Strange string of request

[Elisabeth40]

I recently started getting a string of some strange reservation requests. It’s always start like that: “ I see on your picture you have multiple couches in this room.” Or “ I see you mention a dog in your listing” or “ I read you are not allowing to use the bathroom” I’m slowly getting upset, is this a new scam ? Because there clearly no multiple couches on my listings, I only host 1 person in this room, I also don’t have pets and I also don’t tell people when to use the restroom, indeed I think everyone is entitled to use the bathroom as much the want too. What is this about this type of texting? When people claim to see or read something in your listing but it’s not true? Why are they doing it? I never had this before. It’s also upsetting and quiet scary to accept a guest if they read or see something what not there. As if they are trying me to proof to them something. And it starts always the same way. When I ask them to show me the passage or copy paste the picture they are reading or seeing this not existing things, they cannot do that but go on with that talk. I must be honest it’s very upsetting. It’s scary because the guest could tell you said to them something what you didn’t, they can accuse you of not delivering something you did. I just don’t want to keep up with this type of made up accusation and things, constantly being on edge to proof that I don’t and I haven’t. And why are those so many requests in this manners? That must be a scam 

[Anonymous]

@Elisabeth40  Are these Requests or Inquiries? 

[Elisabeth40]

Those were requests but couple of them in the same manner. It starts  always like that: “I read your listing says that …. “ or “I see on your pictures that you have multiple couches” or “ I read the rule with bathroom usage” 

the point is: I don’t have a rule for bathroom usage and never had, I believe every person is entitled to use the restroom when they need and how often they want and need too. I also have no pictures of multiple couches, I also don’t have multiple couches here. I always ask them to point me to this specific passages and pics where they saw or read it and one potential guest even responded with, I sent you an image here where you can see multiple couches, but he never sent me this image ! And with the bathroom the guest just went on without pointing the specific passage and asked to specific time they can use the restroom. I host for so long and I’m trying to be very very accurate in my listing description as I can. First of I thought, maybe I made a mistake? With the bathroom? But as another request came in and said I have multiple couches on the pictures, I definitely knew I don’t have, because I only have one couch! 

I must say it makes me uncomfortable to even take on this bookings because if the conversation starts with an imaginary accusation and I need to proof what I even never advertised, imagine what else can a guest claim when staying here. I just don’t want to keep up with this type of characters. 

and why multiple requests in that manners? 
Im wondering if there is maybe a new scam out here? I survived couple scams though out the years, I just developed a strong shut down mechanism when potential guest approach me so strange. Why just not say: “ I want to make sure I’m the only person sleeping there” or “ I want to make sure I can access the restroom at any time I want and need too” 

why so strange ?! 

[Anonymous]

@Elisabeth40  Strange indeed. I've never had an Acceptance Rate over 80%, because I've had to decline a lot of weird requests. If someone's communication doesn't inspire my confidence and trust, I'm not willing to hand them the keys to my house. 

But most of the time if someone's trying on an organized scam, you get an inquiry rather than a request. Weird requests often turn out to be people who didn't read the listing. Or maybe they weren't good communicators, or had language barriers. Whatever the reason, I don't think a homestay host should ever feel obliged to accept a booking when the correspondence isn't working out.

[Elisabeth40]

@Anonymous @My god Andrew, do you know what this could be, I’m sitting here and breaking my head about this, I think I finely understood: do you think it’s a translator issue? Going through these texts, I don’t see that the guest used the integrated translator here on Airbnb, but it could be possible that my listing was maybe translated automatically into other languages in a very odd way?! And maybe the guest is using his own translator they type into first, if I do not see any translator operator on my end?! Are we being both here, me and the guest, victims of a bad automatic translator? Maybe it translates to them the term “three seater couch” as  “3 couches” and “clean your hair out of the bath tub” as “hairy situation with toilet usage” I don’t know. I must say I feel harassed by this translator then, because every request starts with a heavy duty accusation of undermining human right almost. I’m always so in shock as if someone is accusing me of a murderer. I perceive it as equally to “I hear you killed someone”, “I read I cannot use the restroom”. And I’m thinking my god, does this person really believes he cannot pee if he needs too? How awful I must sound! How the hell do I disprove it’s wrong if he/she claims it’s written there! I get so careful by this accusations and think, ok the guest is even not booked yet, what are they might going to tell me, if they are here! There is just such miscommunication, that I cannot even imagine to constantly deal with this heavy duty accusation. Imagine someone can claim the most insane inhumane stuff and all of the sudden it’s about human right!!! If this is a translator issue, then we are both poor people. 

