and we’ll accept your reservation”
I did look at her profile, and all is says is where she lives. Totally blank page, otherwise. It doesn’t say anything about verifications. The AirBnB “minimum requirements” are full name, email, and confirmed phone number, so I’m assuming she has those. On the reservation request page, it said “2 verifications” but didn’t tell me what they were.
Wow, SUPER helpful, Ken. As I stated in my original post, I’ve never done a reservation request before (always IB), so no, I have NEVER had to click that box. I do know what verifications are. Again, if you read my post, you would see that I don’t know which verifications she already had on her profile because it just says she has 2.
eta: Also, nowhere did I say that Air was trying to give her my phone number. I was trying to give her my phone number. Air hid it.
What Air said they couldn’t tell me was if she had an ID uploaded to her account. Apparently, that is confidential information.
I’m not sure. And I don’t honestly even know if that’s the reason she didn’t use IB. I think she was just new to Air and didn’t really know how to make the reservation. But she did end up sending me her ID, so we’re all good.
Update: this has nothing to do with the reservation process, but probably more to do with them being new to airbnb. Left the house a MESS. Used almost every dish in the house and left them all in the counters, didn’t put one into the dishwasher. Cigarette butts and Ashes all over my deck, my front steps, my flower bed. (House is nonsmoking). Food still in pans on the stove, a pan full of oil on the stove. Food containers and garbage in all the bedrooms and all over the living room. Sticky floor, sticky door knobs, sticky cabinet doors.
Why are people such assholes? This job is wearing on me already, only 5 weeks in.
Do you send a charge request in a situation like this? Or do you just sick it up and see it as the price of hosting guests? My welcome binder does say in the checkout instructions to load dishes into the dishwasher and to make sure all the garbage is in the bins.
One of the great philosophical conundrums of our times.
They have violated multiple rules so this is going to be a thumbs down, one star on rules and one on cleanliness, probably a 1 on communication. I’d open a resolution center request and try to get more money. If not from her pocket then from Airbnb’s.
It does seem that you are having an above average number of problems.
Right. I’m just throwing this out there. I’m not having a go at anyone. This is for discussion purposes only. (And those are my disclaimers).
Can we say that the more rules a host puts into place, the more guests will break rules? Does that make sense? Does it make sense to have fewer rules to save our own sanity? Discuss.
Example: I often read comments from hosts who say that the guests didn’t take the garbage out ‘despite it being in the rules’. I don’t have such a rule. I’d say that about 70% take the garbage out anyway. But because it’s not a rule and I don’t expect guests to do so, my mental health stays intact. (Or as intact as an Airbnb host’s can be).
