Is anyone using Safely.com to perform background checks and insure?

[Tina6782]

The service seems desirable as it performs a high-level background check based on name, birthdate and address.  Is anyone using it?  What are your thoughts on this service?  

Personally it does feel a bit intrusive for a guest to have to provide this information, but maybe its not so bad?  

[Pat271]

I use a service called Keycheck for credit, criminal and background checks to vet my longer-term guests, which may be similar to this. The good thing about it is that I am not in the middle. The guest goes to the secure website, enters the required information, and the host gets sent an email with a simple “Passed” or “Failed” based on some set of criteria. I think this is a much more comfortable situation for the guest, rather than the guest giving the host a bunch of personal information for a credit check.

[Anonymous]

@Pat271  That's interesting, and the first time I've heard from a host using this service in connection with Airbnb. My questions would be:

1) Do you ask the guest to complete this process before or after the booking is confirmed? 

2) How would it work with an international guest whose information is not in the database?

3) Would Airbnb waive your cancellation penalties if the check failed?

[Pat271]

@Anonymous  I mentioned that I have used Keycheck with some of my longer-term guests. Most of my longer-term guests do not use Airbnb.

1) I ask the guest to complete the credit/criminal/background check as a prerequisite to the booking. I believe the cost is $29.

2) I have not had a long-term, international guest. I suppose your question would be relevant regardless of the checking method used.

3) If I were to use Keycheck in conjunction with Airbnb, I would require the guest to have the  check done before the booking is confirmed. I do not use Instant Book.

[Tina6782]

This request is done after booking.  But I'd like it to happen before booking.  The guest can cancel the reservation within 24h after booking with no penalty.  However, a cancelation I believe would be a ding in AirBnb, but no ding in VRBO.  Also, I believe the guest checks in directly with Safely to provide the information so the homeowner, doesn't have access to the little personal information requested which is name, birthdate and address.