Shame on AirBnB

[Duane-and-Barbara0]

AirBnB discriminates against people that do not have the latest tech devices.

AirBnB discriminates against people that live in areas without cell phone reception.

AirBnB discriminates against people that do not have a smart phone.

AirBnB discriminates against people that only use a landline.

AirBnB discriminates against people that do not text.

AirBnB discriminates against people that do not have a computer or similar device with a camera.

AirBnB discriminates against people that cannot understand foreign accents.

AirBnB discriminates against older people that can pay, but do not have the devices to book a reservation.

Tried to  book a reservation but could not due to lack of camera attached to a device. Sad...

[Emiel1]

@Duane-and-Barbara0,

Just curious why you need a camera to book a reservation ?

i noticed in your profile you booked reservations before.

Also your profile has ID verified, so why the camera ?

Best regards,

Emiel

[Duane-and-Barbara0]

So true...but they have changed the procedure for booking.  Now the person booking needs to take a photo of themselves in order to proceed with the reservation.  They want you to use the app or cell phone to take the photo.  We do not have a device to do so.  So even though we have booked this particular place twice before and the host would love to have us back, we cannot book.   We were there in April, but ABB has since changed their procedure.  Sad...

Therefore, we have now hidden our listing - too much of a hassle for travelers.  There has to be a better way. 

[Duane-and-Barbara0]

I might add that not everyone has a smart phone, particuarly if you live in the middle of nowhere and there is limited cell service.  And our computers are old and do not have a built-in camera.  So frustrating that AirBnB discrimnates like this.  

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Duane-and-Barbara0

ok I understand you couldn't book... but why you delisted your listings? Other people can book your place... at least those with camera 🙂

And it is strange ... I booked through airbnb (for the first time ) an apartment few weeks ago without any problem. I am Airbnb host for 2,5 years now. They didn't ask me for a new photo. I just booked.

[Duane-and-Barbara0]

That is interesting that you were able to book without a photo.  Maybe it is something really new.  Maybe it is because I delete cookies once a week.  I could easily upload a photo from my desktop, but they want a photo taken within minutes of making payment.  They do not want an uploaded photo, but one that is taken thru the app or smart phone.  Do you participate in using the AirBnB app?  If so, maybe that is the reason they did not require a photo since data on you is already stored by using the app.  

The reason I have chosen to de-list (actually snooze for now) is that I would prefer not to use a middleman for booking.  I have been in this business since 1995, so have had a lot of success of doing things on my own.  And given this latest experience, it strengthened my feelings about middlemen.   The middleman phenomena will sooner than later cause us to sell.  But both my husband and I are older,  so we are very much used to doing things on our own.  

[Robin4]

@Duane-and-Barbara0

Hey, I totally understand your frustration Duane....or Barbara, but we humans are an evolving species, and as time goes by we adapt to live with the advances we have acheived.

Many businesses only operate because of progress.

There would be no television stations without the invention of TV!

You would not apply to be a taxi driver if you did not have a Taxi driving licence! 

The entire travel industry operates around contactability and Airbnb are no different.

Airbnb requires you to have certain 'tools' in order to use the service and if you are not prepared to equip yourself with those tools, I am afraid you should look for another way of achieving what you want to achieve.

Yes, in order to use Airbnb, you are required to have at least......a computer or a smart phone, preferable each. You are required to receive SMS. You are required to have cellular reception. Without these, the platform just could not run, and millions of people would be disadvantaged

Please don't blame Airbnb because they won't work with you in your world!

If you care to use them you must work with them in their (our) world.

And where you are having issues with the picture bit. You can join Airbnb with a phone number and email address but, you cannot book until you have provided Airbnb with a photo that is a verifyable likeness of yourself such as a drivers licence or a passport photo.

This is required to prove you are who you say you are and all hosts require this protection when using Airbnb.

Cheers......Rob

[Mark116]

But, airbnb has just said they are no longer going to mandate photos for guests, it will be up to the host to ask for a photo and then for the guest to agree or not to upload a photo, so this idea that photos are a necessary part of the trust community is no longer valid, airbnb does not require photos of guests to book as of their notice a few weeks ago.  

[Duane-and-Barbara0]

They have my driver's license.  But they want another current photo for immediate verification and I have no device for which I can take an immediate photo.  I could upload a photo, but that will not work.  My computer cannot take photos and I have no smart phone, since it would be pointless and a waste of money given where we live.    

Yes, I agree times are changing, but there are those that live in the middle of nowhere with flip cell phones.  Not everyone has new devices because they simply don't need them nor can they use them due to their local.  We have two mac computers and you would think that would be enough to do business.

So they will get what they deserve - no business and the host loses out.  It is a shame since we have stayed there twice before and she commented that we left the place so clean that she did not even know that someone had been there.   

[Duane-and-Barbara0]

Might also add that this is what I am getting at.  They discriminate against older people that do not use all these various devices - just a basic computer.  And the reason they don't have these devices is because these devices do not work in their location which is in the boonies.  It's an age and location sort of discrimination.   

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Duane-and-Barbara0yes, I use Airbnb app  for more then 2,5 years.

Deleting cookies has nothing to do with this,  we all have to clean our computers regulary.

[Duane-and-Barbara0]

We do not use the ABB app, so maybe that is the difference.  We use a Mac computer.  NO smart phone can be used realiably in our location so pointless to spend the money.  We use Safari and Google.  No apps on "devices"  since we don't have devices...

[Duane-and-Barbara0]

I might also add that we use NO apps.  We value our privacy, so no apps and no reward cards.  Again, we are older and should be able to make a choice relative to privacy.  

[Inna22]

@Duane-and-Barbara0 

so how would you expect a smart phone app to conduct business on a land line?

Kramer style "why don’t you tell me what movie you would like to see?"

And the foreign accent? You realize you have a foreign accent too? You probably mean CS but trust me, you would not know what they are talking about even if they were no ascent. Mainly because usually they do not know what they are talking about themselves

[Duane-and-Barbara0]

We have landline.  We do not have cellphone coverage in our area - no choice.  So you would not be able to conduct app business.  But that is my point.  They are discriminating against those that do not have a smart phone, which means that we can no longer use AirBnB and to book reservations.  

As for the foreign accent...I was on the phone with CS and got someone with a foreign accent for which I could not understand what they were saying.  So I asked the person to transfer me to someone that did not have an accent and they said - sorry - good bye.  I called back and got someone with an American accent - if there is such a thing.  But they also could not help me as they said I need a smart phone or camera on my computer to take a photo.  I hung up as I could not believe what I was hearing.  Both my husband and I are 70ish.  So that means we can no longer use AirBnB because we choose to use a flip phone because of our remote location and have older Macs that do not have a camera?  Unbelievable!