Inappropriate profile Photo

[Cherie65]

Is this an appropriate profile pic?Hi Airbnb Hosts, 

 I am a 63 year and have been hosting for 5 years. This is a first! 

The profile pic seemed highly inappropriate for use as a profile photo. It doesn’t help me in identifying the guest when she arrives, it does little to assure me that she will be a responsible, mature guest. 

I messaged the guest explaining how a facial pic helps to establish trust and connectivity. I used Airbnb’s words - they describe the significance of a profile photo so well. I quipped at the end of my message ..the only way I can identify you when you arrive is to see your bellybutton, which would  make me very uncomfortable.
Her reply was “ i have no problem with you identifying me that way”.

The photo and her response is really a first for me!

I feel uncomfortable with the listing.

I need to know if I am being rational! Thanks

[Anthony608]

@Cherie65- You are quite correct to be suspicious.  Someone who would knowingly create a profile like that, intentionally hiding their face, probably had bad intentions.  A normal person, using AirBNB for traveling and business to other cities, would simply have a standard profile picture of their face.  There is no reason to do what that person did, other than the fact that they did not want to be identified with the profile or have their face tied to this AirBNB profile.  That is a *huge* red flag.

I use Instant Book and have about 200 visits to the home over the past two years.  Only a very small number were shady and suspicious; of those, perhaps two or three were profiles of a cartoon or a picture of a building was shown, or something like that.

Of the no-profile pic people, only two or three people who had ulterior motives and did in fact cause problems during their stay.  I investigated selecting the option to only accept reservations from verified profile pics, but it was buried pretty far down in the settings and seemed like it could backfire with people who legitimately just hadn't uploaded a pic of themselves.  In the end, if problems arise, I just give a bad review so future hosts will know to beware.

[Cherie65]

@Anthony608

I totally agree: there are profile pic standards -why not comply?!