Inappropriate profile Photo

[Cherie65]

Is this an appropriate profile pic?Hi Airbnb Hosts, 

 I am a 63 year and have been hosting for 5 years. This is a first! 

The profile pic seemed highly inappropriate for use as a profile photo. It doesn’t help me in identifying the guest when she arrives, it does little to assure me that she will be a responsible, mature guest. 

I messaged the guest explaining how a facial pic helps to establish trust and connectivity. I used Airbnb’s words - they describe the significance of a profile photo so well. I quipped at the end of my message ..the only way I can identify you when you arrive is to see your bellybutton, which would  make me very uncomfortable.
Her reply was “ i have no problem with you identifying me that way”.

The photo and her response is really a first for me!

I feel uncomfortable with the listing.

I need to know if I am being rational! Thanks

[Emiel1]

@Cherie65 

The bellybutton is not sharp in the photo, so i fear identification on the doorstep will fail. ;>)

[Anonymous]

@Cherie65 This one made me laugh. I can accept that some guests have valid reasons for not showing their face in a public profile, but those reasons are pretty much cancelled out if they show other body parts. 

There have been many incidents of sex workers using Airbnbs as makeshift brothels, so I don't think your feelings are irrational. The problem is, if you are able to see the image, that means the guest already has a confirmed booking. I don't know one way or other whether Airbnb will accept your discomfort with that photo as cause for a penalty-free cancellation, especially if the guest didn't Instant Book. If a face picture in the profile is a requirement for you to let a guest across your doorstep, I'd suggest adding that to your House Rules for future bookings.

What outcome do you hope for with this one? 

[Cherie65]

@Anonymous Thanks for your thoughtful reply! I’d like to cancel the reservation without jeopardizing my Superhost status. I’ve shared the pic and dialogue ( below)  with Airbnb support.

**[Private conversation removed in line with Community Center Guidelines]

 

[Emilia42]

@Cherie65 What was this guest's initial message to accompany her booking?

[Cherie65]

@Emilia42  I have since cancelled the reservation. Our dialogue escalated resulting in an erosion of good will and trust.

At the end of the day it is my property being guarded by my gut feelings of protectively.

**[Private conversation removed in line with Community Center Guidelines]

[Emilia42]

@Cherie65 Good call

[Anonymous]

@Cherie65  If the guest is willing to present a photo ID that matches her profile name (which appears to be ID verified) I can't immediately identify anything you can use as an issue here at a bureaucratic level.

As far as verification is concerned, a government-issued photo ID corresponding to a full name in the account is a much stronger standard than someone's face looking like a picture. So if the guest has volunteered to show an ID on arrival, the remainder of your complaint basically comes down to her wardrobe/framing choice in a single photo. I don't think it's irrational to have some hesitation here - this is a rather questionable presentation - but at the same time, I can't identify a stated rule of yours that the guest would be violating. 

I hope you have measures in place to ensure that you know what's going on at your house and how many people are coming and going from it. I don't believe someone should be treated like a criminal because of her fashion choices, but if there is illicit activity on your property you want to have the means to spot it quickly and take appropriate action.

Meanwhile, your rules do state that no additional guests are allowed. How many people are in this booking and how long is it for?

[Cherie65]

@Anonymous  I have since cancelled the reservation. I feel I made the right decision. It wasn’t made on her fashion choices! The photo is one that intentionally does not include a face.  I have certainly had many guests that do not upload a profile pic and a grey silhouette appears.

This was more about communication and trust building  wiTh the guest. A kind reply like “ oh yeah, that’s my Tinder Pic..I’ll upload one for Airbnb” would have changed the course.

 The guest booked 3 months in advance,,,plenty of time to find a perfect place! 

[Sarah977]

@Cherie65 Of course you should do whatever makes you feel comfortable, and I can certainly understand that her refusal to provide a face photo felt wrong to you, plus I'm not privy to all your communication with this guest. 

But the fact that she booked 3 months in advance, for what she states would be 2nd anniversary stay with her boyfriend makes the possible sex worker scenario a non-starter- they don't book 3 months in advance. Of course, she could have intended a 2nd anniversary party, with 40 people showing up, but you'd have no way of knowing that.

I see this was a booking request- you do know you're going to get penalties for cancelling, right?

[Cherie65]

@Sarah977  It was a no penalty cancellation.  Keep your ratings at 4.9, hav3 a response rate of  at least 90% and you can have a 1% cancellation rate per 100 stays in an assessment period. There was no charge.

[Sarah977]

@Cherie65  I knew about being allowed to have a 1% cancellation rate re Superhost, but they don't block the dates or fine you or paste "Host cancelled this reservation XX days before check-in" on your review page?

[Sarah977]

@Cherie65  What some young people think is appropriate to post as profile photos these days shows a real lack of understanding. It's fine if she wants to use that as her Facebook or Instagram photo, but she is obviously lacking in the concept of what a host would find to be reassuring in terms of a guest photo. 

My youngest daughter, who is a responsible adult in her 30s, will go out shopping in what look to me like dominatrix outfits. Her two older sisters, while fashionable, dress what I consider appropriately, so it's not something that was due to how they were raised, but rather based on their own preferences, how they think what they wear affects others' perception of them, whether they care about that, etc.

Her response, while it wasn't what you wanted, was sort of a fair response to your humorous comment.

If it were me, I might message back and say something like "Touché on your response. I set myself up for that, didn't I?  Seriously, though, XX, I can assure you that I don't discriminate against anyone based on what they look like, their race, etc, I just need to be able to assure myself that the person who arrives to my home is the same person who booked it and the only way to do that is to see a face photo. Would you open your door to a stranger and let them stay in your house if when they asked to come in they were wearing a paper bag over their head?"

If this was an IB and you feel uncomfortable with it, use one of your 3 free cancellations, stating that you feel uncomfortable. 

How was this guest's other communication? Has she told you anything about herself and why she's travelling to your area? Been open and friendly otherwise? I would take those things into account when deciding, myself.

But if you want to see a clear face photo of your guests, you need to state that in your listing requirements. That way, if they don't comply, you have a very valid reason to decline a booking from them and it won't be anything you have to try to explain, just say "Please read my booking requirements, one of which is a clear face photo". You can't demand things from guests if they aren't stated in your listing.

[Anonymous]

@Sarah977 Unfortunately the Booking Requirements only have an option for "Profile Photo" required. It doesn't have a setting where you can require it to be the member's face. So declining a profile like this isn't an option - the host only knows the profile is a belly pic after the booking is confirmed. 

I wonder if Airbnb has any kind of automated censorship filter for photos like some social media apps do. I know I've seen some profile pics of topless men on here. If I changed my profile to a picture of my butt, how long do you think it would stay live? (Don't worry guys, I'm not actually going to try that).

[Sarah977]

Aw, c'mon @Anonymous you know how badly we all want to see your butt. 

But yes, I know that what can be checked in settings only says Profile Photo, and Airbnb doesn't require guests to post one of their face. I was meaning for a host to specify "Clear face photo required" in their listing info, and "other things to note", just like they might specify other things.

You don't think that's allowed?

And I never understand when hosts complain about a guest's photo being a photo of a cat, when that host's own profile photo is a sunset. 

I don't mind Airbnb hiding guest's photos until after a booking is confirmed, but I sure wish they would require that a profile photo shows the guest's face. I guess it's changed since I first put up my listing, but I remember I first uploaded a photo of my dog (my co-host), simply because I hate photos of myself, and a pop-up instantly appeared, saying "Is this really you?".