I didn’t need to make an assumption, guests have always volunteered as to the “why”. Most commonly, it had to do with not using the platform for an extended period of time or having never added a phone number because they signed up with an email instead or removing an old number but forgetting to add the new number.
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This does not explain the ‘checked off’ part of their profile tho…
Ok. Maybe they had previously verified their phone number and later removed it for some reason. I really have no idea. But I don’t think it’s indicative of a conspiracy or anything.
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I was planning to ask that guest,when she is here, why. I’m curious.
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Terrible guests. The kind that you know as soon as you walk in the house after they have left that they read nothing of the information provided. Cabinets open that were clearly not meant to be opened and are indicated in the house information to be off-limits to guests. I tell the guests to put all used towels and linens in the laundry baskets in the closet and please not hang towels on the curtain rod. One towel was hanging from one of the knobs of an open cabinet that was off limits to guests, one was hanging on the exterior door knob of the bathroom, and another was hanging on the curtain rod, of course, even though there are five hooks in a row in the bathroom and hooks behind each bedroom door and laundry baskets in both closets. They managed to make an unbelievable mess even though they arrived after dark and left by 9 AM. The profile does not indicate that they are hosts.
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I am very picky. If your phone number is not available you are not staying at my house. I’m going to trust you with my most valuable material asset and the source of my income and you are not going to trust me with your phone number? Not happening.
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Oh, so they have grave privacy issues, but get into your off-limits areas. Serious jerks.
I would have been tempted to stand outside while they were checking out, eating one of the fresh warm baguettes, making mmm-mmm good, you don’t know what you’re missing, sounds. 
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They clearly told me that they were choosing to pass on the baguette. My career for 30 years was as an artisan baker. I once had a guest leave a review that said “whatever this host offers you from her kitchen, do NOT turn down.” I think this was the first guest that did. It is always a fun point of bonding for me with the guests. But anyway I’m not sorry to have missed bonding with people such as these.
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As an aside I think sometimes guests will ignore a question that they don’t want to answer when I have sent it through the Airbnb platform. If I text, they are more compelled to respond. For instance, I do not accept kids under 12. My house’s description has as its first line “no children under 12.” If I ask them on the Airbnb platform they will ignore the question and hope that I will simply accept the request. Two questions I find that with are “what are the ages of the children” and “is the person making the reservation the person who is staying at my home?” When I don’t get an immediate answer I always know the answer. And I decline.
The other day I got a request for two adults and two children. Even though it is the first line of the description, I asked the ages of the children. The very slow answer was “three and five and oh yeah I guess there are five of us because I forgot about the newborn.” I shouldn’t have done this but I got a little sassy and I said “I’m curious why you have requested my home. The first line of the description says no children under 12.” The potential guest called me a nasty b-tch!
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Maybe this does. I went into my account to where the contact information is. I couldn’t remove or change how my main phone number is used by the system because I’m a host - I got a popup message saying something about having active listings and reservations. But the implication was that I could if I wasn’t a host.
It seems that guests do have the option to not use their phone number as a manner of contact yet can still use it as a form of verification. That is why a guest might have verified phone number checked off but not have a phone number available to you as a host. Most systems allow the user to choose how to be contacted so it makes sense.
This is what it looks like if I wanted to add a phone number to my account. I’m guessing that guests get this same option for their primary number:
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I almost always use text after a booking has been confirmed (both on AirBnB and BDC) to communicate on logistics etc. where having the platform keep a record is not important. I have had many instances where the guest missed an important message because they did not have their app running or it did not have notifications enabled and they missed an important message. But most people seem to always get their SMS and now SMS is not limited to 160 characters it is a good communication option
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Muddy, I am here having a good laugh😂
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Whew you dodged a bullet there. How are you going to review the awful “Do not contact me via text” guest? Sounds like a real turd of a person.
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I will give an honest review. “Note to future hosts: make sure to only communicate with these guests via the Airbnb platform as they became very angry when I used the designated phone number to text them offering a warm from the oven baguette. Also make a point of reminding them to read over the house rules since several were broken during their very short stay in my home.”
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I often include if I would or would not host again and sometimes the star rating.
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Don’t say this; instead state the objective facts: “as they objected to an off-platform message . . .”
Be specific: what house rules were broken?
Just an idea of what I will include. I will be diplomatic and will make no judgment calls.
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Do make sure to say they opened cupboards clearly mentioned as off-limits to guests.
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Yes it is inappropriate to text guests except in an emergency, but if I were your guest I would not have replied like that. That was rude.
My guests all know I have their phone number because I use the last 4 digits of it as their keypad entry code.
Yup, I change the entry code for every guest and delete the old codes. Who does that? Like no one.
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I’m so glad you worked that out so wisely and peacefully. Very good way to go. That’s why I hang out at this forum, to learn better ideas on how to handle the unexpected.
I would have contacted AirBnB customer service and said WTF. And depending on what Customer Service said, I would have cancelled the booking.