Book appartment

[Shako-0]

Hi,

i have some strange situation. I am trying to book house in Amsterdam. owner asks to write booking dates in the email [Email Hidden] and i received answer i don't understand at all. please see below:

  Please send us the link of the rental in order to verify if the property is open for the special program Last Minute Deal 20% discount.

Thank you

on Wed, Jun 29, 2016 at 3:46 AM, [Personal Information Hidden] > wrote:

Hi Rajesh,

We are friends from Georgia and we like your apartment and want to rent it. Is It free for this dates?

Regards,

Archil

[Bridget0]

Hard for me to understand but if you are trying to book a place on Airbnb do NOT do anything outside of the Airbnb website or app. Sometimes crooks try to make you think they are on Airbnb and will take your money.

i don't understand your situation but please only use the Airbnb website.

[Shako-0]

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/13707387?guests=4&s=5PLCi7mz&check_in=2016-07-14&check_out=2016-

They recon that they can't update calendar and ask to send booking dates by mail. There is something wrong with this page. And Airbnb should find out and if necessary delete them.

[Andrea9]

@Shako-0

This is an illegal listing. They have posted contact information on an image so that guests go around the system.

If you book, then you will have no Airbnb guarantee whatsoever.

Also, the legal amount of guests allowed in a home are only 4. So this host is operating illegally also.

[Christine1]

A group response would be appropriate.

We can all follow the link given above by Shanko, and report/flag the listing.

They are are not acting in the spirit of Airbnb, they are simply posting their listing on the site with no intention of being Airbnb hosts. This is clear from their inclusion of their email splashed across the picture.

Anyone staying via their email contact will not be  an Airbnb guest, that would be a delusion.

The listing sits on the Airbnb site-just like an illegal poster in the neighbourhood, they contribute nothing to maintaining the site/service and have no right to be there.

Lets act to flag and remove this listing and do the same anytime you see a similar listing on the Airbnb platform.

Your feedback is welcome.

#: (

[Andrea9]

I already flagged it yesterday.

It's these kind of listings that often make Airbnb look bad in the media, and thus reputations of all of us other hosts who operate within regulations.

Important to report any phishing scams!

[Christine1]

https://www.airbnb.com.au/help/article/199/what-should-i-do-if-someone-asks-me-to-pay-outside-of-the...

Also taken from the FAQ_Help guides, this is what Airbnb have to say on this matter: 

What should I do if someone asks me to pay outside of the Airbnb website?

Airbnb will never ask you to pay off-site or through email. If someone messages you on Airbnb and asks you to contact them off-site to arrange payment details, don't respond, report it to us instead.

Report requests for off-site payment

If a host on the Airbnb site asks you to pay off-site, report it to us by flagging the message—just look for the flag icon in your message thread.

If you receive a personal email from anyone (including an automated@airbnb.com or any other username@airbnb.com email address) asking you to pay or accept payment off-site, report it to safety@airbnb.com immediately.

You won't receive a paper or PDF invoice from a host or from Airbnb asking you for payment. Any of the following key words and similar terms should be immediately flagged or avoided: Western Union, MoneyGram, cashier's check, money order, Liberty Reserve.

Types of scams

Never share your email address before a booking is accepted or transfer funds outside the Airbnb system, and always carefully examine emails claiming to be from Airbnb. Examples of common scams include:

• Advance Fee Scam: A type of scam in which an individual offers money or another reward in exchange for you transferring money through various payment services outside of Airbnb.
• Phishing Scam: A type of scam in which someone will send an email or link that is made to look like it's from Airbnb or another trusted site. These messages are designed to trick you into providing confidential information—such as passwords or other email addresses—and may contain malware, which is malicious software that gains access to your computer to gather your personal information, including passwords.
• Travel Scam: A type of scam in which someone will encourage you to secure your "too good to be true" listing by sending payment via wire transfer or with an advanced deposit in order to collect the money without providing the advertised accommodation.
• Overpayment Scam: A type of scam in which someone will offer more than what your listing may be worth, and ask you to repay them in cash.

Related articles

• I’m a guest. What are some safety tips I can follow?
• How do I book a place on Airbnb?
• How can I keep my account secure?
• When do I pay for a reservation?
• How does Airbnb handle security deposits?

[Amaris0]

There are a few scams going on and whilst this may or may not be one of them, I appreciate the possibility of a 20% discount is appealing but do not make any arrangements off the Airbnb platform, its not worth the risk just to save a few £/$...

Think about it, if there is a 20% off deal, that's great incentive - why are they not advertising it on Airbnb? Also it doesn't make sense that you enquire about a property at a certain price, Airbnb will only charge them a 3% host fee, yet they wish to offer you an extra 17% and they want to do it off the platform - I see big flags here.

I would suggest you flag their message to Airbnb; they will investigate and if not genuine they’ll remove the listing and if it is ok, then they will remind the host of the policy re dealing off platform; right next to the message you received, there is a small flag icon, click on it to report the message.

I hope you decide safely.

BW, Ama

[Ash-and-Dasha0]

The listing looks gorgeous, but it might also be too good to be true. I clicked to report them to airbnb, but I don't think they really care to screen though these reports. There was a listing in SF with 25 reviews from the same guest and horrible pics,  many hosts reported it, but nothing happened to it in the end. 

[Evelyn171]

I don’t think Airbnb cares.  

[Andres-Felipe2]

I have an issue where the host cancelled my reservation but she accepted the money. I have been trying with Airbnb to process the full refund of my money, but they just said I should through refunds, and the assistant closed my case. I went through refunds, but the highest  amount request for a refund is way less than I paid, so obviously I could not do it that way. So, I asked them again after explaining about it, (like they did not know this already) but they have been ignoring my request since then. I also sent a message to the host, and she seems not to be worried about giving my money back. She is committing a fraud, and Airbnb is not doing anything about it. There is not a phone number I can call to speak to someone who will really take care of this. Where is the safety and respect to customers from this site? Only when these type of things happen, you realize you are on your own. No one is taking responsibility and charge of this. It is frustrating!

[Khine2]

I am also experiencing the similar situation, may be worse. When I arrived the place with so many luggages from the airport, I could not contact the host. I was very frustrated and didn’t know where to go. I contacted Airbnb so many times and also the host. They took my money and I didn’t get any response. I am very disappointed that I lost my money. I ended up spending so much money to book the nearby expensive hotel. Can anyone suggest what I should do?