So are we going to talk about this disturbing article in Bloomberg?

[Christine615]

This showed up in my feed when I was checking the stock price. I'm posting here on the closed Host Circle so the discussion isn't out in the general public.

We, as hosts, have been shouting about the safety issues and Airbnb not doing a proper job of verifying host and guest identities for years. Now I'm reading that one of the groups that were laid off were the very people who were working on Trust and Safety?

What is the corporate response to this?

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2021-06-15/airbnb-spends-millions-making-nightmares-at-live-...

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9688361/Airbnb-secret-black-box-team-forks-50-million-year-...

[Sarah977]

@Christine615  I just posted the link as well, on another thread, after seeing it on another hosting forum. 

Pretty outrageous stuff, hush money payments. Bloomberg should start having journalists write more exposés of Airbnb practices. Like suspending listings for some supposed bad thing a host did, yet refusing to tell them what they've been accused of.

[Sam4375]

I'll be reaching out to journalists to discuss the theft by airbnb from my account for sure

[Christine615]

Wondering if there's more that hasn't been reported yet. No wonder they didn't respond to me about safety upgrades after I said a local host had an encounter with a verified guest that turned out to be a known violent felon.

Sigh. I did the "verified ID" for a host through Airbnb - took 2 seconds. So how much "verification" does that do for a new user?

[Colleen253]

 @Christine615 “a local host had an encounter with a verified guest that turned out to be a known violent felon.”

This happened to me as well, almost two years ago. Verification on this platform is meaningless. In a sick twist on the story, about a year later, Airbnb required me to go through the verification process myself, or be delisted. This, after more than proving myself to be who I say I am, and having hosted hundreds of people, and amassing nothing but 5 star reviews. It’s ok, I get it, but I mean, really…..

 I’ve learned to take full control of the vetting process for all prospective guests, and do the very best I can with all the tricks I’ve learned, but of course Airbnb limits me, and it’s extremely difficult. No one has anything to worry about when they stay at my listing, but to this day I experience a level of anxiety with all new guests. 

PS, I can still see the profile of the person I had the encounter with, despite them supposedly having been ‘dealt with’. I’ve taken it up with Airbnb, but get the usual nonsense answers. Of course.

[Sam4375]

I have no idea how they verify... a guest stayed and smoked crack in bed!! 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Sam4375 I  am not sure there is a verification process anywhere that would stop smoking cracking bed.

[Sam4375]

haha, I suppose; but she wasn't who she said she was, that's for certain.

[Sarah977]

@Christine615  I've always assumed that the only thing verified ID means is that the driver's license or passport, etc. that you use is valid- not expired or reported stolen. 

Most of my guests have had verified ID, some haven't, and I've never paid any attention to it.

[Mary419]

I want to talk about it too. I definitely felt the random strong/long reach of the "black box" trust and safety team a few times... because of stuff I reported (example a guest who did not like my apartment who told me he was leaving so I refunded him but he was still there when I went to check out his fake complaints and he ended up shouting at me with my 5 year old child there  standing next to me) or stuff guests tried to report about my listings (complaints not valid like saying they were not safe because of owner living separately above the apartment as disclosed in listing).

Then there were the many canceled bookings even some that had been on the calendar for over 2 weeks and already had ALL MY ACCESS INSTRUCTIONS because they were canceled the day of arrival 

Overall I gathered they could do whatever they wanted... I always felt like it was luck of the draw if it came out in your favor... and I suspected they were randomly paying off more people to keep quiet than just the party shootings I knew about over the last 6-7 years. 

I wonder how many false accusations will be popping up now to get this money they have been shelling out

[Donata12]

@Mary419

i agree with you.

this Trust and Safety Team did the same to me with no rights or excuses. They have an immense power and even supervisors don t know how to contact them or where they are. And because they  are so secretive and Not reachable they do hold a power that, given to bullies, doesn’t do any good. For this reason even if they do make a mistake, and in my case a big one, they are not even touched. Because nobody knows who they are or where they are.

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Christine615 @Sarah977 

I've always had the impression that "verified ID" means absolutely nothing......  and to be honest, I haven't verified my own ID to begin with because I think it's a total waste of time. I'm more than happy to show ID to a host in person during check in and I've never cared whether my guests had ID verification or not. 

[Sarah977]

@Jessica-and-Henry0  Haha, I have no verified ID on my account either. I don't recall even being asked for that or there being a place for it back when I signed up to host in late 2016, because I was diligent about filling out everything. 

I've never traveled as a guest, and figured I'd have to upload it or not get accepted, but it seems it hasn't been an issue for you. Good to know.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Jessica & Henry I don’t care for their verification either, I verify all my guests personally 🙂

[Don-and-Lori0]

Verified means valid ID and good credit card😃