An Enquiry that also turned into a request to pick them up from hospital?

[Ros0]

All

I just want to run this by you - I just had an enquiry - started innocuously enough - wanting 11 days and if I would be prepared to offer a discount (I already do and it already had adjusted it accordingly).

Then... 'I will be in hospital the day before I am staying at yours and doctirs suggested it would be a good idea for someone to collect/meet me - if you could meet me there and we can uber it back to yours (offered extra £50 for the trouble).

Then said if I COULDN'T - he would have to pay for a nurse for 4 hours who would have the be at the house for that time.

This just sounded a little full on for the offer of a spare room!

I decided to decline for a couple of reasons.

1) The prospect of meeting someone I don't know, getting an uber back and them being drowsy from a post-op procedure sounds WAY over what you would expect from renting out a spare room

2) If there were complications then arising from the anaesthesia - who is liable? 

I feel a real heel for declining... but something just sounded a little off.

I also had a bit of a timewaster that wanted a month, wanted to come view the place ahead of time (which for a month stay I thought was actually pretty reasonable) and then never turned up. Apparently HE was at the hospital with no signal (when I asked him when he was an hour late if he was still coming over) and then miraculously got a signal when I chose to decline that.

[Helen3]

Hi Ros

I used to live in Richmond - such a lovely area.

I think you were spot on in terms of turning down this booking. Why on earth would someone want to come straight from having a hospital op to stay in AirBnB?  He should be staying with family and friends to recuperate.  Please don't feel like a heel - you did the right thing.

In terms of having someone visit before they book. Please don't do this. It is a safety risk for you and against BnB's rules. Someone can get all the information they need from your listing, photos and the BnB messaging system.

Good luck with your hosting.

[Ros0]

Hi Helen - thank you for that bit of advice - I thought it was odd at the time but I was away working, and for the prospect of a month it seemed reasonable (person was starting a new job with a month's trial so sounded feasible) although... now I look back afterwards he wanted to know if I would extend the period afterwards for straight cash and I said I would prefer it to all go through AirBnB and funnily enough I heard nothing more before he didn't turn up!

A good note for next time. And hopefully no more strange requests for a while...!

[Roy-And-Patti0]

that inquiry had more red flags than a bullfight. you were so right in declining

[C-C0]

Funny, Roy and Patti! And so true! Just remember--Airbnb is not a pop quiz to see how many things you can say yes to! Say no 90% of the time. I say no 100% of the time. Just no. And Next!

[Ros0]

in fairness.. I was not saying yes to everything. Also I didn't see anything in the Trust and Safety part of the help Centre that expressly says viewing a place is wrong and for a longer term (1 month) stay it seemed reasonable... But of course the kid ruined it afterwards by wanting to circumvent AirBnB altogether which I did refuse.  But now I know not to do that so all good.

My other refusal was some,one who  wanted to stay for a wedding in the park then wanted  his brother to stay so I told him he would have to cancel and rebook so it was charged correctly (also wanted to pay cash), then proceeded to tell me I couldn't disturb him if I was working early in the Sunday because he was getting back late and had a long drive. I took the hit to my profile and cancelled that one.

something interesting i noticed about Hospital guy. When he initially applied, his profile described a

him as an Interior Designer from London. Now it says Student from Sweden!!! 

[Ilan1]

In the past, I was also contacted by potential guest who asked me if a third person could visit the apartment in advance. There were a couple strange things about that profile. Fortunately, I politely declined. After two months, the same user contacted me again as if I were completely unknown. Very odd.

If there is something against the rules or strange, better stay away from it. You did right.

[Alice-and-Jeff0]

We live near a major hospital and have had a few folks inquire about staying post-surgery since they have to go back to the doctor repeatedly after a major event.  One guest wanted to stay for almost 6 weeks after a liver transplant.... um, no! Imagine the hassle/smell/gross things in your garbage of a stranger being sick in your house 24/7 while recovering from a major invasive proceedure?  Maybe lying on your couch with their draining sucture bag (gah!).  When my husband has a little cold I want to pull my hair out let alone some post-surgical stranger - people are not at their best when they are sick.   And if you have to collect them from the hospital, will you have to be their nursemaid too... running to the pharmacy to get drugs and bandages and god knows what else!?  You were absolutely right to decline this request!