@dcmooney, @KKC – first, he can show up in my building, although he will have to deal with security (all former military and police:) Also, I can’t hand him an access pass without his completion of the guest registration which is a building requirement; I have explained it all in my messages to Mr. Cool Dude.
Let me reword that…you don’t seem comfortable with him and he isn’t following your instructions. At this point you can only do one more thing that is entirely in your control: cancel his reservation.
You asked what I would do and I said I’d host him. So when he arrived I’d give him the form to fill out, give him the tour and hope for the best.
If you want to have him show up at the building and deal with a possibly angry guest or a cancellation then that’s your perogative.
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Let me get this right…you went all through your explanation about this guy that he had not complied with your repeated requests for info and as a result, you said that you are ‘uneasy’ that he may be a ‘potential scammer’ and that even his photo is scary.
You asked for input but to those in favor of cancelling his stay, you respond ‘why should I do that?’ (huh?) Well, because you came up with several reasons why he doesn’t fit your guest model. Instead, you are saying that he should be the one cancelling or he should just not show up…which would work if you were in control of his actions.
So I guess the only alternative is to let him have his way and show up at your building and have your security personnel deal with him. Good luck.
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This is why on a previous thread I mentioned that you should ask for these forms to be returned within 24 hours of the reservation. They don’t need to know when your building needs it. They need to know you need it to give them access to the building and that you need it right away. Give them a firm deadline. Procrastinators are always going to wait until the last minute. The more time you give yourself, the more time you have to weed out crappy guests and get them cancelled and get a replacement booking. Bt waiting for the minimum 48 hours beforehand to get these forms, not only do they not get access, but you don’t have a chance to get a repeat booking. Is he a scammer, a procrastinator, or a lousy guest? No idea, but either way it’s sounding like he’s not respecting you and you’re losing your chance to get a good replacement.
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@Sarah_Warren Sarah, you are right, and I did write to the guest that I’d need the form 48 hours in advance. Let me be clear, my concern is not his looks, his nickname or anything other than my perception that this is a person who thinks rules don’t apply to him and, to me, that is a concern.
Nonetheless, thank you so much for your caring advice, I really appreciate it.
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any updates?..
Turned on IB once, got a reservation 2 hours later.
Still dealing with the scam they launched.
'We were doing great without IB - IB no more (acronym now means “irritable bowel” in my world.
J
I’ve told guests in the past that they will need to cancel, and they’ve done it. See if that works.
Also make sure to put info about the forms in your house rules.
@dcmooney, @Perezo, @KKC and all kind hosts who have offered their advice. Update: I finally called the guest and he apologized and asked me to resend the form to be completed. While he has not submitted the completed form yet, I’m feeling more confident that Cool Dude is legit…The reason I didn’t want to react emotionally and simply cancel the guy is because this has been a difficult period and I didn’t think I’d find another guest for the days he had booked.
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Isn’t it interesting? Some people just need that personal touch. We really don’t know what’s happening in our guests’ lives, how busy or distracted they are - what crisis they are dealing with. Or maybe they are just lame. ; ) Grace is a good thing to pass around.
Let us know when you get the form and it all works out!
@dcmooney I work from home for a big company and I support global business; all day long I get messages about urgent actions I have to take to avoid losing a multimillion dollar opportunity. Most colleagues would be frazzled; I have adapted by not telling anyone my phone (unheard of!) but always being graceful and accommodating. So, you are right, grace and a personal touch can help a lot.
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@searchedtobelost – had my first same day booking request a couple of days ago; I don’t even know how it happened since I require 24-hour advance request. I was worried, thinking it was a pair of scammers, but decided to go for it. They booked and arrived 3 hours later; totally legit couple who are in town to go house-hunting. It’s always a gamble.
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Good news. He’s probably just a busy fellow. I look forward to the update after you’ve hosted him.
Decline and cancel. I would not feel comfortable with this.
Yes, you really just never know!! I had a guy with long dreads book same day and he was from the next town. I was nervous. He was great, really great, and I hope to see him again.
(This is not an issue of race, fyi to all who want to jump on me, it’s the dreads and the general life style that that can possibly indicate)
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Any color person can have dreads… so I never considered a race angle.
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Dreads is a hair style, nothing more.
Just on the topic of dreads alone, blond or dark haired, I have never seen dreadlocks that looked clean…ever. Cornrows with braids and plaiting – I’ve seen many beautiful, artistic and clean examples but never dreads. Dreadlocks = dread-ful in my book.
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I like dreads and think they look sexy. In any case, it’s not fair to make assumptions about people’s lifestyles because of their hairstyle.
Dreads here in Hawaii can be dangerous. There’s the famous story of the ER visit where a person sporting dreads kept getting bit by spiders – and come to find out that the spiders had built quite a nest in the hairstyle.
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