[Elisabeth40]

But NO, the guest is “seeing three couches on a picture” not reading -“seeing” 

[Helen744]

@Elisabeth40 could be a couple of things , most likely a translation device gone wrong. put in other meanings and see what you can figure out . Couches may have been Beds for instance.Bathrooms may be kitchen. This would also account for the lack of reponse. Ask some simple questions like . Where do you live?. What language do you speak? . When are you travelling? and see if you get a reasonable response . If not report them and block them and move on . Also if they send anything coded or ask to go off the platform . H

[Anonymous]

@Elisabeth40   Oh it's true, the auto-translator really does render some listings incomprehensible, and hosts in destinations like ours - which attract a lot of international tourists - surely get a disproportionate share of guests who aren't native English speakers and browse with the translator on. It's not really an Airbnb-specific problem, since any site can be auto-translated within a browser using the same tool that Airbnb integrates for convenience.

Anyway, no matter what the cause of the misunderstanding was, I seriously doubt that a guest who felt compelled to ask about your sofa count was going to be anything but trouble. 

[Z-2]

@Elisabeth40  It could be a scam as they might want to send you a scam link (to prove what they said) and you click on it. But Airbnb won't allow them sending you any link though. So it do look strange.

[Elisabeth40]

@Z-2 @
I have multiple of this requests. First time I thought it’s the translator issue, because I know that translators don’t pick up all expressions. They are also very robotic sounding. Plus it was about the not existing toilet time usage rule”. When you have a huge miscommunication and interpretation problem with the guest, I’m scared to run into the problem to have an upset guest, who is quietly maybe unhappy, so it’s difficult. The second request came from a guest from Texas, his English was excellent. But this time, it was the same style of accusation text, just about, he saw multiple couches on my photos. 
Now I am thinking maybe it’s someone very angry about his Airbnb experience. As longer the time passes, as more I feel, yes, it’s a scam. Some sort of harassment scam, I will never know, hard to tell or guess. As longer I do Airbnb as more I use automatic pre written responses. Usually I get always the same questions, but the point is also, why does someone starts a request with accusations? Actually it reminded me on a zoom meeting scam pretty much, as I went to zoom meeting during pandemic, we would have participants who would all of the sudden scream out of nowhere some strange stuff such as “what is it all about? This meeting is not designed to interact, I need to listen too much!” This were actually real people who scared because we even could ask them, why they are unhappy and they were responding with “what do you mean!” They popped up to different zoom meeting too and said the same same thing. This is how I feel here. 

[Z-2]

@Elisabeth40  I had some scam inquiries from VRBO. It’s always start with some obvious questions, such as if xxxx date is available (there is calendar shows it’s available), or they are interested in your house, if need deposit? Some text which you can see it could generate by machine. They are all new members. Before I don’t know the trick and reply their questions and thanks for their inquiry. Then wait a few days, they will follow up with real scam messages, such as their company will pay, give you their contact information and ask you contact them. Now, I just simply reply “No” (to avoid reduce my response rate). Then there is no follow up. The first message just for testing you. If you show interest, they will follow. But in your case, it could be a real guest. If they are not first timer and have reviews, it could be real, if not, it could be a scam.

[Elisabeth40]

@Z-2 

The other platform you named, omg I was there too, receive one booking, after the guest booked, he sent me text, “I hope you are included in the booking”. You know how fast I was calling their service help center to cancel the booking. There is a lot sophisticated scam, the past two month I must admit I do very bad even distinguishing scams from reality, and I’m using a lot online zoom meetings for book readings and hiking, I attended over 700 meetings during the pandemic. The scams get better, even when you go through appointment making with a computer, it’s almost realistic sometimes. 

[Z-2]

@Elisabeth40  I thought VRBO is only for whole house. They might have changed. Yes. Seems VRBO have more scam inquiries. But most real guests are good. VRBO is more easier to cancel though. Seem like they don't have any cancellation penalty.

[Elisabeth40]

@Z-2 @Yes, they are now, but many years ago they allowed rooms on it too, they changed their policy, sometimes I’m scrolling three their listings and I find many many shared places 🙂 but I’m happy with Airbnb, I know on vrbo you get more money for your place, but I like to fit all the rules. 

[Z-2]

I also like Airbnb. Most of my reservations come from Airbnb.