Brand new to Airbnb as a guest question

[Jason791]

So here I am at Airbnb looking for vacation rentals and perusing the ads like a kid eye balling a pack of smarties(kodos to those who know what theses are).

I am curious of 2 things:

1.  Why would anyone want to approve a request to book for someone with zero references/feedback?

2.  How would one go about making a "better" option for approals?

     a. Are verified ID's important, and with the risk of identity theft via an online data base it seems risky? 

     b. Verified mobile number is good, but useless for people travelling, what about things liek Whatsapp messageing or something else?

     c. Do hosts call guest and if they don't answer not approve?

I've read a lot of threads and stories about AirBNB and feel I have picked a good place with a host with good reviews, I've seen a few places that were just way to good to be true and avoided them after reading some valuble information.

Any help the comunity can add is as always greatly appreciated for this newbie.

[Linda108]

@Jason791   The answers to your questions vary with the type of listing.  There are listing which are basically hotels and operate in the same way hotels work.  For the shared living listings in which the host is on the property or lives in the property part time, you are in a more intimate sphere.  Travelers who are new to Air BNB and do not have the advantage positive reviews,, would benefit from establishing a rapport with the host by sharing a bit about themselves and confirming they understand the listing.  I ask for government ID to be uploaded as well.  As for contact information, hosts and guests communicate via the Air BNB message system.  Personal phone numbers are only shared when there is a confirmed reservation.

[Helen3]

Well actually five questions  @Jason791  but happy to try and help 🙂

1.  Why would anyone want to approve a request to book for someone with zero references/feedback?

Lots of guests are new to Airbnb - about 60% of my guests. I ask for photo ID and have questions I ask my guest before I confirm their booking.

2.  How would one go about making a "better" option for approals?

Have a clear photo, fill in your profile, let the host know about plans for your stay and why you chose their place.

3. Are verified ID's important, and with the risk of identity theft via an online data base it seems risky? 

Some hosts require it. Some don't. There is always a small risk of identity fraud when you store you ID online. Airbnb  uses a specialist third party company for this.

4. Verified mobile number is good, but useless for people travelling, what about things liek Whatsapp messageing or something else?

This is about verifying your ID, not about communication. All communication should be kept on the Airbnb platform. You can communicate through their app on your phone when travelling.

5.  Do hosts call guest and if they don't answer not approve?

No. You book through the platform.

[Jody79]

Hi Jason, I can only speak for us here. We’re newbie hosts, have only been at it for about four months now, however have been Airbnb guests for a couple of years.  Most of our guests have been first time Airbnb guests and a majority have been great. We do require a government issued ID however,  as most of the bad experiences we’ve had the guests did not have this.

[Jason791]

Thank you I appreciate the information,

It was for an entire apartment for myself and my wife, I have a verified phone number(after spending some money on roaming/data fees :-$) and I've uploaded a recent photo of myself and my travel partner(spouse). 

For the place:

The one place I decided on, comunicated with etc is now into the last 2 hours of the 24hr window.  With my experiences on AirBNB so far, I may just resort to a hotel room for the remainder of my stay as it seems a lot less hassle. 

Would it be wrong of me, aganist the rules, black mark on my profile to cancel the booking request now?

[Jason791]

The request to book expired without any contact from the host, surprizing as they are a super host and have a 5 star rating.

This is something that should be reflected in a hosts bio.  It takes very little to simply say "No Thanks" rather then have someone waiting for a full 24 hours to let it expire.

Oh well maybe next time I book Airbnb will be a better option.  

[Alexandra316]

@Jason791 Once upon a time, I was young (okay, not very young) and foolish (definitely) and new to Airbnb, and I tried booking some lovely places to stay while I was visiting Germany. I found some places that I liked, and I sent requests. My profile was filled out, I had a picture, my ID was verified. I sent the hosts nice messages about my trip and why I wanted to stay with them.  No problem! thought I. I'll soon be staying in the fairest Airbnbs in the land.

WRONG! It took me multiple attempts to find places to stay. Some hosts, some of them Superhosts, never bothered getting back to me. It all worked out in the end and I loved everywhere I stayed, but it wasn't as easy as I though it would be. As a host myself now, I take new people all the time: well over 50% of my guests are new.

