No more guest emails?

[Ryan-and-Darnie0]

Not sure when this got implemented but we just noticed there are no more “@guest.airbnb.com” email addresses listed on the reservation details panel.  @Airbnb what is the reason behind this? Whatever the stated reason, this takes more control away from hosts of their business. When hosts are successful, Airbnb is successful, it's a symbiotic relationship, not a parasitic one.

I called Airbnb support about this since it was a shock, and at first the support person was confused, but then confirmed that Airbnb is now requiring ALL communication to happen on-platform (very inconvenient) and it now seems to be a violation of "Airbnb’s Off-Platform Policy" to ask for email address or communicate off-platform in any way.

I can understand not wanting hosts to communicate with guests outside Airbnb's platform prior to booking, but there are legit reasons to communicate off-platform, such as

- convenience! it's easier to send an email most of the time.

- sending legal documents / HOA agreements.

- sending sensitive info like entry codes, etc.

We do 99% of guest communication on-platform (for a variety of reasons) but we have never provided entry codes that way, and do not want to provide entry codes on-platform because who knows who will have access to that information. We also have custom tools to help automate some of the automatic messaging and this will make that impossible. Perhaps the real intent behind this is to help kill off 3rd party tools and apps?

R&D

[Emiel1]

@Ryan-and-Darnie0 

It was announced by Airbnb. but is  still possible to use the email facility, please read this:

An update for hosts who use the guest email feature - Resource Center

Also now it is possible to attach documents in the message system

Best regards,

Emiel

[Ryan-and-Darnie0]

Thank you for that, Emiel. We learned about this too last night after speaking with an Airbnb support supe. Very glad to know that email is still possible, but it still seems like a there are trade-offs being made which are more guest-oriented vs. host-oriented. 

Also, clearly we need to find a way to subscribe to these Resource Center Notifications!

R&D

[Cindy880]

How do you attach documents in the message system - I see attach an image, but the other document link just lets you create a saved message it looks like - not attach a document. Hmmmm...

[Howie4]

You cant... yet.. I like how they eliminated email before the figured out how to attach a pdf! 

"We’re working on allowing hosts to attach documents directly in Airbnb messaging. To help hosts and guests stay organized by having everything in one place, we’re working on supporting attachments like PDFs, photos, and other documents in Airbnb messaging."

[Yvonne216]

This is so annoying

Why are they doing this is it just to save a few dollars

[Lorna170]

I just spent more than an hour with a service person trying to to figure out how to send a personalized PDF to my guest.  Nothing that he suggested worked.  Taking away the email link makes it impossible for me to communicate properly with my guest.  I cannot type 5 pages of house information, turn by turn driving directions with detailed map (a picture) and key access codes into an App or a message box on the web page.  Clicking on the attachment link went nowhere, and the message link did not have any place to select my "uploaded" attachment (if I or the service person knew where it had gone).  Removing the email link to the guest has made handling hosting extremely difficult.  PLEASE BRING EMAIL BACK!

[Lawrene0]

@Lorna170 , there is a workaround. You can upload your pdf to something like cloud.acrobat and then share that link. It's not very annoying once you have done it a few times. 

I know! It would be better to be able to attach documents. I'd love that, too. But links are allowed when you are talking to booked guests, so it does work. 

[Lorna170]

As a person who does not click on links sent to me, I cannot expect my guests to click on links either.  I trust only those items that come to me through the AirBnB dashboard or secure email.  (In fact, I had a spurious message purporting to be from AirBnB on my phone today)  Removing the ability to email through AirBnB, when they want all communication to remain on platform seems counter-productive.  Owners and guests should have an easier time communicating with each other, not a harder time.  And goodness help those of us who conduct our rental business with landlines incapable of texting.