How host's can protect themselves from bad guest's and scammers or fraud?

[Leslie777]

I have been contacted  twice in a matter of days requesting available date confirmation.  Then 2 weeks later they contact you again and say their employer needs to pay in a certified check instead of through the platform.  It was 2 different profiles in 2 different months.  I am worried this is making me question every inquiry and booking.  Apparently there is also a scam where it is a last minute booking, 1 day prior and then they leave early and ask for a refund then decline the original purchase.  I would hope that they would do a better job screening these scammers.  I think I got one of these such people caught and kicked off the platform.  Only to have him tell me on the messenger through ABNB that he had just created a new profile and had booked another place.  We need to have a place where it is easy for host's to communicate about bad guest's.  

[Huma0]

@Leslie777 

Don't rely on Airbnb to screen all your guests for you. They don't and it's super easy for someone to create a new profile.

The enquiries you describe definitely sound like scams. Tell them no and then report and block them. Let me know if you need instructions on how to do this (but please tag me so that I can see your response) but it sounds like you have already done this in at least one case.

Unfortunately, hosts have to be very vigilant about these kinds of things because Airbnb don't really protect us. I have blocked and reported profiles because Airbnb CS actually told me to, yet they allow those profiles to remain on the platform and book with other hosts...

[Nanxing0]

Think in this way. To Airbnb, all they care is money so they do their best to maximize their profit. How? First of all it's the guests who pay so they always side with the guests. Second, they try to maximize bookings. That means they literally don't screen guests unless a guest has KNOWN problem to them, which is usually a misbehavior reported by another host (maybe you). They have no incentive to protect us at all. So establish your own standard of screening and do it rigorously. That will minimize the trouble those guests bring to you.

[Huma0]

@Nanxing0 

Yep, but they don't necessarily even screen guests when there is a known problem reported by a host. 

That is my experience anyway. I had a guest who tried to book with me but couldn't for various reasons, including a really terrible review. She then created a new profile and tried to book again, but it was obviously the same person (she was not so clever about it).

This request was flagged by Airbnb as suspicious so I called CS and explained the situation. They told me to report and block the guest, which I did. However, both profiles were allowed to remain on the site and she continued to book other accommodation using the second one (the one without the terrible review).

Both profiles had 'verified ID'. This was allowed to happen despite it apparently being against Airbnb policy to have different profiles for the same person. By the way, the bad review on her first profile mentioned that different people were using that same profile to book. So dodgy, but Airbnb doesn't seem to really care.

[Leslie777]

The support for host’s and their community is lacking.  I had a guest who looking back now, was going to scam me anyway I think.  They booked the day before and stated they had 2 emotional support dogs.  Did not mention a breed.  At that time I allowed pets.  They show up with 2 Pit Bulls that “ got away from them and went and attacked my neighbors dog.  I called ABNB immediately to alert them.  Animal Control was called and they were allowed to leave promising to pay my neighbors for the vet bill.  After they left ABNB canceled their reservation and blocked them from the site.  They asked for a refund for unused days.  So he said fine I’m not paying your neighbor.  I have been fighting with ABNB’s so called insurance.  They say my neighbors need to go after them in small claims court. 🤬😩. I am going to pay my neighbors because that is the right thing to do.  It was not their fault.  I have spent hours and a lot of stress regarding this horrible guest.  He wrote a review that I had to argue to have not allowed to go live.  Please beware.  I learned in California we have to allow emotional support and service animals. 🙄

[Nanxing0]

@Leslie777 I‘m sorry to hear your story! Airbnb used to mandate ALL of us to accept service animals and emotional support animals (ESA) and no host is happy with this policy. Good thing is that they recently changed their policy so we do not need to accept ESA any more but in NY and CA hosts are still obligated to, unfortunately.

I guess at this point there are just two things you can do. First try your best to explore damage reimbursement from Aircover. Follow their procedure and speak to associate, especially mention your loss of income due to the dog behavior since Aircover says it covers income loss. If this does not work at the end, you probably have to bring the guest and Airbnb to the court.

[Huma0]

@Leslie777 

That's awful. Sorry that happened to you.

[Docus1]

I have some one that sounds similar like that, he or she has booked at that moment I was not available two weeks ago. Today he/she booked out to be claiming that he will leave early for work. I am quite skeptical about him/her if she is even real or yp to no good. I am hoping am not the only one scared . AirBnb gotta do more to screen their backgrounds.