"I want to pay you half price off of the platform"

[Laura2592]

Every day brings a new adventure! I got an inquiry from a guest with a very long detailed email on their bio/interests which 1) requested days that are already booked and 3) wanted to pay me half of my already low nightly rate "off of the platform." The guest claimed a very lucrative profession but said that was all they could afford. This wasn't even a consideration as the days are blocked but wow! Has anyone had this sort of inquiry? I would of course not entertain this for a second. It looked like a legit proflle with other reviews. The inquiry read a bit like I should be honored to host this individual with a long list of professional and personal accomplishments (and happy to do so at half price....)

[Pat271]

After saying “No”, I wouldn’t waste my already-limited brain cycles even thinking about this person.

[Laura2592]

@Pat271  LOL yes and my poor brain cells are depleting more each day 🙂 I just wondered if this had happened to anyone else or if this is some kind of scam.

[Pat271]

Nah, it just sounds like a narcissist to me.

[Robin4]

@Laura2592 

This guy obviously has an Airbnb profile Laura, report him immediately!

Airbnb do not like others 'cutting their lunch', you can rest assured they will deal with him quickly. He won't get the opportunity to try that one again!

I mentioned in another thread, I did receive a pre-approval request from a guest who asked if I would send him a special offer as an inducement to book with me.  As I said in the other thread, I declined the opportunity faster than a freight train rattling through a country siding!

Cheers.....Rob

[Laura2592]

@Robin4 I will! Didn't think about that.

[Sarah977]

@Laura2592 @Robin4  I haven't had too many trying to get me to book off-platform, but when I have, I do report them. Airbnb doesn't seem to care if guests throw house-wrecking parties or submit reviews full of lies, but they do definitely care about users circumventing paying Airbnb fees!

[Amanda660]

I once had a host  contact me trying to make an off platform booking.  He was really insistent but I told him no way.  

[Colleen253]

@Laura2592  OMG. Let's all take just a moment and be thankful to the STR gods that this guest came in with his bright red flag (s) flying in the wind, so you could run the other way. Thank you, next! 

[Dimitar27]

You are lucky. All the time people are asking me to act as a money laundry - to accept reservation for 500-600$/night and then to send that money back to them, keeping 20% for me.

I can understand them. Corporate employees, probably underpayed, trying "legally" to steel some money from the big company, they are working for. It's a common practice. But ABB is just not the right place for this.

[Mike-And-Helen0]

@Dimitar27 there's a right place for this?!

[Dimitar27]

Mmm...Officially -no. Unofficially- it's a really wide spread practice.

[Susan17]

Actually, @Dimitar27 - the most prolific money launderers feel that Airbnb is the perfect place to be. Here are just some of the ways they're doing it.. 

**[Content removed in line with - Community Center Guidelines]

[Dimitar27]

Here, they prefer the construction sector, real estate and retail.

[Christine1081]

I direct everybody to the site for pricing and don't even get into lengthy conversations about such things. I've had people ask for discounts and I've had people ask to pay and not use the site and I always go back to the protection of the system. And yes it's a new experience every day which makes it fun.