What airbnb told me regarding ID verification

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Becky19
Level 2
Champaign, IL

What airbnb told me regarding ID verification

After 1 phone call asking about a potential guest being hesitant to verify her ID I was told by the first airbnb staff memeber I spoke to that "even if the credit card information goes through, the reservation would be eventually cancelled untill or unless ID was verfied". I informed the guest and she said she would get back to me tomorrow and due to the time restraints I told her I would cancel and block the days until she decided if she wanted to book or confirm her ID due to "fears of Identity theft". The folllowing day the guest said, "I booked somewhere else that didn't require ID. I again told her what I was told and of course wished her the best, but immediately I called airbnb, this time a different explanation, apparantly, "A GUEST WITHOUT A VERIFIED ID MAY BE ABLE/IS ABLE TO BOOK A FEW TIMES BEFORE THEY ARE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE ID VERIFICATION". This was not the same information provided to me the first time. I just wanted other hosts to know that airbnb is working towards making everyone ID VERIFIED, however, if this situation happens to you maybe this information will be valuable.

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Stephanie
Community Manager
Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

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28 Replies 28

@Becky19  Thanks for sharing! 

 

I feel confident saying that I'm sure a lot of people will agree that Airbnb REALLY needs to work on consistency. And need to follow their own rules. Seriously! Personally, I think their lack of consistency is a bigger problem than their non-existent customer support 🙂 

@Becky19 - I want to assuage your fears.  If your personal ID is verified (which yours is) and you have Instant Book turned on (which you do) with the requirement the guest be fully verified before booking turned on (guessing you do have this requirement), the guest will not be able to complete a reservation without it.  This is an automated process built into the software  and despite what the second help center person told you, would not apply to the above conditions and would prevent the guest from booking with you.  There is no "override" and Airbnb will not approve a guest on your behalf that does not meet your criteria.  This violates their Terms of Service.

However, a guest may be able to book a "few times" before they have their profile verified as long as they are booking at locations that do not require a verified ID. Again, this is an automated process, no one is looking at each and every reservation unless there is a problem.  The second call center person was only partially correct and definitely misleading.  

In all fairness, you probably dodged a bullet with this guest because anyone who doesn't trust and become verified is, in my opinion, already a problem guest. What do they have to hide? A criminal background.  Of the 4 or 5 my requesting guests who couldn't get verified or wouldn't, some online sleuthing resulted in mug shots each and every time.  One guest it took 3 days because she had been arrested twice and they had to verify it was for DUI and not something more sinister.  Chinese verifications take longer because they don't have Facebook or LinkedIn, but getting verified requires their passport.  

In the future, these links may help to explain Verified ID to a guest and how it is used at Airbnb.  When a guest is hedging, this information seems to soothe the anxiety. 

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1237/how-does-providing-identification-on-airbnb-work

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/4/how-does-airbnb-help-build-trust-between-hosts-and-guests

https://www.airbnb.com/terms/privacy_policy

@Alice-and-Jeff0I didn't have any fears I was just giving information for the community per Airbnb employees but thanks anyways! Also, I've done this over a year and have learned soooo much but I simply wanted to bring this info up to any hosts. I don't except people unless verified, but if I'm given incorrect info from the company I feel it should be shared and thanks for the links. ignore my typos! 🙂

@Alice-and-Jeff0@Becky19 I have a guest from Paris with me now.as with all my European guests, they arrive with their passports open.

im embarrassed to look at them.its just the way it has been done on this side of the pond for years.

just my two cents.

 

I have a guest asking to stay at my house and they do not have verification or any reviews.  He provided his daughters name to check her reviews.  Is there a way that I can do that?

Begs the question how are her reviews relevant to him if he is the one doing the booking.

David

@Jay155Ask him to provide it, ID verification, or have his daughter make her own profile.  I do not accept anyone unless they are verified or have several reviews.

@Jay155Ask him to provide it, ID verification, or have his daughter make her own profile.  I do not accept anyone unless they are verified or have several reviews. Also who is it him who is staying? If so he should have no issue verifying his ID

Thank you Becky!

Hi....I must ask this, though.  This is the first time that I am booking through Airbnb.  I have entered all of the info that they required to book....first and last name, phone number, payment information and uploaded a profile picture AND also uploaded my drivers license, front and back.  NOW....they are asking me to upload  yet ANOTHER photo....only giving me the choice to webcam it????  Honestly?  I am all for complying with security but this is getting ridiculous.  Airbnb doesnt allow your profile picture to be seen until the booking goes through....and THAT would be your photo to use against your picuture ID to verify that its actually you.  I mean, honestly, there is absolutely no reason that you cannot even view someones profile photo until booking goes through.....you can even see someones profile photo on fb if you are not friends with then....just not anything on their page.  So now, I am an honest person trying to book a trip and cant because of this one thing that i dont think is even necessary....I mean come on....they already have my ID and credit card info??

 

 

@Judith801 

I was literally in tears trying to upload photos that were getting declined for days. I messaged airbnb and all they could say was to try to upload the photo again. I even asked if there were requirements for the photos because there are no instructions on photo requirements and then they ended my chat saying someone else would get back to me about that. I have never used airbnb because someone else has always booked trips with them. Honestly, at this point I think I am just going to give up and book a hotel or vrbo. which really stinks because that obviously limits my options but they just will not allow me to make an account. 

I think you're making a big assumption here. I came across this discussion thread when searching around after AirBNB asked me to re-upload my driver's license, front and back. I have already done this, but I covered my driver's license number, but that wasn't good enough. I will never upload my full driver's license information to airbnb. It's not because I have anything "to hide", it's because I don't trust them to protect this information sufficiently from hackers. I also think it's reasonable to be skeptical that they would never abuse it or sell it, but the main risk is them being hacked and the subsequent identity theft. Requesting and storing this level of personal information just makes them a bigger target. I think you have it backwards; anybody providing such information to airbnb is being naive about the state of internet security at most internet companies.

Absolutely! AND, worse... I'm a NYC host. We are required by AirBnb to provide our personal ID for renting (They don't tell you this upfront...They wait until you are already using their system to shut you down until you submit your ID).  Now that AirBnB has all our information stored in their database, they are required by NYC law to reveal it all to "the authorities" in early 2019! This is a very serious privacy threat and total friggin' nightmare!

Well stated.