There's no black mark for cancelling a booking request. I agree that it's rude not to answer, and we're penalized for it, so it don't know why a host wouldn't get back to you. In fairness to them, there does seem to be some glitchyness today on the site, so maybe it's a technical problem.

[Emilia42]

@Alexandra316,  I have a very similar story when I first perused Airbnb as a guest…. long ago. It was a huge influence in why I choose to use Instant Book when I became a host and have never looked back. As a guest now, I still find myself filtering for instant book accommodations. 

[Sarah977]

@Jason791  If it's any consolation, the host will take a hit on their response stats, which could lead them to losing Superhost status.

However, there can always be extenuating circumstances when a guest or host fails to answer in a timely fashion. We tend to assume they're just being inattentive or rude. But for all anyone knows there might be an area-wide internet outage, maybe a host or guest's kid just broke their leg in a skiing accident and they're at the hospital, maybe they just found out a close family member died, maybe their plumbing just sprang a leak and they're dealing with an emergency situation. There are so many possibilities for someone not responding that are perfectly understandable, as we're all human and those things can happen in all of our lives.

I once missed answering a booking request until after the 24 hours because of an Airbnb tech glitch where they stopped sending me notifications. So I had no idea I had a Booking Request sitting there awaiting a response.

[Sarah977]

@Jason791  As others have said, fill out your profile information and when putting in a Booking Request, send a nice message introducing yourself and saying something about the purpose of your trip. "Hi, XXX, just found your place and it looks great. My wife and I are planning a much-needed vacation and escape from the cold. Looking forward to staying." 

A message in this vein will set most hosts' minds at ease about hosting a new user with no reviews. I've accepted quite a few new guests myself and they have all been lovely. 

But I've had messages like "So is it just for one person?". While I do answer all messages within a few hours, this isn't a guest I'd feel comfortable accepting, as their question makes it obvious they haven't bothered to read my listing description.

A host not responding within 24 hours is a red flag and very poor hosting- move on to another listing and no, there is nothing wrong with cancelling the Request in such an instance. In fact, it's sometimes better to send an Inquiry first- if the host doesn't respond, you don't have to go through the cancellation process. If the host responds nicely, and feels you're a good fit for their listing, they'll pre-approve the Inquiry and you can go on to book if you choose. Just be aware that if the host uses Instant Book, or gets a Booking Request before you've had a chance to go ahead and book after making an Inquiry, the IB or Request will superced the Inquiry, as dates aren't blocked for an Inquiry.

As far as the phone is concerned, it is best to keep all communication on the Airbnb messaging system, but there are times where phoning or texting is acceptable and makes sense. Say you're running late and will be checking in an hour past when you had arranged- a quick phone call or text to the host to let them know this is fine. I ask my guests to phone or text when they arrive at the bus station (most arrive like that here) and I drive the 8 minutes to pick them up as it's easier than trying to explain how to get to my countryside place.

And I do know what Smarties are, but I never liked them much- I far prefer M&Ms 🙂

[Ava30]

Hi @Jason791 : You have some great advice, I won't repeat it. LOVE Smarties, especially the Giant ones (they come in Mega size too), in fact I sell them at my business. ;o) Based on your profile, thanks for filling that out, so many folks do not, I would easily accept a booking request from you. I don't understand hosts that do not answer within at least a couple hours either. I get a huge percentage of new users at my listing and most of them have been awesome. And of the guests that have had a few stays, the same percentages are good and not so good as the new. I base my decision on whether or not I think you will be a good fit. I have gotten better at it as time goes on. If you ever make a trip to Redwoods Country in Northern California, if I have availability, etc, hit me up! Safe journeys to you and your wife!

[Jason791]

Here we go......Attempt number 2 to book a place.....

I've now verified my ID, Phone and provided my CC info....

And....

I didn't even get to complete typing this....already confirmed.

🙂

I guess my profile was "good Enough" for the second attempt.

[Emilia42]

@Jason791,  it is likely that you booked with a host who is set up for "Instant Book." In this case you do not need to 'request a booking.' It is automatically confirmed if you meet the host’s verification requirements.

[Jason791]

It is entreily possible but it did say "Request to book" when I went to confirm the reservation.

It seems like a good place with a super host with 60+ 5* rating.....hopefully it will be smooth and easy for the rest of the process.