Scam?

[Caroline1878]

I am new to hosting and I had a request from someone who immediately asked the name of our house, i thought this was an odd question. Also they have no reviews and have just joined, also no photo, should I be worried? 

[Anonymous]

@Caroline1878 If it was a Booking Inquiry, the person might have been angling to book off-site to avoid fees.

It it was a Reservation Request, they have already submitted their payment details, which doesn't smell like a scam. 

For the purposes of this forum, it's important to be sure you're using the right term. More info here: https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/Reservation-Inquiry-or-Request-What-s-the-Difference-A-C...

But either way, it sounds like an odd question - do people name their houses in Wales? I think my answer would be something like "My apartment's name is Dorothy Zbornak and she identifies as a yurt."

BTW you can change your settings so that guests must have a profile photo in order to send a request.

[Alicia340]

I had a Booking Enquiry from a guest saying:

- "My name is Ahmet akarli. My aunty Judith is going to visit london between July 14 and August 6. We would like to rent your property for her entire stay here in london. You can reach me on (Phone number hidden by Airbnb) to discuss logistics etc. Best regards. A"

- Because the guest showed intention to contact me directlyoutside Airbnb and had no reviews, I declined his booking. 

- After two messages from the guest followed saying:

"have you declined the offer please? It has gone through my credit card. Please let me know. A"

I didn't reply and contacted Airbnb. They told me to block the person and that they will get in touch. 

One day later I got an email from Airbnb saying:

"Your listings may be suspended"

- Got in touch again with Airbnb and this was their reply "since when you are going to decline your guest request every time you will feel unsafe it will really affect your rates."

This is ridiculous. I need to feel safe and feel confident that I have the choice to select a guest that I am confident with. Airbnb can't use coercion and force the host to take a guest we are not comfortable taking. And if we don't take it we are going to be punished...

Had anybody had a similar experience?