guests who ask to go off the Airbnb app

[Ann287]

I had this guest who worked me to death with questions, and even veered off the AirBnb menu to give me her cell phone number, at which point she began texting with me privately - I kept steering her back to Airbnb, and she would text me privately.  After a couple of days of this dance, she booked, and hammered me with more questions.   And then three weeks later, abruptly cancelled on me.  So. Much. Hassle.  Is there a way to get this guest banned from Airbnb - or at least warn other hosts?  Sure wish there was a way to protect my fellow hosts from guests like this:

Canceled by guest

Kathleen

The Roost, A tiny house with lots of room!

Feb 25 – Mar 7 (10 nights)
2 guests, 0 infants, 0 pets · $0.00

[Sarah977]

@Ann287  No, there's no way to get her banned or warn others, except to post a warning about her on a local Facebook hosting group. 

Took a quick look at your profile and see that you are an experienced host. I guess you've not run into this sort of thing before, though.

If it were me, I would disengage with a guest like this, not waste my time with her. Someone who bombards you with endless questions and keeps trying to communicate off platform is a huge red flag.  I would have told her that you don't think your place will be a good fit for her, and stopped communicating, blocked her number on my phone and clicked on the report flag and said she was harrrassing you.  

I guess she instant booked after all that? You didn't accept her request, did you?

Sometimes hosts will block a day in the middle of the dates an objectionable guest requested for a few days so they can't book.

You can still report her to Airbnb. Tell them she kept insisting on communicating off-platform, they hate that. They won't likely ban her, but they'll probably make a note of the report on her account.

[Ann287]

Never had run into this before and will report her to Airbnb.  The Off-platform communication was offputting.  Thank you Sarah! Muchas Gracias!

[Huma0]

@Ann287 

Maybe you already tried this, but if a potential guest keeps trying to communicate with me off platform, I tell them not only that it's against Airbnb policy but that I could get delisted and they banned from the platform. That usually works.

You can't get her banned (only Airbnb will decide on that and they seem to leave some pretty shady guest and host profiles up), but you could go to the message thread and click on the little flag next to any message that where she tried to suggest communicating off platform and report her.

You can also block guests, although I think you have to select the option where it says they are being offensive in order to do that. Once you have blocked someone, they apparently can't communicate or book with you, so that's one way to get rid of a guest who you don't like the sound of and you fear may instant book.

[Helen3]

Why would you give a guest that bombarded you with questions and tried to book off platform you contact number @Ann287 ?

The best way to avoid this sort of situation is a) don't give her your number b) flag the guest with Airbnb when she suggests direct booking and ask them to block her so she can't book